Hosea 10:1-8

The Vine and the Calf

1 Israel is a lush^[a] vine; it yields fruit for itself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better they made the sacred pillars.

2 Their hearts are devious;^[b] now they must bear their guilt. The Lord will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.

3 In fact, they are now saying: "We have no king! For we do not fear the Lord. What can a king do for us?"

4 They speak [mere] words, taking false oaths while making covenants. So lawsuits break out like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

5 The residents of Samaria will have anxiety over the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it; the people will mourn over it, over its glory. It will certainly depart from them.

6 The calf itself will be taken to Assyria as an offering to the great king.^[c] Ephraim will experience shame; Israel will be ashamed of its counsel.

7 Samaria's king will disappear^[d] like foam^[e] on the surface of the water.

8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed; thorns and thistles will grow over their altars. They will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!"^[f]

Hosea 10:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 10

This chapter is of the same argument with the former, and others before that; setting forth the sins of the ten tribes, and threatening them with the judgments of God for them; and exhorting them to repentance, and works of righteousness. They are charged with unfruitfulness and ingratitude; increasing in idolatry, as they increased in temporal good things, Ho 10:1; with a divided heart, and with irreverence of God, and their king; and with false swearing, covenant breaking, and injustice, Ho 10:2-4; and are threatened with a removal of their king, and with the destruction of their idols, and places of idolatry, which should cause fear in the common people, and mourning among the priests, Ho 10:1,5-8. It is observed, that their sin had been of long continuance, though the Lord had been kind and good unto them, in chastising them in love, giving them good laws, sending his prophets to exhort them to repentance and reformation, but all in vain, Ho 10:9-13; wherefore they are threatened with the spoiling of their fortresses, the destruction of the people, and the cutting off of their king, Ho 10:14,15.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or ravaged
• [b]. Or divided
• [c]. Or to King Yareb
• [d]. Or will be cut off
• [e]. Or a stick
• [f]. Rv 6:16