Hosea 10:6-15

Shame and punishment

6 To Assyria it will be carried as a gift for the great king. Ephraim will be put to shame; Israel will be ashamed of his own idol.

7 Samaria will be cut off; her king is like a chip of wood on the surface of the water.

8 The sin of Israel, the shrines of Aven will be torn down. Thorn and thistle will sprout up on their altars. They will say to the mountains, "Cover us," to the hills, "Fall on us."

9 Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, Israel; there they have continued. Will not war overtake them in Gibeah?

10 I will come and punish them; nations will be gathered against them when they are punished for their double crime.

11 Ephraim was a trained cow that loved to pull a plow; I spared her fair neck; but I will make Ephraim break through the ground; Judah will plow; Jacob will turn the soil for himself.

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap faithful love; break up your unplanted ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped depravity, you have eaten the fruit of lies, because you have trusted in your way and in your many warriors.

14 Therefore, the noise of war will rise against your people; all your fortresses will be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed into pieces with their children.

15 It will indeed happen to you, Bethel, because of your great wickedness. At dawn, the king of Israel will be cut off completely.

Hosea 10:6-15 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.