Hosea 12:1-6

1 Ephraim feedeth (on the) wind, and followeth heat. All day he multiplieth leasing, and destroying; and he made bond of peace with Assyrians, and bare oil into Egypt. (Ephraim feedeth on the wind, and followeth after the east wind. All day they multiplieth lies, and destruction; and they made a covenant of peace with Assyria, and carried tributes of oil to Egypt.)

2 Therefore the doom of the Lord is with Judah, and visiting is on Jacob; by the ways of him, and by the findings of him, he shall yield to him. (And so the Lord hath a judgement to bring against Judah, and Jacob shall be punished; yea, because of their ways, and their deeds, the Lord shall yield vengeance unto them.)

3 In the womb he supplanted his brother, and in his strength he wrestled with the angel.

4 And he was strong to the angel, and was comforted [And he had victory at the angel, and he was comforted]; he wept, and prayed (to) him; in Bethel he found him, and there he spake with us. (And he was strong against the angel/And he fought against the angel, and was the stronger; and he wept, and prayed to him; yea, he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with him.)

5 And the Lord God of hosts, the Lord, is the memorial of him. (With the Lord God of hosts, yea, the Lord is his name.)

6 And thou shalt turn (again) to thy God. Keep thou mercy and doom, and hope thou ever[more] in thy God. (And thou shalt return to thy God. Practise thou love and justice/Practise thou love and judgement, and hope thou forevermore in thy God.)

Hosea 12:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 12

This chapter contains complaints and charges both against Israel and Judah, and threatens them with punishment in case they repent not, which they are exhorted to: and first Ephraim is charged with idolatry, vain confidence in, and alliances with, foreign nations, Ho 12:1; and then the Lord declares he has a controversy with Judah, and will punish the inhabitants of it for their sins, Ho 12:2; which are aggravated by their being the descendants of so great a man as Jacob, who got the advantage of his elder brother, had much power with God, and received favours from him, and they also, Ho 12:3-5; and therefore are exhorted to turn to God, wait on him, and do that which is right and good, Ho 12:6. Ephraim is again in his turn charged with fraudulent dealing in trade, and with oppression, and the love of it; and yet pretended he got riches by his own labour, without wronging any, Ho 12:7,8; nevertheless, the Lord promises them public ordinances of worship, and joy in them, and the ministry of his prophets, Ho 12:9,10; though for the present they were guilty of gross idolatry, Ho 12:11; which is aggravated by the raising of Jacob their progenitor from a low estate, and the wonderful preservation of him, and the bringing of them out of Egypt, Ho 12:12,13; and the chapter is closed with observing Ephraim's bitter provocation of God, for which his reproach should return unto him, and his blood be left upon him, Ho 12:14.