Hoshea 10:1-11

1 0 Yisroel is a running gefen, he bringeth forth p’ri unto himself; according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the mizbechot; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly matzevot (stone pillars, monuments).

2 Their lev is deceitful; now shall they bear guilt; He shall break down their mizbechot, He shall destroy their matzevot.

3 For now they shall say, We have no Melech, because we feared not Hashem; but if we did have a Melech, what could he do for us?

4 They have spoken words, swearing falsely in cutting brit (covenant); thus mishpat springeth up as poisonous herb in the furrows of the sadeh.

5 The inhabitants of Shomron tremble because of the eglot (calf-idols) of Beit-Aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, likewise the komer (idolatrous priests) over it, who shout for joy over its kavod, for it has gone into the Golus for them.

6 It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a minchah (present) to the great king; Ephrayim shall receive disgrace, and Yisroel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

7 As for Shomron, her melech will float off like a twig upon the surface of the mayim.

8 The high places also of Aven, the chattat Yisroel, shall be made shmad; the kotz (thorn) and the dardar (thistle) shall come up on their mizbechot; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

9 O Yisroel, thou hast sinned from the yamei Giveah; there they have continued. Did not milchamah (war) overtake the bnei alvah (children of unruliness) in Giveah?

10 When I please, I will chastise them; amim shall be gathered against them, when they are punished for their shtei avon (double iniquity).

11 And Ephrayim is an eglah melummadah (a trained heifer), and loveth to tread out the grain; but I will put a yoke on her fair neck; I will drive Ephrayim; Yehudah shall plow, and Ya’akov shall break his clods.

Hoshea 10:1-11 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.