Hosea 10:13

13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye shall eat the fruit of lies because thou didst trust in thy way and in the multitude of thy mighty men.

Hosea 10:13 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 10:13

Ye have ploughed wickedness
Contrived it, and took a great deal of pains to commit it; by ploughing sowed it, and which sprung up in a plentiful crop: it may denote their first sins, from whence all others arose; as their irreligion and infidelity; their apostasy from God; their idolatry and contempt of his word and prophets: ye have reaped iniquity;
abundance of other sins have sprung up from thence; a large harvest of them have been reaped and got in; or great numbers of other sins have been committed; one sin leads on to another, and these proceed "ad infinitum"; wickedness is of an increasing nature, and grows worse and worse, and proceeds to more ungodliness: many understand this of the punishment or reward of sin: ye have eaten the fruit of lies;
as a sweet morsel though bread of deceit; which could not profit them, nor yield them in the issue the pleasure it promised them, and they hoped for from it: because thou didst trust in thy way;
in the worship of their idols, and in their alliances with neighbouring nations, and promised themselves great prosperity and happiness from hence: and in the multitude of thy mighty men;
their valiant soldiers, their numerous armies, and the generals of them, well skilled in war, and courageous; and also in their auxiliaries, which they had from the Egyptians and others; these they put their confidences in, to protect them; and so in their garrisons and fortresses, as the following words show:

Hosea 10:13 In-Context

11 Ephraim is a heifer that is taught and loves to tread out the wheat; but I shall pass over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to draw; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.

12 Sow yourselves unto righteousness, reap yourselves unto mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is the time to seek the LORD until he comes and teaches you righteousness.

13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye shall eat the fruit of lies because thou didst trust in thy way and in the multitude of thy mighty men.

14 Therefore, in thy peoples a tumult shall arise, and all thy fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her sons.

15 So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness; in the morning the king of Israel shall utterly be cut off.