Hosea 11:2

2 But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.^[a]They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.

Hosea 11:2 in Other Translations

2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

2 The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.

2 But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols.

2 But when others called him, he ran off and left me. He worshiped the popular sex gods, he played at religion with toy gods.

2 [The more] they called them, [the more] they departed from Me. They kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.

Hosea 11:2 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 11:2

[As] they called them, so they went from them
That is, the prophets of the Lord, the true prophets, called Israel to the worship and service of God; but they turned a deaf ear to them, and their backs upon them; and the more they called to them, the further they went from them, and from the way of their duty; see ( Hosea 11:7 ) . So the Targum,

``I sent the prophets to teach them, but they wandered from them;''

Moses and Aaron were sent unto them, and called them out of Egypt, but they hearkened not unto them; see ( Exodus 6:9 Exodus 6:12 ) ; in later times the prophets were sent unto them, to exhort them to their duty, and to reclaim them from their evil ways, but they despised and refused to attend to their advice and instructions; and this was continued to the times of Israel, or the ten tribes, departing from the house of David, and setting up idolatrous worship; and during their revolt and apostasy: but all in vain. So after Christ was called out of Egypt, he and his apostles, and John the Baptist before them, called them to hearken to him, but they turned away from them. Aben Ezra interprets it of the false prophets, who called them to idolatry, and they went after them. Schmidt understands it of the Israelites calling one another to it, and going after it, for their own sakes, and because it pleased them, and was agreeable to them; they sacrificed to Baalim, and burnt incense to graven images:
they joined themselves to Baalpeor, and worshipped the golden calf, fashioned with a graving tool, in the wilderness; they sacrificed to Baalim, one or another of them, in the times of the judges, and of Ahab, and committed idolatry with other graven images, of which burning incense is a part. And the Jews in Christ's time, instead of hearkening to him and his apostles, followed the traditions of the elders, and the dictates of the Scribes and Pharisees, who were their Baals, their lords and masters and they sought for life and righteousness by their own works, which was sacrificing to their net, and burning incense to their drag; all this was great ingratitude. Next follows a narrative of other benefits done to this people.

Hosea 11:2 In-Context

1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

2 But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.

3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.

4 I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.

5 “Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?

Cross References

• 1. ver 7
• 2. S Hosea 2:13
• 3. S 2 Kings 17:15; Isaiah 65:7; S Jeremiah 18:15; S Hosea 4:13; Hosea 13:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Septuagint; Hebrew "them"