Hosea 10:1-6

1 Israel was a vine full of boughs, fruit was made even to him (Israel was a vine full of branches, bringing forth fruit unto himself); by the multitude of his fruit he multiplied (the) altars, by the plenty of his land he was plenteous. [Israel a vine full of boughs, fruit is made even to him; after the multitude of his fruit he multiplied altars, after the plenty of his land he was plenteous in simulacra, or false gods.]

2 In simulacra the heart of them is parted, now they shall perish. He shall break the simulacra of them, he shall rob the altars of them. (Their hearts be all turned toward their idols, and now they shall perish. Yea, God shall destroy their idols, and shall rob their altars.) [The heart of them is parted, now they shall perish. He shall break together the simulacra of them, he shall spoil the altars of them (He shall altogether break their idols, he shall spoil their altars).]

3 For then they shall say, A king is not to us, for we dread(ed) not the Lord. And what shall a king do to us? (And then they shall say, We have no king, for we did not fear the Lord. But what good could a king do for us anyway?)

4 Speak ye words of unprofitable vision, and ye shall smite bond of peace with leasing; and doom as bitterness shall burgeon on the furrows of the field. (Speak ye words of unprofitable vision, and ye shall strike a covenant with lies; and a bitter justice shall burgeon on the furrows of the field.)

5 The dwellers of Samaria worshipped the kine of Bethaven. For the people thereof mourned on that calf, and the keepers of the house thereof; they made full out joy on it in the glory thereof, for it passed from that people. (The inhabitants of Samaria worshipped the calf of Bethaven. And so the people there, and the keepers of its temple, mourned when that calf was taken away; yea, they had rejoiced over it in its glory, before that it was taken away from that people.)

6 For also it was borne to Assur, a gift to the king venger. Confusion shall take Ephraim, and Israel shall be shamed in his will. (For it shall be carried over to Assyria, as a gift to the great king. And so shame shall overtake Ephraim, yea, Israel shall be ashamed of their own willfulness/Israel shall be shamed by their own willfulness.)

Hosea 10:1-6 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.