Hosea 10:4

4 They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

Hosea 10:4 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 10:4

They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant,
&c.] Those are other crimes they were guilty of, for which the wrath of God could not be awarded from them by a king, if they had one, or by any other. They had used vain and idle words in their common talk and conversation; and lying and deceitful ones to one another in trade and commerce, in contracts and promises; and so had deceived and overreached one another: they had belched out many "oaths of vanity" {u}: or vain oaths and curses; their mouths had been full of cursing and bitterness; and they made covenants with God, and their king, and with other kings and princes, and with one another, and had not kept them; and now for these things God had a controversy with them: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field;
either the judgment of God, his wrath and vengeance for the above sins, rose up and spread itself in all their cities, towns, and villages; or rather the judgment and justice they pretended to execute, instead of being what it should have been, useful and beneficial to the people, like a wholesome herb, sprung up like hemlock, bitter and poisonous, and spread itself in all parts of the kingdom. Injustice is meant; see ( Amos 6:12 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 (awv twla) "execrationes vanitatis", Schmidt.

Hosea 10:4 In-Context

2 Their heart is divided. Now they will be found guilty. He will demolish their altars. He will destroy their sacred stones.

3 Surely now they will say, "We have no king; for we don't fear Yahweh; And the king, what can he do for us?"

4 They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria will be in terror for the calves of Beth-aven; For its people will mourn over it, Along with its priests who rejoiced over it, For its glory, because it has departed from it.

6 It also will be carried to Assyria for a present to king Jareb. Ephraim will receive shame, And Israel will be ashamed of his own counsel.