Focused Passage

Hosea 10:9-15

Israel's Fruitful Vine, False Security, and the Call to Sow Righteousness

Hosea 10 moves from Israel's abused prosperity and divided heart to the collapse of king, calf, shrine, and military confidence, then presses the people with an urgent call to sow righteousness before warning that they will reap the violent harvest of wickedness.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

9 Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?

10 I will chasten them when I please; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage for their double transgression.

11 Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground.

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.

13 You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your mighty men,

14 the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be demolished as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel in the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces along with their children.

15 Thus it will be done to you, O Bethel, because of your great wickedness. When the day dawns, the king of Israel will be utterly cut off.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 9

Original words

Since the days מִימֵי֙ H3117 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct of Gibeah הַגִּבְעָ֔ה H1390 Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular you have sinned חָטָ֖אתָ H2398 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular O Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular and there שָׁ֣ם H8033 Adverb you have remained עָמָ֔דוּ H5975 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Did not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle the battle מִלְחָמָ֖ה H4421 Noun - feminine singular in Gibeah בַּגִּבְעָ֛ה H1390 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular overtake תַשִּׂיגֵ֧ם H5381 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine plural עַל־ עַל־ H5921 Preposition the sons בְּנֵ֥י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct of iniquity עַֽלְוָֽה׃ H5932 Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Or Did not the battle overtake the sons of iniquity in Gibeah?
Verse 10

Original words

I will chasten them וְאֶסֳּרֵ֑ם H3256 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural when I please בְּאַוָּתִ֖י H185 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular nations עַמִּ֔ים H5971 Noun - masculine plural will be gathered וְאֻסְּפ֤וּ H622 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural against them עֲלֵיהֶם֙ H5921 Preposition | third person masculine plural to put them in bondage בְּאָסְרָ֖ם H631 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural for their double לִשְׁתֵּ֥י H8147 Preposition-l | Number - feminine dual construct transgression עֵינֹתָם׃ H5869 Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 11

Original words

Ephraim וְאֶפְרַ֜יִם H669 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular is a well-trained מְלֻמָּדָה֙ H3925 Verb - Pual - Participle - feminine singular heifer עֶגְלָ֤ה H5697 Noun - feminine singular that loves אֹהַ֣בְתִּי H157 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct to thresh לָד֔וּשׁ H1758 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct but I וַאֲנִ֣י H589 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular will place a yoke עָבַ֔רְתִּי H5674 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition her fair ט֖וּב H2898 Noun - masculine singular construct neck צַוָּארָ֑הּ H6677 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular I will harness אַרְכִּ֤יב H7392 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular Ephraim אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ H669 Noun - proper - masculine singular Judah יְהוּדָ֔ה H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular will plow יַחֲר֣וֹשׁ H2790 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular [and] Jacob יַעֲקֹֽב׃ H3290 Noun - proper - masculine singular will break the hard ground יְשַׂדֶּד־ H7702 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 12

Original words

Sow זִרְע֨וּ H2232 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural for yourselves לָכֶ֤ם Preposition | second person masculine plural righteousness לִצְדָקָה֙ H6666 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular and reap the fruit קִצְר֣וּ H7114 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural . . . לְפִי־ H6310 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct of loving devotion חֶ֔סֶד H2617 Noun - masculine singular break up נִ֥ירוּ H5214 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural your לָכֶ֖ם Preposition | second person masculine plural unplowed ground נִ֑יר H5215 Noun - masculine singular For [it is] time וְעֵת֙ H6256 Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular to seek לִדְר֣וֹשׁ H1875 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular until עַד־ H5704 Preposition He comes יָב֕וֹא H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular and sends righteousness צֶ֖דֶק H6664 Noun - masculine singular upon you לָכֶֽם׃ Preposition | second person masculine plural like rain וְיֹרֶ֥ה H3384 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

You have plowed חֲרַשְׁתֶּם־ H2790 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural wickedness רֶ֛שַׁע H7562 Noun - masculine singular and reaped קְצַרְתֶּ֖ם H7114 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural injustice עַוְלָ֥תָה H5766 Noun - feminine singular you have eaten אֲכַלְתֶּ֣ם H398 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural the fruit פְּרִי־ H6529 Noun - masculine singular construct of lies כָ֑חַשׁ H3585 Noun - masculine singular Because כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you have trusted בָטַ֥חְתָּ H982 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular in your own way בְדַרְכְּךָ֖ H1870 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct | second person masculine singular and in the multitude בְּרֹ֥ב H7230 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of your mighty men גִּבּוֹרֶֽיךָ׃ H1368 Adjective - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

the roar of battle שָׁאוֹן֮ H7588 Noun - masculine singular will rise וְקָ֣אם H6965 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular against your people בְּעַמֶּךָ֒ H5971 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular so that all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct your fortresses מִבְצָרֶ֣יךָ H4013 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular will be demolished יוּשַּׁ֔ד H7703 Verb - QalPass - Imperfect - third person masculine singular as Shalman שַֽׁלְמַ֛ן H8020 Noun - proper - masculine singular בֵּ֥ית בֵּ֥ית H1009 Preposition devastated כְּשֹׁ֧ד H7701 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct Beth-arbel אַֽרְבֵ֖אל H1009 Noun - proper - feminine singular in the day בְּי֣וֹם H3117 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of battle מִלְחָמָ֑ה H4421 Noun - feminine singular when mothers אֵ֥ם H517 Noun - feminine singular were dashed to pieces רֻטָּֽשָׁה׃ H7376 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular along with עַל־ H5921 Preposition their children בָּנִ֖ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 15

Original words

Thus כָּ֗כָה H3602 Adverb it will be done עָשָׂ֤ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to you לָכֶם֙ Preposition | second person masculine plural vvv בֵּֽית־ H1008 Preposition O Bethel אֵ֔ל H1008 Noun - proper - feminine singular because of מִפְּנֵ֖י H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct your great רָֽעַתְכֶ֑ם H7451 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural wickedness רָעַ֣ת H7451 Noun - feminine singular construct When the day dawns בַּשַּׁ֕חַר H7837 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular the king מֶ֥לֶךְ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular will be utterly cut off נִדְמֹ֥ה H1820 Verb - Nifal - Infinitive absolute . . . נִדְמָ֖ה H1820 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.