Focused Passage

Hosea 12:7-14

Israel's Jacob-Like Striving, False Security, and the Call to Return

Hosea 12 moves from Ephraim's empty diplomacy and Judah's exposure, to Jacob's story as a mirror for Israel, to a direct call to return, to indictment of commercial pride and forgetfulness of prophetic deliverance, ending with the certainty that Israel's guilt will be repaid.

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

7A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.

8And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.”

9But I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt. I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast.

10I spoke through the prophets and multiplied their visions; I gave parables through the prophets.

11Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.

12Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife—for a wife he tended sheep.

13But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.

14Ephraim has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt upon him and repay him for his contempt.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 7

Original words

A merchantכְּנַ֗עַןH3667Noun - proper - masculine singularlovesאָהֵֽב׃H157Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularto defraudלַעֲשֹׁ֥קH6231Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructwith dishonestמִרְמָ֖הH4820Noun - feminine singularscalesמֹאזְנֵ֥יH3976Noun - masculine dual constructin his handsבְּיָד֛וֹH3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 8

Original words

And Ephraimאֶפְרַ֔יִםH669Noun - proper - masculine singularboastsוַיֹּ֣אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular. . .אַ֣ךְH389AdverbHow rich I have becomeעָשַׁ֔רְתִּיH6238Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularI have foundמָצָ֥אתִיH4672Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularwealthא֖וֹןH202Noun - masculine singularfor myselfלִ֑יPreposition | first person common singularIn allכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructmy laborsיְגִיעַ֕יH3018Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularthey can findיִמְצְאוּ־H4672Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralin meלִ֖יPreposition | first person common singularnoלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleiniquityעָוֺ֥ןH5771Noun - common singularthat [is]אֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativesinfulחֵֽטְא׃H2399Noun - masculine singular
Verse 9

Original words

But I [am]וְאָנֹכִ֛יH595Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singularthe LORDיְהוָ֥הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularever since the landמֵאֶ֣רֶץH776Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular constructof Egyptמִצְרָ֑יִםH4714Noun - proper - feminine singularI will again make you dwellאוֹשִֽׁיבְךָ֥H3427Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular. . .עֹ֛דH5750Adverbin tentsבָאֳהָלִ֖יםH168Preposition-b | Noun - masculine pluralas in the daysכִּימֵ֥יH3117Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural constructof the appointed feastמוֹעֵֽד׃H4150Noun - masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

I spokeוְדִבַּ֙רְתִּי֙H1696Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularthroughעַל־H5921Prepositionthe prophetsהַנְּבִיאִ֔יםH5030Article | Noun - masculine pluralandוְאָנֹכִ֖יH595Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singularmultipliedהִרְבֵּ֑יתִיH7235Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singulartheir visionsחָז֣וֹןH2377Noun - masculine singularI gave parablesאֲדַמֶּֽה׃H1819Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singularthroughוּבְיַ֥דH3027Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructthe prophetsהַנְּבִיאִ֖יםH5030Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 11

Original words

Is thereאִם־H518Conjunctioniniquityאָ֙וֶן֙H205Noun - masculine singular[in] Gileadגִּלְעָ֥דH1568Noun - proper - feminine singularThey will surelyאַךְ־H389Adverbcomeהָי֔וּH1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralto nothingשָׁ֣וְאH7723Noun - masculine singularDo they sacrificeזִבֵּ֑חוּH2076Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralbullsשְׁוָרִ֣יםH7794Noun - masculine pluralin Gilgalבַּגִּלְגָּ֖לH1537Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularIndeedגַּ֤םH1571Conjunctiontheir altars [will be]מִזְבְּחוֹתָם֙H4196Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralheaps of stonesכְּגַלִּ֔יםH1530Preposition-k | Noun - masculine pluralinעַ֖לH5921Prepositionthe furrowsתַּלְמֵ֥יH8525Noun - masculine plural constructof the fieldשָׂדָֽי׃H7704Noun - masculine singular
Verse 12

Original words

Jacobיַעֲקֹ֖בH3290Noun - proper - masculine singularfledוַיִּבְרַ֥חH1272Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularto the landשְׂדֵ֣הH7704Noun - masculine singular constructof Aramאֲרָ֑םH758Noun - proper - feminine singularand Israelיִשְׂרָאֵל֙H3478Noun - proper - masculine singularworkedוַיַּעֲבֹ֤דH5647Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularfor a wifeבְּאִשָּׁ֔הH802Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singularfor a wifeוּבְאִשָּׁ֖הH802Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singularhe tended [sheep]שָׁמָֽר׃H8104Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, northwest Mesopotamia
Verse 13

Original words

But by a prophetוּבְנָבִ֕יאH5030Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularthe LORDיְהוָ֛הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerbroughtהֶעֱלָ֧הH5927Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularout of Egyptמִמִּצְרָ֑יִםH4714Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singularand by a prophetוּבְנָבִ֖יאH5030Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularhe was preservedנִשְׁמָֽר׃H8104Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

Ephraimאֶפְרַ֖יִםH669Noun - proper - masculine singularhas provoked bitterתַּמְרוּרִ֑יםH8563Noun - masculine pluralangerהִכְעִ֥יסH3707Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularso his Lordאֲדֹנָֽיו׃H113Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularwill leaveיִטּ֔וֹשׁH5203Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularhis bloodguiltוְדָמָיו֙H1818Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularupon himעָלָ֣יוH5921Preposition | third person masculine singularand repayיָשִׁ֥יבH7725Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularhimל֖וֹPreposition | third person masculine singularfor his contemptוְחֶ֨רְפָּת֔וֹH2781Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | 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.