Hosea 10:12

Hosea 10:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
• New International Version (NIV)Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

Context of Hosea 10:12

10When it is my desire [to defend My righteousness], I will chastise them; And [hostile] peoples will be gathered against them When they are bound and punished for their double guilt [their revolt against the Lord and their worship of idols]. 11Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to tread out the grain, But I will come over her fair neck with a heavy yoke [for hard field work]. I will harness Ephraim; Judah will plow and Jacob will harrow and rake for himself. Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate]; Reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, For it is time to seek and search diligently for the Lord [and to long for His blessing] Until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you. 13You have plowed and planted wickedness, you have reaped the [willful] injustice [of oppressors], You have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and your chariots, and in your many warriors, 14Therefore an uproar will arise among your people, And all your fortresses will be destroyed, As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, When mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.

Hosea 10:12 word by word

זִרְע֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם לִצְדָקָה֙ קִצְר֣וּ לְפִי־חֶ֔סֶד נִ֥ירוּ לָכֶ֖ם נִ֑יר וְעֵת֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה עַד־יָב֕וֹא וְיֹרֶ֥ה צֶ֖דֶק לָכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Sowזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
• to yourselves in righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
• reapקָצַרqâtsar · to reapH7114
• inפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• mercyחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
• break upנִירnîyr · to breakH5214
• your fallow groundנִירnîyr nir · fallow groundH5215
• timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• to seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• till he comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• and rainיָרָאyârâh yârâ' · to shootH3384
• righteousnessצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664

Cross-references for Hosea 10:12

• Hosea 8:7For they sow the wind [in evil] And they reap the whirlwind [in disaster]. The standing grain has no growth; It yields no grain. If it were to yield, strangers would swallow it up.
• Psalms 126:5They who sow in tears shall reap with joyful singing.
• Proverbs 11:18The wicked man earns deceptive wages, But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying].
• Proverbs 18:21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.
• Ecclesiastes 11:6Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle with your hands in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening planting will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
• Isaiah 32:20Blessed (happy, fortunate) are you who cast your seed upon all waters [when the river overflows its banks and irrigates the land], You who allow the ox and the donkey to roam freely.
• James 3:18And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals].
• Jeremiah 4:3For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Plow your uncultivated ground [for a season], And do not sow among thorns.
• Psalms 105:4Seek and deeply long for the Lord and His strength [His power, His might]; Seek and deeply long for His face and His presence continually.
• Isaiah 31:1Woe (judgment is coming) to those who go down to Egypt for help, Who rely on horses And trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord!
• Isaiah 55:6Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near.
• Jeremiah 29:12Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you.
• Jeremiah 50:4“In those days and at that time,” says the Lord, “the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together; they will come up weeping [in repentance] as they come and seek the Lord their God [inquiring for and of Him].
• Amos 5:4For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, “Seek Me [search diligently for Me and regard Me as more essential than food] so that you may live.
• Zephaniah 2:1Gather yourselves together [in repentance], yes, gather [in submission], O nation without shame,
• Luke 13:24“Strive to enter through the narrow door [force aside unbelief and the attractions of sin]; for many, I tell you, will try to enter [by their own works] and will not be able.

Commentaries on Hosea 10:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Sow to yourselves in righteousness - Let the seed you sow be of the best kind, and in just measure. Reap in mercy - By the blessing of God on this ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, you may expect a good crop in harvest. Break up your fallow ground - Do not be satisfied with a slight furrow; let the land that was fallowed (slightly ploughed) be broken up again with a deep furrow. For it is time to seek the Lord - This should be immediately done: the season…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy - Literally, “in the proportion of mercy,” not in proportion to what you have sown, nor what justice would give, but beyond all deserts, “in the proportion of mercy;” i. e., “according to the capacity and fullness of the mercy of God; what becometh the mercy of God, which is boundless,” which overlooketh man‘s failings, and giveth an infinite reward for poor imperfect labor. As our Lord says, “Give, and it…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 Because God does not desire the death and ruin of sinners, therefore in mercy he desires their chastisement. The children of iniquity still remained in Israel. The enemies would be gathered against them. It is just with God to make those know what hardships mean, who indulge themselves in ease and pleasure. Let them cleanse their hearts from all corrupt affections and lusts, and be a broken and contrite spirit. Let them abound in works of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Using farming metaphors, God explained his requirements for his people and promised blessings if they obeyed (see Hosea 6:6; 8:7). Although Hosea announced God's judgment, he also gave Israel the chance to repent and receive blessings.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Continuation of the image in Ho 10:11 (Pr 11:18). Act righteously and ye shall reap the reward; a reward not of debt, but of grace. in mercy--according to the measure of the divine "mercy," which over and above repays the goodness or "mercy" which we show to our fellow man (Lu 6:38). break ... fallow ground--Remove your superstitions and vices, and be renewed. seek ... Lord, fill he come--Though not answered immediately, persevere unceasingly "till He…Read the comment

Topics related to Hosea 10:12

• Desire
• Reaping
• Repentance
• Righteousness
• Seed
• Seekers
• Sower
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Ashamed
• Fallowground
• Plow
• Rain
• Reap
• Alms; Almsgiving
• Break
• Calf, Golden
• Fallow
• Ground; Grounded

Commentaries on Hosea 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings