Hosea 9:8

Hosea 9:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
• New International Version (NIV)The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways— Enmity in the house of his God.

Context of Hosea 9:8

6For behold, they will go away because of devastation and destruction; Egypt will gather them up, Memphis will bury them. Weeds will take over their treasures of silver; Thorns will grow in their tents. 7The days of punishment have come; The days of retribution are at hand; Let Israel know this! The prophet is [considered] a fool; The man [of God] who is inspired is [treated as if] demented, Because of the abundance of your wickedness and guilt, And because your deep antagonism [toward God and the prophets] is so great. Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a [true] prophet [to warn the nation]; But the snare of a bird catcher was laid in all his paths. And there is only deep hostility in the house of his God (the land of Israel). 9They have deeply corrupted (perverted) themselves As in the days of Gibeah. The Lord will remember their wickedness and guilt; He will punish their sins. 10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness [an unexpected and refreshing delight]; I saw your fathers (ancestors) as the first ripe fruit on the fig tree in its first season, But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to shamefulness [the worship of Baal], And [because of their spiritual and physical adultery] they became as detestable and loathsome as the thing they loved.

Hosea 9:8 word by word

צֹפֶ֥ה אֶפְרַ֖יִם עִם־אֱלֹהָ֑י נָבִ֞יא פַּ֤ח יָקוֹשׁ֙ עַל־כָּל־דְּרָכָ֔יו מַשְׂטֵמָ֖ה בְּבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The watchmanצָפָהtsâphâh · to watchH6822
• of Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• with my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• the prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• a snareפַּחpach · snareH6341
• of a fowlerיָקוֹשׁyâqôsh · fowlerH3352
• in all his waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• hatredמַשְׂטֵמָהmaώţêmâh · hatredH4895
• in the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004

Cross-references for Hosea 9:8

• Isaiah 62:6On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed and stationed watchmen (prophets), Who will never keep silent day or night; You who profess the Lord, take no rest for yourselves,
• Jeremiah 6:17I have set watchmen (prophets) over you, Saying, ‘Listen and pay attention to the [warning] sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
• Jeremiah 31:6For there will be a day when the watchmen On the hills of Ephraim cry out, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the Lord our God.’ ”
• Ezekiel 3:17“Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.
• Ezekiel 33:7“Now as for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you shall hear a message from My mouth and give them a warning from Me.
• Micah 7:4The best of them is [injurious] like a briar; The most upright is [prickly] like a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen [that is, the time predicted by the prophets] And your punishment comes; Now shall be their confusion.
• Hebrews 13:17Obey your [spiritual] leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you.
• 1 Kings 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
• 1 Kings 18:1Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”
• 1 Kings 22:28Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” Then he said, “Listen, all you people.”
• 2 Kings 2:14He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he too had struck the waters, they divided this way and that, and Elisha crossed over.
• 2 Kings 3:15But now bring me a musician.” And it came about while the musician played, that the hand (power) of the Lord came upon Elisha.
• 2 Kings 4:1Now one of the wives of a man of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha [for help], saying “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant [reverently] feared the Lord; but the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves [in payment for a loan].”
• 2 Kings 4:43His servant said, “How am I to set [only] this before a hundred [hungry] men?” He said, “Give it to the people so that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’ ”
• 2 Kings 5:14So he went down and plunged himself into the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said; and his flesh was restored like that of a little child and he was clean.
• 2 Kings 6:17Then Elisha prayed and said, “Lord, please, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servants eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.

Commentaries on Hosea 9:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The watchman of Ephraim - The true prophet, was with - faithful to, God. The prophet - The false prophet is the snare of a fowler; is continually deceiving the people, and leading them into snares, and infusing into their hearts deep hatred against God and his worship.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The watchman of Ephraim was with my God - These words may well contrast the office of the true prophet with the false. For Israel had had many true prophets, and such was Hosea himself now. The true prophet was at all times with “God.” He was “with God,” as holpen by God, “watching” or looking out and on into the future by the help of God. He was “with God,” as walking with God in a constant sense of His presence, and in continual communion with Him. He…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-10Verses 7-10 Time had been when the spiritual watchmen of Israel were with the Lord, but now they were like the snare of a fowler to entangle persons to their ruin. The people were become as corrupt as those of Gibeah, Judg. 19; and their crimes should be visited in like manner. At first God had found Israel pleasing to Him, as grapes to the traveller in the wilderness. He saw them with pleasure as the first ripe figs. This shows the delight God took in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The watchman stood on the city wall to warn of any threat (for example, 1 Samuel 14:16). Similarly, a prophet was God's watchman. They warned Israel about her sins and the judgment that would follow (see Jeremiah 6:17; Ezekiel 3:17). Even though the prophet served the people, they responded to him with hostility.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. The watchman ... was with my God--The spiritual watchmen, the true prophets, formerly consulted my God (Jr 31:6; Ha 2:1); but their so-called prophet is a snare, entrapping Israel into idolatry. hatred--rather, "(a cause of) apostasy" (see Ho 9:7) [Maurer]. house of his God--that is, the state of Ephraim, as in Ho 8:1 [Maurer]. Or, "the house of his (false) god," the calves [Calvin]. Jehovah, "my God," seems contrasted with "his God." Calvin's view is…Read the comment

Topics related to Hosea 9:8

• Backsliders
• Church
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Ephraim
• God
• Ephraim, Ephraimite
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Cornfloor
• Deeply
• Depart
• Fowler
• Mad
• Miscarrying

Commentaries on Hosea 9

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings