Christian Standard Bible
Hosea 10:12
12Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.
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
10I will discipline them at my discretion; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage for their double iniquity. 11Ephraim is a well-trained calf that loves to thresh, but I will place a yoke on her fine neck. I will harness Ephraim; Judah will plow; Jacob will do the final plowing. Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain. 13You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in your large number of soldiers, 14the roar of battle will rise against your people, and all your fortifications will be demolished in a day of war, like Shalman’s destruction of Beth-arbel. Mothers will be dashed to pieces along with their children.
Read all of Hosea 10Hosea 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 8:7Indeed, they sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if they did, foreigners would swallow it up.
- Psalms 126:5Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.
- Proverbs 11:18The wicked person earns an empty wage, but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward.
- Proverbs 18:21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
- Ecclesiastes 11:6In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hand rest, because you don’t know which will succeed, whether one or the other, or if both of them will be equally good.
- Isaiah 32:20You will be happy as you sow seed beside abundant water, and as you let oxen and donkeys range freely.
- James 3:18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
- Jeremiah 4:3For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: Break up the unplowed ground; do not sow among the thorns.
- Psalms 105:4Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
- Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who depend on horses! They trust in the abundance of chariots and in the large number of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel, and they do not seek the Lord.
- Isaiah 55:6Seek the Lord while he may be found; call to him while he is near.
- Jeremiah 29:12You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
- Jeremiah 50:4In those days and at that time — this is the Lord’s declaration — the Israelites and Judeans will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the Lord their God.
- Amos 5:4For the Lord says to the house of Israel: Seek me and live!
- Zephaniah 2:1Gather yourselves together; gather together, undesirable nation,
- Luke 13:24“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t 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
In the dictionaries
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
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