EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Hosea 12:3
3Before Jacob was born, he cheated his brother. He did that when they were both inside their mother's body. When Jacob became a man, he fought against God.
Hosea 12:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:
- New International Version (NIV)In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God.
Context of Hosea 12:3
1Ephraim's people chase after useless things all the time. They think that they can catch the wind that comes from the east! But the result is more violence and lies. They make an agreement with Assyria to get their help. They also send their olive oil to Egypt to ask for their help. 2The Lord is ready to accuse Judah's people in a court of law. He will punish Jacob's descendants for the bad way that they live. He will punish them as their sins deserve. Before Jacob was born, he cheated his brother. He did that when they were both inside their mother's body. When Jacob became a man, he fought against God. 4He fought against an angel and he won. He wept and he asked God to bless him. There at Bethel, Jacob met with God. God spoke to him there. 5This was the Lord God Almighty! We know him as the Lord, his special name.
Read all of Hosea 12Hosea 12:3 word by word
בַּבֶּ֖טֶן עָקַ֣ב אֶת־אָחִ֑יו וּבְאוֹנ֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ה אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Hosea 12:3
- Genesis 25:26After this, his brother came out. His hand was holding the back of Esau's foot. They called him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
- Romans 9:11And God spoke to Rebekah before her sons were born. God spoke before the boys had done anything either good or bad. God did this to show clearly that he himself was choosing one child. He was not choosing someone because of what that person had done. He himself decided who he would choose.
- Genesis 32:24Then Jacob was alone. A man came and fought with him for a long time. They continued until dawn.
- James 5:16So you should tell each other about any wrong things that you have done. Then you will be able to pray for each other, so that God makes you well again. When a good person prays to God, God does powerful things.
Commentaries on Hosea 12:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He took his brother by the heel - See on Genesis 25:26; (note); Genesis 32:24; (note), etc.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3He took his brother by the heel in the womb - Whether or no the act of Jacob was beyond the strength, ordinarily given to infants in the womb, the meaning of the act was beyond man‘s wisdom to declare. Whence the Jews paraphrased, “Was it not predicted of your lather Jacob, before he was born, that he should become greater than his brother?” Yet this was not fulfilled until more than 500 years afterward, nor completely until the time of David. These gifts…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3he grasped his brother’s heel (literally he supplanted his brother): The Hebrew verb ‘aqab is the root of Jacob's name. Even before birth, Jacob lived up to his name by supplanting his brother Esau (Genesis 25:26). As an adult, Jacob even fought with God (see Genesis 32:22–30) and was renamed “Israel,” meaning “God fights.”Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. He--Jacob, contrasted with his degenerate descendants, called by his name, Jacob (Ho 12:2; compare Mi 2:7). He took Esau by the heel in the womb in order to obtain, if possible, the privileges of the first-born (Ge 25:22-26), whence he took his name, Jacob, meaning "supplanter"; and again, by his strength, prevailed in wrestling with God for a blessing (Ge 32:24-29); whereas ye disregard My promises, putting your confidence in idols and foreign…Read the comment
Topics related to Hosea 12:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hosea 12
- 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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