Hosea 8:11

Hosea 8:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.
• New International Version (NIV)“Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have become to him altars for sinning.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin, They have become for him altars for sinning.

Context of Hosea 8:11

9Israel's rulers have gone to Assyria for help. They are like a wild donkey that goes here and there. Ephraim's people have paid money to get help from other nations. as if they are paying for lovers. 10Yes, they have paid money to get friends who will help them. But I will soon bring them together to punish them. A great king will be cruel to them and they will receive much pain. Ephraim's people have built many altars to make sin offerings. But the altars have become places where the people do even more sins! 12I carefully explained my laws to my people. But they do not accept my laws as their own. 13Israel's people offer sacrifices to me, and they eat the meat from those sacrifices. But their sacrifices do not please me. I know that they are guilty of wicked things. Soon I will punish them for their sins. They will have to return to Egypt.

Hosea 8:11 word by word

כִּֽי־הִרְבָּ֥ה אֶפְרַ֛יִם מִזְבְּחֹ֖ת לַחֲטֹ֑א הָיוּ־ל֥וֹ מִזְבְּח֖וֹת לַחֲטֹֽא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Because Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• hath made manyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• to sinחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398

Cross-references for Hosea 8:11

• Hosea 10:1Israel was like a healthy vine that had lots of grapes. But as the Israelites became more and more rich, they built more and more altars. As their land gave more crops, they made the pillars that they worshipped more beautiful.
• Hosea 12:11The people in Gilead do wicked things. They will become as useless as their idols. At Gilgal, the people offer bulls as sacrifices on their altars. Those altars will be like heaps of stones in a farmer's field.’
• Isaiah 10:10The idols of those cities were greater than those in Jerusalem or Samaria. But we won against them all!
• Deuteronomy 4:28Among those nations, you will worship gods that men have made from wood and stone. Those gods cannot see or hear or eat or smell anything.
• Jeremiah 16:13So I will throw you out of this land. I will send you away to a land that you and your ancestors never knew. There you will worship other gods, as much as you like. I will no longer help you.” ’

Commentaries on Hosea 8:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Many altars to sin - Though it does not appear that the Jews in Babylon were obliged to worship the idols of the country, except in the case mentioned by Daniel, yet it was far otherwise with the Israelites in Assyria, and the other countries of their dispersion. Because they had made many altars to sin while they were in their own land, they were obliged to continue in the land of their captivity a similar system of idolatry against their will. Thus they…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall indeed be unto him to sin - that is, they shall be proved to him to be so, by the punishment which they shall draw upon him. The prophet had first shown them their folly in forsaking God for the help of man; now he shows them the folly of attempting to “secure themselves by their great shew and pretences of religion and devotion in a false way.” God had appointed “one” altar at Jerusalem. There He…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-14Verses 11-14 It is a great sin to corrupt the worship of God, and will be charged as sin on all who do it, how plausible soever their excuses may seem to be. The Lord had caused his law to be written for them, but they cared not to know, and would not obey it. Man seems by the temples he builds to be mindful of his Maker, yet really he has forgotten him, because he has cast off all his fear; but none ever hardened his heart against God and prospered. So…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin: As Israel increased its worship of other gods, the people also increased their religious activities in an attempt to remove their sin. Instead, these practices only added to their sin.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. God in righteous retribution gives them up to their own way; the sin becomes its own punishment (Pr 1:31). many altars--in opposition to God's law (De 12:5, 6, 13, 14). to sin ... to sin--Their altars which were "sin" (whatever religious intentions they might plead) should be treated as such, and be the source of their punishment (1Ki 12:30; 13:34).Read the comment

Topics related to Hosea 8:11

• Altar
• Ephraim
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Ephraim
• Ephraim, Ephraimite
• Altar
• Calf, Golden
• Hosea
• Zechariah, Book of

Commentaries on Hosea 8

• 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