Hosea 11:4

Hosea 11:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
• New International Version (NIV)I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.

Context of Hosea 11:4

2The more they called them, The more they went from them; They kept sacrificing to the Baals And burning incense to idols. 3Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in My arms; But they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love, And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; And I bent down and fed them. 5They will not return to the land of Egypt; But Assyria--he will be their king Because they refused to return to Me. 6The sword will whirl against their cities, And will demolish their gate bars And consume them because of their counsels.

Hosea 11:4 word by word

בְּחַבְלֵ֨י אָדָ֤ם אֶמְשְׁכֵם֙ בַּעֲבֹת֣וֹת אַהֲבָ֔ה וָאֶהְיֶ֥ה לָהֶ֛ם כִּמְרִ֥ימֵי עֹ֖ל עַ֣ל לְחֵיהֶ֑ם וְאַ֥ט אֵלָ֖יו אוֹכִֽיל׃Read the interlinear

• ledמָשַׁךְmâshak · to drawH4900
• them with cordsחֶ֫בֶלchebel chêbel · cordH2256
• of a manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• with bondsעֲבֹת‛ăbôth ‛ăbôth ‛ăbôthâh · cordH5688
• of loveאַהֲבָה'ahăbâh · loveH160
• I becameהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• to them as one who liftsרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
• the yokeעֹל‛ôl ‛ôl · yokeH5923
• from their jawsלְחִיlechîy · jawH3895
• And I bentנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• fedאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398

Cross-references for Hosea 11:4

• Isaiah 63:9In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.
• John 6:44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
• John 12:32And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:14For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
• 2 Samuel 7:14I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,
• Leviticus 26:13I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
• Hosea 2:8“For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine and the oil, And lavished on her silver and gold, Which they used for Baal.
• Psalms 78:23Yet He commanded the clouds above And opened the doors of heaven;
• Psalms 105:40They asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
• John 6:32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.

Commentaries on Hosea 11:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I drew them with cords of a man - This is a reference to leading strings, one end of which is held by the child, the other by the nurse, by which the little one, feeling some support, and gaining confidence, endeavors to walk. God, their heavenly Father, made use of every means and method to teach them to walk in the right and only safe path; for, as the Targum says, "As beloved children are drawn I drew them by the strength of love." That take of the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I drew them with the cords of a man - o“Wanton heifers such as was Israel, are drawn with ropes; but although Ephraim struggled against Me, I would not draw him as a beast, but I drew him as a man, (not a servant, but a son) with cords of love.” “Love is the magnet of love.”: “The first and chief commandment of the law, is not of fear, but of love, because He willeth those whom He commandeth, to be sons rather than servants.”: “Our Lord saith, No man…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4God cared for the young nation of Israel with kindness and love.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. cords of a man--parallel to "bands of love"; not such cords as oxen are led by, but humane methods, such as men employ when inducing others, as for instance, a father drawing his child, by leading-strings, teaching him to go (Ho 11:1). I was ... as they that take off the yoke on their jaws ... I laid meat--as the humane husbandman occasionally loosens the straps under the jaws by which the yoke is bound on the neck of oxen and lays food before them to…Read the comment

Topics related to Hosea 11:4

• Cord
• God Continued...
• Rope

In the dictionaries

• Bands
• Cord
• Repenting
• Band
• God
• Hosea
• Jaw; Jawbone; Jaw Teeth
• Palm (of the Hand)
• Yoke
• Zechariah, Book of

Commentaries on Hosea 11

• 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