New English Translation
Hosea 10:4
4They utter empty words, taking false oaths and making empty agreements. Therefore legal disputes sprout up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a plowed field.
Hosea 10:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
- New International Version (NIV)They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements; therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They have spoken words, Swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.
Context of Hosea 10:4
2Their heart is slipping; soon they will be punished for their guilt. The Lord will break their altars; he will completely destroy their fertility pillars. 3Very soon they will say, “We have no king since we did not fear the Lord. But what can a king do for us anyway?” They utter empty words, taking false oaths and making empty agreements. Therefore legal disputes sprout up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a plowed field. 5The inhabitants of Samaria will lament over the calf idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it; its idolatrous priests will wail over it, because its splendor will be taken from them into exile. 6Even the calf idol will be carried to Assyria, as tribute for the great king. Ephraim will be disgraced; Israel will be put to shame because of its wooden idol.
Read all of Hosea 10Hosea 10:4 word by word
דִּבְּר֣וּ דְבָרִ֔ים אָל֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא כָּרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֑ית וּפָרַ֤ח כָּרֹאשׁ֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They have spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- swearingאָלָה'âlâh · to swearH422
- falselyשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: falseH7723
- in makingכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
- a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- thus judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- springeth upפָּרַחpârach · to sproutH6524
- as hemlockרֹאשׁrô'sh rôsh · poisonH7219
- in the furrowsתֶּ֫לֶםtelem · furrowH8525
- of the fieldשָׂדַיώâdeh ώâday · fieldH7704
Cross-references for Hosea 10:4
- Hosea 6:7At Adam they broke the covenant; Oh how they were unfaithful to me!
- 2 Kings 17:3King Shalmaneser of Assyria threatened him; Hoshea became his subject and paid him tribute.
- Ezekiel 17:13He took one from the royal family, made a treaty with him, and put him under oath. He then took the leaders of the land
- Romans 1:31senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless.
- 2 Timothy 3:3unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good,
- Deuteronomy 29:18Beware that the heart of no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you turns away from the Lord our God today to pursue and serve the gods of those nations; beware that there is among you no root producing poisonous and bitter fruit.
- Isaiah 5:7Indeed Israel is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies, the people of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight. He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help!
- Isaiah 59:13We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord; we turned back from following our God. We stir up oppression and rebellion; we tell lies we concocted in our minds.
- Amos 5:7The Israelites turn justice into bitterness; they throw what is fair and right to the ground.
- Amos 6:12Can horses run on rocky cliffs? Can one plow the sea with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant, and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant.
- Acts 8:23For I see that you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin.”
- Hebrews 12:15See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled.
- Revelation 8:10Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky; it landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
Commentaries on Hosea 10:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4They have spoken words - Vain, empty, deceitful words. Swearing falsely - This refers to the alliances made with strange powers, to whom they promised fidelity without intending to be faithful; and from whom they promised themselves protection and support, notwithstanding God was against them, and they knew it. All their words were vain, and in the end as bitter as gall. Judgment springeth up as hemlock - As our land lies without cultivation, so that we…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4They have spoken words - The words which they spoke were eminently “words;” they were mere “words,” which had no substance; “swearing falsely in making a covenant, literally, swearing falsely, making a covenant, and judgments springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.”: “There is no truth in words, no sanctity in oaths, no faithfulness in keeping covenants, no justice in giving judgments.” Such is the result of all their oaths and covenants…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The corruption of justice is like bitter, poisonous weeds (Amos 6:12).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. words--mere empty words. swearing falsely in making a covenant--breaking their engagement to Shalmaneser (2Ki 17:4), and making a covenant with So, though covenants with foreigners were forbidden. judgment ... as hemlock--that is, divine judgment shall spring up as rank, and as deadly, as hemlock in the furrows (De 29:18; Am 5:7; 6:12). Gesenius translates, "poppy." Grotius, "darnel."Read the comment
Topics related to Hosea 10:4
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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