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

2But the more I summoned them, the farther they departed from me. They sacrificed to the Baal idols and burned incense to images. 3Yet it was I who led Ephraim, I took them by the arm; but they did not acknowledge that I had healed them. I led them with leather cords, with leather ropes; I lifted the yoke from their neck, and gently fed them. 5They will return to Egypt! Assyria will rule over them because they refuse to repent! 6A sword will flash in their cities, it will destroy the bars of their city gates, and will devour them in their fortresses.

Hosea 11:4 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• I drewמָשַׁךְmâshak · to drawH4900
• them with cordsחֶ֫בֶלchebel chêbel · cordH2256
• of a manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• with bandsעֲבֹת‛ăbôth ‛ăbôth ‛ăbôthâh · cordH5688
• of loveאַהֲבָה'ahăbâh · loveH160
• and I was to them as they that take offרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
• the yokeעֹל‛ôl ‛ôl · yokeH5923
• on their jawsלְחִיlechîy · jawH3895
• and I laidנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• meatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398

Cross-references for Hosea 11:4

• Isaiah 63:9Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. The messenger sent from his very presence delivered them. In his love and mercy he protected them; he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times.
• John 6:44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
• John 12:32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:14For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died.
• 2 Samuel 7:14I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings.
• Leviticus 26:13I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from being their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and caused you to walk upright.
• Hosea 2:8Yet until now she has refused to acknowledge that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil; and that it was I who lavished on her the silver and gold – which they used in worshiping Baal!
• Psalms 78:23He gave a command to the clouds above, and opened the doors in the sky.
• Psalms 105:40They asked for food, and he sent quails; he satisfied them with food from the sky.
• John 6:32Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from 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