Hosea 9:8

Hosea 9:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
• New International Version (NIV)The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways— Enmity in the house of his God.

Context of Hosea 9:8

6Look! Even if they flee from the destruction, Egypt will take hold of them, and Memphis will bury them. The weeds will inherit the silver they treasure – thorn bushes will occupy their homes. 7The time of judgment is about to arrive! The time of retribution is imminent! Let Israel know! The prophet is considered a fool – the inspired man is viewed as a madman – because of the multitude of your sins and your intense animosity. The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim on behalf of God, yet traps are laid for him along all of his paths; animosity rages against him in the land of his God. 9They have sunk deep into corruption as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their wrongdoing. He will repay them for their sins. 10When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the wilderness. I viewed your ancestors like an early fig on a fig tree in its first season. Then they came to Baal-Peor and they dedicated themselves to shame – they became as detestable as what they loved.

Hosea 9:8 word by word

צֹפֶ֥ה אֶפְרַ֖יִם עִם־אֱלֹהָ֑י נָבִ֞יא פַּ֤ח יָקוֹשׁ֙ עַל־כָּל־דְּרָכָ֔יו מַשְׂטֵמָ֖ה בְּבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The watchmanצָפָהtsâphâh · to watchH6822
• of Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• with my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• the prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• a snareפַּחpach · snareH6341
• of a fowlerיָקוֹשׁyâqôsh · fowlerH3352
• in all his waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• hatredמַשְׂטֵמָהmaώţêmâh · hatredH4895
• in the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004

Cross-references for Hosea 9:8

• Isaiah 62:6I post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they should keep praying all day and all night. You who pray to the Lord, don’t be silent!
• Jeremiah 6:17The Lord said, “I appointed prophets as watchmen to warn you, saying: ‘Pay attention to the warning sound of the trumpet!’” But they said, “We will not pay attention!”
• Jeremiah 31:6Yes, a time is coming when watchmen will call out on the mountains of Ephraim, “Come! Let us go to Zion to worship the Lord our God!”’”
• Ezekiel 3:17“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must give them a warning from me.
• Ezekiel 33:7“As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them on my behalf.
• Micah 7:4The best of them is like a thorn; the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen – your appointed time of punishment – is on the way, and then you will experience confusion.
• Hebrews 13:17Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.
• 1 Kings 17:1Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives (whom I serve), there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.”
• 1 Kings 18:1Some time later, in the third year of the famine, the Lord told Elijah, “Go, make an appearance before Ahab, so I may send rain on the surface of the ground.”
• 1 Kings 22:28Micaiah said, “If you really do safely return, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take note, all you people.”
• 2 Kings 2:14He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah, hit the water with it, and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided and Elisha crossed over.
• 2 Kings 3:15But now, get me a musician.” When the musician played, the Lord energized him,
• 2 Kings 4:1Now a wife of one of the prophets appealed to Elisha for help, saying, “Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the Lord. Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.”
• 2 Kings 4:43But his attendant said, “How can I feed a hundred men with this?” He replied, “Set it before the people so they may eat, for this is what the Lord says, ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”
• 2 Kings 5:14So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the prophet had instructed. His skin became as smooth as a young child’s and he was healed.
• 2 Kings 6:17Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he can see.” The Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw that the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Commentaries on Hosea 9:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The watchman of Ephraim - The true prophet, was with - faithful to, God. The prophet - The false prophet is the snare of a fowler; is continually deceiving the people, and leading them into snares, and infusing into their hearts deep hatred against God and his worship.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The watchman of Ephraim was with my God - These words may well contrast the office of the true prophet with the false. For Israel had had many true prophets, and such was Hosea himself now. The true prophet was at all times with “God.” He was “with God,” as holpen by God, “watching” or looking out and on into the future by the help of God. He was “with God,” as walking with God in a constant sense of His presence, and in continual communion with Him. He…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-10Verses 7-10 Time had been when the spiritual watchmen of Israel were with the Lord, but now they were like the snare of a fowler to entangle persons to their ruin. The people were become as corrupt as those of Gibeah, Judg. 19; and their crimes should be visited in like manner. At first God had found Israel pleasing to Him, as grapes to the traveller in the wilderness. He saw them with pleasure as the first ripe figs. This shows the delight God took in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The watchman stood on the city wall to warn of any threat (for example, 1 Samuel 14:16). Similarly, a prophet was God's watchman. They warned Israel about her sins and the judgment that would follow (see Jeremiah 6:17; Ezekiel 3:17). Even though the prophet served the people, they responded to him with hostility.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. The watchman ... was with my God--The spiritual watchmen, the true prophets, formerly consulted my God (Jr 31:6; Ha 2:1); but their so-called prophet is a snare, entrapping Israel into idolatry. hatred--rather, "(a cause of) apostasy" (see Ho 9:7) [Maurer]. house of his God--that is, the state of Ephraim, as in Ho 8:1 [Maurer]. Or, "the house of his (false) god," the calves [Calvin]. Jehovah, "my God," seems contrasted with "his God." Calvin's view is…Read the comment

Topics related to Hosea 9:8

• Backsliders
• Church
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Ephraim
• God
• Ephraim, Ephraimite
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Cornfloor
• Deeply
• Depart
• Fowler
• Mad
• Miscarrying

Commentaries on Hosea 9

• 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