New International Version
Hosea 10:12
12Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’
Context of Hosea 10:12
10When I please, I will punish them; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bonds for their double sin. 11Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; so I will put a yoke on her fair neck. I will drive Ephraim, Judah must plow, and Jacob must break up the ground. Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. 13But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, 14the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated— as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.
Read all of Hosea 10Hosea 10:12 word by word
זִרְע֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם לִצְדָקָה֙ קִצְר֣וּ לְפִי־חֶ֔סֶד נִ֥ירוּ לָכֶ֖ם נִ֑יר וְעֵת֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה עַד־יָב֕וֹא וְיֹרֶ֥ה צֶ֖דֶק לָכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sowזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
- to yourselves in righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
- reapקָצַרqâtsar · to reapH7114
- inפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- mercyחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- break upנִירnîyr · to breakH5214
- your fallow groundנִירnîyr nir · fallow groundH5215
- timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- to seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- till he comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- and rainיָרָאyârâh yârâ' · to shootH3384
- righteousnessצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664
Cross-references for Hosea 10:12
- Hosea 8:7“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up.
- Psalms 126:5Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
- Proverbs 11:18A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
- Proverbs 18:21The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
- Ecclesiastes 11:6Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.
- Isaiah 32:20how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.
- James 3:18Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
- Jeremiah 4:3This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns.
- Psalms 105:4Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
- Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.
- Isaiah 55:6Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
- Jeremiah 29:12Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
- Jeremiah 50:4“In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God.
- Amos 5:4This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live;
- Zephaniah 2:1Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation,
- Luke 13:24“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
Commentaries on Hosea 10:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Sow to yourselves in righteousness - Let the seed you sow be of the best kind, and in just measure. Reap in mercy - By the blessing of God on this ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, you may expect a good crop in harvest. Break up your fallow ground - Do not be satisfied with a slight furrow; let the land that was fallowed (slightly ploughed) be broken up again with a deep furrow. For it is time to seek the Lord - This should be immediately done: the season…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy - Literally, “in the proportion of mercy,” not in proportion to what you have sown, nor what justice would give, but beyond all deserts, “in the proportion of mercy;” i. e., “according to the capacity and fullness of the mercy of God; what becometh the mercy of God, which is boundless,” which overlooketh man‘s failings, and giveth an infinite reward for poor imperfect labor. As our Lord says, “Give, and it…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-15Verses 9-15 Because God does not desire the death and ruin of sinners, therefore in mercy he desires their chastisement. The children of iniquity still remained in Israel. The enemies would be gathered against them. It is just with God to make those know what hardships mean, who indulge themselves in ease and pleasure. Let them cleanse their hearts from all corrupt affections and lusts, and be a broken and contrite spirit. Let them abound in works of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Using farming metaphors, God explained his requirements for his people and promised blessings if they obeyed (see Hosea 6:6; 8:7). Although Hosea announced God's judgment, he also gave Israel the chance to repent and receive blessings.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Continuation of the image in Ho 10:11 (Pr 11:18). Act righteously and ye shall reap the reward; a reward not of debt, but of grace. in mercy--according to the measure of the divine "mercy," which over and above repays the goodness or "mercy" which we show to our fellow man (Lu 6:38). break ... fallow ground--Remove your superstitions and vices, and be renewed. seek ... Lord, fill he come--Though not answered immediately, persevere unceasingly "till He…Read the comment
Topics related to Hosea 10:12
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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