New International Version
Hosea 11:4
4I 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him.
Context of Hosea 11:4
2But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. 3It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. 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. 5“Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? 6A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans.
Read all of Hosea 11Hosea 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 63:9In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
- John 6:44“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them 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 Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
- 2 Samuel 7:14I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.
- Leviticus 26:13I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.
- Hosea 2:8She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold— which they used for Baal.
- Psalms 78:23Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens;
- Psalms 105:40They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
- John 6:32Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives 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
In the dictionaries
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
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