Hosea 7:11

Hosea 7:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense— They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“The people of Israel have become like silly, witless doves, first calling to Egypt, then flying to Assyria for help.

Context of Hosea 7:11

9Foreigners sap his strength, but he does not realize it. His hair is sprinkled with gray, but he does not notice. 10Israel’s arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this he does not return to the Lord his God or search for him. “Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless— now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria. 12When they go, I will throw my net over them; I will pull them down like the birds in the sky. When I hear them flocking together, I will catch them. 13Woe to them, because they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me! I long to redeem them but they speak about me falsely.

Hosea 7:11 word by word

וַיְהִ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם כְּיוֹנָ֥ה פוֹתָ֖ה אֵ֣ין לֵ֑ב מִצְרַ֥יִם קָרָ֖אוּ אַשּׁ֥וּר הָלָֽכוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• also is like a sillyפָּתָהpâthâh · to enticeH6601
• doveיוֹנָהyônâh · doveH3123
• without heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• they callקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• to Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• they goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• to Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804

Cross-references for Hosea 7:11

• Hosea 11:11They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes,” declares the Lord.
• Hosea 4:11to prostitution; old wine and new wine take away their understanding.
• Proverbs 6:32But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.
• Proverbs 15:32Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.
• Proverbs 17:16Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it?
• Hosea 5:13“When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores.
• Hosea 8:8Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like something no one wants.
• Hosea 9:3They will not remain in the Lord’s land; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.
• Hosea 12:1Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence. He makes a treaty with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.
• Hosea 14:3Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.”
• 2 Kings 15:19Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom.
• 2 Kings 17:3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.
• Isaiah 30:1“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;
• 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.
• Jeremiah 2:18Now why go to Egypt to drink water from the Nile? And why go to Assyria to drink water from the Euphrates?
• Ezekiel 23:4The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Commentaries on Hosea 7:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart - A bird that has little understanding; that is easily snared and taken; that is careless about its own young, and seems to live without any kind of thought. It has been made, by those who, like itself, are without heart, the symbol of conjugal affection. Nothing worse could have been chosen, for the dove and its mate are continually quarrelling. They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria - They strive to make…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Ephraim is - (become) like a silly dove “There is nothing more simple than a dove,” says the Eastern proverb. Simplicity is good or bad, not in itself, but according to some other qualities of the soul, good or evil, with which it is united, to which it opens the mind, and which lead it to good or mislead it to evil. The word describes one, easily persuaded, open, and so, one who takes God‘s word simply, obeys His will, without refinement or subtlety or…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-16Verses 8-16 Israel was as a cake not turned, half burnt and half dough, none of it fit for use; a mixture of idolatry and of the worship of Jehovah. There were tokens of approaching ruin, as grey hairs are of old age, but they noticed them not. The pride which leads to break the law of God leads to self-flattery. The mercy and grace of God are the only refuge to which obstinate sinners never think of fleeing. Though they may howl forth their terrors in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11When Assyria invaded, Israel asked Egypt for help. When Egypt could not help, Israel tried to please Assyria by becoming its vassal (a kingdom that serves a stronger power).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. like a silly dove--a bird proverbial for simplicity: easily deceived. without heart--that is, understanding. call to Egypt--Israel lying between the two great rival empires Egypt and Assyria, sought each by turns to help her against the other. As this prophecy was written in the reign of Hoshea, the allusion is probably to the alliance with So or Sabacho II (of which a record has been found on the clay cylindrical seals in Koyunjik), which ended in…Read the comment

Topics related to Hosea 7:11

• Blindness
• Confidence
• False Confidence

In the dictionaries

• Assyria
• Egypt
• Ephraim
• Troop
• Dove
• Hosea
• Hoshea
• Treaty
• Zechariah, Book of

Commentaries on Hosea 7

• 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