New King James Version
Hosea 12:11
11Though Gilead has idols— Surely they are vanity— Though they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal, Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.
Hosea 12:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
- New International Version (NIV)Is Gilead wicked? Its people are worthless! Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Their altars will be like piles of stones on a plowed field.
- English Standard Version (ESV)If there is iniquity in Gilead, they shall surely come to nothing: in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls; their altars also are like stone heaps on the furrows of the field.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But the people of Gilead are worthless because of their idol worship. And in Gilgal, too, they sacrifice bulls; their altars are lined up like the heaps of stone along the edges of a plowed field.
Context of Hosea 12:11
9“But I am the Lord your God, Ever since the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, As in the days of the appointed feast. 10I have also spoken by the prophets, And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.” Though Gilead has idols— Surely they are vanity— Though they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal, Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field. 12Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, And for a wife he tended sheep. 13By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, And by a prophet he was preserved.
Read all of Hosea 12Hosea 12:11 word by word
אִם־גִּלְעָ֥ד אָ֙וֶן֙ אַךְ־שָׁ֣וְא הָי֔וּ בַּגִּלְגָּ֖ל שְׁוָרִ֣ים זִבֵּ֑חוּ גַּ֤ם מִזְבְּחוֹתָם֙ כְּגַלִּ֔ים עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- iniquityאָ֫וֶן'âven · evil: wickednessH205
- Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · GileadH1568
- surely they are vanityשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: vainH7723
- they sacrificeזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
- bullocksשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
- in Gilgalגִּלְגָּלgilgâl · GilgalH1537
- yea, their altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- as heapsגַּלgal · heapH1530
- in the furrowsתֶּ֫לֶםtelem · furrowH8525
- of the fieldsשָׂדַיώâdeh ώâday · fieldH7704
Cross-references for Hosea 12:11
- Hosea 6:8Gilead is a city of evildoers And defiled with blood.
- 1 Kings 17:1And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
- Jeremiah 10:8But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.
- Jonah 2:8“Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy.
- Hosea 4:15“Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Let not Judah offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, Nor go up to Beth Aven, Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the Lord lives’—
- Hosea 9:15“All their wickedness is in Gilgal, For there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more. All their princes are rebellious.
- Amos 4:4“Come to Bethel and transgress, At Gilgal multiply transgression; Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days.
- Amos 5:5But do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal, Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing.
- Hosea 8:11“Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin, They have become for him altars for sinning.
- Hosea 10:1Israel empties his vine; He brings forth fruit for himself. According to the multitude of his fruit He has increased the altars; According to the bounty of his land They have embellished his sacred pillars.
- 2 Kings 17:9Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.
- Jeremiah 2:20“For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; And you said, ‘I will not transgress,’ When on every high hill and under every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot.
Commentaries on Hosea 12:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Iniquity in Gilead - Gilgal and Gilead are equally iniquitous, and equally idolatrous. Gilead, which was beyond Jordan, had already been brought under subjection by Tiglath-Pileser. Gilgal, which was on this side Jordan, shall share the same fate; because it is now as idolatrous as the other. Their altars are as heaps - They occur everywhere. The whole land is given to idolatry.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Is there iniquity in Gilead? - The prophet asks the question, in order to answer it the more peremptorily. He raises the doubt, in order to crush it the more impressively. Is there “iniquity” in “Gilead?” Alas, there was nothing else. “Surely they are vanity,” or, strictly, “they have become merely vanity.” As he said before, “they become abominations like their love.” “For such as men make their idols, or conceive their God to be, such they become…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-14Verses 7-14 Ephraim became a merchant: the word also signifies a Canaanite. They carried on trade upon Canaanitish principles, covetously and with fraud and deceit. Thus they became rich, and falsely supposed that Providence favoured them. But shameful sins shall have shameful punishments. Let them remember, not only what a mighty prince Jacob was with God, but what a servant he was to Laban. The benefits we have had from the word of God, make our sin and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11Gilead and Gilgal were cities where Israelites worshiped Baal instead of the Lord (see Hosea 4:15; 6:8; 9:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Is there iniquity in Gilead?--He asks the question, not as if the answer was doubtful, but to strengthen the affirmation: "Surely they are vanity"; or as Maurer translates, "They are nothing but iniquity." Iniquity, especially idolatry, in Scripture is often termed "vanity." Pr 13:11: "Wealth gotten by vanity," that is, iniquity. Is 41:29: "They are all vanity ... images." "Gilead" refers to Mizpah-gilead, a city representing the region beyond Jordan…Read the comment
Topics related to Hosea 12:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hosea 12
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries