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.
• New International Version (NIV)“Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless— now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going 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

9Aliens have devoured his strength, But he does not know it; Yes, gray hairs are here and there on him, Yet he does not know it. 10And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, But they do not return to the Lord their God, Nor seek Him for all this. “Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense— They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria. 12Wherever they go, I will spread My net on them; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will chastise them According to what their congregation has heard. 13“Woe to them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction to them, Because they have transgressed against Me! Though I redeemed them, Yet they have spoken lies against Me.

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 shall come trembling like a bird from Egypt, Like a dove from the land of Assyria. And I will let them dwell in their houses,” Says the Lord.
• Hosea 4:11“Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart.
• Proverbs 6:32Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul.
• Proverbs 15:32He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
• Proverbs 17:16Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it?
• Hosea 5:13“When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah saw his wound, Then Ephraim went to Assyria And sent to King Jareb; Yet he cannot cure you, Nor heal you of your wound.
• Hosea 8:8Israel is swallowed up; Now they are among the Gentiles Like a vessel in which is no pleasure.
• Hosea 9:3They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land, But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, And shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
• Hosea 12:1“Ephraim feeds on the wind, And pursues the east wind; He daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, And oil is carried to Egypt.
• Hosea 14:3Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”
• 2 Kings 15:19Pul king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his control.
• 2 Kings 17:3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute money.
• Isaiah 30:1“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin;
• Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the Lord!
• Jeremiah 2:18And now why take the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the River?
• Ezekiel 23:4Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; They were Mine, And they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

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