New King James Version
Hosea 9:8
8The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways— Enmity in the house of his God.
Hosea 9:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
- New International Version (NIV)The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The prophet is a watchman over Israel for my God, yet traps are laid for him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God.
Context of Hosea 9:8
6For indeed they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver; Thorns shall be in their tents. 7The days of punishment have come; The days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, The spiritual man is insane, Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity. The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways— Enmity in the house of his God. 9They are deeply corrupted, As in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins. 10“I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved.
Read all of Hosea 9Hosea 9:8 word by word
צֹפֶ֥ה אֶפְרַ֖יִם עִם־אֱלֹהָ֑י נָבִ֞יא פַּ֤ח יָקוֹשׁ֙ עַל־כָּל־דְּרָכָ֔יו מַשְׂטֵמָ֖ה בְּבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The watchmanצָפָהtsâphâh · to watchH6822
- of Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
- with my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- the prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- a snareפַּחpach · snareH6341
- of a fowlerיָקוֹשׁyâqôsh · fowlerH3352
- in all his waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
- hatredמַשְׂטֵמָהmaώţêmâh · hatredH4895
- in the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
Cross-references for Hosea 9:8
- Isaiah 62:6I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
- Jeremiah 6:17Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
- Jeremiah 31:6For there shall be a day When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the Lord our God.’ ”
- Ezekiel 3:17“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:
- Ezekiel 33:7“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.
- Micah 7:4The best of them is like a brier; The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; Now shall be their perplexity.
- Hebrews 13:17Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
- 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.”
- 1 Kings 18:1And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”
- 1 Kings 22:28But Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”
- 2 Kings 2:14Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
- 2 Kings 3:15But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
- 2 Kings 4:1A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
- 2 Kings 4:43But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’ ”
- 2 Kings 5:14So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
- 2 Kings 6:17And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Commentaries on Hosea 9:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The watchman of Ephraim - The true prophet, was with - faithful to, God. The prophet - The false prophet is the snare of a fowler; is continually deceiving the people, and leading them into snares, and infusing into their hearts deep hatred against God and his worship.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The watchman of Ephraim was with my God - These words may well contrast the office of the true prophet with the false. For Israel had had many true prophets, and such was Hosea himself now. The true prophet was at all times with “God.” He was “with God,” as holpen by God, “watching” or looking out and on into the future by the help of God. He was “with God,” as walking with God in a constant sense of His presence, and in continual communion with Him. He…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-10Verses 7-10 Time had been when the spiritual watchmen of Israel were with the Lord, but now they were like the snare of a fowler to entangle persons to their ruin. The people were become as corrupt as those of Gibeah, Judg. 19; and their crimes should be visited in like manner. At first God had found Israel pleasing to Him, as grapes to the traveller in the wilderness. He saw them with pleasure as the first ripe figs. This shows the delight God took in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The watchman stood on the city wall to warn of any threat (for example, 1 Samuel 14:16). Similarly, a prophet was God's watchman. They warned Israel about her sins and the judgment that would follow (see Jeremiah 6:17; Ezekiel 3:17). Even though the prophet served the people, they responded to him with hostility.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. The watchman ... was with my God--The spiritual watchmen, the true prophets, formerly consulted my God (Jr 31:6; Ha 2:1); but their so-called prophet is a snare, entrapping Israel into idolatry. hatred--rather, "(a cause of) apostasy" (see Ho 9:7) [Maurer]. house of his God--that is, the state of Ephraim, as in Ho 8:1 [Maurer]. Or, "the house of his (false) god," the calves [Calvin]. Jehovah, "my God," seems contrasted with "his God." Calvin's view is…Read the comment
Topics related to Hosea 9:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hosea 9
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries