Hosea 10:3

Hosea 10:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the Lord; what then should a king do to us?
• New International Version (NIV)Then they will say, “We have no king because we did not revere the Lord. But even if we had a king, what could he do for us?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For now they will say: "We have no king, for we do not fear the Lord; and a king—what could he do for us?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)For now they say, “We have no king, Because we did not fear the Lord. And as for a king, what would he do for us?”

Context of Hosea 10:3

1How prosperous Israel is— a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit. But the richer the people get, the more pagan altars they build. The more bountiful their harvests, the more beautiful their sacred pillars. 2The hearts of the people are fickle; they are guilty and must be punished. The Lord will break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Then they will say, “We have no king because we didn’t fear the Lord. But even if we had a king, what could he do for us anyway?” 4They spout empty words and make covenants they don’t intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field. 5The people of Samaria tremble in fear for their calf idol at Beth-aven, and they mourn for it. Though its priests rejoice over it, its glory will be stripped away.

Hosea 10:3 word by word

כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ לָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָרֵ֙אנוּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מַה־יַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For now they shall sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• We have no kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• because we fearedיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
• not the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Hosea 10:3

• Hosea 10:7Samaria and its king will be cut off; they will float away like driftwood on an ocean wave.
• Hosea 3:4This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests, or even idols!
• Hosea 11:5“But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria.
• Hosea 13:11In my anger I gave you kings, and in my fury I took them away.
• Genesis 49:10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.
• Micah 4:9But why are you now screaming in terror? Have you no king to lead you? Have your wise people all died? Pain has gripped you like a woman in childbirth.
• John 19:15“Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!” “What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.

Commentaries on Hosea 10:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3We have no king - We have rejected the King of kings; and had we any king, he would be of no service to us in this state, as he would be a captive like ourselves; nor could we have the approbation of God, as we now justly lie under his displeasure.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For now they shall say, we have no king - These are the words of despair, not of repentance; of people terrified by the consciousness of guilt, but not coming forth out of its darkness; describing their condition, not confessing the iniquity which brought it on them. In sin, all Israel had asked for a king, when the Lord was their king; in sin, Ephraim had made Jeroboam king; in sin, their subsequent kings were made, without the counsel and advice of God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3We have no king: Some interpreters understand these words as an admission, after Israel’s destruction, that they had been punished and that their line of kings had come to an end because they did not fear the Lord. Others see this statement as the Israelites’ arrogant rejection of the Lord’s kingship.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. now, &c.--Soon they, deprived of their king, shall be reduced to say, We have no king (Ho 10:7, 15), for Jehovah deprived us of him, because of our not fearing God. What then (seeing God is against us) should a king be able to do for us, if we had one? As they rejected the heavenly King, they were deprived of their earthly king.Read the comment

Topics related to Hosea 10:3

• Doubting
• Hoshea

In the dictionaries

• Ashamed
• Plow
• Reap
• Altar
• Hosea
• Zechariah, Book of

Commentaries on Hosea 10

• 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