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 King James Version (NKJV)“Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense— They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria.

Context of Hosea 7:11

9Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don’t even know it. Their hair is gray, but they don’t realize they’re old and weak. 10Their arrogance testifies against them, yet they don’t return to the Lord their God or even try to find him. “The people of Israel have become like silly, witless doves, first calling to Egypt, then flying to Assyria for help. 12But as they fly about, I will throw my net over them and bring them down like a bird from the sky. I will punish them for all the evil they do. 13“What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me! Let them die, for they have rebelled against me. I wanted to redeem them, but they have told lies about 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 11:11Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them home again,” says the Lord.
• Hosea 4:11to worship other gods. “Wine has robbed my people of their understanding.
• Proverbs 6:32But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself.
• Proverbs 15:32If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.
• Proverbs 17:16It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning.
• Hosea 5:13“When Israel and Judah saw how sick they were, Israel turned to Assyria— to the great king there— but he could neither help nor cure them.
• Hosea 8:8The people of Israel have been swallowed up; they lie among the nations like an old discarded pot.
• Hosea 9:3You may no longer stay here in the Lord’s land. Instead, you will return to Egypt, and in Assyria you will eat food that is ceremonially unclean.
• Hosea 12:1The people of Israel feed on the wind; they chase after the east wind all day long. They pile up lies and violence; they are making an alliance with Assyria while sending olive oil to buy support from Egypt.
• Hosea 14:3Assyria cannot save us, nor can our warhorses. Never again will we say to the idols we have made, ‘You are our gods.’ No, in you alone do the orphans find mercy.”
• 2 Kings 15:19Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria invaded the land. But Menahem paid him thirty-seven tons of silver to gain his support in tightening his grip on royal power.
• 2 Kings 17:3King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria.
• Isaiah 30:1“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the Lord. “You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins.
• Isaiah 31:1What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
• Jeremiah 2:18“What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt and your covenants with Assyria? What good to you are the streams of the Nile or the waters of the Euphrates River?
• Ezekiel 23:4The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for 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
• Assyria, Assyrian, Assyrian Empire
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Ephraim, Ephraimite
• Troop
• Dove
• Hosea
• Hoshea

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