Hosea 10:4

Hosea 10:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
• New International Version (NIV)They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements; therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They have spoken words, Swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.

Context of Hosea 10:4

2Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images. 3For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not Yhwh; what then should a king do to us? They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field. 5The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth–aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it. 6It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

Hosea 10:4 word by word

דִּבְּר֣וּ דְבָרִ֔ים אָל֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא כָּרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֑ית וּפָרַ֤ח כָּרֹאשׁ֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי׃Read the interlinear

• They have spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• swearingאָלָה'âlâh · to swearH422
• falselyשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: falseH7723
• in makingכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
• a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• thus judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• springeth upפָּרַחpârach · to sproutH6524
• as hemlockרֹאשׁrô'sh rôsh · poisonH7219
• in the furrowsתֶּ֫לֶםtelem · furrowH8525
• of the fieldשָׂדַיώâdeh ώâday · fieldH7704

Cross-references for Hosea 10:4

• Hosea 6:7But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
• 2 Kings 17:3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
• Ezekiel 17:13And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
• Romans 1:31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
• 2 Timothy 3:3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
• Deuteronomy 29:18Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from Yhwh our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
• Isaiah 5:7For the vineyard of Yhwh of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
• Isaiah 59:13In transgressing and lying against Yhwh, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
• Amos 5:7Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
• Amos 6:12Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:
• Acts 8:23For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
• Hebrews 12:15Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
• Revelation 8:10And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

Commentaries on Hosea 10:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4They have spoken words - Vain, empty, deceitful words. Swearing falsely - This refers to the alliances made with strange powers, to whom they promised fidelity without intending to be faithful; and from whom they promised themselves protection and support, notwithstanding God was against them, and they knew it. All their words were vain, and in the end as bitter as gall. Judgment springeth up as hemlock - As our land lies without cultivation, so that we…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4They have spoken words - The words which they spoke were eminently “words;” they were mere “words,” which had no substance; “swearing falsely in making a covenant, literally, swearing falsely, making a covenant, and judgments springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.”: “There is no truth in words, no sanctity in oaths, no faithfulness in keeping covenants, no justice in giving judgments.” Such is the result of all their oaths and covenants…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The corruption of justice is like bitter, poisonous weeds (Amos 6:12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. words--mere empty words. swearing falsely in making a covenant--breaking their engagement to Shalmaneser (2Ki 17:4), and making a covenant with So, though covenants with foreigners were forbidden. judgment ... as hemlock--that is, divine judgment shall spring up as rank, and as deadly, as hemlock in the furrows (De 29:18; Am 5:7; 6:12). Gesenius translates, "poppy." Grotius, "darnel."Read the comment

Topics related to Hosea 10:4

• Hemlock
• Hypocrisy
• Perjury

In the dictionaries

• Ashamed
• Furrow
• Gall
• Hemlock
• Plow
• Poison
• Reap
• Altar
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Crime; Crimes

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