Hosea 10:11 kjv
And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.
Hosea 10:11 nkjv
Ephraim is a trained heifer That loves to thresh grain; But I harnessed her fair neck, I will make Ephraim pull a plow. Judah shall plow; Jacob shall break his clods."
Hosea 10:11 niv
Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; so I will put a yoke on her fair neck. I will drive Ephraim, Judah must plow, and Jacob must break up the ground.
Hosea 10:11 esv
Ephraim was a trained calf that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will put Ephraim to the yoke; Judah must plow; Jacob must harrow for himself.
Hosea 10:11 nlt
"Israel is like a trained heifer treading out the grain ?
an easy job she loves.
But I will put a heavy yoke on her tender neck.
I will force Judah to pull the plow
and Israel to break up the hard ground.
Hosea 10 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 10:11 | Ephraim is like a taught heifer that loves to tread out grain, but I will put a yoke on her beautiful neck; I will harness Ephraim; Judah will plow; Jacob will break his clods. | Hosea 10:11 (Amplified Bible) |
| Jeremiah 31:9 | ...they shall come with weeping, and with pleas I will lead them... | Jeremiah 31:9 (KJV) |
| Jeremiah 50:11 | Because you rejoice and are glad, O people of my praise, because you had grown fat like a cow that is free; and you bellow as you are turned loose... | Jeremiah 50:11 (ESV) |
| Psalm 39:10 | I am rebuked for my iniquities; I consume them away like a moth... | Psalm 39:10 (NIV) |
| Amos 1:3 | Thus says the LORD: “Three things the LORD declares, and four I will not revoke: because they have sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals..." | Amos 1:3 (ESV) |
| Isaiah 9:4 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. | Isaiah 9:4 (ESV) |
| Hosea 4:16 | Like a stray heifer, Israel is stubborn. How then can the LORD feed them like a lamb in a large field? | Hosea 4:16 (NIV) |
| Hosea 10:1 | Israel is a luxuriant vine that bears fruit to itself. The more fruit he gave, the more he multiplied his idolatrous altars... | Hosea 10:1 (ESV) |
| Hosea 13:15 | Though he may flourish among his brothers, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD, rising from the wilderness, and his spring shall become a drought, his fountain dry... | Hosea 13:15 (ESV) |
| Micah 4:3 | He shall judge between many peoples and rebuke strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks... | Micah 4:3 (ESV) |
| Luke 9:62 | Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” | Luke 9:62 (ESV) |
| Matthew 11:29 | Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. | Matthew 11:29 (ESV) |
| 2 Corinthians 10:5 | We destroy arguments and every lofty argument raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. | 2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV) |
| Jeremiah 51:17 | I will return upon Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they did against Zion in your sight, declares the LORD. | Jeremiah 51:17 (ESV) |
| Deuteronomy 28:48 | therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and in lacking all things. | Deuteronomy 28:48 (ESV) |
| Isaiah 30:22 | You will defile the covering of silver and the ornamentation of gold. You will cast them away as an unclean thing. You may say to them, "Get out!" | Isaiah 30:22 (ESV) |
| Hosea 8:5 | Cast away the calf of Samaria! My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of cleanness? | Hosea 8:5 (ESV) |
| Joel 2:23 | Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. | Joel 2:23 (ESV) |
| Galatians 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Galatians 6:7 (ESV) |
| Romans 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Romans 6:23 (ESV) |
| Zephaniah 1:14 | The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast! The sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. | Zephaniah 1:14 (ESV) |
| Nahum 2:13 | Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in smoke, and your young lions shall be prey for the sword, and I will cut off your prey from the land, and the sound of messengers shall no more be heard. | Nahum 2:13 (ESV) |
Hosea 10 verses
Hosea 10 11 Meaning
This verse depicts a lament and prophecy concerning the unfaithfulness of Israel, comparing their readiness for subjugation to a heifer accustomed to treading grain. Their fertile land has been used for sowing wickedness, and now they will reap its bitter harvest. The people are identified with a cow trained for threshing, symbolizing their productivity being redirected for destruction due to their sin. They are to be put under a yoke, forced to labor for their enemies, a stark contrast to the freedom and abundance they once enjoyed.
Hosea 10 11 Context
Hosea chapter 10 follows a strong indictment of Israel's spiritual and political apostasy, particularly their reliance on idolatry and false gods instead of the LORD. The chapter highlights the futility of their actions and the inevitable consequences of their sin. Israel is depicted as a nation that has received abundant blessings, yet has squandered them on vanity and sin. The previous verses detail their prosperity being used for Baal worship and their kings being appointed without God's sanction. Hosea 10:11 directly follows the critique of Israel's idolatry and misplaced confidence, framing their coming judgment through the metaphor of a trained heifer now yoked for harsh labor. The historical context is during the divided kingdom, likely in the northern kingdom of Israel, a period marked by religious syncretism and political instability leading up to the Assyrian exile.
Hosea 10 11 Word analysis
- Ephraim: Refers to the northern kingdom of Israel, named after its most prominent tribe, descended from Joseph. It symbolizes the entirety of the ten tribes.
- is like: Introduces a simile, comparing Ephraim to something else for descriptive clarity.
- a taught heifer: "Taught" or "trained" (Hebrew:
lamudah) signifies a female bovine that has been specifically trained for a purpose. In ancient Israel, heifers were trained for threshing. - that loves: "Loves" (Hebrew:
ahavah) denotes affection or desire. The heifer enjoys the task of threshing. This anthropomorphism highlights Israel's willing participation in their destructive activities and their supposed enjoyment of sin. - to tread out grain: Refers to the process of threshing, where oxen or cows would walk on the grain to separate the kernels from the husks. It was a task that usually required a trained animal. The image suggests productivity and strength.
- but: A conjunction introducing a contrast or consequence.
- I will put: Indicates divine action, the LORD is the one bringing about this change.
- a yoke: (Hebrew:
ol) A wooden beam placed over the necks of draft animals to harness them for work. It symbolizes servitude, subjugation, and burden. - on her beautiful neck: "Beautiful" (Hebrew:
yapheh) implies comeliness or attractiveness. The neck, on which the yoke is placed, is usually a strong and visible part of the animal. The "beautiful neck" contrasts with the shame and burden that the yoke represents. - I will harness Ephraim: "Harness" (Hebrew:
harativ) implies breaking in or breaking an animal to the bit and bridle, preparing it for service or control. It suggests making Ephraim docile and subservient. - Judah will plow: "Judah" represents the southern kingdom. Unlike Ephraim, Judah will now be subjected to plowing, a task of breaking the soil for cultivation. This might suggest a lesser but still significant burden or a continued cycle of labor, potentially as a consequence of Ephraim's downfall or a broader implication of divine judgment affecting all of Israel.
- Jacob will break his clods: "Jacob" is another term for Israel, encompassing all descendants. "Break his clods" (Hebrew:
yidgurooryaggaros) refers to breaking up hardened soil, a laborious task. It further emphasizes the hardship and enforced labor that awaits them.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Ephraim is like a taught heifer that loves to tread out grain": This powerful metaphor depicts Israel, previously free and productive in its God-given task (threshing was symbolic of utilizing the land's bounty), as an animal trained and eager for its work. This willingness for "treading" was misapplied to the sin of idolatry and unfaithfulness.
- "but I will put a yoke on her beautiful neck": The contrast is stark. The "beautiful neck," once lifted in pride or engaged in sin's pleasantries, will be burdened. The "yoke" signifies loss of freedom, subjugation, and forced labor, directly ordained by God as a consequence.
- "I will harness Ephraim; Judah will plow; Jacob will break his clods": This sequence signifies the complete subduing of all Israel. Ephraim is "harnessed" – utterly controlled. Judah and the broader "Jacob" are reduced to the demanding and burdensome tasks of plowing and breaking hard ground, indicating a universal suffering and a complete inversion of their status.
Hosea 10 11 Bonus section
The act of threshing grain with animals was a sacred duty, but also one where the animal was supposed to be fed from the grain it threshed, according to Deuteronomy 25:4. Hosea's metaphor subtly twists this: Ephraim, trained and "loving" its threshing, is being prevented from enjoying the fruits of its labor and is instead being put under the harsh, uncompensated labor of servitude. This is a perversion of the order God established. The breaking of clods by Jacob refers to breaking the hard, unyielding soil, a metaphor for the stubborn hearts of the people that need to be broken and reformed through hardship. This verse sets up the stark contrast with the messianic age prophesied elsewhere, where God's people would rest under their own vines and fig trees (Micah 4:4), and nations would beat their swords into plowshares. Hosea 10:11, however, describes the immediate reality of God's discipline for unfaithfulness.
Hosea 10 11 Commentary
Hosea 10:11 is a vivid prophetic image of judgment against a spiritually degenerate Israel. The "taught heifer" aptly represents a nation that, despite being educated and empowered by God, has willingly chosen sin and idolatry, finding perverse pleasure in it. The divine decree to place a yoke on its "beautiful neck" signifies the loss of freedom and the imposition of severe hardship and servitude. This isn't an arbitrary punishment, but the direct reaping of what they have sown – turning their energetic capacity (like the heifer treading grain) towards wickedness means they will be subjected to the rigorous labor of their enemies. The mention of Judah plowing and Jacob breaking clods extends this judgment to the entire house of Israel, indicating a collective experience of divine discipline. The imagery is a stark reminder of God's faithfulness to judge sin and His people's susceptibility to turning freedom into bondage through disobedience. It calls for a return to God, for the true "yoke" of Christ is one of rest and freedom, unlike the burdensome yokes of sin and forced servitude.
Practical Usage Example: In a sermon on consequences of sin, one could use this verse to illustrate how willful engagement in sinful practices, which might seem enjoyable or productive in the short term, ultimately leads to spiritual enslavement and difficult burdens under divine judgment. It reminds believers that the yoke of Christ is liberating, unlike the crushing yoke of sin and its inevitable outcome.