Hosea 10:4 kjv
They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
Hosea 10:4 nkjv
They have spoken words, Swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.
Hosea 10:4 niv
They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements; therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.
Hosea 10:4 esv
They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
Hosea 10:4 nlt
They 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.
Hosea 10 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 10:4 | "They speak mere words, swearing falsely in making covenants. Thus judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the fallows of the field." | Hos 4:1, Jer 3:10 |
| Hosea 10:2 | "Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. He will break down their altars and shatter their pillars." | Jer 5:23, Jer 17:1 |
| Hosea 10:5 | "The inhabitants of Samaria will fear because of the calves of Beth-aven. Its people will mourn for it, and its idolatrous priests will rejoice over it for its glory, because it is gone from it." | 1 Sam 15:23, Hos 8:5-6 |
| Hosea 7:1 | "When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim and the evils of Samaria are revealed, for they deal in falsehood; the thief breaks in, and a band of robbers carries off the spoil without." | Ps 50:18-20, Prov 20:17 |
| Hosea 4:2 | "There is swearing, then lying and murder and stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed." | Ex 20:3-5, Rom 2:5 |
| Hosea 5:11 | "Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was willing to follow a command; though I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like dry rot to the house of Judah." | Isa 10:14, Prov 22:8 |
| Hosea 8:4 | "They made kings, but not through me; they set up princes, but I knew it not. Out of their silver and gold they made idols for themselves, to their own destruction." | Jer 2:27, 1 Cor 8:4-6 |
| Hosea 8:6 | "For from Israel came also this: an idol! A workman made it, and it is not God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces." | Isa 40:19-20, Ps 115:4-8 |
| Hosea 9:15 | "Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels." | Ps 78:56-57, Heb 10:26 |
| Hosea 10:12 | "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap according to steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you." | Gal 6:7-8, Prov 11:18 |
| Jer 3:10 | "Yet even for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but only with a lie, declares the Lord." | Ezek 16:46-52, Hos 2:2 |
| Jer 13:23 | "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil." | Rom 7:15-20, Eph 2:1-3 |
| Jer 16:18 | "I will pay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled my land with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations." | Rev 18:6, Lev 26:19-20 |
| Ezek 23:37 | "For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands, and they have committed adultery with their idols, and they have also sacrificed their sons to them, that they might devour them:..." | Ps 106:37-38, Deut 12:31 |
| Mic 6:16 | "And the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab; you walk in their counsels. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; you shall bear the reproach of my people." | 2 Kings 17:22, 2 Kings 15:28 |
| Ps 50:16-17 | "But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recount my statutes or take my covenant on your lips, since you hate instruction and cast my words behind you?" | Prov 1:7, Rom 2:21-23 |
| Prov 28:13 | "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." | 1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19 |
| Matt 7:22-23 | "On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" | Luke 13:25-27, Ps 6:8 |
| 2 Thess 2:12 | "so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." | Rom 1:32, Gal 5:19-21 |
| Rev 18:5-7 | "because her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back as she also has paid, and double your debt by the double of her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup that she mixes...." | Jer 51:7, Nahum 3:4 |
Hosea 10 verses
Hosea 10 4 Meaning
The Lord commands Hosea to speak about Israel's proneness to "give his wicked reward." This signifies that their continuous sinfulness and idolatry will inevitably bring divine retribution and judgment upon them. It points to the direct correlation between their actions and the severe consequences they will face from God.
Hosea 10 4 Context
Hosea 10 is part of Hosea's prophecy against the northern kingdom of Israel. This chapter highlights Israel's persistent idolatry and their reliance on false gods and political alliances rather than the Lord. Their sinfulness is portrayed as deep-rooted and ingrained in their culture, leading to their impending destruction. Verse 4 specifically addresses the superficial and deceitful nature of their relationship with God, emphasizing that their false vows and covenants, like poisonous weeds, will yield only bitter judgment. The context is one of divine disappointment and the impending execution of God's judgment on a disobedient people.
Hosea 10 4 Word Analysis
- They (הֵם - hēm): Third person masculine plural pronoun. Refers to the people of Israel, the subject of Hosea's prophecy.
- speak (יְדַבְּרוּ - yəḏabbərû): From the root דָּבַר (dāḇar), meaning to speak, talk, or communicate. It denotes the act of utterance.
- mere (רִיק - rîq): Can mean empty, vain, worthless, or without substance. Here it emphasizes the hollowness and lack of sincerity in their words.
- words (דְּבָרִים - dĕḇārîm): Plural of דָּבָר (dāḇār), meaning word, thing, matter, or speech. It refers to their declarations and pronouncements.
- swearing (שָׁוְא - šāw'): Can mean falsehood, vanity, lying, or deceit. In this context, it refers to making false oaths.
- falsely (שָּׁקֶר - šāqeṛ): Lying, untruthfulness, deceit. Denotes the inherent deceit in their vows.
- in making (בְּפַעֲלָם - bĕpʿālām): Lit. "in their doing" or "in their work." Refers to their actions and the practice of covenant-making.
- covenants (בְּרִית - bərît): A formal agreement or treaty, often involving sacred obligations. Their covenants were broken or made in bad faith.
- Thus (כֵּן - kên): A conjunction indicating consequence or result; therefore.
- judgment (מִשְׁפָּט - mišpāṭ): Justice, ordinance, decree, or lawsuit. Here, it refers to the legal pronouncement of God's punishment.
- sprouts (יִפְרַח - yip̄raḥ): From the root פָּרַח (pāraḥ), meaning to bud, blossom, or sprout. It evokes an image of growth.
- like (כְּמוֹ - kĕmô): As, like.
- poisonous (רָע - rā‘): Evil, wicked, harmful, poisonous. Describes the dangerous nature of the growth.
- weeds (צִמָּח - ṣimmāḥ): A noxious or unwholesome plant; a weed. Specifically refers to harmful growths.
- in (בְּ– bĕ–): Preposition indicating location or state.
- fallows (שְׂדֵי - śdê): Plural of שָׂדֶה (śāḏeh), field. Here, specifically fallow or unplowed fields, suggesting a place where things grow uncontrollably.
- of the field (בַּר - bar): Clean, pure, fallow, uncultivated. Often referring to unplowed or barren land, which makes the idea of "poisonous weeds" sprouting even more striking.
Words Group Analysis:
- "speak mere words, swearing falsely" (יְדַבְּרוּ דְּבַר שָׁוְא - yəḏabbərû dĕḇar šāw'): This phrase emphasizes the utter lack of sincerity and the deceitful nature of their promises and oaths. It's not just speaking; it's speaking emptiness and falsehood.
- "judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the fallows of the field" (כֵּן מִשְׁפָּט יִפְרַח כְּמוֹ צִמָּח רָע בִּשְׂדֵי בַּר): This is a powerful metaphor. The "fallow field" represents a neglected spiritual state where God's truth is absent. In such ground, the seeds of their wrongdoing naturally yield "poisonous weeds," meaning that their corrupt actions will produce the bitter and destructive consequences of divine judgment, rather than any good fruit. The sprouting signifies that judgment is not static but is actively growing and developing due to their continued sin.
Hosea 10 4 Bonus Section
The imagery of "poisonous weeds in the fallows of the field" highlights the inherent destructiveness of sin. Unlike fruitful plants that provide sustenance, weeds choke out good growth and are inherently harmful. The "fallow field" implies a space that is not actively being tended to according to God's commands. This is fertile ground for the enemy and for negative spiritual consequences. Israel's turning away from God left their spiritual and national life vulnerable to the unchecked growth of their own disobedience, which would ultimately lead to the harvest of judgment. This verse strongly reinforces the theme throughout Hosea and the Old Testament that covenant faithfulness is paramount, and the breach of such covenants carries severe implications.
Hosea 10 4 Commentary
Hosea 10:4 pronounces a devastating consequence for Israel's superficial religiosity and broken covenants. Their words are empty, their oaths are lies, and this unfaithfulness is described metaphorically. Their sin is likened to a noxious weed, nurtured by neglect and growing unchecked in the "fallow ground" of their hearts and their society. This weed is the inevitable "judgment." God's justice, which ought to be sought, will instead sprout from the very soil of their wickedness. This illustrates the principle that what a person sows, they shall also reap (Galatians 6:7-8). Israel has sown deceit and rebellion, and they will reap divine retribution. The growth metaphor implies that their judgment is a natural, inevitable outcome of their consistent defiance and will continue to develop and manifest until it fully chokes out their prosperity and existence as a favored nation.
Practical Usage Example: This verse serves as a stark warning against insincerity in our commitments, whether to God or to one another. It calls for genuine faith and faithful actions, reminding us that empty professions without accompanying righteous living lead only to ruin. When we fail to cultivate the "fields" of our lives with truth and righteousness, we make ourselves susceptible to the bitter harvest of sin and divine disapproval.