Hosea 11 10

Hosea 11:10 kjv

They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.

Hosea 11:10 nkjv

"They shall walk after the LORD. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, Then His sons shall come trembling from the west;

Hosea 11:10 niv

They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.

Hosea 11:10 esv

They shall go after the LORD; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west;

Hosea 11:10 nlt

For someday the people will follow me.
I, the LORD, will roar like a lion.
And when I roar,
my people will return trembling from the west.

Hosea 11 verses

Hosea 11 10 Meaning

This verse speaks of God's decision to abandon His people, not out of His nature, but as a consequence of their sin. It highlights God's roaring, symbolizing His wrath and judgment, which will fall upon Israel like a lion devouring them and then vanishing. The imagery signifies the completeness of their destruction and exile due to their unfaithfulness.

Hosea 11 10 Context

Hosea 11 recounts God's persistent love and care for Israel, likening His relationship to that of a father with his son. Despite God's tender upbringing of Israel, they have consistently turned away to worship idols and rely on foreign powers. This chapter details God's internal struggle between His loving nature and His just requirement to punish their persistent rebellion. Verse 10 specifically addresses the consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness, marking a shift from a plea for return to a declaration of impending judgment. The "roaring" signifies God's unleashed anger and the decisive action He will take against His wayward people, leading to their destruction and exile.

Hosea 11 10 Word Analysis

• "When they roar," (Hebrew: שָׁאֲגוּ - sha'agu) - From the root שָׁאַג (sha'ag), meaning to roar, bellow, cry out loudly. It is used of lions and also of humans in distress or anger. In this context, it refers to the "lion" of judgment that God will become.

• "then" - Indicates a direct consequence.

• "shall Israel" - Refers to the entire nation of Israel, particularly the northern kingdom of Ephraim in Hosea's time.

• "turn" - (Hebrew: יָשׁוּבוּ - yashuvu) - From the root שׁוּב (shuv), meaning to return, turn back. This turning is not one of repentance, but a turning in fear and defeat due to the judgment. It highlights that their turning will be in response to God's action, not voluntary obedience.

• "trembling" - (Hebrew: מִקּוּל - mikkol or possibly מֵעֶבֶר - me'ever with a slight scribal variance in some traditions, meaning from a distance/beyond. The standard reading implies a trembling movement from the west, associated with the Assyrian invaders.) It suggests fear and disarray.

• "from the west." - (Hebrew: מִן הַיָּם - min ha'yam) - Literally "from the sea." In the Old Testament, "the sea" often refers to the Mediterranean Sea to the west, from which invaders like the Philistines or Egyptians would come. However, given the context of Assyrian conquest, some scholars suggest it might refer to a sea of peoples from the north-west or even simply the direction of doom. It signifies the source of the imminent threat.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "When they roar, then shall Israel turn trembling from the west." This entire phrase encapsulates the action-reaction of God's judgment and Israel's terrified response. The roaring of the divine lion brings about a forced, fearful turning of Israel, with their only recourse being to flee or succumb from the direction of their impending doom, originating from the west.

Hosea 11 10 Bonus Section

The comparison of God to a lion is used elsewhere in Scripture, both to describe His protective might (Genesis 49:9) and His consuming judgment (Jeremiah 25:38, Hosea 5:14). In this verse, it is unequivocally a symbol of judgment. The inability of Israel to truly "turn" to God from their affliction, but rather to be stirred by fear and displacement, highlights the spiritual bankruptcy caused by their covenant betrayal. This judgment is not arbitrary but a consequence of their continuous breaking of the covenant with God, who had established them and provided for them from Egypt. The phrase "from the sea" has been interpreted variously, but its consistent use for directional threat, especially for westward threats, fits the historical context of the Assyrian advance from the north-west, viewed through the land mass of the Near East, thus "from the sea" could metaphorically represent the vast, overwhelming foreign powers coming across the seas of humanity from the general direction of the western horizon's maritime expanse.

Hosea 11 10 Commentary

This verse marks a somber turn in God's message through Hosea. Having expressed His fatherly love and Israel's persistent apostasy, God now declares the unavoidable consequence: judgment. He will become like a lion to them. This imagery powerfully conveys His ferocity and the inescapable nature of His wrath against their persistent sin. Their "turning" will not be a repentant return to God, but a fearful fleeing or yielding to the enemy driven by God's judgment. The reference to "the west" (or "from the sea") points to the source of their destruction, likely the encroaching Assyrian empire, acting as instruments of God's divine retribution. This signifies the complete loss of their security and homeland.