Hosea 12:1 kjv
Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.
Hosea 12:1 nkjv
"Ephraim feeds on the wind, And pursues the east wind; He daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, And oil is carried to Egypt.
Hosea 12:1 niv
Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence. He makes a treaty with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.
Hosea 12:1 esv
Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt.
Hosea 12:1 nlt
The 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 12 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hos 12:2 | Yahweh contends with Judah and will repay Jacob | Hos 12:2 (Direct Follow-up) |
| Jer 2:35 | Your judgments found me guilty because you said, "I have not sinned." | Jer 2:35 (Divine Judgement) |
| Mic 6:2 | Hear, O mountains, the Lord's controversy with Israel | Mic 6:2 (God's Lawsuit) |
| Ps 147:19 | He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. | Ps 147:19 (God's Covenant) |
| Rom 3:23 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God | Rom 3:23 (Universal Sin) |
| Gal 3:28 | neither Jew nor Greek... all are one in Christ Jesus. | Gal 3:28 (Unity in Christ) |
| Eph 2:14 | For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one | Eph 2:14 (Peacemaker) |
| 1 Cor 10:11 | These things happened to them as examples and were written down for our instruction | 1 Cor 10:11 (Lessons for us) |
| Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active… | Heb 4:12 (Power of God's Word) |
| Isa 1:18 | “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. | Isa 1:18 (Invitation to Reason) |
| Jer 8:5 | Why then have these people turned their hearts back in persistent rebellion? | Jer 8:5 (Persistent Rebellion) |
| Hos 4:1 | Listen to the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. | Hos 4:1 (God's Controversy) |
| Hos 5:5 | The pride of Israel testifies against him; Israel and Ephraim stumble in their guilt; Judah also stumbles with them. | Hos 5:5 (Israel/Judah Stumble) |
| Hos 7:12 | Wherever they go, I will spread my net for them; I will bring them down like birds from the sky. | Hos 7:12 (Divine Trap) |
| Hos 9:15 | They have all gone to wickedness in Gilgal. I will hate them there. | Hos 9:15 (Wickedness) |
| Hos 11:7 | My people are determined to turn from me. Even when they are called to the Most High, none of them stretch to him. | Hos 11:7 (Turning from God) |
| Ps 81:11 | But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. | Ps 81:11 (Disobedience) |
| Ezek 22:3-5 | Its princes within it are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to gain dishonest gain. | Ezek 22:3-5 (Corrupt Leaders) |
| Zeph 1:12 | At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent. | Zeph 1:12 (Punishing Complacency) |
| Zech 7:10 | Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other in your hearts. | Zech 7:10 (Social Justice) |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. | Prov 16:18 (Pride) |
Hosea 12 verses
Hosea 12 1 Meaning
This verse introduces Hosea's message by stating that Judah also contendeth. It highlights that Israel and Judah both engage in disputes and have ways that are not aligned with God's truth. The essence is a mutual fault and a need for judgment, implying a common struggle against divine will.
Hosea 12 1 Context
Hosea chapter 12 opens with a pronouncement that highlights a persistent issue with both Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom). Hosea has been commissioned to prophesy against Israel's sins, particularly their spiritual unfaithfulness and reliance on idols and foreign alliances. This verse, however, extends the indictment to include Judah. It serves as an introduction to the detailed accusations that will follow against Jacob (representing the entire nation of Israel, including its ancestral lineage). The overarching theme of this section of Hosea is God's controversy with His people due to their covenant violations and corrupt practices.
Hosea 12 1 Word Analysis
- "Yahweh": The self-existent, covenant-keeping God of Israel. His name itself signifies faithfulness and His relationship with His people.
- "contendeth" (Hebrew:
rib- רִיב): This word signifies a legal dispute, an argument, a quarrel, or a controversy. God is presented as a plaintiff in a divine lawsuit against His people, demanding an accounting for their actions. - "with" (Hebrew:
et- אֵת): A preposition often used to indicate direct object, signifying whom the action is directed towards. Here, it points to Judah. - "Judah": The southern kingdom, which at this time was also participating in spiritual and moral corruption, though perhaps in different ways or to a lesser degree than the northern kingdom of Israel at various points.
- "also" (Hebrew:
gam- גַּם): This conjunction links Judah's accountability with that of Israel. It indicates that Judah is not exempt from God's scrutiny and judgment. - "and" (Hebrew:
wa- וְ): Another conjunction, connecting the previous phrase about contending with Judah to the next clause about visiting or reckoning. - "will repay" (Hebrew:
paqad- פָּקַד): This verb has a range of meanings, including "to visit," "to muster," "to hold accountable," "to punish," or "to reward." In this context, with Judah being implicated, it signifies divine reckoning and consequence for their misdeeds. - "Jacob": Here, "Jacob" serves as a metonym for the entire nation of Israel, tracing back to the patriarch Jacob. This broadens the scope of God's case beyond just the current northern kingdom to encompass their entire history and collective behavior.
Hosea 12 1 Bonus Section
The Hebrew word rib (contend) is crucial here, highlighting that God brings charges against His people. This "controversy" language echoes ancient Near Eastern legal proceedings and emphasizes God's position as the wronged party and the ultimate judge. The mention of both Israel and Judah reinforces the totality of the sin within the divided monarchy and foreshadows future judgments affecting both houses. The concept of paqad (to visit/repay) is multifaceted, serving as a reminder that God's visitation can result in blessing or judgment depending on the actions of those visited. In this context, given the preceding prophetic warnings, it clearly leans towards punitive consequences for sin. This verse sets a somber tone for the subsequent pronouncements in chapter 12, detailing specific instances of Jacob's (and by extension, Israel's and Judah's) failures.
Hosea 12 1 Commentary
Hosea's prophecy emphasizes God's impartiality and His commitment to justice. While Israel was Hosea's primary target due to their widespread idolatry and prophetic leadership's egregious unfaithfulness, Judah was not to be spared. The verse establishes a "controversy" that encompasses the entire covenant community. This means God's covenant was broken not just by the north but by the south as well, albeit possibly through different manifestations of sin. God's "visiting" or "repaying" is a solemn declaration of accountability, a warning that no one within the covenant would escape the consequences of prolonged disobedience. It's a powerful reminder that spiritual compromise, wherever it exists within God's people, invites divine discipline. The foundation for this judgment is the covenant itself; God is not arbitrarily punishing, but rather responding to the violation of His terms of relationship.