Hosea 12:6 kjv
Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually.
Hosea 12:6 nkjv
So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually.
Hosea 12:6 niv
But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.
Hosea 12:6 esv
"So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God."
Hosea 12:6 nlt
So now, come back to your God.
Act with love and justice,
and always depend on him.
Hosea 12 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 12:6 | So you by the help of your God return, keeping mercy and justice, | Hosea 12:6 |
| Micah 6:8 | He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you? | Micah 6:8 (Action over ritual) |
| Matthew 23:23 | But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. | Matthew 23:23 (Emphasis on true righteousness) |
| 1 John 2:3 | Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. | 1 John 2:3 (Obedience as evidence of knowing God) |
| Psalms 89:14 | Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and faithfulness go before Your face. | Psalms 89:14 (Attributes of God and His rule) |
| Genesis 18:19 | For I have known him, inasmuch as he instructs his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” | Genesis 18:19 (Abraham's example of instruction) |
| Deuteronomy 5:33 | You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. | Deuteronomy 5:33 (Consequences of obedience) |
| Psalms 101:1 | I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O Lord, I will sing praises. | Psalms 101:1 (Praise of God's attributes) |
| Jeremiah 9:24 | But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. | Jeremiah 9:24 (Boasting in God's character) |
| Proverbs 2:6-7 | For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. | Proverbs 2:6-7 (Wisdom from God for the upright) |
| Luke 1:74-75 | That He would grant us, that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. | Luke 1:74-75 (Serving God in righteousness) |
| Hebrews 12:10-11 | For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. | Hebrews 12:10-11 (The fruit of righteousness from discipline) |
| Zechariah 7:9 | “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion, Each to his brother. | Zechariah 7:9 (Call for justice and mercy) |
| Colossians 1:9-10 | For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, have not ceased to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; | Colossians 1:9-10 (Praying for knowledge and worthy walk) |
| Amos 5:24 | But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a never-failing stream. | Amos 5:24 (Metaphor for abundant justice and righteousness) |
| Malachi 2:17 | You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, And He delights in them,” Or, “Where is the God of justice?” | Malachi 2:17 (God delights in justice, not evil) |
| Psalms 37:3-4 | Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. | Psalms 37:3-4 (Doing good and delighting in the Lord) |
| 1 Peter 2:21-22 | For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; | 1 Peter 2:21-22 (Following Christ's example) |
| Titus 2:11-12 | For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, | Titus 2:11-12 (Grace teaches godly living) |
| 1 Samuel 15:22 | So Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed the bit of rams. | 1 Samuel 15:22 (Obedience is better than sacrifice) |
| Ephesians 4:1-3 | I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. | Ephesians 4:1-3 (Walking worthy of the calling) |
| Proverbs 1:3 | To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, Equity and judgment; | Proverbs 1:3 (Purpose of God's word) |
Hosea 12 verses
Hosea 12 6 Meaning
The verse calls for a return to God through consistent and righteous practice of His commands. It emphasizes loyalty and faithfulness, highlighting that true repentance involves actively doing what is right, not just relying on past covenant relationships or professions of faith.
Hosea 12 6 Context
Hosea chapter 12 describes Israel's history, emphasizing their persistent unfaithfulness to God despite His repeated acts of love and deliverance. The chapter highlights Jacob's trickery as a foundational element of their character, which led to conflict with both God and man. The people of Israel had a covenant relationship with God but were living in ways that contradicted their commitments, relying on outward forms of worship while their hearts and actions were far from Him. This verse serves as a call to genuine repentance and a return to right living, urging them to remember their covenant with God and to embody His character by practicing justice and mercy. The broader historical context is the period leading up to the Assyrian captivity, where their unfaithfulness was bringing divine judgment.
Hosea 12 6 Word Analysis
- So (Hebrew: Ken) - A conjunctive particle indicating consequence or result. It links the following command to the preceding narrative of Israel's spiritual decline and the call for return.
- you (Hebrew: ’attáh) - Refers to the people of Israel.
- by the help of (Hebrew: bĕ‘ēzeret) - Indicates reliance on or enablement from someone or something. Here, it specifically points to God's assistance.
- your God (Hebrew: ’Ělōhêkā) - The God who has chosen and covenanted with Israel. It’s a possessive and relational term.
- return (Hebrew: shūb) - A key verb in the Old Testament, meaning to turn back, repent, go back. It signifies a change of direction from sin and disobedience back to God.
- keeping (Hebrew: shĕmōr) - Implies guarding, observing, protecting, or faithfully adhering to something.
- mercy (Hebrew: ḥĕsed). A rich Hebrew word denoting steadfast love, covenant loyalty, kindness, benevolence, and unfailing grace. It is not just emotion but active commitment.
- and (Hebrew: wĕ) - A conjunction.
- justice (Hebrew: mišpāṭ) - Refers to rightness, fairness, equity, and the proper administration of law. It encompasses both the conduct of individuals and the rulings of courts.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "by the help of your God return": This phrase emphasizes that repentance and return to God are not solely human efforts. They are enabled by God’s own power and grace. Without God's help, any attempt at spiritual return would be futile. It speaks to the initiative of God in drawing His people back.
- "keeping mercy and justice": This highlights the essential components of a life lived in obedience to God. Mercy (ḥĕsed) refers to covenant faithfulness and loving-kindness, reflecting God's own character. Justice (mišpāṭ) denotes living rightly, upholding fairness, and doing what is equitable. The verse mandates the active practice of both these qualities as the means by which Israel should demonstrate their return to God.
Hosea 12 6 Bonus Section
The emphasis on "mercy and justice" (Hebrew: ḥĕsed wĕmišpāṭ) is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament prophets, particularly concerning the covenant people. These two terms represent the duality of God's relational and social character that His people were called to mirror. Ḥĕsed is the binding, covenantal love, a loyal commitment, while mišpāṭ is the standard of righteousness and fairness, ensuring that this love is expressed in just dealings. Hosea highlights this because Israel had become adept at practicing "religious duties" while neglecting true justice and kindness, a hypocrisy God detested (as seen in passages like Isaiah 1 and Amos 5). This verse, therefore, is a foundational teaching on the nature of true devotion – it must be both inward (return to God) and outward (acting justly and mercifully), and it is sustained by divine enablement.
Hosea 12 6 Commentary
Hosea’s message to Israel was a stark call to return to God, but not just with superficial confessions or rituals. This verse underlines that true spiritual restoration is a continuous, active process. It's about actively pursuing and demonstrating God’s own characteristics: steadfast love and fairness. Israel had a history of failing in both, often displaying selfishness and unfairness while claiming God’s favor. The phrase "by the help of your God" is crucial; it means our return and ability to live righteously are entirely dependent on God’s enabling grace. We don't "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps" spiritually; God provides the power to change. This is echoed in the New Testament where salvation and sanctification are God's work in us through Christ. The core of true repentance, then, is a renewed commitment to embodying the moral character of God in our daily interactions and decisions.