Hosea 2:6 kjv
Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.
Hosea 2:6 nkjv
"Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, And wall her in, So that she cannot find her paths.
Hosea 2:6 niv
Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.
Hosea 2:6 esv
Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths.
Hosea 2:6 nlt
"For this reason I will fence her in with thornbushes.
I will block her path with a wall
to make her lose her way.
Hosea 2 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 3:23 | "Why is light given to him who is in misery... whose way is hidden..." | God blocking/hiding paths of human endeavor. |
| Ps 32:9 | "...whose mouth must be held with bit and bridle..." | God's restraint of stubbornness. |
| Prov 4:19 | "The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble." | Those walking in wickedness stumble. |
| Prov 13:15 | "Good understanding gives favor, But the way of the treacherous is hard." | The treacherous face difficult paths. |
| Isa 5:5 | "And now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge..." | Removing protection as judgment. |
| Isa 59:10 | "We grope for the wall like the blind; We grope as if we had no eyes..." | Spiritual blindness and inability to find a way. |
| Jer 2:31 | "...O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel..." | God asking why Israel left His ways. |
| Jer 6:16 | "Thus says the Lord: 'Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is...'" | Seek the right, ancient paths. |
| Lam 3:7 | "He has hedged me about so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy." | Feeling constrained and trapped by divine hand. |
| Lam 3:9 | "He has hedged up my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked." | God's severe obstruction of paths. |
| Amos 2:14 | "Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, And the strong shall not strengthen his power..." | Ineffectiveness in times of divine judgment. |
| Mic 3:4 | "Then they will cry to the Lord, But He will not answer them..." | Consequences of not finding Him in time. |
| Mal 3:7 | "Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances..." | Israel's continued turning away. |
| Mt 7:13 | "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction..." | Distinction between broad and narrow paths. |
| Jn 14:6 | "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life...'" | Christ as the exclusive way. |
| Acts 9:3 | "...suddenly a light shone around him from heaven... And he fell to the ground..." | Divine intervention disrupting a harmful path. |
| Rom 1:24-28 | "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness... a debased mind..." | God's passive abandonment to consequences of sin. |
| Rom 11:32 | "For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all." | God's temporary hardening for ultimate mercy. |
| Heb 12:6 | "For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." | God's discipline as a sign of love. |
| Rev 3:19 | "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent." | Discipline for repentance and restoration. |
Hosea 2 verses
Hosea 2 6 Meaning
Hosea 2:6 reveals God's divine and purposeful discipline towards unfaithful Israel, whom He symbolically portrays as an adulterous wife. The verse signifies God's determined intervention to obstruct Israel's pursuit of spiritual infidelity and idol worship, effectively blocking her self-destructive paths so that she is compelled to return to Him, her true covenant husband. This is a severe, yet redemptive, act of divine love aimed at drawing His beloved people back into faithfulness and true prosperity.
Hosea 2 6 Context
Hosea 2 begins a symbolic "divorce trial" against Israel, personified as Gomer, Hosea's unfaithful wife. The preceding verses (Hosea 2:2-5) detail Israel's spiritual adultery – her pursuit of "lovers" (idolatrous Baal worship and foreign alliances) instead of the Lord, who provides all her blessings. These "lovers" promised fertility and prosperity but delivered spiritual emptiness. Verse 6 describes God's direct intervention, a deliberate and painful discipline to deter Israel from her unfaithful path. It is not an act of ultimate destruction but a strategic measure to cut off her means of going astray, compelling her to reconsider her loyalty and return to Him, remembering Him as the true source of all provision and well-being. This painful disciplinary act reflects God's jealous love and unwavering commitment to His covenant with Israel.
Hosea 2 6 Word analysis
- Therefore (לָכֵן֙, lākēn): Signals a consequence directly flowing from Israel's idolatrous pursuit mentioned in the previous verses. It indicates a logical and divine response to her actions.
- behold (הִנְנִ֗י, hinnēnī): An emphatic particle used to call for attention to what follows. It emphasizes the divine declaration of an imminent, certain, and authoritative action by God Himself. It underscores the Lord's direct involvement.
- I will hedge up (גָּדַר֙, gādar): Literally, "to fence," "to wall up," "to enclose." This verb suggests constructing a barrier. The imagery is often drawn from agriculture, where hedges protect vineyards but here serves to obstruct. It signifies limitation, confinement, and making movement difficult.
- her way (דַּרְכָּ֖הּ, darkāh): Refers to Israel's chosen path of spiritual adultery, pursuing "lovers" and seeking blessings from false gods and foreign nations. It encompasses her actions, decisions, and overall course of life.
- with thorns (בַּסִּיגִ֑ים, bassīḡīm): Literally "with brambles" or "with thorny bushes." Thorns are symbolic of unproductive ground, hardship, and a cursed condition (Gen 3:18). This denotes the painful, injurious nature of the divine obstruction, making passage unpleasant and deterring.
- And I will build a wall (וְגָדַרְתִּי֙, vəḡāḏartî): A strong reaffirmation and intensification of "hedge up" (using the same root, gādar). The addition of "wall" (gādēr) implies a more formidable and permanent barrier, emphasizing the certainty and strength of God's deterrent action. It suggests complete obstruction of her current trajectory.
- against her (בְּמָוֹט, bəmāvoṭ): This phrase here seems to be a misinterpretation of a difficult Hebrew phrase b'gader (and a wall) - not "against her" literally in a confrontational sense, but more indicating "around her" or "concerning her." The context clearly suggests a barrier constructed to prevent her movement.
- So that she cannot find (לֹֽא־תִמְצָ֣א, lō-timṣā’): "Cannot find" or "will not find." This is the intended purpose and direct result of God's action. It means Israel will be utterly unable to discover or access the paths she seeks to take. It signifies divine intervention leading to a state of being lost or unable to proceed.
- her paths (נְתִיבֹתֶֽיהָ, nətîḇōtehā): Plural for "paths" or "roads." This implies multiple avenues or strategies Israel might attempt in her pursuit of false gods and unholy alliances. God will obstruct all of them, indicating a thorough and comprehensive divine hindrance.
- "I will hedge up her way with thorns, And I will build a wall against her": This phrase demonstrates God's persistent and escalating discipline. First a thorny hedge (painful and hindering), then a sturdy wall (completely blocking). It portrays divine action that increases in intensity to ensure the desired outcome of deterrence. The agricultural imagery is subverted: instead of protecting the field, the hedge/wall blocks the unfaithful farmer.
- "So that she cannot find her paths": This reveals the ultimate purpose of God's actions. His discipline is not arbitrary but precisely aimed at disabling Israel from continuing on her destructive course. It is a necessary disruption to her spiritual "business as usual," forcing her to seek an alternative, specifically Him.
Hosea 2 6 Bonus section
The imagery of a hedge (גדר, gader) and wall is significant. While often a symbol of protection (as in Isa 5:2 for Israel's vineyard), here it is turned inward to restrain Israel, showing the reversal of her protected status due to sin. The pain inflicted by the "thorns" is part of the discipline, not random suffering; it aims to deter and correct behavior, akin to a shepherd guiding wayward sheep through rough terrain. This passage underscores God's sovereignty even over the choices of His rebellious people; He is able to limit their destructive freedom for their ultimate good. The ultimate goal is to remove the "way" and "paths" that lead to false lovers, guiding her back to "the Way" which is Christ (Jn 14:6), demonstrating the New Testament's fulfillment of God's ultimate desire for His people's return.
Hosea 2 6 Commentary
Hosea 2:6 unveils God's profound, yet stern, commitment to His covenant with Israel. His actions, depicted through agricultural and architectural metaphors of hedging and wall-building, are not vengeful but strategic interventions to disrupt Israel's path of idolatry and spiritual infidelity. By making her usual ways of seeking comfort, security, and prosperity from false sources painful and impassable, God compels her to recognize the futility and dangers of her choices. This divine "roadblock" is an act of persistent, severe love, intended to lead her to utter frustration with her chosen path and force a return to the one true Giver of all good things—Yahweh, her original Husband. It highlights that God, in His protective jealousy, will endure significant effort and employ hardship if necessary, to save His beloved people from themselves and restore their broken relationship.