Hosea 6:4 kjv
O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
Hosea 6:4 nkjv
"O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away.
Hosea 6:4 niv
"What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.
Hosea 6:4 esv
What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.
Hosea 6:4 nlt
"O Israel and Judah,
what should I do with you?" asks the LORD.
"For your love vanishes like the morning mist
and disappears like dew in the sunlight.
Hosea 6 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 6:4 | What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your loyalty is like the morning cloud, like the dew that vanishes early. | loyalty; inconstancy |
| Jeremiah 2:13 | "For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." | forsaking God; broken hope |
| Psalm 78:37 | "Their hearts were not steadfast toward him; they were not true to his covenant." | unsteadfastness; covenant |
| Matthew 13:20-21 | "As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root to begin with, but endures only for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away." | shallow faith; temporary joy |
| James 1:11 | "For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the plant, and its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits." | transience of worldly things |
| Proverbs 11:7 | "When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the greed of lawlessness will come to nothing." | perishability of wicked desires |
| Jeremiah 3:10 | "And still she did not turn to me with all her heart, but only in pretence," says the Lord. | pretended repentance |
| Ezekiel 33:31 | "And they come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words but do them not, for with their mouths they show much love, but their hearts go after their gain." | outward piety, inner greed |
| Psalm 1:3 | "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." | contrast of steadfastness |
| Isaiah 30:22 | "You will defile the coverings of silver and the ornate pottery you love. You will cast them away like unclean things. You will say to them, ‘Begone!’" | rejection of idols |
| 1 Corinthians 15:42 | "So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable." | contrast of perishing/imperishable |
| Galatians 6:9 | "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." | perseverance in good |
| 2 Peter 3:17 | "You therefore, beloved, seeing you already know these things, beware lest you too fall from your own steadfastness." | warning against falling away |
| Hosea 4:16 | "For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like a lamb in a broad meadow?" | stubbornness |
| Psalm 50:15 | "and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." | God's help in trouble |
| Hosea 7:1 | "When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed, and the evil doings of Samaria, for they practice falsehood, and the thief breaks in, and a band of robbers plunders outside." | continued iniquity |
| Hosea 10:2 | "Their hearts are divided; now they shall be found wanting. He will break down their altars and destroy their pillars." | divided loyalty |
| 1 Samuel 15:11 | "“It repents me that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.”" | God's sorrow over disobedience |
| Romans 7:23 | "but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members." | internal conflict |
| Amos 8:5 | "saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may buy grain? And the Sabbath, that we may sell wheat, selling what is cheap and honoring what is dear, making wheat dear by deceit,"" | perversion of sacred times |
Hosea 6 verses
Hosea 6 4 Meaning
The verse expresses a profound disappointment and grief over the people's persistent iniquity. Their faithfulness is described as fleeting and conditional, like the morning mist or the dew that quickly vanishes with the sun. This fickleness demonstrates a lack of true, unwavering devotion to God.
Hosea 6 4 Context
Hosea chapter 6 begins with a call for Israel to return to the Lord, promising healing and restoration if they do. However, the prophet quickly pivots, exposing the superficiality of their repentance. They offer lip service and temporary rituals without a genuine change of heart. This verse reflects God's profound disappointment with the people of Ephraim (northern kingdom of Israel) and Judah (southern kingdom of Judah). Their allegiance to God is fragile and unreliable, demonstrated by their quick return to sin and idolatry. The surrounding verses describe their oppressive practices and corrupt dealings, revealing that their worship is a hollow performance devoid of true righteousness. This verse is part of God's ongoing lament and judgment against a people who consistently betray His covenant.
Hosea 6 4 Word Analysis
- Ma (מה): "What." An interrogative particle expressing a question.
- Ephrayim (אֶפְרָיִם): "Ephraim." Refers to the dominant tribe and later the northern kingdom of Israel.
- Etcha (אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־): "shall I do." First person singular imperfect of 'asah, meaning "to do," "to make." Expresses the intended action.
- Ekh (אֵֽיךְ): "How?" Another interrogative particle, often used to express manner or the degree of something.
- Yudá (יְהוּדָה): "Judah." Refers to the southern kingdom, of which Jerusalem was the capital.
- Ahal (אָהַל): "steadfastness," "loyalty." The root implies strength and firmness, like a tent (ohel). Here, it signifies faithfulness to God.
- Kesem (כֶּסֶם): "faithfulness," "truth." From the root "to cover" or "to hide," implying something sure and reliable.
- Keshet (קֶשֶׁת): "bow." Likely referring to the fleetingness and fragility of a bow string, or perhaps the ephemeral nature of archery contests.
- Ab (עָב): "cloud." Commonly used to describe the clouds of the sky.
- Bhaga (בֹּ֖קֶר): "morning." Refers to the early part of the day.
- Vehágal (וְטַ֣ל): "and the dew." Dew is known for its quick evaporation.
- Khemtzeh (כְּמֹ֖ץ): "like the morning." Here, kesem (faithfulness) is compared to ab (cloud) of the morning.
- Kh'etz (עֵ֤ץ): "tree." Used metaphorically to describe steadfastness or the lack thereof.
- Heser (חֶסֶד): "lovingkindness," "steadfast love." A key attribute of God's covenant faithfulness.
- Hesedek (הֶסְדֵּ֑ךְ): "Your faithfulness/lovingkindness." Possessive form.
- Shabar (שָׁבַר): "broken." Can refer to shattering or failing.
- Raqia (רָקִיעַ): "firmament," "expanse." In Job 37:18, it refers to the sky. Here, the cloud of the morning is "going forth" from its place.
Words Group Analysis:
- "What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah?" This rhetorical question conveys God's lament and exasperation. It’s not a question of not knowing what to do, but rather an expression of His sorrow over their persistent sin and refusal to truly repent.
- "Your loyalty is like the morning cloud, like the dew that vanishes early." This is a simile illustrating the transience of their faithfulness. Both the morning cloud and the early dew are beautiful and present, but they are quickly dissipated by the sun, leaving no trace. This contrasts with a deep, abiding commitment.
Hosea 6 4 Bonus Section
The use of "cloud" and "dew" speaks to agricultural and environmental realities of the ancient Near East. Morning dew was crucial for plant life, yet it would evaporate rapidly in the heat of the rising sun. Similarly, clouds could bring hope of rain but might also pass over without delivering it, leaving disappointment. This imagery resonates with the transient nature of their hopes and promises to God. The rhetorical questions at the beginning of the verse highlight the covenantal relationship. God's question implies His deep engagement with His people and His desire for them, making their fickleness a source of grief. Scholars often note the parallelism between Ephraim and Judah, indicating that the prophet is addressing both kingdoms, perhaps with a particular focus on Ephraim given Hosea's ministry in the Northern Kingdom. This verse can also be seen as a precursor to New Testament teachings about the importance of enduring faith, where superficial belief without rootedness is condemned.
Hosea 6 4 Commentary
God expresses His profound sorrow and confusion at the persistent unfaithfulness of Ephraim and Judah. Their commitment to Him is shallow and easily erased. They offer the appearance of loyalty, much like a cloud appearing in the morning sky, or the morning dew that swiftly disappears under the sun's heat. This fleeting devotion is unacceptable and shows a lack of a deep-seated, transformed heart. Their "faithfulness" is so unreliable that God, in His love, asks what else He can do to win them back when their commitment vanishes like mist. It underscores the emptiness of outward religious acts devoid of genuine inner change and enduring loyalty.