Hosea 7:2 kjv
And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
Hosea 7:2 nkjv
They do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness; Now their own deeds have surrounded them; They are before My face.
Hosea 7:2 niv
but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me.
Hosea 7:2 esv
But they do not consider that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face.
Hosea 7:2 nlt
Its people don't realize
that I am watching them.
Their sinful deeds are all around them,
and I see them all.
Hosea 7 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 7:2 | "But they do not consider that I remember all their evil deeds. Now their own actions surround them; they are before my face." | God's remembrance of sin, His awareness of actions |
| Hosea 5:15 | "I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face; in their suffering they will earnestly seek me." | Israel's self-deception vs. God's knowledge |
| Psalm 90:8 | "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence." | God's omniscience regarding sin |
| Jeremiah 16:17 | "For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my sight." | God's constant observation of human actions |
| Proverbs 5:21 | "For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he watches all his paths." | The LORD sees all paths |
| Hebrews 4:13 | "And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all things are exposed and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." | All things are exposed before God |
| Psalm 139:2-4 | "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going and my coming and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether." | God's complete knowledge of our lives |
| 1 Samuel 16:7 | "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.'" | God looks at the heart, not outward appearance |
| Romans 2:6 | "who will repay each one according to his works:" | God repays according to deeds |
| Galatians 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Principle of sowing and reaping |
| Matthew 7:2-5 | "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." | Consequences of hypocrisy, God's perspective |
| Revelation 20:12 | "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what each was commanded in the books, according to what they had done." | Final judgment based on deeds |
| Amos 3:2 | "‘Only you have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.’" | Special knowledge implies greater responsibility |
| Isaiah 1:18 | "“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool." | Offer of forgiveness, if they turn |
| Isaiah 58:2-3 | "Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if it were a nation that righteousness had done, which has not forsaken the ordinances of my God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God." | False piety, outward show of devotion |
| Jeremiah 17:9 | "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" | The deceitfulness of the human heart |
| Psalm 51:6 | "Behold, you desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart." | True worship is from the heart |
| John 4:24 | "God is a Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”" | Worship in spirit and truth |
| 2 Corinthians 7:1 | "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing true holiness into the fear of God." | Call to spiritual cleanliness |
| 1 Peter 1:15-16 | "but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, because I am holy.'" | The call to holiness |
| Matthew 6:2-4 | "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." | Warnings against hypocritical giving |
Hosea 7 verses
Hosea 7 2 Meaning
The verse highlights the spiritual impurity of Israel. Their worship and actions are unacceptable to God, who is offended by their sin. God desires obedience and genuine love, not just outward religious acts that mask inward corruption.
Hosea 7 2 Context
Hosea 7:2 is situated within the broader prophetic message to the northern kingdom of Israel during a period of political instability and moral decay, specifically before and during the Assyrian invasions. The preceding verses likely describe specific acts of idolatry or sinful behavior. This verse serves as a direct indictment from God, stating that His omniscience ensures that Israel's sinfulness will not be overlooked or excused. The audience, largely accustomed to a cyclical understanding of divine favor based on outward religious performance, is reminded that God sees the hidden corruption behind their actions. This chapter emphasizes Israel's internal rebellion against God, despite outward displays of devotion or attempts at foreign alliances, which ultimately will lead to their destruction.
Hosea 7 2 Word analysis
And they know it not ( Hebrew: וְלֹא־יָדְעוּ / wə-lō-yāḏə‘û):
- וְ (wə): "And." A conjunctive particle.
- לֹא (lō): "Not." A direct negation.
- יָדְעוּ (yāḏə‘û): "They know." Third person plural, imperfect tense of the verb יָדַע (yāḏa‘), meaning "to know," "to be aware," "to understand," or "to recognize." The imperfect tense often indicates ongoing or habitual action, or an action that will occur. Here, it emphasizes a persistent lack of understanding or recognition of God's presence and judgment. This signifies a deliberate spiritual blindness, an inability or unwillingness to comprehend the implications of their actions and God's position.
that I ( Hebrew: כִּי / kî):
- כִּי (kî): "That," "because," "for," "indeed." A versatile conjunction. Here it introduces a subordinate clause explaining what they do not know – the fact of God's remembrance.
remember all their¹ ( Hebrew: זָכַרְתִּי / zāḵrêṯî):
- זָכַר (zāḵar): "To remember," "to recall," "to mention." First person singular, perfect tense of the verb. This tense denotes a completed action with a continuing result, indicating God's ongoing awareness and record of their sins. God's remembrance is not a passive recalling but an active engagement with their iniquity, holding it against them. The perfection of God means His knowledge is complete and eternal.
- All: Denotes the totality of their misdeeds.
their ( Hebrew: כָּל־ / kāl-):
- כָּל (kāl): "All," "every," "any." Signifies completeness, encompassing the entirety of their evil deeds.
wickedness ( Hebrew: רָעָתָם / rā‘âṯām):
- רָעָה (rā‘â): "Evil," "wickedness," "harm," "trouble," "calamity." A feminine noun. It speaks to moral badness and the resultant negative consequences.
- ־ָם (-ām): "Their." A third person masculine plural possessive suffix. Attached to "wickedness" (rā‘â).
Now their own actions ( Hebrew: עַתָּה / ‘atṯâ):
- עַתָּה (‘atṯâ): "Now," "at this time." A temporal adverb. It shifts the focus to the present consequence of their past sins. It signals that the time for judgment or revelation of consequences has arrived.
circumbind ( Hebrew: סְבָבוּנִי / səḇāḇûni):
- סְבַב (səḇaḇ): "To turn about," "to go around," "to surround," "to besiege." Third person plural, perfect tense.
- ־וּ (-û): "They." Attached to səḇaḇ, indicating the plural subject.
- ־נִי (-nî): "Me." First person singular, direct object suffix. This means "they have surrounded me." The actions of Israel are described as enclosing God, or perhaps more pointedly, encircling their own lives with the inescapable consequences of their rebellion. This imagery suggests being trapped or held accountable by one's own deeds.
them; ( Hebrew: הֵם / hêm):
- הֵם (hêm): "They." A third person masculine plural pronoun. Refers back to Israel or their actions.
they ( Hebrew: נֶגֶד / negeḏ):
- נֶגֶד (negeḏ): "Before," "in front of," "opposite," "in the sight of." A preposition or adverb. It emphasizes the directness of God's awareness and the exposure of their actions before Him. It indicates they are confronted with their own deeds, placed directly in God's presence and scrutiny.
are before my face. ( Hebrew: פָּנַי / pānāy):
- פָּנַי (pānāy): "My face." The singular noun פָּנֶה (pānêh), meaning "face," with the first person singular possessive suffix. The face is the locus of recognition and personal presence. To be before God's face is to be fully seen, known, and judged by Him.
Words-group analysis
The phrase "They know it not, that I remember all their wickedness" encapsulates a core theme of divine omniscience contrasted with human spiritual ignorance. Israel’s oblivious engagement in sin—contrasted with God's perfect and ongoing recall of it—sets the stage for divine reckoning. The concluding phrase, "Now their own actions surround them; they are before my face," poetically illustrates the inescapable consequence of sin. The actions themselves become the immediate environment or the overwhelming evidence brought directly into the presence of a watching God.
Hosea 7 2 Bonus Section
The Hebrew verb zakar (to remember) in the Old Testament often carries connotations beyond simple mental recall; it signifies a purposeful remembrance that leads to action, whether it be judgment or deliverance. In this context, God's remembrance of Israel's wickedness leads to impending judgment. This stands in contrast to His remembrance of His covenant, which leads to faithfulness and redemption (e.g., Exodus 2:24).
The imagery of actions "surrounding" and being "before my face" powerfully conveys God's absolute transparency and justice. Nothing escapes His sight, and the consequences of sin are inescapable once fully confronted in His presence. This foreshadows the final judgment described in Revelation, where individuals are judged "according to what they had done." The ultimate context is not just national judgment but the universal principle that God sees and evaluates every deed.
Hosea 7 2 Commentary
Israel lived in a state of delusion, thinking their sins were hidden or inconsequential. God, however, vividly remembers every transgression. This remembrance is not merely passive recall; it implies accountability. Their sins have created a web from which they cannot escape, a reality that is now laid bare before the very presence of God. This is a profound warning against hypocrisy and the dangerous illusion of being unobserved by the Almighty. Their deeds have become their immediate context, a consequence confronting them directly in the sight of their Judge.