Hosea 8:6 kjv
For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.
Hosea 8:6 nkjv
For from Israel is even this: A workman made it, and it is not God; But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.
Hosea 8:6 niv
They are from Israel! This calf?a metalworker has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria.
Hosea 8:6 esv
For it is from Israel; a craftsman made it; it is not God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.
Hosea 8:6 nlt
This calf you worship, O Israel,
was crafted by your own hands!
It is not God!
Therefore, it must be smashed to bits.
Hosea 8 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 8:6 | For from Israel was this also; a workman made it, and it is no god. | Hosea 8:5 |
| Isaiah 44:9 | All who fashion idols are futile, and their most precious things are of no profit. | Isaiah 10:20, Jer 10:14-15 |
| Ps 115:4-8 | Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. | Ps 135:15-18, Jer 10:3-5 |
| 1 Cor 10:19 | What am I to say, then? That an idol is anything, or that what is sacrificed to idols is anything? | 1 Cor 8:4 |
| Acts 19:35 | For a certain city, Ephesus, was temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven. | Acts 19:23-35 |
| Jer 10:11 | You shall say to them: “The gods who have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” | Jer 10:3-5 |
| Rom 1:23 | and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, animals, and creeping things. | Rom 1:23-25 |
| Isa 40:18-20 | To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness will you compare to him? | Isa 40:18-25 |
| 1 Sam 5:2-4 | and when the Ashdodites saw it, they said, “The Ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us.” | 1 Sam 5:2-4, 2 Chron 32:18 |
| Ps 132:12 | If your sons will keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore. | Ex 32:15-24 |
| Neh 9:18 | even when they made for themselves a metal calf and said, “This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,” and reveled in great blasphemies— | Neh 9:18, Ps 106:19-20 |
| Deut 9:21 | and I took your sinful abominations, the calf that you made, and burned it with fire and ground it fine and cast it into the stream that flowed out of the mountain. | Deut 9:21 |
| 1 Kings 12:28 | So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” | 1 Kings 12:28-30 |
| Hosea 4:17 | Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone. | Hosea 4:17, 5:11, 10:6 |
| Ps 97:7 | May all who worship carved images be put to shame, who make their boast in idols! worship him, all you his sons. | Ps 97:7, Isa 45:16, 46:5-7 |
| Jer 50:2 | Declare among the nations and proclaim, set up flags and announce. | Jer 50:2, Jer 51:47 |
| 1 Cor 8:1 | Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." | 1 Cor 8:1-4, 10:14-22 |
| Acts 17:29 | Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, or like an image wrought by art and thought of man. | Acts 17:29 |
| Isa 41:24 | Behold, you are worse than nothing, and your work is worse than nothing; he who chooses you is an abomination. | Isa 41:24 |
Hosea 8 verses
Hosea 8 6 Meaning
The calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. This verse highlights the impending judgment upon Israel for their idolatry, specifically their worship of the golden calf, symbolizing their rejection of God.
Hosea 8 6 Context
Hosea chapter 8 focuses on God's judgment against Israel's spiritual adultery and idolatry. The northern kingdom of Israel, particularly after the golden calves were set up at Dan and Bethel by Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12:28-29), had deeply embraced calf worship as an alternative to worshipping Yahweh in Jerusalem. This verse specifically addresses the ultimate futility and powerlessness of their idols, contrasting them with the true Creator God. The historical backdrop is one of political instability and reliance on foreign alliances rather than God, further exacerbating their sin. The prophetic message of judgment is pronounced as a consequence of their persistent covenant unfaithfulness.
Hosea 8 6 Word analysis
- For (וְ- – wə-): Conjunction introducing a reason or explanation.
- from (מִ—mî): Preposition indicating origin or source.
- Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל – Yiśrā’ēl): The collective name for the people of God, here referring to the Northern Kingdom which had largely fallen into idolatry.
- was (הָיָה – hāyâ): Verb indicating existence or state.
- this (זֹּאת – zō’ṯ): Demonstrative pronoun pointing to something specific.
- also (גַּם – gam): Adverb indicating addition.
- a workman (יָצַר – yāṣar - derived noun, potter/former, referring to the maker): The one who forms or crafts.
- made (עָשָׂה – ‘āśâ): Verb meaning to do, make, or fashion.
- it (אֹתוֹ – ’ōṯō - pronoun, refers to the calf): It (the calf).
- and (וְ – wə-): Conjunction.
- not (לֹא – lō’): Negation.
- a god (אֱלֹהִים – ’ĕlōhîm): Hebrew plural word for God, often used for the One True God, but here contrasted with the idols, emphasizing the calf's lack of divine nature.
Grouped analysis:
- "For from Israel was this also": This phrase firmly roots the sin of idolatry within Israel itself. It's not an external influence alone but an internal corruption.
- "a workman made it": This highlights the artificiality and man-made nature of the idol. The maker, a craftsman, is the source of its existence, not divine power.
- "and it is no god": This is a direct refutation of the idol's claimed divinity. The object crafted by human hands cannot possess true godhood. The use of the plural "elohim" here ironically contrasts with the singular, false deity represented by the calf.
Hosea 8 6 Bonus section
The practice of worshipping calves as divine intermediaries can be traced back to the incident at Mount Sinai when the Israelites, impatient for Moses' return, demanded gods to lead them (Exodus 32:1-6). Aaron, under pressure, fashioned a golden calf, and Israel engaged in revelry around it. Jeroboam I later established golden calves at Bethel and Dan as political and religious centers to divert the people from worshipping in Jerusalem, the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This act of intentional idolatry was a profound breach of the first two commandments given by God: "You shall have no other gods before me" and "You shall not make for yourself a carved image..." (Exodus 20:3-4). The prophecy in Hosea underscores the futile nature of all such manufactured deities.
Hosea 8 6 Commentary
Hosea declares that the calf, the symbol of Israel's apostasy, is not an external artifact but a creation of their own hands and ingenuity. This emphasizes their culpability. The idol, however skillfully made, is ultimately worthless and powerless because it originates from human craft, not divine power. The verse serves as a sharp rebuke, exposing the absurdity of worshipping a manufactured object instead of the Creator God, who is incomparable and sovereign. This judgment reflects God’s faithfulness to His covenant, calling Israel back from their misguided worship and the severe consequences thereof.