Hosea 9:10 kjv
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
Hosea 9:10 nkjv
"I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved.
Hosea 9:10 niv
"When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.
Hosea 9:10 esv
Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved.
Hosea 9:10 nlt
The LORD says, "O Israel, when I first found you,
it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert.
When I saw your ancestors,
it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season.
But then they deserted me for Baal-peor,
giving themselves to that shameful idol.
Soon they became vile,
as vile as the god they worshiped.
Hosea 9 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hos 9:10 | As grapes in the wilderness, so I found Israel; as the first fruit on the fig tree, I saw your fathers. | Found delight, past favor |
| Deut 32:10 | "He found him in a desert land and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye." | God's finding and care |
| Ps 106:12 | Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. | Initial praise and belief |
| Jer 2:2-3 | "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, 'Thus says the LORD, "I remember the devotion of your youth, the love of your bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown."'" | Remembrance of early love |
| Jer 24:1-2 | "The LORD showed me two baskets full of figs set before the temple of the LORD, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and the smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon." | Figs representing the people |
| Ezek 16:1-5 | "The word of the LORD came to me: 'Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations...'" | Israel's spiritual adultery |
| Mic 7:1 | "Woe is me! For I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as gleanings in the grape harvest: there is no cluster to eat; my soul longs for the first ripe fruit." | Longing for earlier purity |
| Matt 21:43 | "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits." | Kingdom's transfer |
| John 15:1-2 | "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away..." | Bearing fruit in Christ |
| 1 Cor 10:4 | "...and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ." | Christ as the source |
| Rev 14:4 | "It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. It is these who have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb," | Firstfruits imagery |
| Rev 21:4 | "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." | Restoration and newness |
| Gal 3:13 | "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'—" | Redemption from curses |
| Rom 8:3 | "For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. And for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh," | Law's weakness vs. God's power |
| Ps 78:72 | "And David shepherded them with great skill." | Shepherd's skill |
| Ezek 34:12 | "As a shepherd seeks out his sheep on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out my sheep and deliver them from all places where they have been scattered on a cloudy and dark day." | God as shepherd seeking |
| Zech 11:7 | "So I pastured the flock, the flock doomed to slaughter, for indeed the flock of the market men." | The marked flock |
| Zech 11:10 | "Then I took my staff, called Favor, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant that I had made with all the peoples." | Breaking the covenant |
| Zech 11:11 | "It was broken on that day, and the ruined sheep of the flock knew that it was the word of the LORD." | Confirmation of the word |
| Hos 2:15 | "And I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, as on the day when she came up from the land of Egypt." | Valley of Achor as hope |
| Isa 5:1-7 | The song of the vineyard | Judgment on unfruitfulness |
Hosea 9 verses
Hosea 9 10 Meaning
Hosea 9:10 describes God's intense delight in Israel during their initial journey from Egypt. This verse highlights the stark contrast between God's past favor and Israel's current spiritual adultery. It signifies God finding them as pleasing as grapes in the wilderness, a sweet and rare discovery, but their subsequent departure from Him is viewed as a deep betrayal.
Hosea 9 10 Context
This verse appears in the midst of Hosea's prophecy against the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The prophet, on God's command, even took an unfaithful wife, Gomer, to symbolize Israel's spiritual adultery. Israel had repeatedly turned away from Yahweh, the God who delivered them from Egypt and sustained them, to worship other deities. They had embraced the practices of surrounding pagan nations. Hosea's message is one of judgment and impending exile, but it is rooted in God's remembrance of His initial covenant love and delight in them. This particular verse, 9:10, serves as a painful reminder of the purity and singular devotion God found in Israel at their beginnings, a stark contrast to their current corrupted state. This "first love" is a concept also seen in Jeremiah, highlighting God's longing for Israel's restored devotion.
Hosea 9 10 Word Analysis
- כְּ־ (kə-): Preposition, meaning "as," "like," "in the manner of." It introduces a comparison.
- עֲנָבִים (‘ănāḇîm): Masculine plural noun, meaning "grapes." Here, it refers to the actual fruit of the vine.
- בַּמִּדְבָּר (bammidbār): Prepositional phrase, "in the wilderness" (בַּ 'bam' - in, combined with מִדְבָּר 'midbār' - wilderness, desert). Refers to the barren and uncultivated land where Israel wandered after Egypt.
- כֵּן (kēn): Adverb, meaning "so," "thus," "in this way." It indicates a similarity or consequence.
- מָצָאתִי (māṣā’tî): First-person singular perfect of the verb מָצָא (māṣā’), meaning "to find," "to discover," "to meet." It denotes God's active discovery and encounter with Israel.
- אֶתְכֶם (‘etkem): Direct object prefix, meaning "you" (plural masculine). Refers to the people of Israel.
- כַּבְּכֻרָּה (kab|bºkûrâ): Comparative "like" (כַּ 'ka') attached to the feminine singular noun בְּכוּרָה (bºkûrâ), meaning "firstfruit," "firstborn." It signifies the choice, precious, and earliest yield.
- בַּתְּאֵנָה (battə’ēnâ): Prepositional phrase, "on the fig tree" (בַּ 'bat' - on, attached to תְּאֵנָה 'tə’ēnâ' - fig tree). The fig tree and its fruit were common symbols of prosperity and blessing.
- רִאשׁוֹנָה (ri’šônâ): Feminine singular adjective, meaning "first," "former," "earliest." Modifies "firstfruit."
Group Analysis:
- "As grapes in the wilderness": This metaphor emphasizes the unexpected and precious nature of God finding Israel. Grapes in a desolate place are rare and highly valued. It speaks to God's intentional seeking and finding in difficult circumstances.
- "so I found you": God's finding was not accidental but a deliberate act of love and covenant.
- "as the firstfruit on the fig tree": This adds another layer, likening Israel to the choicest, first fruit of a fig tree, symbolizing God's special selection and delight in them initially.
- "I saw your fathers": God's affection and covenant commitment extended to the generation of their ancestors, highlighting the ancient nature of their relationship.
Hosea 9 10 Bonus Section
The metaphor of "grapes in the wilderness" speaks powerfully to God’s sovereign choice and proactive love. It's not that Israel inherently deserved such favor due to their merits in the wilderness, but rather that God’s grace was demonstrated in finding them there and cultivating them. This resonates with Jesus' later statement in John 15:16, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide," and also 1 Corinthians 1:27: "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong." The imagery also finds echoes in how God turned the bitter waters of Marah sweet (Exodus 15:23-25) and provided manna and quail, demonstrating His ability to sustain life even in a desert. The "firstfruit" aspect connects to the Old Testament laws regarding the presentation of the first fruits to God (Leviticus 23:9-14), signifying consecration and thanksgiving. Christ Himself is presented as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).
Hosea 9 10 Commentary
God’s deep affection for Israel in their nascent stage of nationhood is profound. He likens them to rare and precious grapes discovered in a barren wilderness, and the earliest, choicest figs on a tree. This imagery underscores Israel's status as God’s special choice, found and cherished when they were in a vulnerable and unpromising state after their exodus from Egypt. It highlights the depth of God's "first love" for them, a love so profound that finding them was akin to finding a sweet treasure. However, this verse also functions as a somber prelude, implicitly contrasting this divine delight with Israel’s subsequent turning away, which amounted to the ultimate betrayal of that unique, early bond. It's a testament to God’s relational faithfulness and the painful reality of Israel's unfaithfulness.