Hosea

Hosea 11:1–7

¹When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called My son.^a

²But the more I called Israel,

the farther they departed from Me.^b

They sacrificed to the Baals

and burned incense to carved images.

³It was I who taught Ephraim^c to walk,

taking them by the arms,

but they never realized

that it was I who healed them.

⁴I led them with cords of kindness,

with ropes of love;

I lifted the yoke from their necks

and bent down to feed them.

⁵Will they not return to the land of Egypt

and be ruled by Assyria

because they refused to repent?

⁶A sword will flash through their cities;

it will destroy the bars of their gates

and consume them in their own plans.

⁷My people are bent on turning from Me.

Though they call to the Most High,

He will by no means exalt them.

Footnotes

a 11:1 Cited in Matthew 2:15|MAT 2:15
b 11:2 LXX; Hebrew The more they called them, the more they went from them.
c 11:3 That is, the northern kingdom of Israel; also in verses 8, 9, and 12

Read all of Hosea 11

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Hosea 11:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When	כִּ֛י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
was a child	נַ֥עַר	na·‘ar	Noun - masculine singular	H5288 a shaking, scattering
I loved him	וָאֹהֲבֵ֑הוּ	wā·’ō·hă·ḇê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine singular	H157 love
and out of Egypt	וּמִמִּצְרַ֖יִם	ū·mim·miṣ·ra·yim	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
I called	קָרָ֥אתִי	qā·rā·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
My son	לִבְנִֽי׃	liḇ·nî	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1121 son

Hosea 11:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But the more I called	קָרְא֖וּ	qā·rə·’ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H7121 call, proclaim, read
the farther	כֵּ֚ן	kên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
they departed	הָלְכ֣וּ	hā·lə·ḵū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H1980 go, come, walk
from Me	מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם	mip·pə·nê·hem	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H6440 face, before
They sacrificed	יְזַבֵּ֔חוּ	yə·zab·bê·ḥū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2076 slaughter for sacrifice
to the Baals	לַבְּעָלִ֣ים	lab·bə·‘ā·lîm	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1168 owner, lord
and burned incense	יְקַטֵּרֽוּן׃	yə·qaṭ·ṭê·rūn	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; Paragogic nun	H6999 make sacrifices smoke, send them up in smoke
to carved images	וְלַפְּסִלִ֖ים	wə·lap·pə·si·lîm	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H6456 id.

Hosea 11:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
It was I	וְאָנֹכִ֤י	wə·’ā·nō·ḵî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
who taught Ephraim	לְאֶפְרַ֔יִם	lə·’ep̄·ra·yim	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H669 Ephraim
to walk	תִרְגַּ֙לְתִּי֙	ṯir·gal·tî	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular	H8637 cause to walk
taking them	קָחָ֖ם	qā·ḥām	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H3947 take
by	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the arms	זְרֽוֹעֹתָ֑יו	zə·rō·w·‘ō·ṯāw	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H2220 arm, shoulder, strength
but they never	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
realized	יָדְע֖וּ	yā·ḏə·‘ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H3045 know
that it was I	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
who healed them	רְפָאתִֽים׃	rə·p̄ā·ṯîm	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular; third person masculine plural	H7495 heal

Hosea 11:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I led them	אֶמְשְׁכֵם֙	’em·šə·ḵêm	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine plural	H4900 draw, drag
with cords	בְּחַבְלֵ֨י	bə·ḥaḇ·lê	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural construct	H2256 cord, territory, band
of kindness	אָדָ֤ם	’ā·ḏām	Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
with ropes	בַּעֲבֹת֣וֹת	ba·‘ă·ḇō·ṯō·wṯ	Preposition-b; Noun - common plural construct	H5688 (twisted) cord, rope; cordage; interwoven foliage (?)
of love	אַהֲבָ֔ה	’a·hă·ḇāh	Noun - feminine singular	H160 love
I lifted	כִּמְרִ֥ימֵי	kim·rî·mê	Preposition-k; Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct	H7311 be high, exalted, rise
the yoke	עֹ֖ל	‘ōl	Noun - masculine singular	H5923 yoke
from	עַ֣ל	‘al	Preposition	H5921 height
their necks	לְחֵיהֶ֑ם	lə·ḥê·hem	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H3895 jaw, cheek
and bent down	וְאַ֥ט	wə·’aṭ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - first person common singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
to feed them	אוֹכִֽיל׃	’ō·w·ḵîl	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular	H398 eat

Hosea 11:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Will they not	לֹ֤א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
return	יָשׁוּב֙	yā·šūḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the land	אֶ֣רֶץ	’e·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H776 earth, land
of Egypt	מִצְרַ֔יִם	miṣ·ra·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
and be ruled	מַלְכּ֑וֹ	mal·kōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4428 king
by Assyria	וְאַשּׁ֖וּר	wə·’aš·šūr	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H804 Asshur, Assyria
because	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
they refused	מֵאֲנ֖וּ	mê·’ă·nū	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural	H3985 refuse
to repent	לָשֽׁוּב׃	lā·šūḇ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H7725 turn back, return

Hosea 11:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
A sword	חֶ֙רֶב֙	ḥe·reḇ	Noun - feminine singular	H2719 sword
will flash	וְחָלָ֥ה	wə·ḥā·lāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H2342 whirl, dance, writhe
through their cities	בְּעָרָ֔יו	bə·‘ā·rāw	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H5892 excitement
it will destroy	וְכִלְּתָ֥ה	wə·ḵil·lə·ṯāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H3615 be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent
the bars of their gates	בַדָּ֖יו	ḇad·dāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H907 brag, lie, liar
and consume	וְאָכָ֑לָה	wə·’ā·ḵā·lāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H398 eat
in their own plans	מִֽמֹּעֲצ֖וֹתֵיהֶֽם׃	mim·mō·‘ă·ṣō·w·ṯê·hem	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H4156 counsel, plan, principle, device

Hosea 11:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
My people	וְעַמִּ֥י	wə·‘am·mî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H5971 people
are bent	תְלוּאִ֖ים	ṯə·lū·’îm	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural	H8511 hang
on turning from Me	לִמְשֽׁוּבָתִ֑י	lim·šū·ḇā·ṯî	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H4878 turning back, apostasy
Though they call	יִקְרָאֻ֔הוּ	yiq·rā·’u·hū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
to	וְאֶל־	wə·’el-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H413 motion to
the Most High	עַל֙	‘al	Noun - masculine singular	H5920 height
He will by no means	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
exalt them	יְרוֹמֵם׃	yə·rō·mēm	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H7311 be high, exalted, rise