King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And Ephraim [is as] an heifer [that is] taught, [and] loveth to tread out [the corn]; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, [and] Jacob shall break his clods.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Efrayim is a well-taught cow - it loves to tread the grain, and I have spared her fair neck. But I will put Efrayim in harness, Y'hudah will have to plow, Ya'akov will harrow his own land.
Berean Standard Bible:
Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground.
American Standard Version:
And Ephraim is a heifer that is taught, that loveth to tread out the grain; but I have passed over upon her fair neck: I will set a rider on Ephraim; Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Ephraim{H669} is as an heifer{H5697} that is taught{H3925}, and loveth{H157} to tread out{H1758} the corn; but I passed over{H5674} upon her fair{H2898} neck{H6677}: I will make Ephraim{H669} to ride{H7392}; Judah{H3063} shall plow{H2790}, and Jacob{H3290} shall break his clods{H7702}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Hosea 4:16
- For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
Deuteronomy 25:4
- Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out [the corn].
Jeremiah 50:11
- Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;
Romans 16:18
- For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Hosea 9:1
- ¶ Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as [other] people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
Hosea 2:5
- For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give [me] my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
2 Chronicles 28:5
- Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought [them] to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.
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Commentary for Hosea 10:11
Hosea 10:11 is a part of the prophetic book of Hosea, which is set in the eighth century BCE, during the final years of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, before its destruction by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. The verse uses agricultural imagery to convey messages about God's relationship with the people of Israel, particularly the tribe of Ephraim, which was the most dominant and prosperous tribe in the Northern Kingdom.
In this verse, Ephraim is compared to a heifer that is well-trained and enjoys the process of threshing grain, an activity that would typically involve the heifer walking over the grain to separate it from the chaff. This suggests that Ephraim, and by extension the Northern Kingdom, is accustomed to prosperity and the fruits of its labor. However, despite this prosperity, the verse indicates that God has "passed over upon her fair neck," implying a judgment or a burden that God has placed upon Ephraim.
The latter part of the verse shifts to a series of commands, signaling a change in Ephraim's circumstances. God declares that He will make Ephraim ride, which could be interpreted as either a sign of honor or a metaphor for being led into captivity. The mention of Judah plowing and Jacob breaking his clods suggests that the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the wider nation of Israel (Jacob) will also be subject to divine action, with Judah engaging in the foundational work of agriculture and Jacob dealing with the hard, unbroken ground—symbolizing difficult times ahead.
Overall, Hosea 10:11 reflects the themes of judgment and the consequences of straying from God's covenant, which are central to the book of Hosea. It speaks to the loss of independence and the hardships that will come upon the Israelites due to their disobedience and idolatry. The historical context underscores the reality of these prophecies, as the Northern Kingdom was indeed about to fall to a foreign power, and the Southern Kingdom would later face its own trials, including the Babylonian Exile.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H669
There are 313 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶפְרַיִם
Transliteration: ʼEphrayim
Pronunciation: ef-rah'-yim
Description: dual of masculine form of אֶפְרָת; double fruit; Ephrajim, a son of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; Ephraim, Ephraimites. - Strong's Number: H5697
There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֶגְלָה
Transliteration: ʻeglâh
Pronunciation: eg-law'
Description: feminine of עֵגֶל; a (female) calf, especially one nearly grown (i.e. a heifer); calf, cow, heifer. - Strong's Number: H3925
There are 80 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָמַד
Transliteration: lâmad
Pronunciation: law-mad'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to goad, i.e. (by implication) to teach (the rod being an Oriental incentive); (un-) accustomed, [idiom] diligently, expert, instruct, learn, skilful, teach(-er, -ing). - Strong's Number: H157
There are 257 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָהַב
Transliteration: ʼâhab
Pronunciation: aw-hab'
Description: or אָהֵב ; a primitive root; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise); (be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend. - Strong's Number: H1758
There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דּוּשׁ
Transliteration: dûwsh
Pronunciation: doosh
Description: or דּוֹשׁ; or דִּישׁ; a primitive root; to trample or thresh; break, tear, thresh, tread out (down), at grass (Jeremiah 50:11, by mistake for דֶּשֶׁא). - Strong's Number: H5674
There are 493 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָבַר
Transliteration: ʻâbar
Pronunciation: aw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation); alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) [phrase] proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, [phrase] raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, [phrase] shave, cause to (make) sound, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath. - Strong's Number: H2898
There are 31 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טוּב
Transliteration: ṭûwb
Pronunciation: toob
Description: from טוֹב; good (as a noun), in the widest sense, especially goodness (superlative concretely, the best), beauty, gladness, welfare; fair, gladness, good(-ness, thing, -s), joy, go well with. - Strong's Number: H6677
There are 39 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צַוָּאר
Transliteration: tsavvâʼr
Pronunciation: tsav-vawr'
Description: or צַוָּר; (Nehemiah 3:5), or צַוָּרֹןlemma צַוָּרן missing vowel, corrected to צַוָּרֹן; (Song of Solomon 4:9), or (feminine) צַוָּארָה; (Micah 2:3), intensively from צוּר in the sense of binding; the back of the neck (as that on which burdens are bound); neck. - Strong's Number: H7392
There are 75 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רָכַב
Transliteration: râkab
Pronunciation: raw-kab'
Description: a primitive root; to ride (on an animal or in a vehicle); causatively, to place upon (for riding or generally), to despatch; bring (on (horse-) back), carry, get (oneself) up, on (horse-) back, put, (cause to, make to) ride (in a chariot, on, -r), set. - Strong's Number: H3063
There are 754 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהוּדָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhûwdâh
Pronunciation: yeh-hoo-daw'
Description: from יָדָה; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory; Judah. - Strong's Number: H2790
There are 66 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָרַשׁ
Transliteration: chârash
Pronunciation: khaw-rash'
Description: a primitive root; to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad sense); hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of dumbness); [idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker. - Strong's Number: H3290
There are 319 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יַעֲקֹב
Transliteration: Yaʻăqôb
Pronunciation: yah-ak-obe'
Description: from עָקַב; heel-catcher (i.e. supplanter); Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch; Jacob. - Strong's Number: H7702
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׂדַד
Transliteration: sâdad
Pronunciation: saw-dad'
Description: a primitive root; to abrade, i.e. harrow afield; break clods, harrow.