10:9 10:9

Hosea 10:10

10:11 10:11

Bible Versions

[It is] in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.
It is in my desire {H185} that I should chastise {H3256} them; and the people {H5971} shall be gathered {H622} against them, when they shall bind {H631} themselves in their two {H8147} furrows {H5869}.
When I wish to, I will discipline them; and the peoples will be gathered against them to discipline them for their two crimes."
I will chasten them when I please; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage for their double transgression.
When it is my desire, I will chastise them; and the peoples shall be gathered against them, when they are bound to their two transgressions.

Context

Hosea 10:10 is part of the prophetic book of Hosea, delivered to the Northern Kingdom of Israel (often called Ephraim) during a period of spiritual decline and political instability, preceding its eventual conquest by Assyria. The prophet Hosea consistently condemns Israel's persistent idolatry, their broken covenant with God, and their futile reliance on foreign alliances rather than the Lord. This verse specifically highlights God's impending judgment, framing it as a necessary act of divine discipline due to Israel's deep-seated unfaithfulness and spiritual rebellion.

Key Themes

  • Divine Chastisement: The verse explicitly states God's "desire that I should chastise them." This signifies God's sovereign right and intent to discipline His unfaithful people. It's not arbitrary punishment but a corrective measure for their persistent sin, aiming to bring them back to righteousness, even if through severe suffering. Hebrews 12:6 affirms this principle, stating that "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth."
  • Consequences of Sin: The gathering of "the people" against Israel points to foreign invasion, primarily by the Assyrians, as a direct consequence of their spiritual idolatry and covenant breaking. This illustrates the principle that what one sows, one will reap.
  • Spiritual Entrapment: The phrase "when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows" metaphorically speaks to Israel's self-imposed spiritual burdens or their deep entrenchment in sin. Their own actions and divided loyalties lead to their predicament, making them vulnerable to judgment. This imagery connects to the agricultural metaphors prominent in Hosea, especially the idea of sowing wickedness and reaping iniquity.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "chastise" (יָסַר, yasar) carries the connotation of instruction, discipline, and correction, often involving pain or suffering. While the outcome for Israel was severe, the underlying intent was disciplinary. The phrase "two furrows" (בִּשְׁתֵּי עֲוֹנֹתָם, bishtey avonotam in some interpretations of the underlying concept, though the KJV's "two furrows" uses agricultural imagery) is ambiguous. It could refer to:

  • Their two major sins or forms of idolatry (e.g., worshipping two different deities or maintaining cultic centers at Bethel and Dan).
  • Their divided allegiance between God and foreign powers (Egypt and Assyria), or between God and their idols.
  • Their deep-seated stubbornness and commitment to their sinful ways, as if yoked to their own destructive path.
The Septuagint (ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) renders "two furrows" as "two iniquities," emphasizing the moral dimension of their actions.

Practical Application

Hosea 10:10 serves as a powerful reminder that God's patience with persistent sin has limits. For believers today, it underscores the importance of:

  • Wholehearted Commitment: Avoiding divided loyalties and fully committing to God, rather than being "bound" by worldly pursuits or sinful habits (Matthew 6:24).
  • Acknowledging Consequences: Recognizing that sinful choices, if unrepented, lead to spiritual and sometimes tangible negative consequences. God's discipline, though painful, is ultimately an act of love to draw us back to Him (Proverbs 3:11-12).
  • Seeking Repentance: Understanding that God's desire to chastise is often a call to repentance and restoration, rather than mere destruction.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Ezekiel 5:13

    Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken [it] in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them.

  • Hosea 4:9

    And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

  • Jeremiah 16:16

    Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

  • Jeremiah 21:4

    Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that [are] in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and [against] the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

  • Zechariah 14:2

    For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

  • Zechariah 14:3

    Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

  • Micah 4:10

    Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go [even] to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
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