Hosea 10:8

The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

The high places {H1116} also of Aven {H206}, the sin {H2403} of Israel {H3478}, shall be destroyed {H8045}: the thorn {H6975} and the thistle {H1863} shall come up {H5927} on their altars {H4196}; and they shall say {H559} to the mountains {H2022}, Cover {H3680} us; and to the hills {H1389}, Fall {H5307} on us.

Destruction will come to the high places of Aven, that is, to the sin of Isra'el. Thorns and thistles will grow over their altars; and they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!"

The high places of Aven will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

Commentary

Hosea 10:8 delivers a stark prophetic warning to ancient Israel concerning the devastating consequences of their persistent idolatry and rebellion against God. The verse vividly portrays a scene of utter desolation and despair as divine judgment falls upon a nation that has strayed far from the Lord.

Context

The Book of Hosea primarily addresses the Northern Kingdom of Israel (often called Ephraim) during a period of spiritual decline, political instability, and impending Assyrian invasion. Throughout the book, God expresses His deep sorrow and anger over Israel's spiritual adultery – their abandonment of Him for pagan deities and practices. Chapter 10 specifically condemns Israel's hypocrisy, their trust in military might instead of God, and their proliferation of altars for false worship.

The "high places of Aven" refers to locations of idolatrous worship. "Aven" (Hebrew: ʼāwen) means "iniquity," "vanity," or "trouble," and is a derogatory renaming of Beth-el ("house of God"), a historically significant site that had become a center for the golden calf worship initiated by Jeroboam I. This transformation from "house of God" to "house of iniquity" underscores the depth of Israel's apostasy. These "high places" (Hebrew: bāmôt) were elevated sites where Canaanite gods were worshipped, and Israel adopted these practices, blending them with or replacing the worship of Yahweh.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment on Idolatry: The verse explicitly states that these sites of sin "shall be destroyed," emphasizing God's intolerance for false worship and His commitment to purity.
  • Desolation and Ruin: The imagery of "thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars" paints a picture of complete abandonment and desolation. Where sacrifices were once offered to idols, only wild, useless plants will grow, signifying the utter futility and destruction of their false religious system.
  • Extreme Despair and Terror: The most dramatic image is the people's cry, "say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us." This is an expression of overwhelming terror and a desperate longing for oblivion rather than facing the terrifying reality of God's wrath. This profound despair is a direct consequence of their sin and rejection of their covenant God.

Linguistic Insights

The term "Aven" (ʼāwen) itself is a powerful linguistic insight. By renaming Beth-el to Beth-aven, the prophet Hosea highlights that what was once sacred had become a place of profound wickedness and spiritual emptiness. It's a deliberate and painful pun, emphasizing the vanity and destructive nature of their chosen path.

Related Scriptures

The cry to the mountains and hills to "Cover us" or "Fall on us" is a powerful motif of ultimate despair in the face of judgment. This imagery is strikingly echoed in the New Testament. During His crucifixion, Jesus references a similar cry for those who will face the coming wrath in Luke 23:30. Even more dramatically, it appears in the apocalyptic vision of Revelation 6:16, where kings, mighty men, and slaves alike hide from the wrath of God and the Lamb, pleading for mountains and rocks to fall on them.

Practical Application

Hosea 10:8 serves as a timeless warning against any form of idolatry, whether it be literal worship of false gods or the modern-day worship of wealth, power, pleasure, or self. Any object or pursuit that takes the place of God in our hearts becomes an "aven"—a source of vanity and iniquity that ultimately leads to desolation and despair. The verse calls us to examine our own lives: What are our "high places of Aven"? What are we trusting in instead of God? It reminds us that true security and peace are found only in genuine repentance and a renewed relationship with the Lord, rather than facing the inevitable consequences of unaddressed sin.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Luke 23:30

    Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

  • Revelation 6:16

    And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

  • Isaiah 2:19

    And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

  • 1 Kings 12:28

    Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves [of] gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

  • 1 Kings 12:30

    And this thing became a sin: for the people went [to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan.

  • Hosea 9:6

    For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant [places] for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns [shall be] in their tabernacles.

  • Isaiah 32:13

    Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns [and] briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy [in] the joyous city:
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