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Commentary on Hosea 11 verses 8–12
In these verses we have,
I. God's wonderful backwardness to destroy Israel (Hos 11:8, Hos 11:9): How shall I give thee up? Here observe,
1.God's gracious debate within himself concerning Israel's case, a debate between justice and mercy, in which victory plainly inclines to mercy's side. Be astonished, O heavens! at this, and wonder, O earth! at the glory of God's goodness. Not that there are any such struggles in God as there are in us, or that he is ever fluctuating or unresolved; no, he is in one mind, and knows it; but they are expressions after the manner of men, designed to show what severity the sin of Israel had deserved, and yet how divine grace would be glorified in sparing them notwithstanding. The connexion of this with what goes before is very surprising; it was said of Israel (Hos 11:7) that they were bent to backslide from God, that though they were called to him they would not exalt him, upon which, one would think, it should have followed, "Now I am determined to destroy them, and never show them mercy any more." No, such is the sovereignty of mercy, such the freeness, the fulness, of divine grace, that it follows immediately, How shall I give thee up? See here, (1.) The proposals that justice makes concerning Israel, the suggestion of which is here implied. Let Ephraim be given up, as an incorrigible son is given up to be disinherited, as an incurable patient is given over by his physician. Let him be given up to ruin. Let Israel be delivered into the enemy's hand, as a lamb to the lion to be torn in pieces; let them be made as Admah and set as Zeboim, the two cities that with Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone rained from heaven upon them; let them be utterly and irreparably ruined, and be made as like these cities in desolation as they have been in sin. Let that curse which is written in the law be executed upon them, that the whole land shall be brimstone and salt, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, Deu 29:23. Ephraim and Israel deserve to be thus abandoned, and God will do them no wrong if he deal thus with them. (2.) The opposition that mercy makes to these proposals: How shall I do it? As the tender father reasons with himself, "How can I cast off my untoward son? for he is my son, though he be untoward; how can I find in my heart to do it?" Thus, "Ephraim has been a dear son, a pleasant child: How can I do it? He is ripe for ruin; judgments stand ready to seize him; there wants nothing but giving him up, but I cannot do it. They have been a people near unto me; there are yet some good among them; theirs are the children of the covenant; if they be ruined, the enemy will triumph; it may be they will yet repent and reform; and therefore how can I do it?" Note, The God of heaven is slow to anger, and is especially loth to abandon a people to utter ruin that have been in special relation to him. See how mercy works upon the mention of those severe proceedings: My heart is turned within me, as we say, Our heart fails us, when we come to do a thing that is against the grain with us. God speaks as if he were conscious to himself of a strange striving of affections in compassion to Israel: as Lam 1:20, My bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me. As it follows here, My repentings are kindled together. His bowels yearned towards them, and his soul was grieved for their sin and misery, Jdg 10:16. Compare Jer 31:20. Since I spoke against him my bowels are troubled for him. When God was to give up his Son to be a sacrifice for sin, and a Saviour for sinners, he did not say, How shall I give him up? No, he spared not his own Son; it pleased the Lord to bruise him; and therefore God spared not him, that he might spare us. But this is only the language of the day of his patience; when men have sinned that away, and the great day of his wrath comes, then no difficulty is made of it; nay, I will laugh at their calamity.
2.His gracious determination of this debate. After a long contest mercy in the issue rejoices against judgment, has the last word, and carries the day, Hos 11:9. It is decreed that the reprieve shall be lengthened out yet longer, and I will not now execute the fierceness of my anger, though I am angry; though they shall not go altogether unpunished, yet he will mitigate the sentence and abate the rigour of it. He will show himself to be justly angry, but not implacably so; they shall be corrected, but not consumed. I will not return to destroy Ephraim; the judgments that have been inflicted shall not be repeated, shall not go so deep as they have deserved. He will not return to destroy, as soldiers, when they have pillaged a town once, return a second time, to take more, as when what the palmer-worm has left the locust has eaten. It is added, in the close of the verse, "I will not enter into the city, into Samaria, or any other of their cities; I will not enter into them as an enemy, utterly to destroy them, and lay them waste, as I did the cities of Admah and Zeboim."
3.The ground and reason of this determination: For I am God and not man, the Holy One of Israel. To encourage them, to hope that they shall find mercy, consider, (1.) What he is in himself: He is God, and not man, as in other things, so in pardoning sin and sparing sinners. If they had offended a man like themselves, he would not, he could not have borne it; his passion would have overpowered his compassion, and he would have executed the fierceness of his anger; but I am God, and not man. He is Lord of his anger, whereas men's anger commonly lords it over them. If an earthly prince were in such a strait between justice and mercy, he would be at a loss how to compromise the matter between them; but he who is God, and not man, knows how to find out an expedient to secure the honour of his justice and yet advance the honour of his mercy. Man's compassions are nothing in comparison with the tender mercies of our God, whose thoughts and ways, in receiving returning sinners, are as much above ours as heaven is above the earth, Isa 55:9. Note, It is a great encouragement to our hope in God's mercies to remember that he is God, and not man. He is the Holy One. One would think this were a reason why he should reject such a provoking people. No; God knows how to spare and pardon poor sinners, not only without any reproach to his holiness, but very much to the honour of it, as he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and therein declares his righteousness, now Christ has purchased the pardon and he has promised it. (2.) What he is to them; he is the Holy One in the midst of thee; his holiness is engaged for the good of his church, and even in this corrupt and degenerate land and age there were some that gave thanks at the remembrance of his holiness, and he required of them all to be holy as he is, Lev 19:2. As long as we have the Holy One in the midst of us we are safe and well; but woe to us when he leaves us! Note, Those who submit to the influence may take the comfort of God's holiness.
II. Here is his wonderful forwardness to do good for Israel, which appears in this, that he will qualify them to receive the good he designs for them (Hos 11:10, Hos 11:11): They shall walk after the Lord. This respects the same favour with that (Hos 3:5), They shall return, and seek the Lord their God; it is spoken of the ten tribes, and had its accomplishment, in part, in the return of some of them with those of the two tribes in Ezra's time; but it had its more full accomplishment in God's spiritual Israel, the gospel-church, brought together and incorporated by the gospel of Christ. The ancient Jews referred it to the time of the Messiah; the learned Dr. Pocock looks upon it as a prophecy of Christ's coming to preach the gospel to the dispersed children of Israel, the children of God that were scattered abroad. And then observe, 1. How they were to be called and brought together: The Lord shall roar like a lion. The word of the Lord (so says the Chaldee) shall be as a lion that roars. Christ is called the lion of the tribe of Judah, and his gospel, in the beginning of it, was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. When Christ cried with a loud voice it was as when a lion roared, Rev 10:3. The voice of the gospel was heard afar, as the roaring of a lion, and it was a mighty voice. See Joe 3:16. 2. What impression this call should make upon them, such an impression as the roaring of a lion makes upon all the beasts of the forest: When he shall roar then the children shall tremble. See Amo 3:8, The lion has roared; the Lord God has spoken; and then who will not fear? When those whose hearts the gospel reached trembled, and were astonished, and cried out, What shall we do? - when they were by it put upon working out their salvation, and worshipping God with fear and trembling, then this promise was fulfilled. The children shall tremble from the west. The dispersed Jews were carried eastward, to Assyria and Babylon, and those that returned came from the east; therefore this seems to have reference to the calling of the Gentiles that lay westward from Canaan, for that way especially the gospel spread. They shall tremble; they shall move and come with trembling, with care and haste, from the west, from the nations that lay that way, to the mountain of the Lord (Isa 2:3), to the gospel-Jerusalem, upon hearing the alarm of the gospel. The apostle speaks of mighty signs and wonders that were wrought by the preaching of the gospel from Jerusalem round about to Illyricum, Rom 15:19. Then the children trembled from the west. And, whereas Israel after the flesh was dispersed in Egypt and Assyria, it is promised that they shall be effectually summoned thence (Hos 11:11): They shall tremble; they shall come trembling, and with all haste, as a bird upon the wing, out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria; a dove is noted for swift and constant flight, especially when she flies to her windows, which the flocking of Jews and Gentiles to the church is here compared to, as it is Isa 60:8. Wherever those are that belong to the election of grace - east, west, north, or south - they shall hear the joyful sound, and be wrought upon by it; those of Egypt and Assyria shall come together; those that lay most remote from each other shall meet in Christ, and be incorporated in the church. Of the uniting of Egypt and Assyria, it was prophesied, Isa 19:23. 3. What effect these impressions should have upon them. Being moved with fear, they shall flee to the ark: They shall walk after the Lord, after the service of the Lord (so the Chaldee); they shall take the Lord Christ for their leader and commander; they shall enlist themselves under him as the captain of their salvation, and give up themselves to the direction of the Spirit as their guide by the word; they shall leave all to follow Christ, as becomes disciples. Note, Our holy trembling at the word of Christ will draw us to him, not drive us from him. When he roars like a lion the slaves tremble and flee from him, the children tremble and flee to him. 4. What entertainment they shall meet with at their return (Hos 11:11): I will place them in their houses (all those that come at the gospel-call shall have a place and a name in the gospel-church, in the particular churches which are their houses, to which they pertain; they shall dwell in God, and be at home in him, both easy and safe, as a man in his own house; they shall have mansions, for there are many in our Father's house), in his tabernacle on earth and his temple in heaven, in everlasting habitations, which may be called their houses, for they are the lot they shall stand in at the end of the days.
III. Here is a sad complaint of the treachery of Ephraim and Israel, which may be an intimation that it is not Israel after the flesh, but the spiritual Israel, to whom the foregoing promises belong, for as for this Ephraim, this Israel, they compass God about with lies and deceit; all their services of him, when they pretended to compass his altar, were feigned and hypocritical; when they surrounded him with their prayers and praises, every one having a petition to present to him, they lied to him with their mouth and flattered him with their tongue; their pretensions were so fair, and yet their intentions so foul, that they would, if possible, have imposed upon God himself. Their professions and promises were all a cheat, and yet with these they thought to compass God about, to enclose him as it were, to keep him among them, and prevent his leaving them.
IV. Here is a pleasant commendation of the integrity of the two tribes, which they held fast, and this comes in as an aggravation of the perfidiousness of the ten tribes, and a reason why God had that mercy in store for Judah which he had not for Israel (Hos 1:6, Hos 1:7), for Judah yet rules with God and is faithful with the saints, or with the Most Holy. 1. Judah rules with God, that is, he serves God, and the service of God is not only true liberty and freedom, but it is dignity and dominion. Judah rules, that is, the princes and governors of Judah rule with God; they use their power for him, for his honour, and the support of his interest. Those rule with God that rule in the fear of God (Sa2 23:3), and it is their honour to do so, and their praise shall be of God, as Judah's here is. Judah is Israel - a prince with God. 2. He is faithful with the holy God, keeps close to his worship and to his saints, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose steps they faithfully tread in. They walk in the way of good men; and those that do so rule with God, they have a mighty interest in Heaven. Judah yet does thus, which intimates that the time would come when Judah also would revolt and degenerate. Note, When we see how many there are that compass God about with lies and deceit it may be a comfort to us to think that God has his remnant that cleave to him with purpose of heart, and are faithful to his saints; and for those who are thus faithful unto death is reserved a crown of life, when hypocrites and all liars shall have their portion without.
"How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city." LXX: "What shall I do unto thee, Ephraim? shall I protect thee, Israel? what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goes forth. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." In the place where we and the seventy were interpreters, is it written in Hebrew "Shall I protect you, Israel?" which Aquila rendered into Greek as, "I will surround you with a shield." When we thought that this might be understood in a favorable sense and might indicate protection, the opposite meaning is suggested by the edition of Symmachus, which has, "I will surrender you." The translation of Theodotion is also unfavorable, but unfavorable in a different way: "I will strip you," he says, "and take away your weapon," that is, "the shield" with which I had previously protected you; and this meaning is more in keeping with the Lord's threatening. Therefore what he says is this: because they did not want to repent, and Assur became their king, the sword will devour cities, princes, and the people, and a yoke will be imposed upon them which will not be taken from them. And because the sentence seemed harsh, leaving them no place for repentance, God, as a concerned parent, now speaks to Israel: "What shall I do for thee, Ephraim?" How shall I strip thee by my help? What shall I do for thee? By what means shall I correct thee? By what remedy can I heal you? Like Admah and Zeboiim I will make you, which are two of the five cities, just as we read in Genesis: 'Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim and Bela, which is called Segor,' and in the Syrian language 'Zoar.' Therefore, I will make you and turn you into a desert, and I will wipe you out until you become ashes and dust, just as I wiped out Admah and Zeboiim. And when a harsh, indeed cruel, sentence had been pronounced, the father is again overcome by his affection for his child, and with his kindness he moderates the severity of his judgement. For he says, "My heart is turned within me; all my sorrow is stirred up." As soon as I spoke, there was something in my heart that moved me to mercy; I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath; I will not destroy Ephraim again: for I am God, and not man; and I will not consume them in my indignation: but I will instruct them, by opening their eyes to their iniquity. My cruelty is the opportunity for penance and piety: "I am God, not a man." Man punishes in order to destroy, God corrects in order to improve. "I am holy in your midst and will not enter the city," meaning, I am not one of those who dwell in cities, who live by human laws, who consider cruelty to be justice, for whom the highest law is the greatest malice; but my law, and my justice, is to save those who are corrected. We can also say: because first Cain, a parricide, built a city in the name of his son Enoch, the Lord does not enter such a city, which is made of wickedness, blood, and parricide. However, if we want to read, "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel?", it should be understood: What shall I do with you? Are you worthy of protection, for you have done so much? Note also that when it is said against Judah, that is, the people of God, it is not Admah and Zeboiim that are mentioned but Sodom and Gomorrah. For we read in Isaiah: "Hear the law of God, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the word of the Lord, you people of Gomorrah" (Isai. I, 10). Likewise, in the Gospel, the city that did not receive the apostles, when they shook the dust from their feet, is said to be worse off on the day of judgment than the land of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matt. X). And the prophetic word is also directed at Jerusalem: "Sodom has been justified by your example" (Ezek. XVI). Therefore, suspicion is given to us that Sodom and Gomorrah were leaders in sin, and Adama and Seboim followed their examples, that the powerful suffer powerful torments: and that servant who knows the will of his Lord, and does not do it, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. Hence even the learned men of Ecclesiasticus, if they are involved in the same crimes as heretics, will be subject not to the punishments of Adama and Seboim, which are inferior but to those of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are said to be greater crimes. To heretics also and those deceived by them, the Lord speaks to the people, that unless they repent, they will be put like Adama and Seboim, so that they have no hope of salvation. Again, as a most merciful father, he says he will change his own decision and repent of having spoken such things, so that he may also provoke them to conversion and penance. 'I will not make,' he said, 'in my fury, I will not destroy Ephraim. As much as it is in me, as much as I desire, if he corrects error with truth, if he loves me more than the leaders of heresy, for 'I am God and not man,' I will extend my hand to the fallen, and call the wandering towards salvation. And because I am holy, I will not enter a city, that is, the assemblies and cities of heretics. I willingly receive those who leave their cities, but I will not enter their cities. What he said, "I will not enter the city," and, according to the LXX, is followed by, "I will walk after the Lord," some have interpreted as meaning that the people responded to the Lord, and that the sense is: Because your heart has turned to you, and you have not made us according to our sins; but you imitate your clemency, and do not punish our sins, and you promise to be holy and merciful and to dwell among us; therefore, I will not enter the city of evil men: nor will I be among the number of sinners; but I will walk after the Lord my God. But the Hebrews, from the person of God, have thus spoken: I will not abandon you, I will not go to another people, nor enter another city.
Adama: Adama and Seboim were two cities in the neighbourhood of Sodom: and underwent the like destruction.
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SUMMARY
Hosea 11:8 captures a profound and intensely emotional moment in God's relationship with Israel, specifically the northern kingdom of Ephraim. It reveals the divine dilemma where God's righteous judgment for His people's persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness clashes with His deep, paternal love and compassion. Through a series of rhetorical questions and a vivid description of His internal anguish, God expresses His reluctance to deliver Israel to the same utter destruction meted out to wicked cities like Admah and Zeboim, ultimately revealing His mercy triumphing over deserved wrath.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Hosea 11:8 is rich in literary devices that amplify its emotional and theological impact. The most prominent is the use of Rhetorical Questions, repeated four times ("How shall I...?"). These questions are not seeking information but express intense emotional struggle, dilemma, and profound reluctance on God's part. They draw the reader into God's internal anguish, making His dilemma palpable. Parallelism is also evident in the repetition of the "How shall I...?" structure and the pairing of "Ephraim" with "Israel," and "Admah" with "Zeboim," which enhances the poetic rhythm and reinforces the message. The verse also employs powerful Anthropomorphism, attributing human emotions and physical sensations (heart turning, repentings kindling) to God. This device makes God's character relatable and emphasizes His deep personal investment in His relationship with Israel. The comparison to Admah and Zeboim serves as a stark Allusion to past divine judgments, highlighting the severity of Israel's sin while simultaneously underscoring the extraordinary nature of God's relenting mercy. Finally, the phrase "my repentings are kindled together" uses Metaphor to describe the overwhelming surge of divine compassion, likening it to a fire or strong emotion that burns intensely within God.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Hosea 11:8 offers a profound glimpse into the very heart of God, revealing a tension between His immutable justice and His boundless, covenantal love. It demonstrates that while God's holiness demands a response to sin, His compassion can move Him to relent from the full measure of deserved judgment. This divine "repentance" is not a change in His perfect character or a sign of indecision, but rather a manifestation of His steadfast love triumphing over wrath, a willingness to extend grace even when judgment is warranted. It underscores the biblical truth that God is "slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" (Psalm 103:8), always seeking reconciliation and restoration for His people. This passage foreshadows the ultimate demonstration of God's heart for humanity, where His justice and mercy are perfectly reconciled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hosea 11:8 is a deeply comforting and challenging passage for believers today. It assures us of God's profound, unwavering love and compassion, even when we, like ancient Israel, fall short of His expectations or stray from His path. It reminds us that God is not eager to condemn but is deeply invested in our well-being and desires our restoration. For those struggling with guilt or feeling distant from God, this verse offers immense hope: God's heart is always "turned within Him" towards mercy for those who turn to Him. It encourages us to approach Him with confidence, knowing that His "repentings are kindled together" for us. Furthermore, it challenges us to reflect God's character in our own lives, extending mercy and compassion to others, even when they may not deserve it, mirroring the divine love that triumphs over judgment.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does it mean for God to "repent" in this verse? Does God change His mind or make mistakes?
Answer: When the Bible speaks of God "repenting" (Hebrew: nacham or nichûwm), it does not imply that God changes His perfect character, makes a mistake, or feels regret in the human sense of having done wrong. Instead, it signifies a change in His action or disposition toward humanity, often in response to human actions or as an expression of His profound compassion. In Hosea 11:8, God's "repentings are kindled together" means His deep pity and love have overwhelmed His righteous anger, causing Him to relent from the full measure of the judgment Israel deserved. It's a manifestation of His mercy triumphing over strict justice, demonstrating His willingness to extend grace and alter a threatened punishment, as seen in the narrative of Nineveh's repentance in the book of Jonah. God's character remains constant, but His interaction with His creation is dynamic, responding to their choices with perfect wisdom and love.
Why are Admah and Zeboim specifically mentioned as examples of destruction?
Answer: Admah and Zeboim were cities located in the Jordan plain, traditionally associated with Sodom and Gomorrah. They were utterly destroyed by God due to their extreme wickedness, as recorded in Genesis 19:24-25. By mentioning these cities, God uses a powerful historical and cultural reference to illustrate the severity of the judgment Israel deserved for their persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. The comparison highlights that Israel's sin was so grievous that it warranted a similar, complete annihilation. The rhetorical question, "How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim?" underscores God's profound reluctance to inflict such a devastating judgment on His beloved people, despite their deserving it.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hosea 11:8, with its poignant portrayal of God's internal struggle between justice and mercy, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The divine dilemma—how God could justly punish sin while still extending love and salvation—is perfectly resolved at the cross. God's heart was "turned within Him" not to spare Israel from all judgment, but to provide a way for their ultimate redemption. The "kindled repentings" of God's compassion found their fullest expression when God, in Christ, took upon Himself the very judgment that humanity deserved. The destruction threatened upon Israel, akin to Admah and Zeboim, was absorbed by the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. On the cross, divine justice was fully satisfied, and divine mercy was fully poured out. Through Christ's sacrifice, God can now be both "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). Thus, Hosea's lament foreshadows the incredible love of God, who "did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all" (Romans 8:32), ensuring that His people would not be given up to eternal destruction but would find everlasting life and reconciliation through the New Covenant established in Christ's blood (Luke 22:20).