And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, [and] idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
And now they sin {H2398} more and more {H3254}, and have made {H6213} them molten images {H4541} of their silver {H3701}, and idols {H6091} according to their own understanding {H8394}, all of it the work {H4639} of the craftsmen {H2796}: they say {H559} of them, Let the men {H120} that sacrifice {H2076} kiss {H5401} the calves {H5695}.
So now they keep adding sin to sin, casting images from their silver; idols they invent for themselves, all of them the work of craftsmen. 'Sacrifice to them,' they say. Men give kisses to calves!
Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”
And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
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Isaiah 46:6
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, [and] hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. -
Isaiah 44:17
And the residue thereof he maketh a god, [even] his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth [it], and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou [art] my god. -
Isaiah 44:20
He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, [Is there] not a lie in my right hand? -
Hosea 2:8
For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, [which] they prepared for Baal. -
1 Kings 19:18
Yet I have left [me] seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. -
Jeremiah 10:4
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. -
Romans 1:22
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Hosea 13:2 vividly portrays the deepening spiritual rebellion of Israel, specifically the northern kingdom of Ephraim. Despite God's past mercies and warnings, the people continued to sink further into idolatry, inventing and worshipping gods of their own making.
Context
This verse comes from a section of Hosea where God's intense grief over Israel's apostasy is palpable, alongside stern pronouncements of judgment. Chapters 11-13 recount God's faithful love for Israel from their youth, contrasting it with their persistent unfaithfulness. Hosea 13 specifically highlights Israel's pride, their rejection of God, and the inevitable consequences. The "calves" mentioned here are the golden calves set up by Jeroboam I in Bethel and Dan, which became the central objects of worship for the northern kingdom, leading them away from the true worship in Jerusalem.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The term "molten images" (Hebrew: מַסֵּכָה, massekah) refers to idols cast from metal, often precious metals like silver, as specified here. This signifies the considerable resources and effort the Israelites invested in their false worship. The phrase "kiss the calves" (Hebrew: יִשָּׁקוּ עֲגָלִים, yishaku agalim) is a powerful and specific image of devotion. Kissing was a widely recognized act of reverence and submission to deities or rulers in the ancient world, making their idolatry undeniable and direct.
Related Scriptures
The crafting of "molten images" from "silver" underscores the immense resources and effort the Israelites poured into their false worship, a stark contrast to the divine command against making graven images found in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4). This self-devised religion, based on "their own understanding" rather than divine revelation, echoes the prophet Jeremiah's lament that God's people had forsaken Him, the fountain of living waters, for broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13). The futility of worshipping man-made gods is also powerfully described in Psalm 115:4-7.
Practical Application
Hosea 13:2 serves as a timeless warning against the dangers of progressive sin and self-made religion. While modern idolatry may not involve physical calves, it can manifest in worshipping wealth, power, pleasure, self-image, or even human intellect and understanding above God. Any pursuit or affection that displaces God as the supreme object of our devotion becomes an idol. This verse calls believers to examine their hearts, ensuring that their worship is directed solely to the one true God, not to anything "according to their own understanding" or the "work of craftsmen" in their lives. It reminds us that spiritual rebellion, if unchecked, leads to deeper sin and separation from God.