Hosea 13:6

According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.

According to their pasture {H4830}, so were they filled {H7646}; they were filled {H7646}, and their heart {H3820} was exalted {H7311}; therefore have they forgotten {H7911} me.

When they were fed, they were satisfied; when satisfied, they became proud. Therefore they forgot me.

When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.

According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted: therefore have they forgotten me.

Commentary

Hosea 13:6 serves as a poignant warning from God through the prophet Hosea to the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), highlighting the dangers of prosperity when it leads to spiritual forgetfulness and pride.

Context

The Book of Hosea primarily addresses Israel's deep-seated idolatry and unfaithfulness to God, likening their spiritual apostasy to a harlot's betrayal of her husband. Chapter 13 specifically details God's impending judgment upon Israel due to their persistent sin, particularly their reliance on idols and foreign alliances rather than on Him. This verse pinpoints a core reason for their downfall: their blessings became a snare. God had provided abundant "pasture" – signifying material prosperity and sustenance – but instead of fostering gratitude and devotion, it inflated their pride and led them to abandon their covenant relationship with Him.

Key Themes

  • Prosperity's Peril: The verse vividly illustrates how abundance, when not managed with humility and remembrance of God, can lead to spiritual decay. Israel's blessings became the very means of their downfall.
  • Pride and Forgetfulness of God: The phrase "their heart was exalted" points to an inflated sense of self-sufficiency and arrogance. This pride directly resulted in them "forgetting me," neglecting their Creator and Provider. The danger of prosperity leading to spiritual decline is also warned against in the wilderness narrative, where Moses cautioned Israel against forgetting the Lord when they entered the promised land and prospered.
  • Covenant Unfaithfulness: Forgetting God was not merely an oversight but a profound act of covenant breaking, a betrayal of the unique relationship He had established with Israel.
  • Divine Judgment: While not explicitly stated in this verse, the preceding and following verses in Hosea 13 clearly indicate that such forgetfulness and pride would inevitably lead to severe divine judgment, including destruction and exile.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV uses "pasture" (Hebrew: ΧžΦ΄Χ¨Φ°Χ’Φ΄Χ™Χͺָם, mir'itam), which literally means grazing land, emphasizing God's provision of sustenance and blessing. The phrase "heart was exalted" comes from the Hebrew root רוּם (rum), meaning "to be high" or "lifted up." In this context, it carries the negative connotation of pride, arrogance, or self-importance, a common biblical theme. This 'exalted heart' is a classic biblical warning, reminding us that pride goes before destruction.

Practical Application

Hosea 13:6 serves as a timeless caution for individuals, communities, and nations today. It challenges us to examine our own relationship with material blessings and success. Do prosperity and comfort lead us closer to God in gratitude and humility, or do they foster self-sufficiency, pride, and a neglect of our spiritual walk? The verse calls us to remember that all good things come from God and that true security and fulfillment are found not in earthly abundance, but in an unwavering relationship with our Creator. It encourages a spirit of humility and constant remembrance of God, regardless of our circumstances.

Reflection

The tragic cycle described in Hosea 13:6 – provision leading to fullness, fullness to pride, and pride to forgetfulness of God – is a powerful reminder of the human tendency to stray when blessed. It underscores the importance of guarding our hearts against the subtle allure of self-reliance and cultivating a deep, abiding gratitude that keeps God at the center of our lives, no matter how rich our "pasture" may be.

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 β€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 32:13

    He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;

  • Deuteronomy 32:15

    ΒΆ But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered [with fatness]; then he forsook God [which] made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

  • Psalms 10:4

    The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek [after God]: God [is] not in all his thoughts.

  • Nehemiah 9:35

    For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

  • Deuteronomy 8:12

    Lest [when] thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt [therein];

  • Deuteronomy 8:14

    Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

  • Deuteronomy 32:18

    Of the Rock [that] begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
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