Lectionary Calendar
Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Easy-to-Read Version

Hosea 10:4

They make promises, but they are only telling lies. They don't keep their promises. They make agreements with other countries. God does not like those agreements . The judges are like poisonous weeds growing in a plowed field.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Hemlock;   Hypocrisy;   Perjury;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Swearing Falsely;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gall;   Hemlock;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hosea;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Furrow;   Gall;   Hemlock;   Poison;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Hemlock;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   Furrow;   Hemlock;   Hosea;   Poison;   Venom;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gall;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Old Testament (Ii. Christ as Student and Interpreter of).;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hemlock;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gall;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Hemlock,;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Hemlock;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Gall;   Hemlock;   Samaria;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Covenant, in the Old Testament;   Crime;   Furrow;   Gall;   Poison;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Assyria;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They speak mere words,taking false oaths while making covenants.So lawsuits break outlike poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
Hebrew Names Version
They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
King James Version
They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
English Standard Version
They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
New American Standard Bible
They speak mere words, With worthless oaths they make covenants; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
New Century Version
They make many false promises and agreements which they don't keep. So people sue each other in court; they are like poisonous weeds growing in a plowed field.
Amplified Bible
They have spoken empty (disingenuous) words, Swearing falsely to make covenants [they intend to break]; Therefore, judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
Geneva Bible (1587)
They haue spoken woordes, swearing falsly in making a couenant: thus iudgement groweth as wormewoode in the furrowes of the fielde.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They speak mere words, With worthless oaths they make covenants; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
Legacy Standard Bible
They speak mere words;With worthless oaths they cut covenants;And judgment flourishes like gall in the furrows of the field.
Berean Standard Bible
They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
Contemporary English Version
Israel, you break treaties and don't keep promises; you turn justice into poisonous weeds where healthy plants should grow.
Complete Jewish Bible
They mouth words, swearing falsely, making treaties. Thus judgment spreads like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
Darby Translation
They speak [mere] words, swearing falsely in making a covenant; therefore shall judgment spring up as hemlock in the furrows of the fields.
George Lamsa Translation
They have spoken words belonging to false altars; they have broken the covenant and paid the penalty; they are like briers in a barren field.
Good News Translation
They utter empty words and make false promises and useless treaties. Justice has become injustice, growing like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.
Lexham English Bible
They utter words of vain oaths when making covenants, and judgment blossoms like a poisonous plant on the furrows of the field.
Literal Translation
They have spoken words, swearing vanity to cut a covenant. So judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.
American Standard Version
They speak vain words, swearing falsely in making covenants: therefore judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
Bible in Basic English
Their words are foolish; they make agreements with false oaths, so punishment will come up like a poison-plant in a ploughed field.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
They speak words, they swear falsely, they make covenants; thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
King James Version (1611)
They haue spoken words, swearing falsely in making a couenant: thus iudgement springeth vp as hemlocke in the furrowes of the field.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They haue spoken wordes, swearyng falslye in makyng a couenaunt: thus iudgement groweth as wormewood in the furrowes of the fielde.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and what should a king do for us, speaking false professions as his words? he will make a covenant: judgment shall spring up as a weed on the soil of the field.
English Revised Version
They speak vain words, swearing falsely in making covenants: therefore judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
World English Bible
They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Speke ye wordis of vnprofitable visioun, and ye schulen smyte boond of pees with leesyng; and doom as bittirnesse schal burioune on the forewis of the feeld.
Update Bible Version
They speak [vain] words, swearing falsely in making covenants: therefore judgment springs up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
Webster's Bible Translation
They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
New English Translation
They utter empty words, taking false oaths and making empty agreements. Therefore legal disputes sprout up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a plowed field.
New King James Version
They have spoken words, Swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.
New Living Translation
They spout empty words and make covenants they don't intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer's field.
New Life Bible
They speak empty words and make false promises, so punishment grows like weeds of poison in a plowed field.
New Revised Standard
They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so litigation springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They have spoken words, swearing falsely, in solemnizing a covenant, - therefore shall judgment, spring up like a poisonous plant, on the ridges of the field.
Douay-Rheims Bible
You speak words of an unprofitable vision, and you shall make a covenant: and judgment shall spring up as bitterness in the furrows of the field.
Revised Standard Version
They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
Young's Literal Translation
They have spoken words, To swear falsehood in making a covenant, And flourished as a poisonous herb hath judgment, on the furrows of a field.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They comon together, and sweare vayne oothes: they be cofederate together, therfore groweth their punyshment, as the wedes in the forowes of the londe.

Contextual Overview

1 Israel is like a vine that grows plenty of fruit. But as Israel got more and more things, he built more and more altars to honor false gods. His land became better and better, so he put up better and better stones to honor false gods. 2 The people of Israel tried to trick God, but now they must accept their guilt. He will break down their altars and destroy their memorial stones. 3 Now the Israelites say, "We have no king. We don't honor the Lord . And his king cannot do anything to us." 4 They make promises, but they are only telling lies. They don't keep their promises. They make agreements with other countries. God does not like those agreements . The judges are like poisonous weeds growing in a plowed field. 5 The people from Samaria worship the calves at Beth Aven. They will cry. The priests will cry, because their beautiful idol is gone. It was carried away. 6 It was carried away as a gift to the great king of Assyria. He will keep Ephraim's shameful idol. Israel will be ashamed of its idol. 7 Samaria's false god will be destroyed. It will be like a piece of wood floating away on the water's surface. 8 Israel sinned and built many high places. The high places of Aven will be destroyed. Thorns and weeds will grow on their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

swearing: Hosea 6:7, 2 Kings 17:3, 2 Kings 17:4, Ezekiel 17:13-19, Romans 1:31, 2 Timothy 3:3

thus: Deuteronomy 29:18, Isaiah 5:7, Isaiah 59:13-15, Amos 5:7, Amos 6:12, Acts 8:23, Hebrews 12:15, Revelation 8:10, Revelation 8:11

Reciprocal: Job 5:6 - spring out Proverbs 16:10 - transgresseth Jeremiah 5:2 - though Ezekiel 17:16 - whose oath Habakkuk 1:4 - for Acts 24:25 - righteousness 1 Timothy 1:10 - perjured

Cross-References

Numbers 24:24
Ships will come from Cyprus. They will defeat Assyria and Eber, but those ships will also be destroyed."
Isaiah 23:1
This is a message about Tyre: Ships traveling from Cyprus heard this message: "Cry, you ships from Tarshish! Your harbor has been destroyed."
Isaiah 23:12
He said, "Daughter Sidon, you have been hurt badly, so you will no longer rejoice like a bride. Go ahead, go to Cyprus for help, but you will not find a place to rest there either."
Ezekiel 27:12
"‘Tarshish was one of your best customers. They traded silver, iron, tin, and lead for all the wonderful things you sold.
Ezekiel 27:25
The ships from Tarshish carried the things you sold. "‘Tyre, you are like one of those cargo ships. You are on the sea, loaded with many riches.
Daniel 11:30
Ships from Cyprus will come and fight against the northern king. He will see those ships coming and be afraid. Then he will turn back and take out his anger on the holy agreement. He will turn back and help those who stopped following the holy agreement.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant,.... Those are other crimes they were guilty of, for which the wrath of God could not be awarded from them by a king, if they had one, or by any other. They had used vain and idle words in their common talk and conversation; and lying and deceitful ones to one another in trade and commerce, in contracts and promises; and so had deceived and overreached one another: they had belched out many "oaths of vanity" u: or vain oaths and curses; their mouths had been full of cursing and bitterness; and they made covenants with God, and their king, and with other kings and princes, and with one another, and had not kept them; and now for these things God had a controversy with them:

thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field; either the judgment of God, his wrath and vengeance for the above sins, rose up and spread itself in all their cities, towns, and villages; or rather the judgment and justice they pretended to execute, instead of being what it should have been, useful and beneficial to the people, like a wholesome herb, sprung up like hemlock, bitter and poisonous, and spread itself in all parts of the kingdom. Injustice is meant; see Amos 6:12.

u אלות שוא "execrationes vanitatis", Schmidt.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They have spoken words - The words which they spoke were eminently “words;” they were mere “words,” which had no substance; “swearing falsely in making a covenant, literally, swearing falsely, making a covenant, and judgments springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.” : “There is no truth in words, no sanctity in oaths, no faithfulness in keeping covenants, no justice in giving judgments.” Such is the result of all their oaths and covenants, that “judgment springeth up,” yea, flourisheth; but, what judgment? Judgment, bitter and poisonous as hemlock, flourishes, as hemlock would flourish on ground broken up and prepared for it. They break up the ground, make the “furrows.” They will not have any chance self-sown seed; they prepare the soil for harvest, full, abundant, regular, cleared of all besides. And what harvest? Not any wholesome plant, but poison. They cultivate injustice and wickedness, as if these were to be the fruits to be rendered to God from His own land. So Amos says, “Ye have turned judgment into gall or wormwood” Amos 6:12; Amos 5:7, and Habakkuk, “Judgment went forth perverted” Habakkuk 1:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hosea 10:4. They have spoken words — Vain, empty, deceitful words.

Swearing falsely — This refers to the alliances made with strange powers, to whom they promised fidelity without intending to be faithful; and from whom they promised themselves protection and support, notwithstanding God was against them, and they knew it. All their words were vain, and in the end as bitter as gall.

Judgment springeth up as hemlock — As our land lies without cultivation, so that we have nothing but noxious weeds instead of crops; so we have no administration of justice. What is done in this way is a perversion of law, and is as hurtful to society as hemlock would be to animal life. All this may refer to the anarchy that was in the kingdom of Israel before Hoshea's reign, and which lasted, according to Archbishop Usher, nine years. They then, literally, "had no king."


 
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