They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
Parallel translations
- WEB They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
- BSB They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
- NKJV They have spoken words, Swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.
- NASB They speak mere words, With worthless oaths they make covenants; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
- NLT 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They speak empty words and swear false oaths in making covenants, so injustice springs up like poisonous weeds in the field.
Overview
Israel's dealings are marked by broken promises and false swearing, corrupting both society and its agreements. The result is judgment that sprouts like bitter, poisonous weeds among the furrows. The verse condemns covenant-breaking and dishonesty, contrasting them with the faithful and true God who keeps every promise in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Hos 4:2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
- Amos 6:12Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:
- Amos 5:7Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
- 2 Kgs 17:3–4Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
- Ezek 17:13–19And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
- Deut 29:18Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
- Rev 8:10–11And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
- Isa 59:13–15In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
- Heb 12:15Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
- 2 Tim 3:3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
- Isa 5:7For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
- Hos 6:7But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
- Rom 1:31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
- Acts 8:23For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's relentless love for an unfaithful bride dramatizes the gospel: 'Out of Egypt I called my son' is fulfilled in Jesus, who redeems an adulterous people at his own cost.
How Hosea 10:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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