Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.
Parallel translations
- WEB But although they sold themselves among the nations, I will now gather them; and they begin to waste away because of the oppression of the king of mighty ones.
- BSB Though they hire allies among the nations, I will now round them up, and they will begin to diminish under the oppression of the king of princes.
- NKJV Yes, though they have hired among the nations, Now I will gather them; And they shall sorrow a little, Because of the burden of the king of princes.
- NASB Even though they pay for allies among the nations, I will gather them up now; And they will begin to diminish Because of the burden of the king of officials.
- NLT But though they have sold themselves to many allies, I will now gather them together for judgment. Then they will writhe under the burden of the great king.
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
Though they bargain among the nations, God will gather them for judgment, and they will waste away under a mighty king's oppression.
Overview
Israel's foreign dealings will not save them; God will gather them, not in blessing but for chastening under the burden of a powerful overlord. Their attempts at self-preservation only hasten their decline. The verse affirms God's sovereign control over the nations and His use of them to discipline His wayward people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ezek 16:37Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.
- Ezek 26:7For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.
- Ezek 23:22–26Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side;
- Jer 42:2And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)
- Hag 2:6For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
- Isa 10:8For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
- Hos 10:10It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.
- 2 Kgs 14:26For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.
- Ezek 23:9–10Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.
- Ezek 23:46–47For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled.
- Isa 36:13Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.
- Dan 2:37Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
- Ezek 22:20As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.
- 1 Chr 5:26And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.
- 2 Kgs 17:3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
- 2 Kgs 15:19–20And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
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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 8:10 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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