Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.
Parallel translations
- WEB Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they became for him altars for sinning.
- BSB Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning.
- NKJV “Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin, They have become for him altars for sinning.
- NASB ¶Since Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin, They have become altars of sinning for him.
- NLT “Israel has built many altars to take away sin, but these very altars became places for sinning!
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
Because Ephraim multiplied altars to sin, those very altars became the means of his sinning.
Overview
Israel built many altars supposedly for worship, but because they were idolatrous they only increased guilt. What was intended as religion became an instrument of transgression. This warns that worship not according to God's truth multiplies sin rather than pleasing Him, underscoring the need for the one true altar and sacrifice provided in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Hos 12:11Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
- Deut 4:28And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
- Isa 10:10–11As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
- Hos 10:1–2Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.
- Jer 16:13Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.
- Hos 10:8The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
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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 8:11 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.