Hosea 1 · Verse 7

Hosea 1:7

But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
Hosea 1:7, King James Version

Hosea 1:7 in other translations

BSBYet I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will save them—not by bow or sword or war, not by horses and cavalry, but by the LORD their God.”
WEBBut I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.”
ASVBut I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
YLTand the house of Judah I pity, and have saved them by Jehovah their God, and do not save them by bow, and by sword, and by battle, by horses, and by horsemen.'
DARBYBut I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God; and I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by battle, or by horses, or by horsemen.
BBEBut I will have mercy on Judah and will give them salvation by the Lord their God, but not by the bow or the sword or by fighting or by horses or horsemen.
WebsterBut I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

What does Hosea 1:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
7. Judah is only incidentally mentioned to form a contrast to Israel. by the Lord their God--more emphatic than "by Myself"; by that Jehovah (Me) whom they worship as their God, whereas ye despise Him. not ... by bow--on which ye Israelites rely (Ho 1:5, "the bow of Israel"); Jeroboam II was famous as a warrior (2Ki 14:25). Yet it was not by their warlike power Jehovah would save Judah (1Sa 17:47; Psa 20:7). The deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib (2Ki 19:35), and the restoration from Babylon, are herein predicted.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah - I will spare them as a kingdom after Israel has been carried away into captivity by the Assyrians. And will save them by the Lord their God - Remarkably fulfilled in the supernatural defeat of the army of the Assyrians, see 2Kgs 19:35; and so they were saved not by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by horsemen. The former expression may mean, not in war by horses, i.e., yoked to war chariots, nor by horsemen - nor by cavalry, however efficient such troops might have then been deemed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hosea 1:1-7

Under a figure, is represented the shameful idolatry of the ten tribes. (Hos. 1:1-7) The calling of the Gentiles, and the uniting Israel and Judah under the Messiah. (Hos. 1:8-11) Verses 1-7 Israel was prosperous, yet then Hosea boldly tells them of their sins, and foretells their destruction. Men are not to be flattered in sinful ways because they prosper in the world; nor will it last long if they go on still in…

Read the full comment on Hosea 1:1-7 →

Hosea 1:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
בֵּ֤יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
יְהוּדָה֙ye.hu.DahJudahH3063
אֲרַחֵ֔ם'a.ra.ChemI will have compassion onH7355
וְהֽוֹשַׁעְתִּ֖יםve.ho.sha'.Timand I will save themH3467
בַּיהוָ֣הba.Yah.wehby YahwehH3068
אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם'e.lo.hei.HemGod theirH430
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
אֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֗ם'o.shi.'EmI will save themH3467
בְּקֶ֤שֶׁתbe.Ke.shetby bowH7198
וּבְחֶ֙רֶב֙u.ve.Che.revand by swordH2719
וּבְמִלְחָמָ֔הu.ve.mil.cha.Mahand by battleH4421
בְּסוּסִ֖יםbe.su.Simby horsesH5483
וּבְפָרָשִֽׁים\׃u.ve.fa.ra.Shimand by horsemenH6571

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hosea 1:7

  • Zechariah 4:6

    Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Isaiah 12:2

    Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

  • 2 Kings 19:35

    And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

  • Psalms 44:3-6

    For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

  • Hosea 11:12

    Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

  • Isaiah 7:14

    Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

  • Zechariah 2:6-11

    Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me. …

  • Matthew 1:21-23

    And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

  • Zechariah 9:9-10

    Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

  • Jeremiah 23:5-6

    Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

  • Titus 3:4-6

    But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

  • Isaiah 49:6

    And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I will.
11:12; 2Ki 19:35; Isa 36:1-37:38
will save.
Isa 7:14; 12:2; 49:6; Jer 23:5,6; Zec 2:6-11; 4:6; 9:9,10; Mt 1:21-23
Tit 3:4-6
by bow.
Ps 33:16; 44:3-6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Hosea 1:6

    And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo–ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

  • Hosea 1:7

    But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

  • Hosea 1:8

    Now when she had weaned Lo–ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

Read all of Hosea 1

Hosea 1:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Mas de la casa de Judá tendré misericordia, y salvarélos en Jehová su Dios: y no los salvaré con arco, ni con espada, ni con batalla, ni con caballos ni caballeros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
mais je ferai miséricorde à la maison de Juda, et je les sauverai par l’ Éternel leur Dieu; et je ne les sauverai pas par l’arc, ni par l’épée, ni par la guerre, ni par des chevaux, ni par des cavaliers.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Aber des Hauses Juda werde ich mich erbarmen und sie retten durch Jehova, ihren Gott; und nicht werde ich sie retten durch Bogen und durch Schwert und durch Krieg, durch Rosse und durch Reiter. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et domui Juda miserebor, et salvabo eos in Domino Deo suo; et non salvabo eos in arcu et gladio, et in bello, et in equis, et in equitibus.