Hosea 10 · Verse 12

Hosea 10:12

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Hosea 10:12, King James Version

Hosea 10:12 in other translations

BSBSow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.
WEBSow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness. Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and rains righteousness on you.
ASVSow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to kindness; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
YLTSow for yourselves in righteousness, Reap according to loving-kindness, Till for yourselves tillage of knowledge, To seek Jehovah, Till he come and shew righteousness to you.
DARBYSow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
BBEPut in the seed of righteousness, get in your grain in mercy, let your unploughed earth be turned up: for it is time to make search for the Lord, till he comes and sends righteousness on you like rain.
WebsterSow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he shall come and reign righteousness upon you.

What does Hosea 10:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. Continuation of the image in Ho 10:11 (Pr 11:18). Act righteously and ye shall reap the reward; a reward not of debt, but of grace. in mercy--according to the measure of the divine "mercy," which over and above repays the goodness or "mercy" which we show to our fellow man (Lu 6:38). break ... fallow ground--Remove your superstitions and vices, and be renewed. seek ... Lord, fill he come--Though not answered immediately, persevere unceasingly "till He come." rain--send down as a copious shower. righteousness--the reward of righteousness, that is, salvation, temporal and spiritual (1Sa 26:23; compare Joe 2:23 ).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness - Let the seed you sow be of the best kind, and in just measure. Reap in mercy - By the blessing of God on this ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, you may expect a good crop in harvest. Break up your fallow ground - Do not be satisfied with a slight furrow; let the land that was fallowed (slightly ploughed) be broken up again with a deep furrow. For it is time to seek the Lord - This should be immediately done: the season is passing; and if you do not get the seed in the ground, the early rain will be past, and your fields will be unfruitful. Rain righteousness upon you - God will give you the early rain in due time, and in proper measure. Here are the metaphors, and the application cannot be difficult.. Here are ploughing, fallowing, sowing, harrowing, watering, reaping, threshing, and feeding on the produce of well-directed labor. All may be applied to the human heart, and the work of God upon it. Correction, contrition, conversion, receiving the grace of Christ, bringing forth fruit, etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hosea 10:9-15

Because God does not desire the death and ruin of sinners, therefore in mercy he desires their chastisement. The children of iniquity still remained in Israel. The enemies would be gathered against them. It is just with God to make those know what hardships mean, who indulge themselves in ease and pleasure. Let them cleanse their hearts from all corrupt affections and lusts, and be a broken and contrite spirit. Let…

Read the full comment on Hosea 10:9-15 →

Hosea 10:12 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.

זִרְע֨וּzir.'UsowH2232
לָכֶ֤םla.Khem<for> yourselves
לִצְדָקָה֙litz.da.Kah<to> righteousnessH6666
קִצְר֣וּkitz.RureapH7114
לְפִי\־le.fi-<to> a mouth ofH6310
חֶ֔סֶדChe.sedloyaltyH2617
נִ֥ירוּNi.ruplowH5214
לָכֶ֖םla.Khem<for> yourselves
נִ֑ירNirunplowed groundH5215
וְעֵת֙ve.'Etand [it is] timeH6256
לִדְר֣וֹשׁlid.Ro.oshto seekH1875
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
יָב֕וֹאya.Vo'he will comeH935
וְיֹרֶ֥הve.yo.Rehand he may rain downH3384
צֶ֖דֶקTze.dekrighteousnessH6664
לָכֶֽם\׃la.Khemfor you

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

Cross references for Hosea 10:12

  • Jeremiah 4:3-4

    For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

  • James 3:18

    And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

  • Isaiah 45:8

    Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.

  • Proverbs 11:18

    The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

  • Isaiah 55:6

    Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

  • Hosea 6:3

    Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

  • Jeremiah 29:12-14

    Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

  • Isaiah 44:3

    For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

  • Ecclesiastes 11:6

    In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

  • Psalms 105:4

    Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

  • Zephaniah 2:1-3

    Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.

  • Amos 5:15

    Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Sow.
8:7; Ps 126:5,6; Pr 11:18; 18:21; Ec 11:6; Isa 32:20; Jas 3:18
break.
Jer 4:3,4
time.
Ps 105:4; Isa 31:1; 55:6; Jer 29:12-14; 50:4; Am 5:4,6,8,15
Zep 2:1-3; Lu 13:24
rain.
6:3; Ps 72:6; Isa 5:6; 30:23; 44:3; 45:8; Eze 34:26; Ac 2:18
1Co 3:6,7

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

Context

  • Hosea 10:11

    And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.

  • Hosea 10:12

    Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

  • Hosea 10:13

    Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

Read all of Hosea 10

Hosea 10:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Sembrad para vosotros en justicia, segad para vosotros en misericordia; arad para vosotros barbecho: porque es el tiempo de buscar á Jehová, hasta que venga y os enseñe justicia.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Semez pour vous en justice, moissonnez selon la piété. Défrichez pour vous un terrain neuf; c’est le temps pour chercher l’ Éternel, jusqu’à ce qu’il vienne et qu’il fasse pleuvoir sur vous la justice.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Säet euch zur Gerechtigkeit, erntet der Güte gemäß; pflüget euch einen Neubruch: denn es ist Zeit, Jehova zu suchen, bis er komme und euch Gerechtigkeit regnen lasse.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Seminate vobis in justitia, et metite in ore misericordiæ. Innovate vobis novale; tempus autem requirendi Dominum, cum venerit qui docebit vos justitiam.