Hosea 12 · Verse 6

Hosea 12:6

Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
Hosea 12:6, King James Version

Hosea 12:6 in other translations

BSBBut you must return to your God, maintaining love and justice, and always waiting on your God.
WEBTherefore turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, and wait continually for your God.
ASVTherefore turn thou to thy God: keep kindness and justice, and wait for thy God continually.
YLTAnd thou, through thy God, dost turn, Kindness and judgment keep thou, And wait on thy God continually.
DARBYAnd thou, return unto thy God: keep loving-kindness and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
BBESo then, come back to your God; keep mercy and right, and be waiting at all times on your God.
WebsterTherefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

What does Hosea 12:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. thou--who dost wish to be a true descendant of Jacob. to THY God--who is therefore bound by covenant to hear thy prayers. keep mercy and judgment--(Mi 6:8). These two include the second-table commandments, duty towards one's neighbor, the most visible test of the sincerity on one's repentance. wait on thy God--alone, not on thy idols. Including all the duties of the first table (Psa 37:3, 5, 7; 40:1).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Therefore turn thou to thy God - Because he is the same, and cannot change. Seek him as faithfully and as fervently as Jacob did, and you will find him the same merciful and compassionate Being.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hosea 12:1-6

Judah and Israel reminded of the Divine favours. (Hos. 12:1-6) The provocations of Israel. (Hos. 12:7-14) Verses 1-6 Ephraim feeds himself with vain hopes of help from man, when he is at enmity with God. The Jews vainly thought to secure the Egyptians by a present of the produce of their country. Judah is contended with also. God sees the sin of his own people, and will reckon with them for it. They are put in mind…

Read the full comment on Hosea 12:1-6 →

Hosea 12:6 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.

וְאַתָּ֖הve.'a.Tahand youH859
בֵּאלֹהֶ֣יךָbe.lo.Hei.khain God yourH430
תָשׁ֑וּבta.Shuvyou will returnH7725
חֶ֤סֶדChe.sedloyaltyH2617
וּמִשְׁפָּט֙u.mish.Patand justiceH4941
שְׁמֹ֔רshe.MorkeepH8104
וְקַוֵּ֥הve.ka.Vehand waitH6960
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
תָּמִֽיד\׃ta.MidcontinuallyH8548

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

Cross references for Hosea 12:6

  • Micah 6:8

    He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

  • Micah 7:7

    Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

  • Hosea 14:1

    O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

  • Lamentations 3:25-26

    The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

  • Hosea 6:1-3

    Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 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.

  • James 2:13

    For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

  • Zechariah 7:9

    Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

  • Acts 2:38

    Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

  • Isaiah 30:18

    And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

  • Isaiah 1:16

    Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

  • Proverbs 1:23

    Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

  • Genesis 49:18

    I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
turn.
14:1; Pr 1:23; Isa 31:6; 55:6,7; Jer 3:14-22; La 3:39-41; Joe 2:13
Zec 1:3; Ac 2:38; 26:20
keep.
4:1; Pr 21:3; Isa 1:16; 58:6; Jer 22:15; Am 5:24; Mic 6:8; Zec 7:9
Zec 8:16; Jas 1:27; 2:13
wait.
Ge 49:18; Ps 27:14; 37:7; 123:2; 130:5-7; Isa 8:17; 30:18; 40:31
La 3:25,26; Hab 2:3; Zep 3:8

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

Context

  • Hosea 12:5

    Even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his memorial.

  • Hosea 12:6

    Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

  • Hosea 12:7

    He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

Read all of Hosea 12

Hosea 12:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas Jehová es Dios de los ejércitos: Jehová es su memorial.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et l’ Éternel, le Dieu des armées, – l’ Éternel, est son mémorial.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova, der Gott der Heerscharen-Jehova ist sein Gedenkname
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et tu ad Deum tuum converteris; misericordiam et judicium custodi, et spera in Deo tuo semper.