Hosea 6 · Verse 4

Hosea 6:4

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
Hosea 6:4, King James Version

Hosea 6:4 in other translations

BSBWhat shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.
WEB“Ephraim, what shall I do to you? Judah, what shall I do to you? For your love is like a morning cloud, and like the dew that disappears early.
ASVO Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth early away.
YLTWhat do I do to thee, O Ephraim? What do I do to thee, O Judah? Your goodness is as a cloud of the morning, And as dew rising early--going.
DARBYWhat shall I do unto thee, Ephraim? What shall I do unto thee, Judah? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that early passeth away.
BBEO Ephraim, what am I to do to you? O Judah, what am I to do to you? For your love is like a morning cloud, and like the dew which goes early away.
WebsterO Ephraim, what shall I do to thee? O Judah, what shall I do to thee? for your goodness is as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

What does Hosea 6:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. what shall I do unto thee--to bring thee back to piety. What more could be done that I have not done, both in mercies and chastenings (Is 5:4)? At this verse a new discourse begins, resuming the threats (Ho 5:14). See opening remarks on this chapter. goodness--godliness. morning cloud--soon dispersed by the sun (Ho 13:3). There is a tacit contrast here to the promise of God's grace to Israel hereafter, in Ho 6:3. His going forth is "as the morning," shining more and more unto the perfect day; your goodness is "as a morning cloud," soon vanishing. His coming to His people is "as the (fertilizing) latter and former rains"; your coming to Him "as the early dew goeth away."

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? - This is the answer of the Lord to the above pious resolutions; sincere while they lasted, but frequently forgotten, because the people were fickle. Their goodness (for goodness it was while it endured) was like the morning cloud that fadeth away before the rising sun, or like the early dew which is speedily evaporated by heat. Ephraim and Judah had too much goodness in them to admit of their total rejection, and too much evil to admit of their being placed among the children. Speaking after the manner or men, the justice and mercy of Good seem puzzled how to act toward them. When justice was about to destroy them for their iniquity, it was prevented by their repentance and contrition: when mercy was about to pour upon them as penitents its choicest blessings, it was prevented by their fickleness and relapse! These things induce the just and merciful God to exclaim, "O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee?" The only thing that could be done in such a case was that which God did.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hosea 6:4-11
Sometimes Israel and Judah seemed disposed to repent under their sufferings, but their goodness vanished like the empty morning cloud, and the early dew, and they were as vile as ever. Therefore the Lord sent awful messages by the prophets. The word of God will be the death either of the sin or of the sinner. God desired mercy rather than sacrifice, and that knowledge of him which produces holy fear and love. This exposes the folly of those who trust in outward observances, to make up for their want of love to God and man. As Adam broke the covenant of God in paradise, so Israel had broken his national covenant, notwithstanding all the favours they received. Judah also was ripe for Divine judgments. May the Lord put his fear into our hearts, and set up his kingdom within us, and never leave us to ourselves, nor suffer us to be overcome by temptation.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Hosea 6:4 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.

מָ֤הmahwhat?H4100
אֶֽעֱשֶׂה\־'e.'e.seh-will I doH6213
לְּךָ֙le.Khato you
אֶפְרַ֔יִם'ef.Ra.yimO EphraimH669
מָ֥הmahwhat?H4100
אֶעֱשֶׂה\־'e.'e.seh-will I doH6213
לְּךָ֖le.Khato you
יְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahO JudahH3063
וְחַסְדְּכֶם֙ve.chas.de.Khemand loyalty yourH2617
כַּֽעֲנַן\־ka.'a.nan-[is] like a cloud ofH6051
בֹּ֔קֶרBo.ker[the] morningH1242
וְכַטַּ֖לve.kha.Taland like <the> dewH2919
מַשְׁכִּ֥יםmash.Kimrising earlyH7925
הֹלֵֽךְ\׃ho.LekhgoingH1980

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

Cross references for Hosea 6:4

  • Hosea 11:8

    How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

  • Hosea 13:3

    Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

  • Psalms 78:34-37

    When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

  • Psalms 106:12-13

    Then believed they his words; they sang his praise. They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:

  • Luke 13:7-9

    Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

  • 2 Peter 2:20-22

    For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

  • Matthew 13:21

    Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

  • Luke 19:41-42

    And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

  • Jeremiah 3:19

    But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

  • Judges 2:18-19

    And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

  • Jeremiah 5:7

    How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.

  • Jeremiah 3:10

    And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
what.
11:8; Isa 5:3,4; Jer 3:19; 5:7,9,23; 9:7; Lu 13:7-9; 19:41,42
for.
Jud 2:18,19; Ps 78:34-37; 106:12,13; Jer 3:10; 34:15; Mt 13:21
2Pe 2:20-22
goodness. or, mercy, or, kindness. as a.
13:3

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Hosea 6:4

    O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

  • Hosea 6:5

    Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.

Read all of Hosea 6

Hosea 6:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿Qué haré á ti, Ephraim? ¿Qué haré á ti, oh Judá? La piedad vuestra es como la nube de la mañana, y como el rocío que de madrugada viene.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Que te ferai-je, Éphraïm? Que te ferai-je, Juda? Votre piété est comme la nuée du matin et comme la rosée qui s’en va de bonne heure.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Was soll ich dir tun, Ephraim, was soll ich dir tun, Juda, da eure Frömmigkeit wie die Morgenwolke ist und wie der Tau, der früh verschwindet?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quid faciam tibi, Ephraim? quid faciam tibi, Juda? misericordia vestra quasi nubes matutina, et quasi ros mane pertransiens.