Hosea 7 · Verse 16

Hosea 7:16

They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Hosea 7:16, King James Version

Hosea 7:16 in other translations

BSB	They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.
WEB	They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.
ASV	They return, but not to him that is on high; they are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
YLT	They turn back--not to the Most High, They have been as a deceitful bow, Fall by sword do their princes, From the insolence of their tongue, This is their derision in the land of Egypt!
DARBY	They return, but not to the Most High: they are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
BBE	They have gone to what is of no value; they are like a false bow; their captains will come to destruction by the sword, and their ruler by my wrath; for this, the land of Egypt will make sport of them.
Webster	They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

What does Hosea 7:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

16. return, but not to the Most High--or, "to one who is not the Most High," one very different from Him, a stock or a stone. So the Septuagint. deceitful bow--(Psa 78:57). A bow which, from its faulty construction, shoots wide of the mark. So Israel pretends to seek God, but turns aside to idols. for the rage of their tongue--their boast of safety from Egyptian aid, and their "lies" (Ho 7:13), whereby they pretended to serve God, while worshipping idols; also their perverse defense for their idolatries and blasphemies against God and His prophets (Psa 73:9; 120:2, 3). their derision in ... Egypt--Their "fall" shall be the subject of "derision" to Egypt, to whom they had applied for help (Ho 9:3, 6; 2Ki 17:4).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 16 They return, but not to the Most High - They go to their idols. They are like a deceitful bow - Which, when it is reflexed, in order to be strung, suddenly springs back into its quiescent curve; for the eastern bows stand in their quiescent state in a curve; and in order to be strung must be beaded back in the opposite direction. This bending of the bow requires both strength and skill; and if not properly done, it will fly back, and regain its former position; and in this recoil endanger the archer - may even break an arm. I have been in this danger myself in bending the Asiatic bow. For want of this knowledge not one commentator has hit the meaning of the passage. Shall fall by the sword - Their tongue has been enraged against Me; the sword shall be enraged against them. They have mocked me, (Hos 7:5), and their fall is now a subject of derision in the land of Egypt. What they have sown, that do they now reap.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hosea 7:8-16

Israel was as a cake not turned, half burnt and half dough, none of it fit for use; a mixture of idolatry and of the worship of Jehovah. There were tokens of approaching ruin, as grey hairs are of old age, but they noticed them not. The pride which leads to break the law of God leads to self-flattery. The mercy and grace of God are the only refuge to which obstinate sinners never think of fleeing. Though they may…

Read the full comment on Hosea 7:8-16 →

Hosea 7:16 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.

יָשׁ֣וּבוּ\׀ya.Shu.vuthey turnH7725

לֹ֣אlo'notH3808

עָ֗ל'AlheightH5920

הָיוּ֙ha.Yuthey have becomeH1961

כְּקֶ֣שֶׁתke.Ke.shetlike a bow ofH7198

רְמִיָּ֔הre.mi.YahslacknessH7423

יִפְּל֥וּyi.pe.Luthey will fallH5307

בַחֶ֛רֶבva.Che.revby the swordH2719

שָׂרֵיהֶ֖םsa.rei.Hemleaders theirH8269

מִזַּ֣עַםmi.Za.'amfrom [the] indignation ofH2195

לְשׁוֹנָ֑םle.sho.Namtongue theirH3956

ז֥וֹzothisH2097

לַעְגָּ֖םla'.Gam[will be] mockery theirH3933

בְּאֶ֥רֶץbe.'E.retzin [the] land ofH776

מִצְרָֽיִם\׃mitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714

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

Cross references for Hosea 7:16

Psalms 78:57
But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
Hosea 9:3
They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
Psalms 73:9
They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
Ezekiel 23:32
Thus saith the Lord God; Thou shalt drink of thy sister’s cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much.
Matthew 12:36
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Hosea 9:6
For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.
Psalms 12:4
Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
Ezekiel 36:20
And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land.
Hosea 7:13
Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
Revelation 13:5
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Psalms 78:37
For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

return.
6:4; 8:14; 11:7; Ps 78:37; Jer 3:10; Lu 8:13; 11:24-26
like.
Ps 78:57
the rage.
13; Ps 12:4; 52:2; 57:4; 73:9; Isa 3:8; Jer 18:18; Mt 12:36; Jas 3:5
2Pe 2:8; Re 13:5
this.
8:13; 9:3,6; Eze 23:32; 36:20

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

Context

Hosea 7:15
Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
Hosea 7:16
They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Read all of Hosea 7

Hosea 7:16 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Tornáronse, mas no al Altísimo: fueron como arco engañoso: cayeron sus príncipes á cuchillo por la soberbia de su lengua: éste será su escarnio en la tierra de Egipto.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	ils retournent, mais non au Très-Haut; ils sont comme un arc trompeur. Leurs princes tomberont par l’épée, à cause de l’insolence de leur langue: cela fera d’eux un objet de risée dans le pays d’Égypte.
German Elberfelder 1871	Sie wenden sich um, doch nicht nach oben: sie sind wie ein trüglicher Bogen geworden. Ihre Fürsten werden durchs Schwert fallen wegen der Wut ihrer Zunge: das wird ihre Verspottung sein im Lande Ägypten.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Reversi sunt ut essent absque jugo; facti sunt quasi arcus dolosus: cadent in gladio principes eorum, a furore linguæ suæ. Ista subsannatio eorum in terra Ægypti.