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Hosea 10:12
Verse
Context
Retribution for Israel’s Sin
11Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground. 12Sow 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.
Sermons






Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
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.
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
The call to repentance and reformation of life is then appended in Hos 10:12, Hos 10:13, clothed in similar figures. Hos 10:12. "Sow to yourselves for righteousness, reap according to love; plough for yourselves virgin soil: for it is time to seek Jehovah, till He come and rain righteousness upon you. Hos 10:13. Ye have ploughed wickedness, ye have reaped crime: eaten the fruit of lying: because thou hast trusted in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men." Sowing and reaping are figures used to denote their spiritual and moral conduct. לצדקה, for righteousness, is parallel to לפי חסד; i.e., sow that righteousness may be able to spring up like seed, i.e., righteousness towards your fellow-men. The fruit of this will be chesed, condescending love towards the poor and wretched. Nı̄r nı̄r, both here and in Jer 4:3 to plough virgin soil, i.e., to make land not yet cultivated arable. We have an advance in this figure: they are to give up all their previous course of conduct, and create for themselves a new sphere for their activity, i.e., commence a new course of life. ועת, and indeed it is time, equivalent to, for it is high time to give up your old sinful says and seek the Lord, till (עד) He come, i.e., till He turn His grace to you again, and cause it to rain upon you. Tsedeq, righteousness, not salvation, a meaning which the word never has, and least of all here, where tsedeq corresponds to the tsedâqâh of the first clause. God causes righteousness to rain, inasmuch as He not only gives strength to secure it, like rain for the growth of the seed (cf. Isa 44:3), but must also generate and create it in man by His Spirit (Psa 51:12). The reason for this summons is given in Hos 10:13, in another allusion to the moral conduct of Israel until now. Hitherto they have ploughed as well as reaped unrighteousness and sin, and eaten lies as the fruit thereof, - lies, inasmuch as they did not promote the prosperity of the kingdom as they imagined, but only led to its decay and ruin. For they did not trust in Jehovah the Creator and rock of salvation, but in their way, i.e., their deeds and their might, in the strength of their army (Amo 6:13), the worthlessness of which they will now discover.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Continuation of the image in Hos 10:11 (Pro 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 (Luk 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 (Sa1 26:23; compare Joe 2:23 ).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Saw to yourselves in righteousness,.... Not the seed of grace, which bad men have not, and cannot saw it; and which good men need not, it being sown in them already, and remaining; rather the seed of the word, which should be laid up in their hearts, dwell richly in them, and be kept and retained by them; though it is best of all to understand it of works of righteousness; as sowing to the flesh is doing the works of the flesh, or carnal and sinful acts; so sowing "unto righteousness" (g), as it may be rendered, is doing works of righteousness; living soberly and righteously; doing works according to the word of righteousness, from good principles, and with good views, with a view to the glory of God: and which will be "sowing to themselves", turn to their own account; for though such works are not profitable to God, as to merit anything at his hands; yet they are not only profitable to others, but to those that do them; for though not "for", yet "in keeping" the commands of God there is "great reward", Psa 19:11. Reap in mercy; or "according to mercy" (h) not according to the merit of works, for there is none in them; but according to the mercy of God, to which all blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternaL, are owing; and such who sow to the Spirit, or spiritual things, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting; not as the reward of debt, but of grace; not as of merit, but as owing to the mercy of Christ, Gal 6:9 Jde 1:21; break up your fallow ground; that is, of their hearts; which were like ground unopened, unbroken, not filled and manured, nor sown with seed, but overrun with weeds and thistles; and so were they, hard and impenitent, destitute of grace, and full of sin and wickedness, and stood in need of being renewed in the spirit of their minds; which this exhortation is designed to convince them of, and to stir them up to make use of proper methods of obtaining it, through the efficacious grace of God; see Jer 4:5; for it is time to seek the Lord: for his grace; as the husbandman seeks, prays, and waits for rain, when he has tilled his ground, and sowed his seed, to water it, and make it fruitful, that he may have a good reaping time, a plentiful harvest; and as there is a time to seek for the one, so for the other: till he come and rain righteousness upon you; that is, Christ, whose coming is as the rain, Hos 6:3; and who, when he should come, whether personally by his incarnation, or spiritually by his gracious presence, would rain a plentiful rain of the doctrines of grace, and the blessings of it, such as peace pardon, righteousness, and eternal life by him; particularly the justifying righteousness wrought out by him, which is fully manifested in the Gospel, the ministration of that righteousness, and is applied unto, and put upon, all them that believe: or "till he come and teach you righteousness" (i); as Christ did when come; he taught the word of righteousness in general, and the righteousness of God in particular, and directed men to seek it; declared he came to fulfil all righteousness, and taught men to believe in him for it, and that he is their righteousness, and the end of the law for it; as well as he taught them to live righteously and godly; see Joe 2:23. The Targum is, "O house of Israel, do for yourselves good works; walk in the way of truth; establish for yourselves the doctrine of the law; behold, at all times the prophets say to you, return to the fear of the Lord; now shall he be revealed, and bring righteousness to you.'' But these exhortations were vain and fruitless, as appears by what follows: (g) "ad justitiam", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Calvin, Junius & Tremellius, Drusius, Tarnovius, Cocceius. (h) "ad os miserecordiae", Montanus; "secundum misericordiam", Pagninus; "secundum pietatem", Cocceius, Schmidt. (i) "et doceat justitiam vos", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Cocceius, Schmidt.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
10:12 Using metaphors from agriculture, God set forth his requirements for his people and a promise of blessing if they did what he commanded (see 6:6; 8:7). Even as Hosea announced God’s judgment, he offered Israel the chance to repent and receive God’s blessing.
Hosea 10:12
Retribution for Israel’s Sin
11Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground. 12Sow 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.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Miracles That Follow the Plow
By A.W. Tozer16K41:09RepentanceHOS 10:12MAT 6:33MAT 13:3LUK 3:3GAL 6:7JAS 5:7REV 22:2In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of breaking up the fallow ground and seeking the Lord. He believes that if people take action and cultivate their spiritual lives, there will be a visitation from God that will impact others. The preacher urges the congregation to not be complacent or satisfied with a shallow spiritual life, but to strive for fruitfulness and spiritual growth. He uses the analogy of winter and spring to illustrate the transformation that can occur when people seek the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives.
A Message for America and Its Cultural Religion
By Carter Conlon7.6K53:36Prophetic WordISA 1:18HOS 4:6HOS 6:6HOS 8:7HOS 10:12HOS 11:1HOS 14:2In this sermon, the preacher discusses the importance of understanding the times we live in and the need for spiritual discernment. He mentions a gathering of churches in New York and emphasizes the significance of the current moment. The preacher then turns to the book of Hosea in the Old Testament and highlights the idolatry and ignorance prevalent in American religion. He urges believers to return to the Lord and seek understanding in order to navigate the perilous times ahead.
What Holds Back Revival
By Don Courville3.4K14:07RevivalEXO 14:21PSA 85:6ISA 57:15ISA 58:1HOS 10:12MAT 6:33MRK 6:5In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of doing kind deeds as a way to open doors for sharing one's testimony. The preacher also highlights the need for personal salvation and staying excited about Jesus throughout one's life. The lack of care for the lost and neglect of spiritual input and concern for family members who are not saved are identified as reasons why God may not be blessing. The sermon also addresses sins of commission, such as worldly mindedness, pride, envy, bitterness, slander, lying, and cheating. The preacher calls for repentance, remembering the days when God's glory was present, and a renewed love for souls and sharing the gospel with neighbors.
Life Story of Keith Green - Part 2
By Melody Green3.0K1:11:19Keith GreenISA 29:13HOS 10:12AMO 5:21MAT 19:16LUK 9:23EPH 4:30JAS 4:14In the sermon transcripts, Keith shares his burden for revival and the need for more people to come forward and experience a true transformation in their faith. He emphasizes the importance of putting our focus on Jesus Christ rather than on pastors or Christian music. Keith also talks about the urgency of using music to draw the lost and preach the gospel, highlighting the shortness of life and the responsibility of Christians to reach out to every nation. He concludes by discussing the lack of workers in the world compared to the abundance of the gospel in the United States, urging Christians to obey the command to go and make disciples.
Seeking God for Power - Coming to an End of Ourselves
By Zac Poonen2.6K1:01:11PowerISA 40:29HOS 10:12LUK 18:2LUK 18:8JHN 7:38ACT 3:19REV 2:4In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the idea of being filled by God. He uses the analogy of a boat being filled with fish and a net being filled with fish to illustrate this concept. The preacher also highlights the importance of waiting upon the Lord and exchanging our own human strength for God's strength. He encourages those who are tired and worn out to come to Jesus and find renewal. The sermon concludes with the message that when we come to the end of ourselves and give up all hope, that is when the Lord can fill our lives with abundance.
Hungry for God
By Gerhard Du Toit2.6K1:02:58Hunger For GodEXO 34:29HOS 10:12ZEC 4:10MAT 5:1MAT 6:5MAT 6:16MAT 6:33In this sermon, the preacher discusses the importance of having a strong relationship with God and with fellow believers. He shares a story about a week of prayer in a church where revival broke out after a powerful sermon was read. The preacher emphasizes the need for genuine hunger and thirst for God's presence and revival. He also mentions the current state of his home country, South Africa, and the alarming rate of crime and violence. The sermon concludes with a reminder to seek God in the secret place and to prioritize prayer for revival.
Break Up Your Fallow Ground
By Ian Paisley2.4K1:06:51RepentancePSA 51:10PRO 11:30HOS 10:12MAT 6:33LUK 8:111CO 3:6JAS 4:8In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of seeking the Lord in our lives. He highlights the lack of deep meditation on God's Word and the need for born-again preaching. The preacher encourages the audience to sow bountifully in their preaching and evangelism efforts, reminding them that if they sow sparingly, they will reap sparingly. He also discusses the challenges faced by Christians in speaking out against Allah and the Quran, emphasizing the need to awaken to the dark days before Jesus comes again. Overall, the sermon calls for a renewed commitment to seeking the Lord and finding what has been lost.
How to Be Fruitful
By Devern Fromke2.3K1:09:04FruitfulnessHOS 6:6HOS 10:1HOS 10:12MAT 9:132CO 6:142CO 6:16In this sermon, the speaker addresses the issue of dissipation, which refers to getting caught up in worldly distractions and losing focus on what is truly important. The speaker emphasizes the need to prioritize and walk with the Lord in order to avoid being consumed by these distractions. The sermon also highlights the danger of being like Ephraim, who fell short in their relationship with God. The speaker urges the audience to be discerning and not to be swayed by the ways and trends of the world. Additionally, the sermon references the story of Abraham and Lot, illustrating the importance of avoiding quarrels and conflicts that can arise from worldly desires. The speaker concludes by urging the audience to be cautious of strangers, both in a literal sense and in terms of being influenced by worldly influences.
Call for the Wailing Women - Part 2
By Nancy Leigh DeMoss2.0K08:54ISA 58:1JER 8:21HOS 10:12JOL 2:12AMO 5:14This sermon emphasizes the urgent call to wake up from complacency and recognize the troubles in our society, homes, and churches. It highlights the prevalence of sin, brokenness, and moral decay, urging listeners to acknowledge the severity of the current condition and the impending judgment of God. The message challenges individuals to confront the reality of their situations and the need for repentance and revival.
It's Time to Seek the Lord
By Denny Kenaston1.7K1:11:38Seeking GodPSA 63:1ISA 55:2ISA 55:5HOS 6:1HOS 10:12In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the importance of seeking the Lord in good times. He refers to the story of King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14 as an example of seeking God's blessings. The preacher emphasizes that seeking God should not be limited to times of crisis, but should be a regular practice for believers. The sermon encourages the congregation to set aside a week to seek God and to have a heart that desires to grow closer to Him.
Revival Praying
By Lou Sutera1.6K1:29:30HOS 10:12MAT 18:20PHP 4:6JAS 5:16This sermon emphasizes the urgency of tuning in to what God is saying in these current times, calling for a united team effort to align with God's purposes for the future. It highlights the importance of forgiveness and the need to seek the Lord, referencing Hosea 10:12. The speaker shares a powerful story of fervent prayer leading to a transformative encounter with God, illustrating the impact of prayer in difficult situations.
Why God Used George Whitefield
By David Ford1.5K01:51PSA 27:8HOS 10:12MAT 6:6COL 4:21TH 5:17JAS 4:8This sermon reflects on the life of George Whitefield, exploring the elements that contributed to God using him for His glory. It emphasizes Whitefield's commitment to prayer, fellowship, and seeking God diligently in private, highlighting the importance of cultivating a deep relationship with God behind the scenes, away from the public eye.
A Call for Revival
By Michael Howard1.4K17:29JER 4:3HOS 10:12JOL 2:12This sermon emphasizes the need for spiritual revival, urging believers to seek the Lord fervently, break up the hardened areas in their lives, and repent of sins. It highlights the importance of genuine, heartfelt prayers, specificity in confession, and a deep hunger for God's presence. The speaker calls for a revival that cleanses the church, renews passion for God, and leads to a missionary awakening, sending believers out to share the Gospel.
It's Time to Seek the Lord!
By Ronald Glass1.3K1:00:57RevivalPSA 51:10HOS 10:12HOS 14:1MAT 6:33ROM 12:2GAL 6:9JAS 4:8In this sermon, the speaker discusses the state of society and the impact of sin. He refers to a passage in the Bible that describes a society that has broken its relationship with God and is engulfed in chaos and corruption. The speaker emphasizes that sin not only affects individuals but also has an environmental impact. He then highlights the importance of confession of sin and the need for revival, citing the example of the Welsh revival. The sermon concludes by pointing out the current challenges faced by the world, such as economic chaos and political tensions.
Barren Ground
By John R. Rice1.2K37:18Christian LifeHOS 10:12In this sermon, the preacher begins by encouraging the audience to bring people to God and get them saved. He then asks how many people in the audience are born-again Christians, emphasizing the importance of knowing one's salvation. The preacher shares a personal story about a man named Fred Hawkins who was convicted about his soul and began reading the Bible daily. Eventually, Fred experienced a transformation and asked God for a new heart. The sermon highlights the power of God to change lives and the need for personal surrender to Him.
How to Prepare Your Heart for the Word
By Rolfe Barnard1.2K47:13HOS 10:12MAT 13:1JAS 1:19JAS 1:21In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of preparing one's heart to receive the word of God. He shares a tragic example of someone who initially shows enthusiasm for the faith but quickly loses interest and falls away because their heart was not rooted in the word. The speaker refers to James 1:19-21, where James advises believers to prepare their hearts to receive the word. He also mentions the book of Hosea, where God instructs sinners to sow righteousness and break up the hardened ground of their hearts. The speaker concludes by praying for the Holy Spirit to prepare the hearts of the listeners to receive the truth of the gospel.
The Greatest Danger This World Faces Today
By Keith Daniel8531:22:002KI 22:12CH 7:142CH 34:3EZR 7:6NEH 8:1HOS 10:12JAS 4:4JAS 4:81PE 2:3This sermon emphasizes the importance of seeking God desperately for revival, drawing parallels from the stories of King Josiah and Ezra in the Bible. It highlights the need for the Church to separate from worldly influences, to preach the full Word of God fearlessly, and to avoid compromising with the world. The message urges believers to return to a deep reverence for the Scriptures, to live in holiness, and to seek God's face earnestly for a true spiritual awakening.
The More I Seek, the More I Find
By Shane Idleman73943:29ISA 59:2HOS 10:12MAT 7:7GAL 6:7This sermon delves into the importance of seeking God diligently, emphasizing the need to align our actions with our prayers. It explores the concept of reaping what we sow in various aspects of life, highlighting the significance of living in accordance with God's will to receive His blessings. The message underscores the necessity of a genuine relationship with God as our Father to experience answered prayers and the transformative power of seeking Him wholeheartedly.
Break Up Your Fallow Ground
By David Guzik58149:47HOS 10:12MAT 6:33In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of breaking up the fallow ground in order to seek the Lord. He compares the people of this continent to the savages in the movie Gladiator, highlighting the transformation that can occur when the gospel is received. The speaker encourages the audience to sow righteousness and reap mercy, reminding them that it is time to seek the Lord. He also addresses the tendency to procrastinate and emphasizes the need for personal discipleship and training up other leaders. The sermon concludes with a reminder that God will send the rain and fulfill His promises.
The Discipline of Focus
By Todd Atkinson42248:42Spiritual DisciplinesHOS 10:12LUK 2:36In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of discipline in the Christian life. They highlight the need to go beyond momentary conviction and instead cultivate a discipline of aligning with God's word. The speaker shares their personal experience of apathy and lukewarmness in their church and how a revival conference brought about a spiritual awakening. The sermon then transitions to discussing the discipline of fasting and the importance of spiritual focus and rediscovering our spiritual priorities. The speaker acknowledges that this is the last discipline covered in the series but acknowledges that there are many more spiritual disciplines to explore.
Miracles That Follow the Plow - a.w. Tozer
By From the Pulpit & Classic Sermons35641:45RadioHOS 10:12MAT 13:23LUK 3:16JHN 4:35ACT 2:1EPH 5:27REV 22:2In this sermon, A.W. Tozer discusses the importance of breaking up the fallow ground in our lives in order to seek the Lord. He explains that sowing, reaping, and reigning upon the broken ground are all understood concepts, but the word "fallow" needs to be explained. Tozer uses the biblical sense of fallow to describe a life that is barren and contented, without fruit or blossoms. He emphasizes the need to listen to the voice of God and take action to bring about a spiritual greenup, a time of renewal and growth in our lives.
Seek the Lord
By Michael L. Brown8158:29Seeking GodSpiritual HungerDEU 4:29PSA 34:1JER 29:13HOS 10:12MAT 5:6COL 2:3HEB 11:6Michael L. Brown emphasizes the necessity of seeking the Lord with urgency and determination, drawing from Psalm 34 to illustrate that those who earnestly pursue God will find Him and lack nothing. He reflects on the importance of a deep, personal relationship with God, urging the congregation to break free from complacency and to cultivate a hunger for spiritual breakthroughs. Brown shares personal anecdotes and scriptural references to highlight that true revival and transformation come from a sincere desire to seek God until we experience His presence and power in our lives. He encourages listeners to make a commitment to pursue God wholeheartedly, as this is essential for both individual and corporate revival.
Breaking Up the Fallow Ground
By Charles Finney2RevivalSelf-ExaminationPSA 51:10JER 4:3EZK 36:26HOS 10:12MAT 13:15ROM 12:22CO 7:10GAL 6:7JAS 4:81JN 1:9Charles Finney emphasizes the necessity of breaking up the fallow ground of our hearts to prepare for a revival within the Church. He explains that fallow ground represents hearts that have become hardened and unproductive, and that true revival requires self-examination and a deep, honest confession of sins. Finney outlines practical steps for individuals to reflect on their spiritual state, confront their sins, and cultivate a heart receptive to God's Word. He warns that without this internal work, preaching and religious activities will be ineffective, leading to a fruitless faith. Ultimately, he calls for a commitment to this transformative process to experience genuine revival and spiritual awakening.
Seek the Lord With All Your Heart
By Peter Hammond2DEU 4:292KI 22:19PSA 51:10PSA 105:4ISA 55:6JER 29:11HOS 10:12MAT 5:6LUK 11:9HEB 11:6Peter Hammond preaches on the importance of seeking the Lord wholeheartedly, forsaking wicked ways, and diligently studying God's Word for revival and transformation. He emphasizes the need for repentance, restitution, and decisive action in revitalizing one's devotional life and actively participating in fulfilling the Great Commission. Hammond highlights the hunger for holiness, the fear of God, and the resistance to shallow substitutes that hinder revival in today's world.
Worldwide the Need-Worldwide This Call!
By Sarah Foulkes Moore0JER 29:11HOS 6:3HOS 10:12JOL 2:12JON 3:7ZEC 10:1HEB 11:6Sarah Foulkes Moore preaches on the power of fasting and prayer in times of trouble and the urgent need for revival through seeking the Lord wholeheartedly. She emphasizes the importance of putting God first through fasting and praying for divine intervention, as seen in the examples of Queen Esther, the Jews in captivity, and Nineveh. Moore calls for deep repentance, genuine sorrow for sin, and a fervent desire for victory over sin through fasting-prayer, believing in God's reward for those who diligently seek Him.
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
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.
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
The call to repentance and reformation of life is then appended in Hos 10:12, Hos 10:13, clothed in similar figures. Hos 10:12. "Sow to yourselves for righteousness, reap according to love; plough for yourselves virgin soil: for it is time to seek Jehovah, till He come and rain righteousness upon you. Hos 10:13. Ye have ploughed wickedness, ye have reaped crime: eaten the fruit of lying: because thou hast trusted in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men." Sowing and reaping are figures used to denote their spiritual and moral conduct. לצדקה, for righteousness, is parallel to לפי חסד; i.e., sow that righteousness may be able to spring up like seed, i.e., righteousness towards your fellow-men. The fruit of this will be chesed, condescending love towards the poor and wretched. Nı̄r nı̄r, both here and in Jer 4:3 to plough virgin soil, i.e., to make land not yet cultivated arable. We have an advance in this figure: they are to give up all their previous course of conduct, and create for themselves a new sphere for their activity, i.e., commence a new course of life. ועת, and indeed it is time, equivalent to, for it is high time to give up your old sinful says and seek the Lord, till (עד) He come, i.e., till He turn His grace to you again, and cause it to rain upon you. Tsedeq, righteousness, not salvation, a meaning which the word never has, and least of all here, where tsedeq corresponds to the tsedâqâh of the first clause. God causes righteousness to rain, inasmuch as He not only gives strength to secure it, like rain for the growth of the seed (cf. Isa 44:3), but must also generate and create it in man by His Spirit (Psa 51:12). The reason for this summons is given in Hos 10:13, in another allusion to the moral conduct of Israel until now. Hitherto they have ploughed as well as reaped unrighteousness and sin, and eaten lies as the fruit thereof, - lies, inasmuch as they did not promote the prosperity of the kingdom as they imagined, but only led to its decay and ruin. For they did not trust in Jehovah the Creator and rock of salvation, but in their way, i.e., their deeds and their might, in the strength of their army (Amo 6:13), the worthlessness of which they will now discover.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Continuation of the image in Hos 10:11 (Pro 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 (Luk 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 (Sa1 26:23; compare Joe 2:23 ).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Saw to yourselves in righteousness,.... Not the seed of grace, which bad men have not, and cannot saw it; and which good men need not, it being sown in them already, and remaining; rather the seed of the word, which should be laid up in their hearts, dwell richly in them, and be kept and retained by them; though it is best of all to understand it of works of righteousness; as sowing to the flesh is doing the works of the flesh, or carnal and sinful acts; so sowing "unto righteousness" (g), as it may be rendered, is doing works of righteousness; living soberly and righteously; doing works according to the word of righteousness, from good principles, and with good views, with a view to the glory of God: and which will be "sowing to themselves", turn to their own account; for though such works are not profitable to God, as to merit anything at his hands; yet they are not only profitable to others, but to those that do them; for though not "for", yet "in keeping" the commands of God there is "great reward", Psa 19:11. Reap in mercy; or "according to mercy" (h) not according to the merit of works, for there is none in them; but according to the mercy of God, to which all blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternaL, are owing; and such who sow to the Spirit, or spiritual things, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting; not as the reward of debt, but of grace; not as of merit, but as owing to the mercy of Christ, Gal 6:9 Jde 1:21; break up your fallow ground; that is, of their hearts; which were like ground unopened, unbroken, not filled and manured, nor sown with seed, but overrun with weeds and thistles; and so were they, hard and impenitent, destitute of grace, and full of sin and wickedness, and stood in need of being renewed in the spirit of their minds; which this exhortation is designed to convince them of, and to stir them up to make use of proper methods of obtaining it, through the efficacious grace of God; see Jer 4:5; for it is time to seek the Lord: for his grace; as the husbandman seeks, prays, and waits for rain, when he has tilled his ground, and sowed his seed, to water it, and make it fruitful, that he may have a good reaping time, a plentiful harvest; and as there is a time to seek for the one, so for the other: till he come and rain righteousness upon you; that is, Christ, whose coming is as the rain, Hos 6:3; and who, when he should come, whether personally by his incarnation, or spiritually by his gracious presence, would rain a plentiful rain of the doctrines of grace, and the blessings of it, such as peace pardon, righteousness, and eternal life by him; particularly the justifying righteousness wrought out by him, which is fully manifested in the Gospel, the ministration of that righteousness, and is applied unto, and put upon, all them that believe: or "till he come and teach you righteousness" (i); as Christ did when come; he taught the word of righteousness in general, and the righteousness of God in particular, and directed men to seek it; declared he came to fulfil all righteousness, and taught men to believe in him for it, and that he is their righteousness, and the end of the law for it; as well as he taught them to live righteously and godly; see Joe 2:23. The Targum is, "O house of Israel, do for yourselves good works; walk in the way of truth; establish for yourselves the doctrine of the law; behold, at all times the prophets say to you, return to the fear of the Lord; now shall he be revealed, and bring righteousness to you.'' But these exhortations were vain and fruitless, as appears by what follows: (g) "ad justitiam", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Calvin, Junius & Tremellius, Drusius, Tarnovius, Cocceius. (h) "ad os miserecordiae", Montanus; "secundum misericordiam", Pagninus; "secundum pietatem", Cocceius, Schmidt. (i) "et doceat justitiam vos", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Cocceius, Schmidt.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
10:12 Using metaphors from agriculture, God set forth his requirements for his people and a promise of blessing if they did what he commanded (see 6:6; 8:7). Even as Hosea announced God’s judgment, he offered Israel the chance to repent and receive God’s blessing.