Hosea 7:3
Hosea 7:3 in Multiple Translations
They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
In their sin they make a king for themselves, and rulers in their deceit.
They make their king happy with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
They make the King glad with their wickednesse, and the princes with their lies.
With their wickedness they make glad a king, And with their lies — princes.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
They have made the king glad with their wickedness: and the princes with their lies.
Their king is delighted with the wicked things that the people do; his officials are happy about the people’s lies.
Berean Amplified Bible — Hosea 7:3
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Hosea 7:3 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
בְּ/רָעָתָ֖/ם
יְשַׂמְּחוּ
מֶ֑לֶךְ
וּ/בְ/כַחֲשֵׁי/הֶ֖ם
שָׂרִֽים
בְּ/רָעָתָ֖/ם
raʻ
H7451
bad
Prep | N-fs | Suff
יְשַׂמְּחוּ
sâmach
H8055
to rejoice
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp
מֶ֑לֶךְ
melek
H4428
King's
N-ms
וּ/בְ/כַחֲשֵׁי/הֶ֖ם
kachash
H3585
lie
Conj | Prep | N-mp | Suff
שָׂרִֽים
sar
H8269
ruler
N-mp
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Hosea 7:3
בְּ/רָעָתָ֖/ם
raʻ
H7451
"bad"
Prep | N-fs | Suff
Ra means bad or evil, referring to moral or natural harm. It describes adversity, affliction, or distress, and is often used to convey a sense of misery or injury.
Definition: : harmful adj 1) bad, evil 1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant 1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery) 1c) evil, displeasing 1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc) 1e) bad (of value) 1f) worse than, worst (comparison) 1g) sad, unhappy 1h) evil (hurtful) 1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition) 1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically) 1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts 1j2) deeds, actions
Usage: Occurs in 623 OT verses. KJV: adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, [phrase] not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.). See also: Genesis 2:9; Judges 9:57; 2 Kings 21:6.
יְשַׂמְּחוּ
sâmach
H8055
"to rejoice"
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp
This verb means to rejoice or be glad, often used in a religious sense, like when the Israelites rejoiced at the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8:66.
Definition: 1) to rejoice, be glad 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to rejoice 1a2) to rejoice (arrogantly), exult (at) 1a3) to rejoice (religiously) 1b) (Piel) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad 1c) (Hiphil) to cause to rejoice, gladden, make glad
Usage: Occurs in 148 OT verses. KJV: cheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy(-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, [idiom] very. See also: Exodus 4:14; Psalms 92:5; Psalms 5:12.
מֶ֑לֶךְ
melek
H4428
"King's"
N-ms
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Definition: King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)
Usage: Occurs in 1919 OT verses. KJV: king, royal. See also: Genesis 14:1; Joshua 10:39; 1 Samuel 16:1.
וּ/בְ/כַחֲשֵׁי/הֶ֖ם
kachash
H3585
"lie"
Conj | Prep | N-mp | Suff
A lie or deception, like the hypocrisy Jesus condemned in Matthew 23:27. It can also refer to physical weakness or emaciation, as in Proverbs 14:25.
Definition: 1) lying, deception 2) leanness, failure
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: leanness, lies, lying. See also: Job 16:8; Hosea 10:13; Psalms 59:13.
שָׂרִֽים
sar
H8269
"ruler"
N-mp
A leader or person in charge, like a prince or captain, as seen in the Bible with King David and other rulers.
Definition: 1) prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain 1a) chieftain, leader 1b) vassal, noble, official (under king) 1c) captain, general, commander (military) 1d) chief, head, overseer (of other official classes) 1e) heads, princes (of religious office) 1f) elders (of representative leaders of people) 1g) merchant-princes (of rank and dignity) 1h) patron-angel 1i) Ruler of rulers (of God) 1j) warden
Usage: Occurs in 368 OT verses. KJV: captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord,(-task-)master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward. See also: Genesis 12:15; 1 Kings 22:32; 2 Chronicles 32:21.
Study Notes — Hosea 7:3
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Hosea 7:3 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Hosea 7:3
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Hosea 7:3
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
- Trapp's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
- Ellicott's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
- Cambridge Bible on Hosea 7:3
- Barnes' Notes on Hosea 7:3
- Whedon's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
- Sermons on Hosea 7:3
Context — Ephraim’s Iniquity
1When I heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim will be exposed, as well as the crimes of Samaria. For they practice deceit and thieves break in; bandits raid in the streets.
2But they fail to consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds are all around them; they are before My face.
3They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.
4They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker who needs not stoke the fire from the kneading to the rising of the dough. 5The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Micah 7:3 | Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together. |
| 2 | Romans 1:32 | Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 28:1–4 | In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, near the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people: “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will restore to this place all the articles of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and carried to Babylon. And I will restore to this place Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’” |
| 4 | 1 John 4:5 | They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them. |
| 5 | Hosea 7:5 | The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king; so he joins hands with those who mock him. |
| 6 | Amos 7:10–13 | Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words, for this is what Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’” And Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah; earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. But never prophesy at Bethel again, because it is the sanctuary of the king and the temple of the kingdom.” |
| 7 | 1 Kings 22:6 | So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.” |
| 8 | Jeremiah 9:2 | If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people. |
| 9 | Jeremiah 5:31 | The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end? |
| 10 | Hosea 4:2 | Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another. |
Hosea 7:3 Summary
[This verse is saying that the people of Israel were doing bad things on purpose to make their king happy, which is very sad because they should have been trying to please God instead (see Psalm 119:1-3). The princes were also happy to hear lies, which is not what God wants for His people (see Proverbs 12:22). We can learn from this verse that it's very important to seek to please God and do what is right, even if it's not popular with others (see Matthew 6:33, Galatians 1:10).]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to 'delight the king with their evil' in Hosea 7:3?
This phrase suggests that the people of Israel were intentionally doing wicked things to impress their king, rather than seeking to please God (see Deuteronomy 17:18-20 for the king's responsibilities).
How can lies be pleasing to princes?
Unfortunately, the princes in Israel had become corrupt and were more interested in hearing flattering lies than the truth, much like the false prophets who spoke what the people wanted to hear (see 1 Kings 22:8, Ezekiel 13:10).
Is this verse talking about a specific king or princes in Israel's history?
While the verse does not specify a particular king or princes, the context of Hosea 7 suggests that the prophet is speaking about the general state of Israel's leadership during his time, which was marked by corruption and idolatry (see Hosea 1:1, 2 Kings 15:8-12).
What is the significance of this verse in the larger context of Hosea's message?
Hosea 7:3 highlights the deep-seated corruption and sin in Israel, which is a major theme of the book of Hosea (see Hosea 4:1-3, 6:7-10).
Reflection Questions
- In what ways do I seek to impress or please others, even if it means compromising my values or integrity?
- How can I ensure that I am seeking to please God above all else, rather than trying to impress others with my words or actions?
- What are some areas in my life where I may be 'delighting' in evil or sinful behaviors, and how can I turn away from them?
- How can I cultivate a heart that desires truth and righteousness, rather than being swayed by flattery or lies?
Gill's Exposition on Hosea 7:3
They make the king glad with their wickedness,.... Not any particular king; not Jeroboam the first, as Kimchi; nor Jehu, as Grotius; if any particular king, rather Jeroboam the second; but their
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Hosea 7:3
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies. They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
They, either the subjects in general, or rather the courtiers in particular who were about the king, make the king glad with their wickedness: the kings of Israel, every one of them from first to last, were addicted to vicious practices, and their minds were vitiated, deeply tainted with all kind of sins, and they it seems took pleasure in sins, both in their own and other men’ s; and here are a parcel of flagitious fellows that make it their work to invent pleasing wickedness, to acquaint their king with it, who is so far from doing his duty in discountenancing it, that it is one of his delights to hear or see it. The princes; great men about the court. With their lies; with false accusations brought in against the more innocent, or by false reports made of their words and actions, representing them as ridiculous or foolish, drolling them into infamy.
Trapp's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
Hosea 7:3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.Ver. 3. They make the king glad with their wickedness] A sad commentary surely of king and people, exhilarating themselves and each other in wickedness. Their kings were well paid of their people’ s compliances with their unlawful edicts; and the people no less well pleased to gratify and flatter their kings, as the Romans did Tiberius and other tyrants, who therefore said of them, that they were servum pecus, servile souls, et homines ad servitutem parati, men-made slaves. Tyrants care not how wicked their subjects are; for then they know they will swallow down any command, though never so impious, without scrupling or conscience-making. They like to have such about them as will down with anything, digest iron for a need, with the ostrich; and say, as that wretched man said (when one complained he could not do such a thing for his conscience), "I am master of my conscience, I can do anything for all that." Thus Balaam resolved to curse, whatever came of it; he went not aside as at other times, neither built he any more altars, but set his face towards the wilderness, as fully bent to do it, and nothing should hinder him now, Numbers 24:1-2 cf. Luke 9:51. He also gave wicked counsel to King Balak (and so made him glad at parting, though before he had angered him) to lay a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, viz. to set fair women to tempt them to corporal and spiritual fornication, that God might see sin flagrant in Jacob, some transgression in Israel, and so fall foul upon them with his plagues, Numbers 23:21. Parasites propound to kings suavia potius quam sana consilia, pleasing, but pestilent counsel; they also act for them, and under them, as Doeg did for Saul, and so gratify them, letify them, as here, make them glad; but it proves to be no better than risus Sardonius, such a mirth as brings bitterness in the end. Woe to such mirthmongers and mirth makers, for if they shall do thus wickedly, they shall be consumed, both they and their king, 1 Samuel 12:25. And the princes with their lies] With calumnies and false accusations, wherewith they load God’ s innocent servants, and that against their own consciences.
Thus Doeg dealt by David, the priests and prophets by Jeremiah, the Persian courtiers by Daniel and his companions, Amaziah by Amos, Haman by the whole nation of the Jews, Tertullus by Paul, the heathen idolaters by the primitive Christians, which caused those many apologies made for them by Tertullian, Athenagoras, and others.
Ellicott's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
(3) Glad.—The evil awakens no alarm, but rather sympathy and gladness, in the breasts of their kings and rulers, who are ready to follow suit in all deeds of violence.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
Verse 3. They make the king glad] They pleased Jeroboam by coming readily into his measures, and heartily joining with him in his idolatry. And they professed to be perfectly happy in their change, and to be greatly advantaged by their new gods; and that the religion of the state now was better than that of Jehovah. Thus, they made all their rulers, "glad with their lies."
Cambridge Bible on Hosea 7:3
3–6. The highest personages are not too refined for the most sensual pleasures. A consuming passion inflames them as if with the heat of a furnace. Their way of celebrating a royal commemoration is to indulge in monstrous excess.
Barnes' Notes on Hosea 7:3
They make the king glad with their wickedness - Wicked sovereigns and a wicked people are a curse to each other, each encouraging the other in sin.
Whedon's Commentary on Hosea 7:3
NEW PICTURE OF THE MORAL AND ANARCHY, Hosea 6:11 to Hosea 7:7.1, 2.
Sermons on Hosea 7:3
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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(Women) 04. a Wounded Spirit by Keith Daniel | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being cautious about the entertainment we consume, particularly in relation to movies and television shows. He warns agains |
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The Glory of God and the Image of Jealousy by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the preacher warns the congregation about the dangers of turning away from God and indulging in sinful behavior. He emphasizes that those who take pleasure in wicke |
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The Development of a Reprobate by James Robison | The video is a sermon transcript that discusses the unnatural affection for material possessions, specifically the desire for a hall. The speaker emphasizes that this desire is not |
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Rom. 1:16-32 -Pt3- the Man Without the Bible by Charles Leiter | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the constant presence of deception in the world. He urges young people in college to be aware of this and not fall into its trap. The speaker |
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It's Time for Tough Love by Shane Idleman | Shane Idleman emphasizes the necessity of tough love in the church, drawing from the Apostle Paul's example of speaking the truth in love. He argues that the current state of the n |
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The Allegories of Sarah and Hagar by C.H. Spurgeon | The preacher, Greek Word Studies, delves into the concept of 'dikaioma' in the Bible, which refers to God's declaration of what is right and just, often seen as His decree of retri |
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Participation in Other Men's Sins. by Edward Payson | Edward Payson preaches on the importance of not being partakers of other men's sins, emphasizing the need to guard against sharing in the guilt of others by tempting, assisting, or |