Hosea 8:12 — Word Study
WLCאֶ֨כְתָּב ל֔וֹ רֻבֵּ֖י תּֽוֹרָתִ֑י כְּמוֹ־ זָ֖ר נֶחְשָֽׁבוּ׃
BSAThough I wrote for themkâthab▸ [inscribed, recorded] the great thingsribbôw [abundant, numerous] of My lawtôwrâh [instruction, Torah] they regarded themchâshab■ [considered, deemed] askᵉmôw something strangezûwr [a thing, foreign, alien]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֶ֨כְתָּב | I wrote | Verb, Qal, imperfect first person common singular |
| ל֔וֹ | for him | Preposition, suffix |
| רֻבֵּ֖י | [the] numerous things of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| תּֽוֹרָתִ֑י | law my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| כְּמוֹ־ | like | Preposition |
| זָ֖ר | a strange [thing] | Adj |
| נֶחְשָֽׁבוּ׃ | they are regarded | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person common plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange. |
| KJV | I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. |
| ASV | I wrote for him the ten thousand things of my law; but they are counted as a strange thing. |
| YLT | I write for him numerous things of My law, As a strange thing they have been reckoned. |
| WEB | I wrote for him the many things of my law, but they were regarded as a strange thing. |
| BBE | Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing. |
The translations agree on the meaning of the verse, consistently conveying the idea that God wrote His law for the people, who then regarded it as strange.
The verse has one main clause with two phrases describing the content and the people's response.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbכָּתַב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Hosea 8:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Warning to Israelgenerated
Hosea 8:12 reflects God's lament over Israel's failure to appreciate His law, which He had written for them. Despite the abundance of divine instruction, they regarded it as strange. This passage serves as a reminder of the importance of recognizing and valuing God's guidance in our lives, as echoed in other scriptures like Deuteronomy 4:6–8 and Psalm 119:18.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 4:6–8 | Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” |
| 2 | Nehemiah 9:13–14 | You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments. |
| 3 | Psalm 119:18 | Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law. |
| 4 | Psalm 147:19–20 | He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel. |
| 5 | Proverbs 22:20 | Have I not written for you thirty sayings about counsel and knowledge, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 14 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֶ֨כְתָּב, 'e.kh.tov-generated
The verb כָּתַב (*kathab*) means 'to write' and encompasses various forms of writing, including recording and inscribing. In this verse, it indicates that God actively recorded His laws for His people.
The imperfect tense suggests an ongoing action, emphasizing God's continuous effort to communicate His will. This word highlights the importance of written instruction in guiding the community's behavior.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the meaning of the verse, consistently conveying the idea that God wrote His law for the people, who then regarded it as strange.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb אֶ֨כְתָּב, I wrote, governs the entire verse, with a prepositional phrase indicating the recipient and a noun phrase describing the content of what was written. The structure emphasizes the action of writing and the subsequent neglect of its significance.
The second verb נֶחְשָֽׁבוּ, they are regarded, concludes the verse, highlighting the people's response to God's law.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֶ֨כְתָּב as καταγράψω, which means 'I will write down.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew, emphasizing the act of inscribing God's laws.
The Greek word ἀλλότρια for זָ֖ר indicates a foreignness, aligning with the Hebrew sense of the law being treated as strange or alien.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Hosea 8:12 reveals God's disappointment that despite His writing of the law for Israel, they treated it as something strange. This verse highlights the importance of recognizing and valuing God's instructions in our lives.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates a disconnect between God's intentions and the people's understanding or acceptance of His instructions.
Writing the law signifies its permanence and importance as a guide for moral and ethical living.
By actively studying and engaging with the scriptures, we can better understand and appreciate God's guidance.
Examples include the Ten Commandments and various laws found in the Torah that guide moral behavior and community living.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways might I be treating God's instructions as strange in my own life?
- How can I deepen my understanding of God's law to avoid misunderstanding its purpose?
- What steps can I take to ensure I value the teachings found in scripture?
- How does recognizing the abundance of God's law change my perspective on obedience?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early church father Jerome comments on this verse, noting how God's laws are often regarded as alien by the people.
I will write to him many of my laws, which are regarded as alien: they will offer sacrifices, they will slaughter meats and eat,Early Church Fathers on Hosea 8 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Hosea 8:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI have written to him the great things of my law,.... Which was given by Moses to Israel at the appointment of God, in which were many commands, holy, just, and true; a multiplicity of them, as the
Read John Gill on Hosea 8 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.
Read Robert Jamieson on Hosea 8 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI have written: some read it in the future, and by way of question, Shall I write? but most read as we, in the perfect or past tense, I have written, by Moses first, by other prophets afterwards; the law was given to them, as well as to the two tribes. Great things; for their importance, weighty; for their excellency, precious; and for multitude of precepts, counsels, and directions, sufficient; my law had all this in it for their conduct in all righteousness towards God and man. But they, all these things which I have written, were counted as a strange thing; Israel looks on them as nothing to them; they are a distinct kingdom, and have a distinct establishment, their laws are now become…
Read Matthew Poole on Hosea 8 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsHosea 8:12 I have written to him the great things of my law, [but] they were counted as a strange thing.Ver. 12. I have written to him the great things of my law] magnalia legis; great things of the law, there are also minutula legis, small things of the law, Matthew 5:22; both must be looked to: for though the civilian say of his law, De minutis non curat lex, The law takes no notice of small faults; yet it holds not true of the law of God, which is spiritual, and must be kept as the apple of the eye, Proverbs 7:2, and observed in every point and part, nay, in every punctilio and particle thereof. But to come to the words; Ephraim could not plead ignorance of God’ s mind, for their many…
Read John Trapp on Hosea 8 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12, 13) The rendering should be, though I write for him a multitude of my precepts. The tense “I write” is imperfect, and represents the continuous process—the prophetic teaching as well as the ancient Mosaic law. In the wild lust for a foreign religion the pure and spiritual Mosaic worship and the religious influence of prophecy had been forgotten. It seemed something “strange;” as Christ’s cross and claims have been accounted strange by so-called Christians.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Hosea 8 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. I have written to him the great things of my law] I have as it were inscribed my laws to them, and they have treated them as matters in which they had no interest.
Read AdamClarke on Hosea 8 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12. I have written to him] Auth. Vers, here follows the Targum and the Peshito (the Septuagint and the Vulgate give the future), but it is more idiomatic (see p. 36, not[56] to render in the present—I am wont to write. The prophet is fully conscious that the divinely given laws under which Israel lives (or ought to live) were not formulated once for all in the Mosaic age, but grew up in different ages. Thus understood, the passage is an important authority for the existence of a legal literature before the Pentateuch became canonical. But another rendering is grammatically possible, ‘Though I wrote unto him’ (my law by myriads, i. e. in myriad precepts). [56] te The Targum and Aben Ezra…
Read Cambridge on Hosea 8 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleI have written to him the great things of My law - Literally, “I write.” Their sin then had no excuse of ignorance.
Read Albert Barnes on Hosea 8 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.
I wrote for him the many things of my law, but they were regarded as a strange thing.
Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.
I spelled out my law for him in great detail, but they regard it as something totally unknown to them!
Tyndale line
I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.
I wrote for him the ten thousand things of my law; but they are counted as a strange thing.
Though I write for him my law in ten thousand precepts, they are counted as a strange thing.
I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.
I haue written to them the great things of my Lawe: but they were counted as a strange thing.
Strictly literal
I have prescribed unto him the manifold things of my law: they are counted [as] a strange thing.
I write for him numerous things of My law, As a strange thing they have been reckoned.
I write for him numerous things of My law, || As a strange thing they have been reckoned.
I ever wrote down for him the great things of my law; but as a strange thing are they accounted.
I could write down my law for them ten thousand times, but they would view it as something strange to them.
From the Latin
I shall write to him my manifold laws, which have been accounted as foreign.
Simplified
I wrote down for them the many aspects of my law, but they looked on them as foreign.
Though I put my law in writing for him in ten thousand rules, they are to him as a strange thing.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of Hosea 8:12, with all seven Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation, maintaining the original meaning.
אֶ֨כְתָּב ל֔וֹ רֻבֵּ֖י תּֽוֹרָתִ֑י כְּמוֹ־ זָ֖ר נֶחְשָֽׁבוּ׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Hosea 8:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word כָּתַב (*kathab*) means 'to write' and encompasses various forms of writing, including recording, enrolling, and decreeing. It can also refer to something being written or recorded. The entries indicate that it is a primitive root with frequent usage in different contexts.
כָּתַב 223 vb. write
Qal
write
= write down, describe in writing
= register, enroll
= decree
Niph.
be written
= be written down, recorded
Pi. frequent.
base
H3789 כָּתַב write .. write
. = write down, describe in writing
. = register, enroll
. = decree
. . be written
. = be written down, recorded
. frequent.
3789 kathab kaw-thab'
a primitive root; to grave, by implication, to write
(describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe):--describe, record,
prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).
כָּתַב (ka.tav) — to write.
1) to write, record, enrol
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to write, inscribe, engrave, write in, write on
1a2) to write down, describe in writing
1a3) to register, enrol, record
1a4) to decree
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be written
1b2) to be written down, be recorded, be enrolled
1c) (Piel) to continue writing
Aramaic equivalent: ke.tav (כְּתַב "to write" H3790)
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singularHVqi1cs
The Hebrew word כָּתַב (*kathab*) means 'to write' and encompasses various forms of writing, including recording, enrolling, and decreeing. It can also refer to something being written or recorded. The entries indicate that it is a primitive root with frequent usage in different contexts.
כָּתַב 223 vb. write
Qal
write
= write down, describe in writing
= register, enroll
= decree
Niph.
be written
= be written down, recorded
Pi. frequent.
base
H3789 כָּתַב write .. write
. = write down, describe in writing
. = register, enroll
. = decree
. . be written
. = be written down, recorded
. frequent.
3789 kathab kaw-thab'
a primitive root; to grave, by implication, to write
(describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe):--describe, record,
prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).
כָּתַב (ka.tav) — to write.
1) to write, record, enrol
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to write, inscribe, engrave, write in, write on
1a2) to write down, describe in writing
1a3) to register, enrol, record
1a4) to decree
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be written
1b2) to be written down, be recorded, be enrolled
1c) (Piel) to continue writing
Aramaic equivalent: ke.tav (כְּתַב "to write" H3790)
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
רֹב (rov) refers to a multitude or abundance, encompassing ideas of greatness and numerousness. It is derived from a related root and can describe anything from a large quantity to excellence. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, emphasizing its broad application in the Old Testament.
רֹב 151 n.m. multitude, abundance, greatness
base
H7230 רֹב multitude, abundance, greatness
7230 rob robe
from 7231; abundance (in any respect):--abundance(- antly),
all, X common (sort), excellent, great(-ly, -ness, number),
huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much,
multitude, plenty(-ifully), X very (age).
see HEBREW for 07231
רֹב (rov) — abundance.
1) multitude, abundance, greatness
1a) multitude
1a1) abundance, abundantly
1a2) numerous
1b) greatness
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
תּוֹרָה (towrah) encompasses concepts of direction, instruction, and law, particularly relating to divine or human guidance. It refers to legal directives, customs, and teachings, including the Decalogue and the Pentateuch. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, such as prophetic and priestly instruction, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
תּוֹרָה n.f. direction, instruction, law
instruction
law (prop. direction)
custom, manner
base
H8451 תּוֹרָה direction, instruction, law . instruction
. law (prop. direction)
. custom, manner
8451 towrah to-raw'
or torah {to-raw'}; from 3384; a precept or statute,
especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch:--law.
see HEBREW for 03384
תּוֹרָה (to.rah) — instruction.
1) law, direction, instruction
1a) instruction, direction (human or divine)
1a1) body of prophetic teaching
1a2) instruction in Messianic age
1a3) body of priestly direction or instruction
1a4) body of legal directives
1b) law
1b1) law of the burnt offering
1b2) of special law, codes of law
1c) custom, manner
1d) the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
כְּמוֹ (kemo) is an adverb and conjunction meaning 'like' or 'as,' often used to draw comparisons or indicate similarity. It can also mean 'when' or 'according to.' The word is derived from a pleonastic form of the prefix כְּ (k-) and is related to the word מוֹ (mo). There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.
כְּמוֹ adv. and conj. like, as, when (lit. the like of what (viz.) …, a pleon. form of כְּ (v. מוֹ), and, like it, prop. a subst.)
base
H3644 כְּמוֹ adv. and conj. like, as, when (lit. the like of what (viz.) …, a pleon. form of כְּ (v. מוֹ), and, like it, prop. a subst.)
3644 kmow kem-o'
or kamow {kaw-mo'}; a form of the prefix "k-", but used
separately (compare 3651); as, thus, so:--according to, (such)
as (it were, well as), in comparison of, like (as, to, unto),
thus, when, worth.
see HEBREW for 03651
כְּמוֹ (ke.mo) — like.
adv
1) like, as, the like of which
conj
2) when, according as, as it were
כְּמוֹ (ke.mo) — (Geruth) Chimham.
Combined with ge.rut (גֵּרוּת "Geruth" H1628)
Prep — PrepositionHR
זוּר (zuwr) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be a stranger or to become estranged. It can describe a person as strange or foreign, and it also has connotations of loathsomeness. The word can refer to committing adultery or being alienated, with its usage found in contexts involving estrangement or foreignness.
[זוּר] vb. be a stranger
Qal
Pf. become estranged
Pt. as adj. strange, or as noun stranger
Niph. Pf. be estranged
Hoph. Pt. estranged
H2114a זוּר be a stranger .. Pf. become estranged
. Pt. as adj. strange, or as noun stranger
. Pf. be estranged
. Pt. estranged
H2114b זוּר, זִיר be loathsome
2114 zuwr zoor
a primitive root; to turn aside (especially for lodging);
hence to be a foreigner, strange, profane; specifically
(active participle) to commit adultery:--(come from) another
(man, place), fanner, go away, (e-)strange(-r, thing, woman).
זוּר (zur) — be a stranger.
1) to be strange, be a stranger
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to become estranged
1a2) strange, another, stranger, foreigner, an enemy (participle)
1a3) strange woman, prostitute, harlot (meton)
1b) (Niphal) to be estranged
1c) (Hophal) to be a stranger, be one alienated
זוּר (zur) — be loathsome.
loathsome (of breath) (participle)
Adj — AdjHAamsa
The Hebrew word חָשַׁב (chashab) is a primitive root meaning to think, account, or devise. It encompasses a range of actions including planning, valuing, and inventing, both for humans and in relation to God. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, each reflecting different nuances of thought and consideration.
חָשַׁב vb. think, account
Qal
of man:
think, account
devise, plan, mean
charge, impute
esteem, value, regard
invent ingenious and artistic things
of God:
think
devise, plan, mean
inpute, reckon
esteem, value, regard
invent ingenious and artistic things
Niph.
be accounted, thought, esteemed
be computed, reckoned
be imputed to any one
Pi.
think upon, consider, be mindful of
think to do, devise, plan
count, reckon, the years since a sale of land
Hithp. among the nations it shall not reckon itself
base
H2803 חָשַׁב think, account .. of man: . think, account
. devise, plan, mean
. charge, impute
. esteem, value, regard
. invent ingenious and artistic things
. of God: . think
. devise, plan, mean
. inpute, reckon
. esteem, value, regard
. invent ingenious and artistic things
. . be accounted, thought, esteemed
. be computed, reckoned
. be imputed to any one
. . think upon, consider, be mindful of
. think to do, devise, plan
. count, reckon, the years since a sale of land
. among the nations it shall not reckon itself
2803 chashab khaw-shab'
a primitive root; properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e.
(literally) to weave or (gen.) to fabricate; figuratively, to
plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from
the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute:--(make)
account (of), conceive, consider, count, cunning (man, work,
workman), devise, esteem, find out, forecast, hold, imagine,
impute, invent, be like, mean, purpose, reckon(-ing be made),
regard, think.
חָשַׁב (cha.shav) — to devise: design.
: design/skillful
1) to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to think, account
1a2) to plan, devise, mean
1a3) to charge, impute, reckon
1a4) to esteem, value, regard
1a5) to invent
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be accounted, be thought, be esteemed
1b2) to be computed, be reckoned
1b3) to be imputed
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to think upon, consider, be mindful of
1c2) to think to do, devise, plan
1c3) to count, reckon
1d) (Hithpael) to be considered
חָשַׁב (cha.shav) — to devise: count.
: count/regard_as
1) to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to think, account
1a2) to plan, devise, mean
1a3) to charge, impute, reckon
1a4) to esteem, value, regard
1a5) to invent
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be accounted, be thought, be esteemed
1b2) to be computed, be reckoned
1b3) to be imputed
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common pluralHVNp3cp