Bible Strands
Hosea 10:1
Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet addresses Israel during a period of agricultural prosperity that directly fuels the construction of idolatrous worship sites.
The words — בּוֹקֵק (bo.Kek) means luxuriant or dense, describing the vine, while גֶּפֶן (ge.fen) literally translates to vine.
The thread — This imagery connects to Hosea 8:11 regarding multiplied altars for sin, Leviticus 26:1 prohibiting carved images and sacred pillars, and Isaiah 5:1 where God describes His beloved’s vineyard on a fertile hill.
Why it lands — It demands the reader acknowledge that material increase does not earn divine favor, but instead multiplies rebellion, and that God will actively dismantle the altars built from that prosperity.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.
Cross-references
- Hosea 8:11 Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning.
- Leviticus 26:1 “You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God.
- Isaiah 5:1 I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
- Hosea 12:11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.
- Philippians 2:21 For all the others look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
- 1 Kings 14:23 They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
- Jeremiah 2:28 But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.
- Romans 14:7 For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone.
- Ezekiel 15:1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
- John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard.