Bible Strands
Hosea 8:11
Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God speaks through the prophet Hosea to the northern kingdom of Israel, represented by Ephraim, while the nation seeks foreign alliances and disregards written law.
The words — The Hebrew הִרְבָּה (hirbah) means "he has multiplied," applied to מִזְבְּחֹת (mizbechot, "altars") that the text explicitly calls לַחֲטֹא (lachata', "for sinning/sinning").
The thread — The multiplication of altars for sinning appears in Hosea 8:11, Hosea 12:11 questions sacrifice in Gilgal, Deuteronomy 4:28 warns against man-made gods, and Isaiah 10:10 contrasts Jerusalem and Samaria's idolatrous images.
Why it lands — The text states that increased religious infrastructure directly enabled ongoing rebellion rather than repentance, asking the reader to examine whether their spiritual practices produce obedience or merely facilitate disobedience.
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
Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.
Cross-references
- 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.
- Deuteronomy 4:28 And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
- Isaiah 10:10 As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdoms whose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
- Jeremiah 16:13 So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’
- 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.
- Hosea 10:8 The high places of Aven will be destroyed—it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”