Hosea 8:12
New International Version
I wrote for them the many things of my law, but they regarded them as something foreign.

New Living Translation
Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don’t apply to them.

English Standard Version
Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing.

Berean Standard Bible
Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.

King James Bible
I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

New King James Version
I have written for him the great things of My law, But they were considered a strange thing.

New American Standard Bible
Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My Law, They are regarded as a strange thing.

NASB 1995
Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are regarded as a strange thing.

NASB 1977
Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are regarded as a strange thing.

Legacy Standard Bible
Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are counted as a strange thing.

Amplified Bible
I wrote for him the ten thousand precepts of My law, But they are regarded as a strange thing [which does not concern him].

Christian Standard Bible
Though I were to write out for him ten thousand points of my instruction, they would be regarded as something strange.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Though I were to write out for him ten thousand points of My instruction, they would be regarded as something strange.

American Standard Version
I wrote for him the ten thousand things of my law; but they are counted as a strange thing.

Contemporary English Version
My instructions for sacrifices were written in detail, but you ignored them.

English Revised Version
Though I write for him my law in ten thousand precepts, they are counted as a strange thing.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I have written many things for them in my teachings, but they consider these things strange and foreign.

Good News Translation
I write down countless teachings for the people, but they reject them as strange and foreign.

International Standard Version
I prescribed great things from my Law for them, but they considered them profane.

Majority Standard Bible
Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange.

NET Bible
I spelled out my law for him in great detail, but they regard it as something totally unknown to them!

New Heart English Bible
I wrote for him the many things of my law; but they were regarded as a strange thing.

Webster's Bible Translation
I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

World English Bible
I wrote for him the many things of my law, but they were regarded as a strange thing.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I write for him numerous things of My law, "" As a strange thing they have been reckoned.

Young's Literal Translation
I write for him numerous things of My law, As a strange thing they have been reckoned.

Smith's Literal Translation
I will write to him his multitude of my instructions; they were reckoned as a strange thing.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I shall write to him my manifold laws, which have been accounted as foreign.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I will write to him my intricate laws, which have been treated like strangers.

New American Bible
Though I write for him my many instructions, they are considered like a stranger’s.

New Revised Standard Version
Though I write for him the multitude of my instructions, they are regarded as a strange thing.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I have written to him many of my laws, but my words he considered as a strange thing.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I have written to him the abundance of my laws, and he considered my words as a foreign woman
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Though I write for him never so many things of My Law, They are accounted as a stranger's.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I will write down a multitude of commands for him; but his statutes are accounted strange things, even the beloved altars.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel will Reap the Whirlwind
11Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning. 12Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange. 13Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 31:33
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Deuteronomy 31:26
“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.

Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

Isaiah 5:24
Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Romans 2:12-15
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. / For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous. / Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ...

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, / so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

Jeremiah 8:8-9
How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception? / The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom do they really have?

Ezekiel 20:11-13
And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them. / I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. / Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.

Matthew 15:6-9
he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. / You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: / ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. ...

John 5:39-40
You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, / yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.

Psalm 147:19-20
He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel. / He has done this for no other nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!

Romans 3:1-2
What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? / Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18-21
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. / For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” / Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ...

Isaiah 30:9-11
These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction. / They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions. / Get out of the way; turn off the road. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”

Amos 2:4
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Judah, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they reject the Law of the LORD and fail to keep His statutes; they are led astray by the lies in which their fathers walked.


Treasury of Scripture

I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

written.

Deuteronomy 4:6-8
Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people…

Nehemiah 9:13,14
Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: …

Psalm 119:18
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

but.

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

2 Kings 17:15,16
And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them…

Nehemiah 9:26
Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

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Accounted Alien Counted Great Law Manifold Numerous Precepts Prescribed Reckoned Regarded Rules Something Strange Stranger's Ten Thousand Thousands Write Writing Written Wrote
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Accounted Alien Counted Great Law Manifold Numerous Precepts Prescribed Reckoned Regarded Rules Something Strange Stranger's Ten Thousand Thousands Write Writing Written Wrote
Hosea 8
1. Destruction is threatened both to Israel and Judah for their impiety and idolatry.














Though I wrote
This phrase emphasizes the direct involvement of God in communicating His will to His people. The Hebrew root for "wrote" is "כָּתַב" (katav), which signifies the act of inscribing or recording. This highlights the permanence and intentionality of God's revelation. In a historical context, writing was a means to ensure that important information was preserved and transmitted accurately. God's act of writing underscores His desire for His people to have a clear and enduring understanding of His expectations.

for them
The phrase "for them" indicates the intended recipients of God's law, the Israelites. It underscores the personal and covenantal relationship between God and His chosen people. This relationship is foundational to understanding the entire narrative of the Bible, where God consistently reaches out to guide, instruct, and correct His people. The law was given not as a burden, but as a guide to living in a way that reflects God's holiness and love.

the great things
The term "great things" reflects the magnitude and significance of God's law. The Hebrew word "רָב" (rav) can mean numerous, great, or important. This suggests that the law is not just a set of rules, but a comprehensive guide to living a life that honors God. It encompasses moral, ceremonial, and civil aspects, all designed to set Israel apart as a holy nation. The greatness of the law is also seen in its ability to reveal God's character and His righteous standards.

of My law
The "law" here refers to the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, which contain God's instructions for His people. The Hebrew word "תּוֹרָה" (torah) means instruction or teaching. It is not merely legalistic but is intended to instruct in righteousness and guide in the way of truth. The law is a reflection of God's covenant with Israel, a binding agreement that required obedience and promised blessing.

they regarded them
This phrase indicates the response of the Israelites to God's law. The Hebrew root "חָשַׁב" (chashav) means to think, plan, or esteem. It suggests a deliberate consideration or evaluation. Unfortunately, the Israelites' evaluation led them to dismiss the law, showing a heart attitude that was not aligned with God's desires. This reflects a recurring theme in the prophetic books, where God's people often fail to appreciate the value and purpose of His commandments.

as something strange
The word "strange" comes from the Hebrew "זָר" (zar), meaning foreign or alien. This indicates that the Israelites viewed God's law as something unfamiliar or irrelevant to their lives. This estrangement from the law is a tragic commentary on their spiritual state, as they had distanced themselves from the very words meant to guide and protect them. Historically, this reflects periods in Israel's history where they adopted pagan practices and neglected their covenantal obligations.

(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.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Though I wrote
אֶ֨כְתָּב־ (’eḵ·tāḇ-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

for them
ל֔וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

the great things
רֻבֵּ֖י (rub·bê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7239: A myriad, large number

of My law,
תּֽוֹרָתִ֑י (tō·w·rā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law

they regarded them
נֶחְשָֽׁבוּ׃ (neḥ·šā·ḇū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2803: To think, account

as
כְּמוֹ־ (kə·mōw-)
Preposition
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

something strange.
זָ֖ר (zār)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2114: To turn aside, to be a, foreigner, strange, profane, to commit adultery


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OT Prophets: Hosea 8:12 I wrote for him the many things (Ho Hs Hos.)
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