Hosea 8:3
New International Version
But Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him.

New Living Translation
But it is too late. The people of Israel have rejected what is good, and now their enemies will chase after them.

English Standard Version
Israel has spurned the good; the enemy shall pursue him.

Berean Standard Bible
But Israel has rejected good; an enemy will pursue him.

King James Bible
Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

New King James Version
Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.

New American Standard Bible
Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.

NASB 1995
Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.

NASB 1977
Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.

Legacy Standard Bible
Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.

Amplified Bible
Israel has rejected the good; The enemy shall pursue him.

Christian Standard Bible
Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him.

American Standard Version
Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

Contemporary English Version
But your enemies will chase you for rejecting our good agreement.

English Revised Version
Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
However, they have rejected what is good. The enemy will persecute them.

Good News Translation
they have rejected what is good. Because of this their enemies will pursue them.

International Standard Version
"Israel has discarded what is good. The enemy will pursue them.

Majority Standard Bible
But Israel has rejected good; an enemy will pursue him.

NET Bible
But Israel has rejected what is morally good; so an enemy will pursue him.

New Heart English Bible
Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will pursue him.

Webster's Bible Translation
Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

World English Bible
Israel has cast off that which is good. The enemy will pursue him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Israel has cast off good, an enemy pursues him.

Young's Literal Translation
Cast off good hath Israel, an enemy pursueth him.

Smith's Literal Translation
Israel rejected the good: the enemy shall pursue him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Israel hath cast off the thing that is good, the enemy shall pursue him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Israel has thrown away goodness; the enemy will overtake him.

New American Bible
But Israel has rejected what is good; the enemy shall pursue him.

New Revised Standard Version
Israel has spurned the good; the enemy shall pursue him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Israel has forgotten the good; the enemy has pursued him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Israel has forgotten goodness and the enemy chases them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Israel hath cast off that which is good; The enemy shall pursue him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For Israel has turned away from good things; they have pursued an enemy.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel will Reap the Whirlwind
2Israel cries out to Me, “O our God, we know You!” 3But Israel has rejected good; an enemy will pursue him. 4They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 2:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Isaiah 1:4
Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

Jeremiah 4:22
“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”

Amos 3:10
“For they know not how to do right,” declares the LORD. “They store up violence and destruction in their citadels.”

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.

Jeremiah 5:23-24
But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away. / They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’

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!”

Jeremiah 8:5-7
Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. / I have listened and heard; they do not speak what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, asking, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone has pursued his own course like a horse charging into battle. / Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

Ezekiel 20:8
But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

2 Kings 17:15
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

Romans 1:28
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

John 3:19-20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. / Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...

Romans 10:21
But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”


Treasury of Scripture

Israel has cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.

cast.

Psalm 36:3
The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

Psalm 81:10,11
I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it…

Amos 1:11
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:

the enemy.

Leviticus 26:36
And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

Deuteronomy 28:25
The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

Lamentations 3:66
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

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Hosea 8
1. Destruction is threatened both to Israel and Judah for their impiety and idolatry.














But Israel
The name "Israel" refers to the northern kingdom, which had split from Judah after the reign of Solomon. Historically, Israel was chosen by God to be His people, a nation set apart to reflect His glory and righteousness. The use of "Israel" here is significant as it reminds the reader of the covenant relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew root for Israel, "Yisra'el," means "God contends" or "one who struggles with God," which is fitting given the nation's history of wrestling with faithfulness to God.

has rejected
The Hebrew word for "rejected" is "zanach," which conveys a strong sense of casting aside or spurning. This rejection is not passive but an active decision to turn away from what is good. In the context of Hosea, this rejection is a spiritual and moral failing, as Israel has turned away from God's commandments and His covenant. This act of rejection is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, where the people of Israel are often depicted as turning away from God despite His continuous call to repentance.

good
The term "good" in Hebrew is "tov," which encompasses not only moral goodness but also what is beneficial, pleasing, and in alignment with God's will. In rejecting "good," Israel is not merely turning away from ethical behavior but is rejecting the very essence of what God desires for them—a life of blessing, peace, and righteousness. This rejection of "good" is a rejection of God Himself, who is the ultimate source of all that is good.

an enemy
The "enemy" here is both literal and metaphorical. Historically, this refers to the Assyrian empire, which would eventually conquer Israel and lead its people into exile. Theologically, the "enemy" represents the consequences of sin and disobedience. In the broader biblical narrative, enemies often symbolize the forces that oppose God's will and the well-being of His people. This serves as a warning that turning away from God invites opposition and turmoil.

will pursue him
The phrase "will pursue" comes from the Hebrew "radaph," which means to chase or follow after with intent. This pursuit is relentless, indicating that the consequences of Israel's rejection of good are inevitable and inescapable. The imagery of pursuit suggests a sense of urgency and impending judgment. In a spiritual sense, this pursuit can be seen as God's discipline, intended to bring Israel back to repentance and restoration. The relentless nature of this pursuit underscores the seriousness of turning away from God and the inevitable consequences that follow.

(3) Cast off.--Jehovah's reply to Israel's hollow repentance. The word "cast off" means a scornful loathing of what is putrescent or obscene. "The thing that is good" is the name of God, which is the salvation of Israel (Aben Ezra).

Verse 3. - Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. This is the reply of Jehovah. The good which Israel rejected is not exactly God the One Good, nor Jehovah the greatest Good, nor the Law, which was good; but all the goodness which he bestows on such as keep his covenant. This Israel rejected, and in turn is rejected of God and delivered up into the hands of his pursuers.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
[But] Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

has rejected
זָנַ֥ח (zā·naḥ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2186: Reject, forsake, fail

good;
ט֑וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

an enemy
אוֹיֵ֖ב (’ō·w·yêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

will pursue him.
יִרְדְּֽפוֹ׃‪‬ (yir·də·p̄ōw)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute


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OT Prophets: Hosea 8:3 Israel has cast off that which (Ho Hs Hos.)
Hosea 8:2
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