King James Version

Hosea 10:4

They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

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Hebrew

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דִּבְּר֣וּdibrvspeakדָבַרverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “speak”, a completed actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.דְבָרִ֔יםdevarimcauseדָּבָרnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “cause”, the ordinary formH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…אָל֥וֹתalotadjureאָלָהverb, qal, infinitive absolute — “adjure”, the verb used for emphasisH422properly, to adjure, i.e. (usually in a bad sense) imprecateadjure, curse, swear.שָׁ֖וְאshavefalseשָׁוְאnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “false”, the ordinary formH7723evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain)false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.כָּרֹ֣תkarotcovenantכָּרַתverb, qal, infinitive absolute — “covenant”, the verb used for emphasisH3772to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), [idiom] lose, perish, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] want.בְּרִ֑יתberitconfederacyבְּרִיתnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “confederacy”, the ordinary formH1285a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)confederacy, (con-) feder(-ate), covenant, league.וּפָרַ֤חufarachand flourishפָּרַחconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and flourish”, a completed action in a sequenceH6524to break forth as a bud, i.e. bloom; generally, to spread; specifically, to fly (as extending the wings); figuratively, to flourish[idiom] abroad, [idiom] abundantly, blossom, break forth (out), bud, flourish, make fly, grow, spread, spring (up).כָּרֹאשׁ֙karoshas poisonרֹאשׁpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “as poison”, the ordinary formH7219a poisonous plant, probably the poppy (from its conspicuous head); generally poison (even of serpents)gall, hemlock, poison, venom.מִשְׁפָּ֔טmishpatlawמִשְׁפָּטnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “law”, the ordinary formH4941properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style[phrase] adversary, ceremony, charge, [idiom] crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right,…עַ֖לalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…תַּלְמֵ֥יtalmefurrowתֶּלֶםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “furrow”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8525a bank or terracefurrow, ridge.שָׂדָֽיsadayfieldשָׂדֶהnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “field”, the ordinary formH7704a field (as flat)country, field, ground, land, soil, [idiom] wild.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

They speak words, they swear falsely, they make covenants; thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

They speak vain words, swearing falsely in making covenants: therefore judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

Young’s Literal Translation

They have spoken words, To swear falsehood in making a covenant, And flourished as a poisonous herb hath judgment, on the furrows of a field.

World English Bible

They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

Darby Translation

They speak [mere] words, swearing falsely in making a covenant; therefore shall judgment spring up as hemlock in the furrows of the fields.

Douay-Rheims

You speak words of an unprofitable vision, and you shall make a covenant: and judgment shall spring up as bitterness in the furrows of the field.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

They speak words, they swear falsely, they make covenants; thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and what should a king do for us, speaking false professions as his words? he will make a covenant: judgment shall spring up as a weed on the soil of the field.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

λαλῶν ῥήματα προφάσεις ψευδεῖς; διαθήσεται διαθήκην, ἀνατελεῖ ὡς ἄγρωστις κρίμα ἐπὶ χέρσον ἀγροῦ.