King James Version

Hosea 11:4

I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

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Hebrew

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בְּחַבְלֵ֨יbechavlein companyחֶבֶלpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “in company”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2256a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); also a throe (especially of parturition); also ruinband, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.אָדָ֤םadampersonאָדָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)[idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.אֶמְשְׁכֵם֙emshekhemdrawמָשַׁךְverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “draw”, an unfinished actionH4900to draw, used in a great variety of applications (including to sow, to sound, to prolong, to develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be tall, etc.)draw (along, out), continue, defer, extend, forbear, [idiom] give, handle, make (pro-, sound) long, [idiom] sow, scatter, stretch out.בַּעֲבֹת֣וֹתbaavototin bandעֲבֹתpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “in band”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5688something intwined, i.e. a string, wreath or foliageband, cord, rope, thick bough (branch), wreathen (chain).אַהֲבָ֔הahavahloveאַהֲבָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “love”, the ordinary formH160{affection (in a good or a bad sense)}love.וָאֶהְיֶ֥הvaehyehand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לָהֶ֛םlahemtoלָהֶ֛םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”toכִּמְרִ֥ימֵיkimrimeas highרוּםpreposition, verb, hiphil, participle, construct — “as high”, a verb used as a describing wordH7311to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively)bring up, exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave (up), (be, lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high(-er, one), hold up, levy, lift(-er) up, (be) lofty, ([idiom] a-) loud, mount up, offer (up), [phrase] presumptuously, (be) prom…עֹ֖לolyokeעֹלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “yoke”, the ordinary formH5923a yoke (as imposed on the neck), literally or figurativelyyoke.עַ֣לalaboveעַלpreposition — “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,…לְחֵיהֶ֑םlecheyhemcheekלְחִיnoun, common, both genders, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “cheek”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3895the cheek (from its fleshiness); hence, the jaw-bonecheek (bone), jaw (bone).וְאַ֥טveatand spreadנָטָהconjunction, verb, hiphil, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and spread”, an unfinished actionH5186to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application[phrase] afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, o…אֵלָ֖יוelayvamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אוֹכִֽילokhileatאָכַלverb, hiphil, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love; and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I fed them gently.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love; and I was to them as they that lift up the yoke on their jaws; and I laid food before them.

Young’s Literal Translation

With cords of man I do draw them, With thick cords of love, And I am to them as a raiser up of a yoke on their jaws, And I incline unto him — I feed [him].

World English Bible

I drew them with cords of a man, with ties of love; and I was to them like those who lift up the yoke on their necks; and I bent down to him and I fed him.

Darby Translation

I drew them with bands of a man, with cords of love; and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I gently caused them to eat.

Douay-Rheims

I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love: and I will be to them as one that taketh off the yoke on their jaws: and I put his meat to him that he might eat.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love; and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I fed them gently.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

When men were destroyed, I drew them with the bands of my love: and I will be to them as a man smiting another on his cheek: and I will have respect to him, I will prevail with him.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐν διαφθορᾷ ἀνθρώπων ἐξέτεινα αὐτοὺς ἐν δεσμοῖς ἀγαπήσεώς μου, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς ὡς ῥαπίζων ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ τὰς σιαγόνας αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπιβλέψομαι πρὸς αὐτόν, δυνήσομαι αὐτῷ.