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Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Hosea 10:11

But, Ephraim, shall be a heifer broken in, loving to tread out corn, when, I, have passed over upon her fair neck, - I will drive Ephraim, Judah, shall plow, Jacob, shall harrow to him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Cow;   Heifer;   Pride;   Threshing;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ox, the;   Ploughing;   Threshing;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Farming;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Heifer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Harrow;   Heifer;   Hosea;   Plow;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Harrow;   Heifer;   Hosea, Book of;   Ox, Oxen, Herd, Cattle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Agriculture;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Heifer;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Harrow;   Heifer;   Ox;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Heifer;   Plow (and forms);   Taught;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Clod;   Eglath-Shelishiyah;   Ephraim (1);   Harrow;   Heifer;   Muzzle;   Plow;   Teach;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Agriculture;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - ḥanina (Hananiah) B. Abbahu;   Plowing;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
"Ephraim is like a trained young cow that loves to walk on grain on the threshing floor. I will put a good yoke on her neck. I will put the ropes on Ephraim. Then Judah will begin plowing. Jacob will break the ground himself."
New American Standard Bible
Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, And I passed over her lovely neck; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself.
New Century Version
Israel is like a well-trained young cow that likes to thresh grain. I will put a yoke on her neck and make her work hard in the field. Israel will plow, and Judah will break up the ground.
New English Translation
Ephraim was a well-trained heifer who loved to thresh grain; I myself put a fine yoke on her neck. I will harness Ephraim. Let Judah plow! Let Jacob break up the unplowed ground for himself!
Update Bible Version
And Ephraim is a heifer that is taught, that loves to tread out [the grain]; but I have passed by her fair neck: I will set a rider on Ephraim; Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Ephraim [is as] a heifer [that is] taught, [and] loveth to tread out [the corn]; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, [and] Jacob shall break his clods.
Amplified Bible
Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to tread out the grain, But I will come over her fair neck with a heavy yoke [for hard field work]. I will harness Ephraim; Judah will plow and Jacob will harrow and rake for himself.
English Standard Version
Ephraim was a trained calf that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will put Ephraim to the yoke; Judah must plow; Jacob must harrow for himself.
World English Bible
Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; So I will put a yoke on her beautiful neck. I will set a rider on Ephraim. Judah will plow. Jacob will break his clods.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Effraym is a cow calf, tauyt for to loue threischyng; and Y yede on the fairenesse of the necke therof. Y schal stie on Effraym. Judas schal ere, and Jacob schal breke forewis to hym silf.
English Revised Version
And Ephraim is an heifer that is taught, that loveth to tread out the corn; but I have passed over upon her fair neck: I will set a rider on Ephraim; Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.
Berean Standard Bible
Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground.
Contemporary English Version
Once you were obedient like a calf that loved to thresh grain. But I will put a harness on your powerful neck; you and Judah must plow and cultivate the ground.
American Standard Version
And Ephraim is a heifer that is taught, that loveth to tread out the grain; but I have passed over upon her fair neck: I will set a rider on Ephraim; Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.
Bible in Basic English
And Ephraim is a trained cow, taking pleasure in crushing the grain; but I have put a yoke on her fair neck; I will put a horseman on the back of Ephraim; Judah will be working the plough, Jacob will be turning up the earth.
Complete Jewish Bible
Efrayim is a well-taught cow — it loves to tread the grain, and I have spared her fair neck. But I will put Efrayim in harness, Y'hudah will have to plow, Ya‘akov will harrow his own land.
Darby Translation
And Ephraim is a trained heifer, that loveth to tread out [the corn]; I have passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to draw; Judah shall plough, Jacob shall break his clods.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Ephraim is a heifer well broken, that loveth to thresh, and I have passed over upon her fair neck; I will make Ephraim to ride, Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.
King James Version (1611)
And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught and loueth to tread out the corne, but I passed ouer vpon her faire necke: I will make Ephraim to ride: Iudah shall plow, and Iacob shall breake his clods.
New Living Translation
"Israel is like a trained heifer treading out the grain— an easy job she loves. But I will put a heavy yoke on her tender neck. I will force Judah to pull the plow and Israel to break up the hard ground.
New Life Bible
"Ephraim is a well-taught young cow that loves to crush the grain. But I will put a load on her beautiful neck. I will drive Ephraim. Judah must plow. And Jacob must break up the ground.
New Revised Standard
Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will make Ephraim break the ground; Judah must plow; Jacob must harrow for himself.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ephraim is as an heifer vsed to delite in threshing: but I will passe by her faire necke: I will make Ephraim to ride: Iudah shall plowe, and Iaakob shall breake his cloddes.
George Lamsa Translation
Ephraim is like a heifer that is trained, and loves to tread out the wheat; but I bent her neck under the yoke; I will make Ephraim to be ridden upon, I will cause Judah to tread wheat, and Jacob shall be plundered.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Ephraim is a heifer taught to love to tread out corn, but I passed over upon the beauty of her neck: I will ride upon Ephraim, Juda shall plough, Jacob shall break the furrows for himself.
Revised Standard Version
E'phraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will put E'phraim to the yoke, Judah must plow, Jacob must harrow for himself.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ephraim [is as] an heyffer vsed to delyte in treadyng out the corne: but I wyll passe by her faire necke, I wyll make Ephraim to ride: Iuda shall plowe, [and] Iacob shall breake his cloddes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Ephraim is a heifer taught to love victory, but I will come upon the fairest part of her neck: I will mount Ephraim; I will pass over Juda in silence; Jacob shall prevail against him.
Good News Translation
"Israel was once like a well-trained young cow, ready and willing to thresh grain. But I decided to put a yoke on her beautiful neck and to harness her for harder work. I made Judah pull the plow and Israel pull the harrow.
Christian Standard Bible®
Ephraim is a well-trained calfthat loves to thresh,but I will place a yoke on her fine neck.I will harness Ephraim;Judah will plow;Jacob will do the final plowing.
Hebrew Names Version
Efrayim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; So I will put a yoke on her beautiful neck. I will set a rider on Efrayim. Yehudah will plow. Ya`akov will break his clods.
King James Version
And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.
Lexham English Bible
Ephraim was a trained heifer, that loved to thresh grain, and I myself spared the fairness of her neck; I will make Ephraim break the ground, Judah will plow, Jacob must till for himself.
Literal Translation
And Ephraim is a trained heifer, loving to tread out. But I passed over on the goodness of her neck; I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow; Jacob shall break clods for him.
Young's Literal Translation
And Ephraim [is] a trained heifer -- loving to thresh, And I -- I have passed over on the goodness of its neck, I cause [one] to ride Ephraim, Plough doth Judah, harrow for him doth Jacob.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ephraim was vnto me, as a cow that is vsed to go to plowe, therfore I loued him, and fell vpon his fayre neck. I droue Ephraim, Iuda plowed, & Iacob played the hu?bode man:
THE MESSAGE
Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh. Passing by and seeing her strong, sleek neck, I wanted to harness Ephraim, Put Ephraim to work in the fields— Judah plowing, Jacob harrowing: Sow righteousness, reap love. It's time to till the ready earth, it's time to dig in with God , Until he arrives with righteousness ripe for harvest. But instead you plowed wicked ways, reaped a crop of evil and ate a salad of lies. You thought you could do it all on your own, flush with weapons and manpower. But the volcano of war will erupt among your people. All your defense posts will be leveled As viciously as king Shalman leveled the town of Beth-arba, When mothers and their babies were smashed on the rocks. That's what's ahead for you, you so-called people of God, because of your off-the-charts evil. Some morning you're going to wake up and find Israel, king and kingdom, a blank—nothing.
New King James Version
Ephraim is a trained heifer That loves to thresh grain; But I harnessed her fair neck, I will make Ephraim pull a plow. Judah shall plow; Jacob shall break his clods."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, But I will come over her fair neck with a yoke; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself.
Legacy Standard Bible
And Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh,But I will come over her fair neck with a yoke;I will harness Ephraim;Judah will plow; Jacob will harrow for himself.

Contextual Overview

9 Beyond the days of Gibeah, hast thou sinned, O Israel: there, came they to a stand, the battle against the sons of perversity, touched them not in Gibeah. 10 When I please, then will I chastise them, - and there shall be gathered together against them - peoples, they being harnessed to their two Iniquities; 11 But, Ephraim, shall be a heifer broken in, loving to tread out corn, when, I, have passed over upon her fair neck, - I will drive Ephraim, Judah, shall plow, Jacob, shall harrow to him. 12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap ye at thc bidding of lovingkindness, furrow to yourselves the newly-ploughed soil, - then will be the time to seek Yahweh, until he come, that he may rain down righteousness for you. 13 Ye have plowed lawlessness, perversity, have ye reaped, ye have eaten the fruit of deception, - because thou didst trust in thy chariots, in the multitude of thy mighty men. 14 Therefore shall there arise a tumult among thy peoples, and, all thy fortresses, shall be plundered, as Shalman plundered Beth-arbel, in the day of battle, - the mother, upon her children, dashed to the ground. 15 Even so, hath Bethel, done to you, because of your exceeding wickedness, - in the dawn, shall the king of Israel be, utterly silenced.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

an heifer: Hosea 4:16, Jeremiah 50:11

and loveth: Hosea 2:5, Hosea 3:1, Hosea 9:1, Deuteronomy 25:4, Romans 16:18

but: Hosea 11:4

her fair neck: Heb. the beauty of her neck

Judah: 2 Chronicles 28:5-8, Isaiah 28:24

Reciprocal: Job 39:10 - General Jeremiah 31:18 - as a Jeremiah 46:20 - a very

Cross-References

Genesis 10:1
Now, these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and there were born to them sons after the flood.
Genesis 10:10
So the beginning of his kingdom came to be Babel, and Erech, and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Numbers 24:22
Yet shall it be for destruction, O Kain, - How long shall Assyria hold thee captive?
Numbers 24:24
When, ships, come from the coast of the isles, And humble Assyria, and humble the Hebrew, - And he too, is even to perish?
2 Kings 19:36
So Sennacherib king of Assyria brake up, and went his way, and returned, - and remained in Nineveh.
Ezra 4:2
then drew they near unto Zerubbabel, and unto the ancestral chiefs, and said unto them, Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God, and, unto him, have, we, been sacrificing since the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.
Psalms 83:8
Even Assyria hath joined herself with them, They have become an arm to the sons of Lot. Selah.
Isaiah 37:37
So Sennacherib the king of Assyria brake up, and went his way, and returned, - and remained in Nineveh.
Ezekiel 27:23
Haran and Canneh and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, - Asshur. Chilmad, Were merchants of thine:
Ezekiel 32:22
There, is Assyria with all her gathered host, Round about him, are his graves, All of them thrust through, The fallen by the sword:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Ephraim [is as] an heifer [that is] taught, [and] loveth to tread out [the corn],.... Like a heifer taught to bear the yoke, and to plough; but learned it not, as the Targum; does not like it; chooses to tread out the corn where it can feed upon it, its mouth not being then muzzled, according to the law; oxen or heifers were used both in ploughing and treading out corn, to which the allusion is. The sense is, that Ephraim or the ten tribes were taught to bear the yoke of the law, and yield obedience to it, and perform good works; but did not like such a course of life; had no further regard for religion than as they found their own worldly profit and advantage in it: or they did not care to labour much in it; they liked the fruit and advantage arising from working, rather than the work itself; and thus, like a heifer, doing little, and living well, they grew fat, increased in power, wealth, and riches; and so became proud and haughty, and kicked against the house of David, and rent themselves from it; and set up a kingdom of their own, and lived and reigned according to their own will and pleasure, like a heifer without yoke and muzzle:

but I passed over upon her fair neck; or, "the goodness of her neck" c; which is expressive of the flourishing and opulent state and condition of the ten tribes, especially in the times of Jeroboam the second, which made them proud and haughty: but the Lord was determined to humble them, and first in a more light and gentle manner; or caused the rod of correction to pass over them more lightly; or put upon them a more easy yoke of affliction, by causing Pul king of Assyria to come against them; and to get rid of whom a present was given him, exacted of the people; and afterwards Tiglathpileser, another king of Assyria, who carried captive part of their land; and this not having its proper effect, the Lord was determined to proceed against them in a heavier manner:

I will make Ephraim to ride; some, taking the future for the past, render it, "I have made Ephraim to ride" d; that is, to rule and govern, having royal dignity and power given them, and that greater than that of Judah; and ride over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who were sometimes very much afflicted by them; and this is thought to be the sense of the following phrases,

Judah shall plough, [and] Jacob shall break his clods; or, "break the clods for him" e; for Ephraim while he rides, and uses them very hard; as in the days of Joash and Pekah, kings of Israel, when many of the tribes of Judah were slain by them, 2 Kings 14:12; but rather the meaning is, "I will cause to ride on Ephraim" f; that is, the Assyrians shall ride upon them, get the dominion over them, carry them captive, and use them to hard service and bondage, as a heifer rid upon by a severe rider while ploughing; and the other tribes shall not escape, though they shall not be so hardly dealt with: "Judah shall plough, and Jacob shall break his clods"; these shall be carried captive into Babylon, and employed in hard and servile work, but more tolerable; as ploughing and breaking clods are easier than to ride upon; and as they had hope of deliverance at the end of seventy years; whereas no promise of return was made to the ten tribes, which is the sense some give; but Pocock and others think that these words regard the tender and gentle methods God took with these people to bring them to obedience to his law. Ephraim being teachable like a heifer, he took hold of her fair neck, and stroked it to encourage her, and accustom her to the hand, and to the yoke; and then put the yoke of his law upon them, add trained them up in his institutions, and used also gentle methods to keep them in obedience; and also set Judah to "plough", and Jacob to "break the clods", prescribed for them; and employed them in good works, in the duties of religion, from whence answerable fruit might have been expected; saying to them, by his prophets, as follows:

c על טוב צוארה "super bonitatem cervicis ejus", Montanus; "super bonitatem colli ipsius", Schmidt; "super praestantiam", Junius Tremellius, Piscator. d ארכיב "equitare feci", Munster, Rivet. e ישדד לו "occabit ei", De Dieu "occabit illi?" Schmidt. f "Equitare faciam in Ephraim", Lyra, Tarnovius; "equitare faciam super Ephraim", so some in Calvin.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ephraim is an heifer that is taught and that loveth to tread out the corn - The object of the metaphor in these three verses seems to be, to picture, under operations of husbandry, what God willed and trained His people to do, how they took as much pains in evil, as He willed them to do for good. One thing only they did “which” He willed, but not because He willed it - what pleased themselves. Corn was threshed in the East chiefly by means of oxen, who were either driven round and round, so as to trample it out with their feet, or drew a cylinder armed with iron, or harrow-shaped planks, set with sharp stones which at the same time cut up the straw for provender. The treading out the grain was an easy and luxurious service, since God had forbidden to “muzzle the ox” Deuteronomy 25:4, while doing it. It pictures then the sweet gentle ways by which God wins us to His service. Israel would serve thus far, for she liked the service, “she was accustomed” to it, and “she loved it,” but she would do no more. “She waxed fat and kicked” Deuteronomy 32:15.

: “The heifer when accustomed to the labor of treading out the corn, mostly, even unconstrained, returns to the same labor. So the mind of the ungodly, devoted to the slaveries of this world, and accustomed to the fatigues of temporal things, even if it may have leisure for itself, hastens to subject itself to earthly toils, and, inured to its miserable conversation, seeks the renewal of toil, and will not, though it may, cease from the yoke of this world’s slavery. This yoke our Lord would remove from the necks of His disciples, saying, “Take heed, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with cares of this life, and that day come upon you unawares” Luke 21:34. And again, “Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you.” : “Some, in order to appear somewhat in this world, overload themselves with earthly toils, and although, amid their labors, they feel their strength fail, yet, overcome by love of earthly things, they delight in their fatigue. To these it is said by the prophet, “Ephraim is a heifer taught and loving to tread out the corn.” They ask that they may be oppressed; in rest, they deem that they have lighted unto a great peril.”

And I passed over her fair neck - handling her gently and tenderly, as men put the yoke gently on a young untamed animal, and inure it softly to take the yoke upon it. Yet “to pass over” , especially when it is said of God, always signifies inflictions and troubles.” To pass over sins, is to remit them; to pass over the sinner, is to punish him. “I will make Ephraim to ride or I will make it,” i. e., the yoke, “to ride on Ephraim’s” neck, as the same word is used for “place the hand on the bow;” or, perhaps better, “I will set a rider on Ephraim,” who should tame and subdue him. Since he would not submit himself freely to the easy yoke of God, God would set a ruler upon him, who should be his master. Thus, the Psalmist complains, “Thou hast made men to ride on our head” Psalms 66:12, directing us at their pleasure.

: “‘The beauty of the neck’ designates those who sin and take pleasure in their sins. That passing over or ascending, said both in the past and the future, ‘I passed, I will make to ride,’ signifies that what He purposes is most certain. It expresses that same vengeance as, ‘Ye are a stiffnecked people; I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and cosume thee’ Exodus 33:5. The ‘beauty’ of the ‘neck’ here is the same as the ornament there, when the Lord says, ‘therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.’ As long as the sinner goes adorned, i. e., is proud in his sins, as long as he stiffens his fair neck, self-complacent, taking pleasure in the ills which he has done, God, in a measure, knows not what to do to him; mercy knows not how, apart from the severity of judgment, to approach him; and so after the sentence of the judge, ‘thou art a stiffnecked people, etc.’ He gives the counsel ‘put off thine ornaments etc.’ i. e., humble thyself in penitence, that I may have mercy upon thee.”

Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods - In the will of God, Judah and Israel were to unite in His service, Judah first, Jacob, after him, breaking the clods, which would hinder the seed from shooting up. Judah being mentioned in the same incidental way, as elsewhere by Hosea, it may be, that he would speak of what should follow on Ephraim’s chastisement. : “When they shall see this, the two tribes shall no longer employ themselves in treading out the grain, but shall plow. To “tread out the corn” is to act “in hope of present gain; to “plow,” is to labor in that, which has no instant fruit, but promiseth it hereafter, i. e., the fulfillment of God’s commands.” “Jacob” will then be the remnant of the ten tribes, who, at Hezekiah’s invitation, out of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, Asher, and Zebulun, joined in celebrating the passover at Jerusalem, and subsequently in destroying idolatry 2 Chronicles 30:0; 2 Chronicles 31:0. Hosea had already foretold that Judah and Israel shall be “gathered together,” under “one Head” Hosea 1:11. Here, again, he unites them in one, preparing His way first in themselves, then, in others. Judah is placed first, for to him was the promise in his forefather, the patriarch, and then in David. Ephraim was to be partaker of his blessings, by being united to him. The image of the heifer has been dropped. He had spoken of them as farmers; as such he addresses them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hosea 10:11. Ephraim is as a heifer that is taught — One thoroughly broken in to the yoke.

And loveth to tread out — Goes peaceably in the yoke; and is pleased because, not being nuzzled, she eats of the corn.

I passed over upon her fair neck — I brought the yoke upon it, that she should not tread out the corn merely, but draw the plough and drag the harrow. These operations of husbandry are all referred to here, with some others. Ephraim shall tread out the corn, that there may be seed for the fields.

Judah shall plough — That the furrows may receive it.

Jacob shall break his clods. — Harrow - that the seed may be covered with the mould.

Israel very frequently made great depredations on Judah; and as this heifer loved to tread out the corn, and not plough, it is therefore added that he should be made to plough, be put under the yoke, namely, that of the Assyrians. What is added, "Judah and Jacob shall plough for themselves," means, that Judah should not now plough for Israel, but for himself; as Israel shall no more make depredations upon him.-Dodd.


 
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