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Hosea 12

1

Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.

2

The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.

3

He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:

4

Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Beth–el, and there he spake with us;

1
5

Even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his memorial.

6

Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

7

He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

8

And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.

9

And I that am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.

10

I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.

11

Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.

12

And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

13

And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.

14

Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.

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Hosea 12:4

“Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Beth–el, and there he spake with us;”

Study Summary

The statement that Jacob strove with the angel (the messenger of God) in Peniel and wept and made supplication suggests the struggle at Peniel (Genesis 32:24-30) as a prototype of Israel's wrestling with God. The weeping and supplication indicate the earnestness that should characterize the struggle, suggesting that if Israel would weep and supplicate as Jacob did, they might prevail. This verse uses Jacob's wrestling as a model for the repentance Israel needs to undertake.

Community Reflections

1
Sarah Koenig (test user)1d ago
Walking by faith — Hosea 12

God is faithful in every circumstance.. What a reminder that God's ways are not our ways. The imagery here is agricultural — the original audience would have immediately understood the metaphor of sowing, waiting, and harvesting.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The Hebrew word used here carries a richness that English can't fully capture. Now I understand why — it's a daily declaration of dependence on God.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. We bring nothing; He provides everything.. God meets us exactly where we are — broken, uncertain, yet chosen. This connects directly to the promise made to Abraham. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. It…

Read the note →

Hosea 12:4

“Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Beth–el, and there he spake with us;”

Study Summary

The statement that Jacob strove with the angel (the messenger of God) in Peniel and wept and made supplication suggests the struggle at Peniel (Genesis 32:24-30) as a prototype of Israel's wrestling with God. The weeping and supplication indicate the earnestness that should characterize the struggle, suggesting that if Israel would weep and supplicate as Jacob did, they might prevail. This verse uses Jacob's wrestling as a model for the repentance Israel needs to undertake.

Community Reflections

1
Sarah Koenig (test user)1d ago
Walking by faith — Hosea 12

God is faithful in every circumstance.. What a reminder that God's ways are not our ways. The imagery here is agricultural — the original audience would have immediately understood the metaphor of sowing, waiting, and harvesting.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The Hebrew word used here carries a richness that English can't fully capture. Now I understand why — it's a daily declaration of dependence on God.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. We bring nothing; He provides everything.. God meets us exactly where we are — broken, uncertain, yet chosen. This connects directly to the promise made to Abraham. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. It…

Read the note →

Hosea 12:4

The statement that Jacob strove with the angel (the messenger of God) in Peniel and wept and made supplication suggests the struggle at Peniel (Genesis 32:24-30) as a prototype of Israel's wrestling with God. The weeping and supplication indicate the earnestness that should characterize the struggle, suggesting that if Israel would weep and supplicate as Jacob did, they might prevail. This verse uses Jacob's wrestling as a model for the repentance Israel needs to undertake.