God’s Compassion Despite Israel’s Ingratitude
11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 The more I[a] called them,
the more they went from me;[b]
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and offering incense to idols.
3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up in my[c] arms,
but they did not know that I healed them.
4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
with bands of love.
I was to them like those
who lift infants to their cheeks.[d]
I bent down to them and fed them.
5 They shall return to the land of Egypt,
and Assyria shall be their king,
because they have refused to return to me.
6 The sword rages in their cities;
it consumes their oracle priests
and devours because of their schemes.
7 My people are bent on turning away from me.
To the Most High they call,
but he does not raise them up at all.[e]
8 How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
9 I will not execute my fierce anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim,
for I am God and no mortal,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.[f]
10 They shall go after the Lord,
who roars like a lion;
when he roars,
his children shall come trembling from the west.
11 They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt
and like doves from the land of Assyria,
and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord.
12 [g]Ephraim has surrounded me with lies
and the house of Israel with deceit,
but Judah still walks[h] with God
and is faithful to the Holy One.
In brief: God recalls loving Israel as a child, condemns its unfaithfulness, and expresses compassion alongside threatened judgment.[1]
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God’s Compassion Despite Israel’s Ingratitude · Issue: The Flight To Egypt
Read the Passage
Reference: Hosea 11
Translation: New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE). Genre: prophetic poetry.
Short verified excerpt:
When Israel was a child, I loved him …
Read the complete selection on Bible Gateway.[1]
What Is Happening Here?
Summary — paraphrase: God recalls loving Israel as a child, condemns its unfaithfulness, and expresses compassion alongside threatened judgment.[1]
Focus question: How does parental imagery shape the relationship between God and Israel?
The chapter names Israel/Ephraim, Baal worship, Egypt, and Assyria. The northern prophet’s political world included Assyrian expansion and unstable alliances.[1][2]
Author, Date, and Cultural Setting
Authorship: The book preserves prophecy associated with Hosea, a northern Israelite prophet active approximately 750–725 BCE according to the USCCB introduction. This does not identify every stage of collection and editing.[3]
Historical period: Eighth-century BCE northern Israel, with Assyrian expansion and political instability; exact dates of collection and editing uncertain.[3]
Words and Background That Help
The key terms and images should be read within the prophetic poetry setting described above. An English wording does not by itself establish its full Hebrew or Greek semantic range. No manuscript collation or critical-edition comparison was performed for this draft.
How Is This Passage Understood?
In its opening verse, the son is Israel and the call from Egypt recalls the people’s past. The USCCB note on Matthew 2:15 explains Matthew’s later application to Jesus as a new-exodus pattern. Historical reference and later Christian reuse should be distinguished.[1][2]
Evidence scope: This is an introductory, source-limited interpretation, not a survey establishing the numerical distribution of specialist opinion. The USCCB materials are Catholic annotated-bible resources; their theological readings are not treated as independent proof of religious claims.
What Can We Conclude?
Supported by the inspected text: God recalls loving Israel as a child, condemns its unfaithfulness, and expresses compassion alongside threatened judgment.[1]
Limits and open questions: Hosea 11:1 is not, in its immediate wording, a prediction naming Jesus. The chapter also contains textual notes in NRSVUE; no manuscript collation was carried out.
Learn More
- NRSVUE passage, Bible Gateway: Complete selection. Primary text in English; beginner level. The selected passage was retrieved and its relevant wording inspected; only a brief quotation is reproduced here.
- **USCCB, Hosea introduction (publication date not established): Read. Catholic annotated-bible introduction for authorship, genre, and historical context; beginner/intermediate. Relevant text inspected; free access.
- USCCB chapter notes: Read. Context and interpretive discussion for the precise unit; Catholic annotated-bible resource, beginner/intermediate; relevant sections inspected in free text.
Related records: No access · No access.
Review status: Research draft for human review. Exact unit dates and disputed reconstructions remain qualified; no public-copy preparation or approval is implied.