The Meaning of Hosea 12:1 Explained

Hosea 12:1

KJV: 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.

YLT: Ephraim is enjoying wind, And is pursuing an east wind, All the day lying and spoiling he multiplieth, And a covenant with Asshur they make, And oil to Egypt is carried.

Darby: Ephraim feedeth on wind, and pursueth after the east wind: all day long he multiplieth lies and desolation; and they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

ASV: Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he continually multiplieth lies and desolation; and they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Hosea 12:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Describing Ephraim feeding on wind pictures the nation pursuing vain efforts that do not satisfy (cf. Hosea 8:7; Hosea 13:15). Reference to the east wind suggests the hot desert wind that no one in his right mind would pursue. Ephraim also multiplied lies and violence, evidences of internal social injustice (cf. Hosea 4:2; Hosea 7:1). She made covenants (treaties) with Assyria and Egypt rather than trusting in God (cf. Hosea 5:13; Hosea 7:8; Hosea 7:11; Hosea 8:8-9; 2 Kings 17:3-4; 2 Kings 18:21; Isaiah 30:7). Carrying oil to Egypt probably pictures Ephraim fulfilling a covenant obligation to her treaty partner.

Context Summary

Hos 12:1-14 - Turn To God, Not To Selfish Gain
Though Judah still ruled with God, Hosea 11:12, yet there was grave fault in him, and, like Ephraim, which had been engaging the prophet's thought, he also must come under the rod. But throughout this paragraph there lingers the sweet music of the previous chapter, and especially the reminiscence of Israel's early days, when he had power with the Angel and prevailed. The angel-haunted ideals and resolves of Beth-el could not be forgotten. Tears and weakness are the best arguments with God. He yields to us when we are weak; He yields to our despair. The soul that has been shut up to God and then casts itself at His feet can have what it will. Only beware lest after such an interview with the Angel, you deteriorate into a deceitful trafficker, and allow your God-given power to be reduced to making gain.
Notwithstanding all, God was still willing to call His people to the Feast of Tabernacles, the gladdest of all the feasts in the Hebrew year. But even divine love was thwarted by their inveterate sinning. How wonderfully these ancient prophets conceived of the love of God! The spirit of revelation led them to make declarations that the Cross has more than realized! [source]

Chapter Summary: Hos 12

1  A reproof of Ephraim, Judah, and Jacob
3  By former favors he exhorts to repentance
7  Ephraim's sins provoke God

What do the individual words in Hosea 12:1 mean?

Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east [wind] all daily lies and desolation He increases and a covenant with Assyria they make and oil to Egypt is carried
אֶפְרַ֜יִם רֹעֶ֥ה ר֙וּחַ֙ וְרֹדֵ֣ף קָדִ֔ים כָּל־ הַיּ֕וֹם כָּזָ֥ב וָשֹׁ֖ד יַרְבֶּ֑ה וּבְרִית֙ עִם־ אַשּׁ֣וּר יִכְרֹ֔תוּ וְשֶׁ֖מֶן לְמִצְרַ֥יִם יוּבָֽל

אֶפְרַ֜יִם  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
רֹעֶ֥ה  feeds 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
ר֙וּחַ֙  on  the  wind 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
וְרֹדֵ֣ף  and  pursues 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
קָדִ֔ים  the  east  [wind] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָדִים  
Sense: east, east wind.
הַיּ֕וֹם  daily 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
כָּזָ֥ב  lies 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כָּזָב  
Sense: a lie, untruth, falsehood, deceptive thing.
וָשֹׁ֖ד  and  desolation 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁד  
Sense: havoc, violence, destruction, devastation, ruin.
יַרְבֶּ֑ה  He  increases 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
וּבְרִית֙  and  a  covenant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
אַשּׁ֣וּר  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
יִכְרֹ֔תוּ  they  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
וְשֶׁ֖מֶן  and  oil 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
לְמִצְרַ֥יִם  to  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
יוּבָֽל  is  carried 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָבַל  
Sense: to bring, lead, carry, conduct, bear along.