The Meaning of Hosea 8:10 Explained

Hosea 8:10

KJV: Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

YLT: Also though they hire among nations, Now I gather them, and they are pained a little, From the burden of a king of princes.

Darby: Although they hire among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall begin to be straitened under the burden of the king of princes.

ASV: Yea, though they hire among the nations, now will I gather them; and they begin to be diminished by reason of the burden of the king of princes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yea, though they have hired  among the nations,  now will I gather  them, and they shall sorrow  a little  for the burden  of the king  of princes. 

What does Hosea 8:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Hiring allies among the pagan nations by making treaties with them would not work. Yahweh Himself would gather them up to judge them. He would use as His instrument of judgment "the king of princes," namely, the king of the Assyrian Empire, the very king to whom the Israelites appealed for protection (cf. Hosea 10:6; Isaiah 10:8). The result would be the diminution of the nation of Israel.

Context Summary

Hosea 8:1-14 - Reaping The Whirlwind
A conqueror was at hand who should subdue and punish the whole nation for taking its own course, irrespective of God, Hosea 8:4-8; for seeking foreign alliances which could bring only oppression in their train, Hosea 8:9-10; and for multiplying altars and fortresses which were destined to be destroyed, Hosea 8:11; Hosea 8:14. The circumstances referred to in this chapter seem to point to the reigns of Menahem and Uzziah, 2 Kings 15:19; 2 Chronicles 26:6-15.
Hosea 8:5 is very striking. Israel had renounced Jehovah for the likeness of a calf, and now in the misfortunes which had overtaken them, their calf had cast them off. What is it that you are putting in the place of God? Power, wealth, the help of influential friends? Sooner or later it will fail you. How different is the One who perpetually encourages us, saying, "I will not fail nor forsake thee," and who promises to carry us to hoar hairs. The persistence with which Israel turned to other lovers left God no option but to put them back into a furnace such as Egypt had been, which would finally burn put their apostasy. Only when we walk before God with a perfect heart are we strong and happy. Once entangle yourself with expedients and alliances, and you lay yourself open to many sorrows. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 8

1  Destruction is threatened both to Israel and Judah for their impiety and idolatry

What do the individual words in Hosea 8:10 mean?

Yes though they have hired among the nations now I will gather them and they shall sorrow a little because of the burden of the king of princes
גַּ֛ם כִּֽי־ יִתְנ֥וּ בַגּוֹיִ֖ם עַתָּ֣ה אֲקַבְּצֵ֑ם וַיָּחֵ֣לּוּ מְּעָ֔ט מִמַּשָּׂ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ שָׂרִֽים

גַּ֛ם  Yes 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
כִּֽי־  though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יִתְנ֥וּ  they  have  hired 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּנָה  
Sense: to hire.
בַגּוֹיִ֖ם  among  the  nations 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
עַתָּ֣ה  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
אֲקַבְּצֵ֑ם  I  will  gather  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
וַיָּחֵ֣לּוּ  and  they  shall  sorrow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
מְּעָ֔ט  a  little 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
מִמַּשָּׂ֖א  because  of  the  burden 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַשָּׂא 
Sense: load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting.
מֶ֥לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
שָׂרִֽים  of  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.