Hosea 10:11
in Hosea 10Ephraim 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Hosea 10
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"Ephraim likes to tread his grain, as a trained cow; and I passed over his beauty in the hill and climbed over Ephraim: Judah will plow; Jacob will break up the land for himself." LXX: "Ephraim is a cow" (or "heifer:" for what is called Egla in Hebrew means both a calf and heifer), so "Ephraim is a trained cow that loves to thresh; but I will come over his beautiful hill; I will set upon Ephraim, and Judah will be silent. Jacob will again be strengthened."
This site's exposition
a well-trained heifer
on Hosea 10:11-13
Ephraim is "a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh", unmuzzled (Deuteronomy 25:4), and now the LORD will "place a yoke on her fair neck". "Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion" calls Israel to repent while "it is time to seek the LORD".
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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.
"But," says God, "I have a yoke to put upon her fair neck, fair as it is. I will make Ephraim to ride, that is, I will tame them, or cause them to be ridden by the Assyrians and other conquerors that shall rule them with rigour, as men do the beasts they ride upon ( Ps. lxvi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Ride - I will ride on Ephraim and tame him. Shall plow - Judah tho' less sinful hath been used to harder labour; hath plowed when Ephraim hath reaped. Break his clods - The same in another proverbial speech, their work at present is harder, but there is an harvest follows.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
I passed over upon--I put the yoke upon. make . . . to ride--as in Job 30:22; that is, hurry Ephraim away to a distant region [CALVIN]. LYRA translates, "I will make (the Assyrian) to ride upon Ephraim." MAURER, "I will make Ephraim to carry," namely, a charioteer. his clods--"the clods before him."
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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 muzzled, 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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
With My will, I chastised them According to My will, I always chastised them from judge to judge, and I delivered them into the hands of their plunderers.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Sow righteousness for yourselves But you have plowed wickedness etc.; therefore, a tumult shall rise in your people.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֶפְרַ֜יִם | veefrayim | and Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| עֶגְלָ֤ה | ʾeglah | [was] a heifer | H5697 → | |
| מְלֻמָּדָה֙ | melumadah | trained | H3925 → | |
| אֹהַ֣בְתִּי | ʾohavti | [which] loved | H157 → | 211 times |
| לָד֔וּשׁ | ladush | to thresh | H1758 → | |
| וַאֲנִ֣י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| עָבַ֔רְתִּי | ʾavarti | I passed | H5674 → | 556 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| ט֖וּב | tuv | [the] goodness of | H2898 → | |
| צַוָּארָ֑הּ | tzavarah | neck its | H6677 → | |
| אַרְכִּ֤יב | ʾarkiv | I will cause to draw | H7392 → | |
| אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| יַחֲר֣וֹשׁ | yacharoosh | it will plow | H2790 → | |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| יְשַׂדֶּד־ | yesaded- | it will harrow | H7702 → | |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | <for> itself | ||
| יַעֲקֹֽב׃ | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
וְאֶפְרַ֜יִםand Ephraim
veefrayimH669 →180 times
עֶגְלָ֤ה[was] a heifer
ʾeglahH5697 →
מְלֻמָּדָה֙trained
melumadahH3925 →
אֹהַ֣בְתִּי[which] loved
ʾohavtiH157 →211 times
לָד֔וּשׁto thresh
ladushH1758 →
וַאֲנִ֣יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
עָבַ֔רְתִּיI passed
ʾavartiH5674 →556 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
ט֖וּב[the] goodness of
tuvH2898 →
צַוָּארָ֑הּneck its
tzavarahH6677 →
אַרְכִּ֤יבI will cause to draw
ʾarkivH7392 →
אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙Ephraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 times
יַחֲר֣וֹשׁit will plow
yacharooshH2790 →
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
יְשַׂדֶּד־it will harrow
yesaded-H7702 →
ל֖וֹ<for> itself
lo
יַעֲקֹֽב׃Jacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 25:4Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 5:17–18
Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
- 1 Corinthians 9:9–10
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
- Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.
- 1 Timothy 5:17–18
Through
Hosea 2:5For their mother has played the harlot and has conceived them in disgrace. For she thought, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me bread and water, wool and linen, oil and drink.’
it leads to
- Jeremiah 44:17–18
Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials…
- Hosea 2:8
For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold—which they crafted for Baal.
- Hosea 3:1
Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn…
- Isaiah 1:21
See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!
- Jeremiah 44:17–18
Through
Hosea 9:1Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.
it leads to
- Hosea 10:5
The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced in its glory— for it has been taken from them into…
- Hosea 10:5
Where this verse is studied
About Hosea
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonPatriarchsJacobThe heel-grasping supplanter reshaped at Peniel into 'Israel, he who strives with God' — father of the twelve tribes.
- PlaceJudeaEphraimThe town near the wilderness where Jesus withdrew with His disciples before the last Passover (John 11:54).
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Hosea 10:11; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.