The Meaning of Hosea 11:7 Explained

Hosea 11:7

KJV: And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.

YLT: And My people are hanging in suspense, about My returning, And unto the Most High they do call, Together they exalt not.

Darby: Yea, my people are bent upon backsliding from me: though they call them to the Most High, none at all exalteth him.

ASV: And my people are bent on backsliding from me: though they call them to him that is on high, none at all will exalt him .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And my people  are bent  to backsliding  from me: though they called  them to the most High,  none at all  would exalt  [him]. 

What does Hosea 11:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Israelites" resolve to abandon Yahweh was firm. In spite of the prophets" appeals to return to Him, none of them exalted the Lord by doing so. The Hebrew text of the last part of Hosea 11:7 is very difficult to understand. The NIV translators thought it meant God refused to hear the desperate cry of His people.

Context Summary

Hosea 11:1-11 - "bands Of Love"
This is a very tender chapter, full of moving appeals. God looks back on the happy, blessed past, as a fond parent on the innocent childhood of a son who is now causing endless pain and grief. He recapitulates the call from Egypt, and relates how, in obedience to His appeal, Israel came out of the idolatries of that country. He describes Israel as a tiny child beginning to walk, and says, I taught him to go. He compares the Israel of those days to horses or oxen, relieved of the yoke, before whom food is set. Let us remember that God is also willing to teach us to go, and to carry us when we are weary.
The blessed childhood of Israel had become like an overcast morning. They were bent on backsliding. But God's love is not easily repelled. What more pathetic words were ever uttered by broken-hearted parents than Hosea 11:8-9! That is the motive of our plea still. If we were dealing with man, we might despair. But we are dealing with One who forgives us according to the riches of His grace. If a back-slider should read these touching appeals, let him be encouraged to retrace His steps one by one, sure that the Father waits to welcome him where the by-path has broken off from the main road. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 11

1  The ingratitude of Israel unto God for his benefits
5  His judgment
8  God's mercy toward them
12  Israel's falsehood and Judah's fidelity

What do the individual words in Hosea 11:7 mean?

And My people are bent on backsliding from Me and Though to the Most High they call at all none exalt [Him]
וְעַמִּ֥י תְלוּאִ֖ים לִמְשֽׁוּבָתִ֑י וְאֶל־ עַל֙ יִקְרָאֻ֔הוּ יַ֖חַד לֹ֥א יְרוֹמֵם‪‬

וְעַמִּ֥י  And  My  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
תְלוּאִ֖ים  are  bent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: תָּלָא  
Sense: (Qal) to hang, hang to, cling to.
לִמְשֽׁוּבָתִ֑י  on  backsliding  from  Me 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מְשׁוּבָה  
Sense: turning away, turning back, apostasy, backsliding.
וְאֶל־  and  Though  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עַל֙  the  Most  High 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַל  
Sense: height adv.
יִקְרָאֻ֔הוּ  they  call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
יַ֖חַד  at  all 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.
לֹ֥א  none 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יְרוֹמֵם‪‬  exalt  [Him] 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.