Hosea 11:8 Meaning and Explanation
“How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God cries out that He cannot bring Himself to give Israel up, His heart overturned with compassion that overwhelms His anger.
What Does Hosea 11:8 Mean?
This is the emotional summit of the chapter. After the warnings, God turns inward and questions Himself with anguished tenderness: how can He hand Ephraim over? Admah and Zeboim were cities destroyed alongside Sodom, and God recoils from making His people share that fate. 'Mine heart is turned within me' -- His compassion rises and overrules the sentence.
Here we glimpse the depth of divine love: a God who feels, who is moved, whose mercy strains against judgment and prevails. This is the love that would one day go all the way to the cross rather than give His people up. The heart that is 'turned' here is the heart that saves.
Hosea 11:8 in the Original Language
nicham (נָחַם), 'repentings' -- a deep stirring of compassion and relenting, the heart moved to spare.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 11:8
What does Hosea 11:8 mean?
God cries out that He cannot bring Himself to give Israel up, His heart overturned with compassion that overwhelms His anger.