Hosea 12:1 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Ephraim chases empty things, multiplying deceit and seeking safety through foreign alliances rather than through God.
What Does Hosea 12:1 Mean?
The prophet opens with a vivid image of Ephraim, the leading tribe of the northern kingdom. To feed on wind and pursue the scorching east wind is to spend one's life grasping at what cannot nourish or hold. Israel is busy with diplomacy, sealing a treaty with Assyria while sending gifts of oil down to Egypt, playing the great powers against each other.
Beneath the politics lies a spiritual problem: a people who will trust anything except the God who made covenant with them. The east wind in that land withered crops and brought drought; to chase it is to court ruin. The warning reaches every heart that hopes in things that cannot save. Security bought with lies and shifting loyalties is no security at all, and the soul that lives on wind goes hungry.
Hosea 12:1 in the Original Language
qadim (קָדִים), 'east wind' -- the hot desert wind that scorched and withered, a picture of destructive futility.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 12:1
What does Hosea 12:1 mean?
Ephraim chases empty things, multiplying deceit and seeking safety through foreign alliances rather than through God.