Hosea 12:7 Meaning and Explanation
“He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Israel has become like a dishonest trader, holding false scales and loving to defraud.
What Does Hosea 12:7 Mean?
The word rendered merchant is also the name Canaan, so the charge cuts deep: God's people, called to be set apart, have become like a scheming trader with rigged scales. False balances were the classic tool of the cheat, weighing out less than was owed. The accusation is not only that Israel does this but that it loves to oppress.
The grasping that marked Jacob before his turning has become the settled character of his children, now without the saving struggle that changed him. To love oppression is to have made dishonesty a delight rather than a temptation resisted. The verse exposes how far the heart can drift, treating gain as god and neighbor as prey. It stands as a warning that worship of the true God cannot coexist with a hand that cheats and a heart that enjoys the cheating.
Hosea 12:7 in the Original Language
kena'an (כְּנַעַן), 'merchant' -- literally Canaan, a word that came to mean trader, here a pointed name for God's people turned dishonest.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 12:7
What does Hosea 12:7 mean?
Israel has become like a dishonest trader, holding false scales and loving to defraud.