Hosea 6:7 Meaning and Explanation
“But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The people broke the covenant and betrayed God, dealing faithlessly with the One who bound Himself to them.
What Does Hosea 6:7 Mean?
After naming what He desires, God names what He received instead. The people broke covenant and acted treacherously, a word drawn from the betrayal of a marriage -- fitting for a book where Israel's unfaithfulness is pictured as adultery against a faithful husband.
Covenant is the language of binding love, a relationship sealed by promise. To break it is not merely to slip up but to betray trust. The verse weighs the seriousness of turning from God, yet it sits inside a book whose whole burden is that the betrayed God still seeks His people. Human faithlessness is real, and divine faithfulness runs deeper still.
Hosea 6:7 in the Original Language
bagad (בָּגַד), 'dealt treacherously' -- to betray, the word for a faithless spouse breaking trust.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 6:7
What does Hosea 6:7 mean?
The people broke the covenant and betrayed God, dealing faithlessly with the One who bound Himself to them.