Hosea 8:11 Meaning and Explanation
“Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Ephraim built many altars to sin, so those very altars become the occasion of more sin.
What Does Hosea 8:11 Mean?
Ephraim multiplied altars, but not for the worship God commanded; these were sites of false and self-styled religion. God turns the words back on them: the altars made for sinning become altars that deepen their sin. Religious activity, when severed from obedience, only multiplies guilt.
Here is a sober truth: worship offered on our own terms can carry us further from God rather than nearer. More altars meant more idolatry, not more grace. God desires not the busyness of ceremony but the heart that loves and obeys Him. The one altar that truly takes away sin is the cross, where Christ offered Himself once for all, and where the contrite find what no multiplied altar could ever supply.
Hosea 8:11 in the Original Language
mizbeach (מִזְבֵּחַ), 'altar' -- a place of sacrifice, from a root meaning to slaughter or offer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 8:11
What does Hosea 8:11 mean?
Ephraim built many altars to sin, so those very altars become the occasion of more sin.