Hosea 10:5 The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests--those who rejoiced in its glory--for it has been taken from them into exile.

◄ Hosea 10:5 ►

New International Version
The people who live in Samaria fear for the calf-idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it, and so will its idolatrous priests, those who had rejoiced over its splendor, because it is taken from them into exile.

New Living Translation
The people of Samaria tremble in fear for their calf idol at Beth-aven, and they mourn for it. Though its priests rejoice over it, its glory will be stripped away.

English Standard Version
The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf of Beth-aven. Its people mourn for it, and so do its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced over it and over its glory— for it has departed from them.

Berean Standard Bible
The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests—those who rejoiced in its glory—for it has been taken from them into exile.

King James Bible
The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

New King James Version
The inhabitants of Samaria fear Because of the calf of Beth Aven. For its people mourn for it, And its priests shriek for it— Because its glory has departed from it.

New American Standard Bible
The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its glory, since it has left it.

NASB 1995
The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its glory, since it has departed from it.

NASB 1977
The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its glory, since it has departed from it.

Legacy Standard Bible
The dweller of Samaria will fear For the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its glory, since it has gone into exile from them.

Amplified Bible
The people of Samaria will fear and tremble For the [idolatrous] calf of Beth-aven (House of Wickedness). Indeed, its people will mourn over it And its idolatrous priests will cry out and wail over it, Over its glory, because the glory [of their calf god] has departed from it.

Christian Standard Bible
The residents of Samaria will have anxiety over the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it; the people will mourn over it, over its glory. It will certainly go into exile.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The residents of Samaria will have anxiety over the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its idolatrous priests rejoiced over it; the people will mourn over it, over its glory. It will certainly depart from them.

American Standard Version
The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in terror for the calves of Beth-aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced over it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

Contemporary English Version
All who live in Samaria tremble with concern for the idols at sinful Bethel. The idol there was the pride of the priests, but it has been put to shame; now everyone will cry.

English Revised Version
The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in terror for the calves of Beth-aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced over it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Those who live in Samaria fear the calf-shaped idol at Beth Aven. The people will mourn over it. The priests will cry loudly because its glory will be taken away into captivity.

Good News Translation
The people who live in the city of Samaria will be afraid and will mourn the loss of the gold bull at Bethaven. They and the priests who serve the idol will weep over it. They will wail when it is stripped of its golden splendor.

International Standard Version
"The residents of Samaria will be terrified because of the cows of Beth-aven. Its people will mourn over Beth-aven, along with the priests who will mourn its glory, because that glory has departed.

Majority Standard Bible
The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests—those who rejoiced in its glory—for it has been taken from them into exile.

NET Bible
The inhabitants of Samaria will lament over the calf idol of Beth Aven. Its people will mourn over it; its idolatrous priests will wail over it, because its splendor will be taken from them into exile.

New Heart English Bible
The inhabitants of Samaria will be in terror for the calves of Beth Aven; for its people will mourn over it, Along with its priests who rejoiced over it, for its glory, because it has departed from it.

Webster's Bible Translation
The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth-aven: for its people shall mourn over it, and its priests that rejoiced on it, for its glory, because it is departed from it.

World English Bible
The inhabitants of Samaria will be in terror for the calves of Beth Aven, for its people will mourn over it, along with its priests who rejoiced over it, for its glory, because it has departed from it.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
For the inhabitants of Samaria fear the calves of Beth-Aven, "" Surely its people have mourned on account of it, "" And its priests leap about on account of it, "" Because of its glory, for it has removed from it,

Young's Literal Translation
For the calves of Beth-Aven fear do inhabitants of Samaria, Surely mourned on account of it hath its people, And its priests on account of it leap about, Because of its honour, for it hath removed from it,

Smith's Literal Translation
For the calves of the house of vanity they shall fear dwelling in Shomeron: for his people mourned over it, and his priests will exult over it, for its glory, for it was removed from it.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
The inhabitants of Samaria have worshipped the king of Bethaven: for the people thereof have mourned over it, and the wardens of its temple that rejoiced over it in its glory because it is departed from it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The inhabitants of Samaria have worshipped the calf of Bethaven. For the keepers of its temple, who had exulted over it in its glory, and its people, have mourned over it because it migrated from there.

New American Bible
The inhabitants of Samaria are afraid for the calf of Beth-aven; Its people mourn for it and its idolatrous priests wail over it, —over its glory which has departed from it.

New Revised Standard Version
The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf of Beth-aven. Its people shall mourn for it, and its idolatrous priests shall wail over it, over its glory that has departed from it.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
The inhabitants of Samaria shall sojourn to the shrine of the calf of Beth-aon; for they sat down mourning over it together with its priests; they shall rejoice over it, and over its glory because it is departed from it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The calf of Bayth Awan shall possess the settlers, dwellers of Samaria, because his people and his Priests dwelt upon it in mourning and they will rejoice over it and over his honor that has passed from it

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in dread For the calves of Beth-aven; For the people thereof shall mourn over it, And the priests thereof shall tremble for it, For its glory, because it is departed from it.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The inhabitants of Samaria shall dwell near the calf of the house of On; for the people of it mourned for it: and as they provoked him, they shall rejoice at his glory, because he has departed from them.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Retribution for Israel's Sin
…4They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field. 5The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn with its idolatrous priests — those who rejoiced in its glory— for it has been taken from them into exile. 6Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

1 Kings 12:28-30
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” / One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. / And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.

2 Kings 17:16
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.

Amos 8:14
Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the way of Beersheba lives’—they will fall, never to rise again.”

1 Kings 13:33-34
Even after these events, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil ways, but again he appointed priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained anyone who desired to be a priest of the high places. / And this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its extermination and destruction from the face of the earth.

2 Kings 10:29
but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

2 Chronicles 11:15
And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.

Exodus 32:4-6
He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” / When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” / So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

Jeremiah 48:13
Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.

Isaiah 46:1-2
Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal. / The gods cower; they crouch together, unable to relieve the burden; but they themselves go into captivity.

1 Corinthians 10:7
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”

2 Kings 17:21
When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.

2 Kings 23:15
He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole.

Isaiah 2:20
In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship.

Jeremiah 2:28
But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.

Acts 7:41
At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.

Treasury of Scripture

The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

the calves.

Hosea 8:5,6
Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? …

Hosea 13:2
And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

1 Kings 12:28-32
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt…

Beth-aven.

Hosea 4:15
Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

Hosea 5:8
Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.

Joshua 7:2
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

for the people.

Judges 18:24
And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

Revelation 18:11-19
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: …

the priests.

2 Kings 23:5
And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

Zephaniah 1:4
I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;

for the glory.

Hosea 9:11
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

1 Samuel 4:21,22
And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband…

Acts 19:27
So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

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Account Aven Beth Bethaven Beth-Aven Calf Calves Cries Cry Departed Dread Fear Flight Full Glory Grief Honour Idolatrous Indeed Inhabitants Leap Mourn Mourned Ox Priests Rejoiced Removed Samaria Sama'ria Sorrow Surely Terror Thereof Tremble

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Hosea 10

1. Israel is reproved and threatened for their impiety and idolatry,
12. and exhorted to repentance.

Berean Study Bible

The people of Samaria
The term "Samaria" refers to the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Historically, Samaria was a center of idolatry and political intrigue. The people of Samaria, representing the Northern Kingdom, are depicted as being deeply entrenched in idol worship. This phrase highlights the collective identity of the Israelites who have turned away from God, emphasizing the communal nature of their sin and the impending judgment.

will fear
The Hebrew root for "fear" here is "yare," which can mean to be afraid, to stand in awe, or to revere. In this context, it suggests a fear that arises from impending judgment and loss. The people are not fearing God, as they should, but rather fearing the consequences of losing their idol, which underscores their misplaced priorities and spiritual blindness.

for the calf of Beth-aven
"Beth-aven" means "house of wickedness," a derogatory name for Bethel, which means "house of God." This play on words signifies the transformation of a place meant for worshiping God into a center of idolatry. The "calf" refers to the golden calf idol, reminiscent of the sin of Aaron's golden calf in Exodus. This idol represents the people's departure from true worship and their reliance on false gods.

Indeed, its people will mourn for it
The mourning here is not for sin or repentance but for the loss of the idol. The Hebrew word "abal" for "mourn" indicates a deep lamentation, often associated with death. This mourning reflects the spiritual death and emptiness that result from idolatry, as the people grieve over the loss of something that was never alive or able to save them.

and its idolatrous priests will cry out over it
The "idolatrous priests," or "kemarim" in Hebrew, were those who served the false gods. Their crying out is a lament for the loss of their status and power, which were tied to the idol. This phrase highlights the futility and desperation of those who have invested their lives in what is ultimately worthless, emphasizing the emptiness of idolatry.

over its glory
The "glory" of the calf is a tragic irony. What the people considered glorious was an abomination to God. The Hebrew word "kabod" often refers to weightiness or honor, but here it is misplaced. This misplaced glory underscores the distortion of values when God is not at the center of worship.

because it has departed from them
The departure of the idol's "glory" signifies the loss of what the people falsely believed was their source of strength and identity. This phrase echoes the departure of God's glory from the temple in Ezekiel, symbolizing divine judgment. It serves as a sobering reminder that anything apart from God is transient and ultimately leads to desolation.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) It is hard to express the sarcastic force and concentrated scoff of the original: "calves," literally, she calves, the feminine form to express contempt, the plural in allusion to the scattered worship in numerous shrines throughout Israel (or, perhaps, a pluralis majestatis of mockery). The next clause should read thus:--For it (pers. pronoun, referring to the calf par excellence of the chief seat of worship at Bethel, here degraded into Bethaven), people mourn because of it, and its priests tremble because of it. (The word for "priests," kemarim, means always idolatrous priesthood.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear Because of the calves of Beth-aven. Samaria was the capital of Israel, the northern kingdom. Bethel means "house of God," once a place of sacred memory from its association with the history of the patriarch Jacob; afterward one of the two centers of idolatrous worship, and here called Beth-aven, "house of vanity," because of the idolatry. The word for "calves" is in the feminine, in order to express contempt for those idols which Jeroboam set up. With this have been compared the following expressions in Greek and Latin: Ἀχαι'´ιδες οὐκ ἔτ Ἀχαιοὶ, and O vere Phrygiae, nec enim Phryges! The Hebrews ignored the existence of female divinities, as of their, ten names of the Deity all are masculine. The feminine may also imply their weakness; so far from helping their worshippers, their worshippers were in trepidation for them, or rather it, lest it should be carried away captive. Further, this same word is in the plural, to cast ridicule on it, as if mimicking the plural of majesty, or rather, perhaps, to include that of Dan, or to intimate that the calf of Bethel, the more celebrated place, was that after which the calf of Dan and probably those of other places were fashioned, especially so as it is afterwards referred to in the singular. Besides, a few - a very few - manuscripts, it is true, read the singular, as also the LXX., which has μόσχος, and the Syriac; while Bathe, relying on these authorities, maintains the reading to have been לְעֶגְלַת in the singular. Others suppose an enallage of both gender and number; or an indefinite generality is expressed by the plural, while for abstracts the feminine is used. The coming punishment is casting its shadow before, so that the inhabitants, perceiving symptoms of its approach, tremble for their god of gold, now, like themselves, in greatest jeopardy. For the people thereof shall mourn over it. The people of Israel are now called the people of the calf, as once they had been the people of Jehovah, and as Moab was called the people of Chemosh. They had chosen the calf for their god. Of their own free-will they had done so, though at first enjoined and prompted to adopt this course by the mandate of their king; they had even rejoiced and gloried in it. Now they mourn for their idol, which can neither help itself nor them. And the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it. According to this rendering, the relative must be understood before "rejoiced," which, though quite possible and not ungrammatical, is, however, unnecessary. The Hebrew commentators all understand the word in the sense of "joy" or "jubilation;" thus Rashi says," Why is it that its people mourn over, it and its priests, who always rejoiced over it, now mourn over its glory that is gone away?" The word גִיל, however, is primarily "to twist or whirl one's self," and is thence applied to any violent emotion, generally of joy, also of anxiety and fear, as here, so that the simpler and more correct rendering is, the priests thereof shall tremble for it, for its glory, because it is departed from it. The priests here mentioned have a peculiar name, kemarim, from kamar, to be black, from the black garments in which they ministered, and are thus distinguished as ministers of a foreign cult; for kohen is the usual word for a Hebrew priest, and his robe of office is said to have been white. The glory of the calf-god was not the temple treasure at Bethel, nor its glory as the state God set up there, but the honor and the Divine halo with which its worship there was surrounded. Thus Kimchi: "When its glory is departed from it; and this means the honor of its worship. When the calf is broken before their eyes its glory shall depart from it." The perfects of "mourn" and "departed" are prophetic, denoting the certainty of the events, though yet future; while galah and yagilu form the favorite assonance. But a question still remains - Why is Samaria and not Beth-avert said to mourn? To this the explanation of Kimchi is a satisfactory reply: "The inhabitants of Samaria tremble. And the prophet makes mention of Samaria, though there were no calves there, because it was the metropolis of the kingdom, where the kings of Israel resided, and it was these kings who strengthened the people in the worship of the calves. And he says," When Bethel is laid waste, and the calves cannot deliver it, the inhabitants of Samaria tremble for themselves, which place (Samaria) the King of Assyria laid siege to for three years."

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

The people
שְׁכַ֣ן (šə·ḵan)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7934: A resident, a fellow-citizen

of Samaria
שֹֽׁמְר֑וֹן (šō·mə·rō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8111: Samaria -- capital of northern kingdom of Israel

will fear
יָג֖וּרוּ (yā·ḡū·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1481: To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility

for the calf
לְעֶגְלוֹת֙ (lə·‘eḡ·lō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 5697: A, calf, one nearly grown

of
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew

Beth-aven.
אָ֔וֶן (’ā·wen)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1007: Beth-aven -- between

Indeed,
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

its people
עַמּ֗וֹ (‘am·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

will mourn
אָבַ֨ל (’ā·ḇal)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 56: To bewail

for it
עָלָ֜יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

with its idolatrous priests—
וּכְמָרָיו֙ (ū·ḵə·mā·rāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3649: An ascetic, an idolatrous priest

those who rejoiced
יָגִ֔ילוּ (yā·ḡî·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1523: To spin round, rejoice, fear

in
עָלָ֣יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

its glory—
כְּבוֹד֖וֹ (kə·ḇō·w·ḏōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3519: Weight, splendor, copiousness

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

it has been taken from them into exile.
גָלָ֥ה (ḡā·lāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

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OT Prophets: Hosea 10:5 The inhabitants of Samaria will be (Ho Hs Hos.)