Hosea 7:11
New International Version
“Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless— now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria.

New Living Translation
“The people of Israel have become like silly, witless doves, first calling to Egypt, then flying to Assyria for help.

English Standard Version
Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria.

Berean Standard Bible
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.

King James Bible
Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

New King James Version
“Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense— They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria.

New American Standard Bible
So Ephraim has become like a gullible dove, without sense; They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

NASB 1995
So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense; They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

NASB 1977
So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense; They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without a heart of wisdom; They call to Egypt; they go to Assyria.

Amplified Bible
Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without heart or good sense; They call to Egypt [for help], they go to Assyria.

Christian Standard Bible
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove; they call to Egypt, and they go to Assyria.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove; they call to Egypt, and they go to Assyria.

American Standard Version
And Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding: they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Aphreim was like a baby dove; there is no heart in him; they came to Egypt and they went to Assyria

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Ephraim was as a silly dove, not having a heart: he called to Egypt, and they went to the Assyrians.

Contemporary English Version
Israel is a senseless bird, fluttering back and forth between Egypt and Assyria.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Ephraim is become as a dove that is decoyed, not having a heart: they called upon Egypt, they went to the Assyrians.

English Revised Version
And Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding: they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Ephraim, you are like a silly, senseless dove. You call for Egypt and run to Assyria for help.

Good News Translation
Israel flits around like a silly pigeon; first her people call on Egypt for help, and then they run to Assyria!

International Standard Version
"Ephraim is also like a silly dove, lacking sense: They call out to Egypt, and turn toward Assyria.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Ephraim is become like a silly dove, without understanding; They call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria.

Literal Standard Version
And Ephraim is as a simple dove without heart, | Egypt they called on—[to] Asshur they have gone.

Majority Standard Bible
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.

New American Bible
Ephraim is like a dove, silly and senseless; They call upon Egypt, they go to Assyria.

NET Bible
Ephraim has been like a dove, easily deceived and lacking discernment. They called to Egypt for help; they turned to Assyria for protection.

New Revised Standard Version
Ephraim has become like a dove, silly and without sense; they call upon Egypt, they go to Assyria.

New Heart English Bible
"Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

World English Bible
“Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.

Young's Literal Translation
And Ephraim is as a simple dove without heart, Egypt they called on -- to Asshur they have gone.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ephraim's Iniquity
10Israel’s arrogance testifies against them, yet they do not return to the LORD their God; despite all this, they do not seek Him. 11So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove— calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria. 12As they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the air. I will chastise them when I hear them flocking together.…

Cross References
Matthew 10:16
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

Hosea 4:11
Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

Hosea 5:4
Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for a spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know the LORD.

Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.

Hosea 8:9
For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey on its own. Ephraim has hired lovers.

Hosea 8:13
Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.


Treasury of Scripture

Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

a silly.

Hosea 11:11
They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.

without.

Hosea 4:11
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

Proverbs 6:32
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

Proverbs 15:32
He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

they call.

Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

Hosea 8:8,9
Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure…

Hosea 9:3
They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

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Asshur Assyria Cry Deceived Dove Easily Egypt Ephraim E'phraim Foolish Heart Sense Senseless Silly Turning Understanding Wisdom
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Asshur Assyria Cry Deceived Dove Easily Egypt Ephraim E'phraim Foolish Heart Sense Senseless Silly Turning Understanding Wisdom
Hosea 7
1. A reproof of manifold sins.
11. God's wrath against them for their hypocrisy.














(11) Silly dove.--No creature is less able to defend itself than the dove, which flies from the bird of prey to the net of the fowler. In this powerful metaphor we have a political allusion. King Hoshea is called Ausih on the Assyrian monuments. Having usurped the throne after the murder of Pekah, he "purchased his recognition as king of Israel by giving a large present to the Assyrian monarch" (730 B.C.). (See Geo. Smith, Assyria--S.P.C.K.) But while Hoshea was sending tribute to Assyria he was secretly coquetting with Egypt. The alliance between Egypt and the king of Israel, mentioned in 2Kings 17:4, took place later, after Tiglath-pileser's death, and led to Israel's ruin. On the other hand, many commentators (Ewald, Nowack, &c.) refer the allusions of this verse to the reign of Menahem.

Without heart.--Better, without understanding.

Verse 11. - Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart. The silliness of the dove, with which the stupidity of Ephraim is compared, is not manifested by its missing its nest and resting-place, and then helplessly fluttering about, according to Ewald; nor by its falling into the net of the bird-catcher in its effort to escape from the hawk, according to Hitzig; nor by its neither grieving nor searching for its young when it is robbed of them, according to Jerome; nor by its becoming dejected or devoid of consideration when it has lost its young, according to the Targum; but by its flying right into the net of the bird-catcher, without suspecting or observing it in its search for food, according to Rosenmüller. Thus Kimchi explains it: "The prophet compares Ephraim to a dove which gets caught in a net owing to its simplicity, because it has no sense to perceive that, when it goes to gather grains of corn, a net is spread there to catch it. So Ephraim, when they went and asked help from Assyria or from Egypt, (did not perceive) that they went to their hurt, when they sought help from the foreign nations and not from God - blessed be he! - in whose hand all is. And he mentions the dove, though it is the manner of other birds, because the dove has no bitterness, as if it went in simplicity and without apprehension of the evil that would come upon it." They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. The position of Palestine exposed its inhabitants to attacks from the two great rival powers of Egypt and Assyria, or Babylon. "It stood midway," says Stanley, "between the two great seats of ancient empire, Babylon and Egypt. It was on the high-road from one to the other of these mighty powers, the prize for which they contended, the battlefield on which they fought, the lofty bridge over which they ascended and descended respectively into the deep basins of the Nile and Euphrates." Accordingly the rulers of the people sought help, now from Egypt to strengthen them against the oppression of Assyria; at another time they sought to secure the support of Assyria. The most powerful enemy of the northern kingdom was Assyria, which distressed that kingdom more and more, until at last they made an end of it. "But," says Kimchi, "while they think to obtain help by them (Egypt and Assyria), they fall into the net of the Almighty - blessed be he - and this is what he says (in the following verse). As they go I spread my net over them."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Ephraim
אֶפְרַ֔יִם (’ep̄·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 669: Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory

has become
וַיְהִ֣י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like a silly,
פוֹתָ֖ה (p̄ō·w·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 6601: To open, be, roomy, to be, simple, delude

senseless
אֵ֣ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

dove—
כְּיוֹנָ֥ה (kə·yō·w·nāh)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3123: A dove

calling out
קָרָ֖אוּ (qā·rā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

to Egypt,
מִצְרַ֥יִם (miṣ·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

then turning
הָלָֽכוּ׃ (hā·lā·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to Assyria.
אַשּׁ֥וּר (’aš·šūr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 804: Ashshur


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OT Prophets: Hosea 7:11 Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove (Ho Hs Hos.)
Hosea 7:10
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