Hosea 13:10
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Where is your king now to save you in all your cities, and the rulers to whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
The same strings, though generally unpleasing ones, are harped upon in this chapter that were in those before. People care not to be told either of their sin or of their danger by sin; and yet it is necessary, and for their good, that they should be told of both, nor can they better hear of either than from the word of God and from their faithful ministers, while the sin may be repented of and the danger prevented. Here, I. The people of Israel are reproved and threatened for their idolatry (Hos 13:1-4). II. They are reproved and threatened for their wantonness, pride, and luxury, and other abuses of their wealth and prosperity (Hos 13:5-8). III. The ruin that is coming upon them for these and all their other sins is foretold as very terrible (Hos 13:12, Hos 13:13, Hos 13:15, Hos 13:16). IV. Those among them that yet retain a respect for their God are here encouraged to hope that he will yet appear for their relief, though their kings and princes, and all their other supports and succours, fail them (Hos 13:9-11, Hos 13:14).
Open source ↗13:10 where is your king? When Hoshea’s alliance with Egypt failed (see 12:1), he tried to make peace with Assyria, but he was captured and imprisoned (2 Kgs 17:4). The Israelites had relied on their armies and kings to save them rather than on the Lord, and now there was no one to save them.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction.
Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?”
On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.
Listen to the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far away: “Is the LORD no longer in Zion? Is her King no longer there?” “Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?”
The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land.
Surely our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
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.
When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.
I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King.”