Hosea 10:3
New International Version
Then they will say, “We have no king because we did not revere the LORD. But even if we had a king, what could he do for us?”

New Living Translation
Then they will say, “We have no king because we didn’t fear the LORD. But even if we had a king, what could he do for us anyway?”

English Standard Version
For now they will say: “We have no king, for we do not fear the LORD; and a king—what could he do for us?”

Berean Standard Bible
Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?”

King James Bible
For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us?

New King James Version
For now they say, “We have no king, Because we did not fear the LORD. And as for a king, what would he do for us?”

New American Standard Bible
Certainly now they will say, “We have no king, For we do not revere the LORD. As for the king, what can he do for us?”

NASB 1995
Surely now they will say, “We have no king, For we do not revere the LORD. As for the king, what can he do for us?”

NASB 1977
Surely now they will say, “We have no king, For we do not revere the LORD. As for the king, what can he do for us?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Surely now they will say, “We have no king, For we do not fear Yahweh. As for the king, what can he do for us?”

Amplified Bible
Surely now they will say [in despair], “We have no [true] king, For we do not revere the LORD; And as for the king, what can he do for us [to rescue us]?”

Christian Standard Bible
In fact, they are now saying, “We have no king! For we do not fear the LORD. What can a king do for us? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In fact, they are now saying,” We have no king! For we do not fear the LORD. What can a king do for us?”

American Standard Version
Surely now shall they say, We have no king; for we fear not Jehovah; and the king, what can he do for us?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because from now they will say: ”We have no King from LORD JEHOVAH; we do not stand in awe of a King! What shall he do for us?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Because now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the Lord:

Contemporary English Version
"We don't have a king," you will say. "We don't fear the LORD. And what good are kings?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
For now they shall say: We have no king: because we fear not the Lord: and what shall a king do to us?

English Revised Version
Surely now shall they say, We have no king: for we fear not the LORD; and the king, what can he do for us?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So they'll say, "We have no king because we didn't fear the LORD. Even if we had a king, he couldn't do anything for us."

Good News Translation
These people will soon be saying, "We have no king because we did not fear the LORD. But what could a king do for us anyway?"

International Standard Version
From now on they will say, 'We have no king, because we did not fear the LORD— and what would a king do for us?'

JPS Tanakh 1917
Surely now shall they say: 'We have no king; For we feared not the LORD; And the king, what can he do for us?'

Literal Standard Version
For now they say: We have no king, | Because we have not feared YHWH, | And the king—what does he do for us?

Majority Standard Bible
Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?”

New American Bible
For now they will say, “We have no king! Since we do not fear the LORD, the king—what could he do for us?”

NET Bible
Very soon they will say, "We have no king since we did not fear the LORD. But what can a king do for us anyway?"

New Revised Standard Version
For now they will say: “We have no king, for we do not fear the LORD, and a king—what could he do for us?”

New Heart English Bible
Surely now they will say, "We have no king; for we do not fear the LORD; and the king, what can he do for us?"

Webster's Bible Translation
For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us?

World English Bible
Surely now they will say, “We have no king; for we don’t fear Yahweh; and the king, what can he do for us?”

Young's Literal Translation
For now they say: We have no king, Because we have not feared Jehovah, And the king -- what doth he for us?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Retribution for Israel's Sin
2Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars. 3Surely now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. What can a king do for us?” 4They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 12:25
But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."

Psalm 12:4
They say, "With our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips--who can be our master?"

Isaiah 5:19
to those who say, "Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!"

Hosea 3:4
For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol.


Treasury of Scripture

For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us?

We have.

Hosea 10:7,15
As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water…

Hosea 3:4
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

Hosea 11:5
He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.

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Able Fear Feared Revere Surely
Hosea 10
1. Israel is reproved and threatened for their impiety and idolatry,
12. and exhorted to repentance.














(3) To us.--Better, as for a king, what will he do for us? The prophet having witnessed a succession of Israelite kings overthrown, and anarchy as its consequence, predicts yet another time of confusion and helplessness, a full vindication of the threatenings of the prophet Samuel. (Comp. 1Samuel 8:19.)

Verse 3. - For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the Lord. In the day of their destruction Israel would be brought to see and even feel that the king appointed through their own self-will and fancied plenitude of power was unable to protect or help them, and that because they had rejected Jehovah and cast aside his fear. The point of time denoted by "now" is either when they see destruction before their eyes, or when Israel is already in captivity. Rashi explains it in the former sense: "When destruction shall come upon them, they shall say, 'We have no king,' that is, our king on whom we set our hopes when we said, 'Our king shall go out before us and light our battles,' affords us no help whatever." Kimchi explains similarly, but fixes the "now" in the time of the Captivity: "Now, when they shall be carried out of their land, they shall recognize and say, 'We have no king;' the explanation is, as it' we had no king among us, for there is no strength in him to deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, as we thought when we asked for a king who should march at our head and fight our battles. God - blessed be he! - was our King, and we needed no king, and he it was that delivered us out of the hand of our enemies when we did his will." Aben Ezra and others understand it as the expression of a wild licorice on the part of Israel, recklessly giving vent to an anarchical and atheistic spirit: "As soon as their heart was divided they had no wish to have a king over them, and had no fear of Jehovah; therefore they had no fear, and every one did what was right in his own eyes." This exposition neglects the note of time, as also the causal particle that follows. They bethought themselves that, as they had not feared Jehovah, but neglected his Law, the king which they had demanded could do them no good. "What," they asked, "can the king do for us? He has no power to deliver us, since God is angry with us, for we have sinned against him?" Such is the confession of Israel in captivity. Pusey remarks in reference to this: "In sin, all Israel had asked for a king, when the Lord was their King; in sin, Ephraim had made Jeroboam king; in sin, their subsequent kings were made, without the counsel and advice of God; and now, as the close of all, they reflect how fruitless it all was."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Surely
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

now
עַתָּה֙ (‘at·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

they will say,
יֹֽאמְר֔וּ (yō·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“We have
לָ֑נוּ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

no
אֵ֥ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

king,
מֶ֖לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

we do not
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

revere
יָרֵ֙אנוּ֙ (yā·rê·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

the LORD.
יְהֹוָ֔ה‪‬‪‬ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

can a king
וְהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (wə·ham·me·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

do
יַּֽעֲשֶׂה־ (ya·‘ă·śeh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

for us?”
לָּֽנוּ׃ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Prophets: Hosea 10:3 Surely now they will say We have (Ho Hs Hos.)
Hosea 10:2
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