Hosea 10:3 (DBY)

Passage

For now they will say, We have no king, for we feared not Jehovah; and a king, what can he do for us?

Nearby Context

Hosea 10:1 Israel is an unpruned vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the abundance of his fruit he hath multiplied altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly statues.

Hosea 10:2 Their heart is divided; now shall they be found guilty: he will break down their altars, he will destroy their statues.

Hosea 10:3 For now they will say, We have no king, for we feared not Jehovah; and a king, what can he do for us?

Hosea 10:4 They speak [mere] words, swearing falsely in making a covenant; therefore shall judgment spring up as hemlock in the furrows of the fields.

Hosea 10:5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calf of Beth-aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the idolatrous priests thereof shall tremble for it, for its glory, because it is departed from it.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "king", "feared", and "jehovah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "king" and "feared", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Their heart is divided now shall they..." into verse 4's "They speak mere words swearing falsely in...", so "king" and "feared" belong inside that flow. In Hosea context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "king" and "feared" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.