Passage
Who <FI>is<Fi> wise, and doth understand these? Prudent, and knoweth them? For upright are the ways of Jehovah, And the righteous go on in them, And the transgressors stumble therein!
Hosea 14:9 (YLT)
Nearby Context
Hosea 14:7 Return do the dwellers under his shadow, They revive <FI>as<Fi> corn, and flourish as a vine, His memorial <FI>is<Fi> as wine of Lebanon.
Hosea 14:8 O Ephraim, what to Me any more with idols? I--I afflicted, and I cause him to sing: `I <FI>am<Fi> as a green fir-tree,' From Me is thy fruit found.
Hosea 14:9 Who <FI>is<Fi> wise, and doth understand these? Prudent, and knoweth them? For upright are the ways of Jehovah, And the righteous go on in them, And the transgressors stumble therein!
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "wise", "doth", "understand", "prudent", "knoweth", "upright", "ways", and "jehovah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wise" and "doth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The prior verse says "O Ephraim what to Me any more...", giving immediate footing for "wise" and "doth". In Hosea context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wise" and "doth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.