What Does Hosea 10:2 Mean in the King James?
Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Hebrew for “divided” also carries the sense of “smooth”: a split heart can wear a seamless surface, while the altars it builds still come under judgment.
THE MEANING
A divided heart is exposed as culpable, and the altars and pillars built around its divided allegiance are broken down. The verse speaks now of the structures a split allegiance depends on: they cannot stand as though the division were wholeness.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that divided allegiance can stay hidden inside while its outward structures remain untouched.
THE ROOT
חָלַק
ḥālaq
GROWS FROM
חלק
To divide or apportion; also, to be smooth.
חלק holds both division and smoothness, so the divided heart is not only split; the word also carries the sense of a smooth surface. In Psalm 55:21, a branch of this root describes speech smoother than butter while war remains in the heart, showing how inner division can wear a polished face.
ALSO GROWS
ḥēleq: Portion, share
חֵלֶק
A share is what division assigns; a heart’s allegiance can be apportioned among competing altars.
ḥālāq: Smooth; flattering
חָלָק
Psalm 55:21 uses this root for a mouth smoother than butter while war remains in the heart, showing how a smooth surface can conceal inner division.
THE PATTERN
A divided center of allegiance appears in what is worshiped and cannot sustain competing masters.
Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.THE THREAD
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.The same root, חלק, describes Hosea’s divided heart and the smooth speech in this verse. Here the smooth surface hides war within, making the connection between inner division and outward polish unmistakable.
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