Hosea 10:8

⁶ Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.

⁷ Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.

The high places of Aven will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

⁹ Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained. Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?

¹⁰ I will chasten them when I please; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bondage for their double transgression.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: The high places of Aven will be destroyed— it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
KJV: The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
WEB: The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle will come up on their altars. They will tell the mountains, “Cover us!” and the hills, “Fall on us!”
ASV: The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
DARBY: And the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up upon their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us! and to the hills, Fall on us!
BLB: The high places of Aven will be destroyed, and the sin of Israel; the thorn and thistle will come up over their altars, and they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” And to the hills, “Fall on us!”

ÅB: Og Avens offerhauger, Israels synd, skal tilintetgjøres; torner og tistler skal skyte opp på deres altere, og de skal si til fjellene: Skjul oss! og til haugene: Fall over oss!
OTB: Dessuten vil Aven-høydene, Israels synd, bli ødelagt;
Torner og tistler vil vokse på deres alter.
Da vil de si til fjellene, “Dekk oss!”
Og til høydene, “Fall over oss!”
B1930: Og Avens offerhauger, Israels synd, skal tilintetgjøres; torner og tistler skal skyte op på deres altere, og de skal si til fjellene: Skjul oss! og til haugene: Fall over oss!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Revelation 6:16
And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.
Read in context
Luke 23:30
At that time ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
Read in context
Isaiah 2:19
Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
Read in context
1 Kings 12:28–30
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
Read in context
Amos 8:14
Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the way of Beersheba lives’— they will fall, never to rise again.”
Read in context
Isaiah 32:13
and for the land of my people, overgrown with thorns and briers— even for every house of merriment in this city of revelry.
Read in context
Hosea 9:6
For even if they flee destruction, Egypt will gather them and Memphis will bury them. Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles, and thorns will overrun their tents.
Read in context
1 Kings 13:2
And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”
Read in context