Hosea 10:8

6 It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.

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.

9 O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.

10 It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.

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 said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

    Read in context
  • Luke 23:30

    Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 2:19

    And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

    Read in context
  • 1 Kings 12:28–30

    Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

    Read in context
  • Amos 8:14

    They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beer-sheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 32:13

    Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:

    Read in context
  • Hosea 9:6

    For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

    Read in context
  • 1 Kings 13:2

    And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.

    Read in context