Hosea 12:12
New International Version
Jacob fled to the country of Aram; Israel served to get a wife, and to pay for her he tended sheep.

New Living Translation
Jacob fled to the land of Aram, and there he earned a wife by tending sheep.

English Standard Version
Jacob fled to the land of Aram; there Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he guarded sheep.

Berean Standard Bible
Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife—for a wife he tended sheep.

King James Bible
And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

New King James Version
Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, And for a wife he tended sheep.

New American Standard Bible
Now Jacob fled to the land of Aram, And Israel worked for a wife, And for a wife he kept sheep.

NASB 1995
Now Jacob fled to the land of Aram, And Israel worked for a wife, And for a wife he kept sheep.

NASB 1977
Now Jacob fled to the land of Aram, And Israel worked for a wife, And for a wife he kept sheep.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Jacob fled to the field of Aram, And Israel worked for a wife, And for a wife he kept sheep.

Amplified Bible
Now Jacob (Israel) fled into the open country of Aram (Paddan-aram), And [there] Israel (Jacob) worked and served for a wife, And for a wife he kept sheep.

Christian Standard Bible
Jacob fled to the territory of Aram. Israel worked to earn a wife; he tended flocks for a wife.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jacob fled to the land of Aram. Israel worked to earn a wife; he tended flocks for a wife.

American Standard Version
And Jacob fled into the field of Aram, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Yaqob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for the sake of a wife, and he kept watch for the sake of a wife

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jacob retreated into the plain of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and waited for a wife.

Contemporary English Version
Jacob escaped to Syria where he tended sheep to earn himself a wife.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and was a keeper for a wife.

English Revised Version
And Jacob fled into the field of Aram, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jacob fled to the country of Syria. Israel worked to get a wife; he took care of sheep to pay for her.

Good News Translation
Our ancestor Jacob had to flee to Mesopotamia, where, in order to get a wife, he worked for another man and took care of his sheep.

International Standard Version
Jacob fled into the land of Aram; Israel served there to obtain his wife, tending sheep to gain his wife.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Jacob fled into the field of Aram, And Israel served for a wife, And for a wife he kept sheep.

Literal Standard Version
And Jacob flees to the country of Aram, | And Israel serves for a wife, | Indeed, he has kept watch for a wife.

Majority Standard Bible
Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife—for a wife he tended sheep.

New American Bible
Jacob fled to the land of Aram, and Israel served for a wife; for a wife he tended sheep.

NET Bible
Jacob fled to the country of Aram, then Israel worked to acquire a wife; he tended sheep to pay for her.

New Revised Standard Version
Jacob fled to the land of Aram, there Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he guarded sheep.

New Heart English Bible
Jacob fled into the country of Aram, and Israel served to get a wife, and for a wife he tended flocks and herds.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

World English Bible
Jacob fled into the country of Aram. Israel served to get a wife. For a wife he tended flocks and herds.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jacob doth flee to the country of Aram, And Israel doth serve for a wife, Yea, for a wife he hath kept watch.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Reproof of Ephraim, Judah, Jacob
11Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field. 12Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife— for a wife he tended sheep. 13But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.…

Cross References
Genesis 28:5
So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Genesis 29:18
Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."

Genesis 29:20
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.

Genesis 30:26
Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you."


Treasury of Scripture

And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

Jacob.

Genesis 27:43
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;

Genesis 28:1-29:35
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan…

Deuteronomy 26:5
And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:

Israel.

Genesis 32:27,28
And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob…

served.

Genesis 29:18-28
And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter…

Genesis 31:41
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

Jump to Previous
Aram Country Field Fled Flee Flight Flocks Herded Herds Israel Jacob Kept Pay Serve Served Service Sheep Syria Tended Watch Wife Worked
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Aram Country Field Fled Flee Flight Flocks Herded Herds Israel Jacob Kept Pay Serve Served Service Sheep Syria Tended Watch Wife Worked
Hosea 12
1. A reproof of Ephraim, Judah, and Jacob.
3. By former favors he exhorts to repentance.
7. Ephraim's sins provoke God.














(12) Jacob . . . Israel.--Resuming the retrospect over early patriarchal history, begun in Hosea 12:4. Notwithstanding the loneliness and humble position of the patriarch, God took care of him, and he won the mighty name of Israel, and gave it to his descendants.

Country.--More accurately, plain.

Verses 12, 13. - And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep. And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. The connection of this verse with what precedes has been variously explained. The flight of Israel and his servitude are intended, according to Umbreit, "to bring out the double servitude of Israel - the first, the one which the people had to endure in their forefather; the second, the one which they had to endure themselves in Egypt." Cyril and Theodoret understand them to give prominence to Jacob's zeal for the blessing of the birthright, and his obedience to the command of God and his parents. Pusey says, "Jacob chose poverty and servitude rather than marry an idolatress of Canaan. He knew not whence, except from God's bounty and providence, he should have bread to eat or raiment to put on; with his staff alone he passed over Jordan. His voluntary poverty, bearing even unjust losses, and repaying the things which he never took, reproved their dishonest traffic; his trustfulness in God, their mistrust; his devotedness to God, their alienation from him and their devotion to idols." There may be an element of truth in each of these explanations, and an approximation to the true sense; but none of them tallies exactly with the context. There is a contrast between the flight of the lonely tribe-father across the Syrian desert, and the guidance of his posterity by a prophet of the Lord through the wilderness; Jacob's servitude in Padan-aram with Israel's redemption from the bondage of Egypt; the guarding of sheep by the patriarch with the Shepherd of Israel's guardian-care of them by his prophet when he led them to Canaan. Thus the distress and affliction of Jacob are contrasted with the exaltation of his posterity. The great object of this contrast is to impress the people with the goodness of God to them in lifting them up out of the lowest condition, and to inspire them with gratitude to God for such unmerited elevation and with thankful yet humble acknowledgment of his mercy. Calvin's explanation is at once correct and clear; it is the following: "Their father Jacob, who was he? what was his condition? He was a fugitive from his country. Even if he had always lived at home, his father was only a stranger in the land. But he was compelled to fit into Syria. And how splendidly did he live there? He was with his uncle, no doubt, but he was treated quite as meanly as any common slave: he served for a wife. And how did he serve? He was the man that tended the cattle." This, it may be observed, was the lowest and the meanest, the hardest and worst kind of servitude. In like manner Ewald directs attention to the wonderful care of Divine providence manifested to Jacob in his straits, in his flight to Syria, in his sojourn there as a shepherd, and also to Israel his posterity delivered out of Egypt by the hand of Moses an, I sustained in the wilderness so that one scarcely knows what to think of Israel who, without encountering such perils and distresses, and out of sheer delight in iniquity, so shamefully forsook their benefactor. Such is the substance of Ewald's view, which presents one aspect of the ease, though he does not bring out so fully the fact of Israel's elevation and the humble thankfulness that should be exhibited therefore. The exposition of the Hebrew commentators agrees in the main with what we have given. Rashi says, "Jacob fled to the field of Aram, etc., as a man who says, 'Let us return to the former narrative which we spoke of above;' and he wrestles with the angel; and this further have I done unto him; as he was obliged to fly to the field of Aram ye know how I guarded him, and for a wife he kept sheep." "Ye ought to consider," says Aben Ezra, "that your father when he fled to Syria was poor, and so he says, 'And he will give me bread to eat' (Genesis 28:20). And he served for a wife,' and this is, 'Have I not served thee for Rachel?' 'And for a wife he kept sheep ;' and ' f made him rich.'" The exposition of Kimchi is much fuller, and is as follows: "And they do not remember the goodness which I exercised with their father, when he fled from his brother Esau. Yea, when he was there it was necessary for him to serve Laban for a wife, that he should give him his daughter, and the service consisted in keeping his sheep, and so for the other daughter which he gave him he kept his sheep in like manner. And I am he that was with him and blessed him, so that he returned thence with fiches and substance. And further, I showed favor to his sons who descended into Egypt and were in bondage there; and I sent to them a prophet who brought them up out of Egypt with much substance, and he was Moses. The forty years they were in the wilderness they were guarded by means of a prophet whom I gave them, and they wanted nothing. But all these benefits they forget, and provoke me to anger by abominations and no-gods."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Jacob
יַעֲקֹ֖ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

fled
וַיִּבְרַ֥ח (way·yiḇ·raḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1272: To bolt, to flee suddenly

to the land
שְׂדֵ֣ה (śə·ḏêh)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7704: Field, land

of Aram,
אֲרָ֑ם (’ă·rām)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 758: Aram -- Syria

and Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

worked
וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ד (way·ya·‘ă·ḇōḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

for a wife;
בְּאִשָּׁ֔ה (bə·’iš·šāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

for a wife
וּבְאִשָּׁ֖ה (ū·ḇə·’iš·šāh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

he tended [sheep].
שָׁמָֽר׃ (šā·mār)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to


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OT Prophets: Hosea 12:12 Jacob fled into the country of Aram (Ho Hs Hos.)
Hosea 12:11
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