My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse uses the phrase "bent on turning away," which isn't just about occasional sin but a deep-seated inclination, like something they are physically "hung upon." Even when prophets call them to the Most High, their hearts are so fixed in rebellion that they refuse to rise up and honor God, choosing instead to remain attached to their destructive ways.
My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God declares that His people have a deep-seated tendency to turn away from Him. Even though His prophets call them to the Most High, they refuse to acknowledge or honor Him. This stubborn rebellion is the reason for the coming judgment, as their persistent apostasy leaves no room for divine mercy.
Ever feel like you're stuck in a rut, even when you know there's a better way? God's people were too, and the text uses a striking image to describe it.
The phrase 'bent on turning away' (or 'bent to backsliding' in some translations) captures a deep-seated tendency. It's not just an occasional slip but a fundamental inclination.
A Persistent Pull
The original language suggests something like being 'hung upon' or 'fastened to' this way of turning away from God. It implies an immobility in their sin, a fixed adherence despite other movements or waverings in their lives.
More Than Just Missing the Mark
This isn't about merely failing to hit the target. It's about a deliberate, habitual movement away from God, the source of their good and their very existence. It was a core part of their identity, the very thing their national existence seemed to be fastened to.
They cried out to God, but their cries seemed to fall on deaf ears. What's the difference between calling out and truly exalting God?
The verse presents a tragic contrast: Israel calls out to the Most High, but they refuse to 'exalt' Him. There's a profound disconnect here.
The Prophets' Call
Many translations understand 'though they called them' to refer to the prophets calling Israel to the Most High. These were earnest appeals, urging them to turn back from their idols and straying ways.
A Refusal to Lift Up
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However, the response is stark: 'he shall not raise them up at all' or 'none at all would exalt him.' This doesn't mean God refused to hear; it means they refused to respond in a way that honored Him. 'Exalting' God means acknowledging His supreme worth, power, and right to rule. It involves obedience, praise, and a turning towards Him, not just a desperate cry from their distress.
Moral Apathy
Their calling out was likely driven by distress or a desire for relief, not a genuine desire to honor God. They were 'bent' on their rebellion, and no amount of prophetic urging or their own cries could break through their stubborn refusal to truly lift God up.
Understand the original words
ammi · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the covenant community of Israel, chosen by God to be His own possession, who are nevertheless prone to infidelity and spiritual wandering.
Elyon · Hebrew Adjective
An honorific title for God, emphasizing His sovereignty, majesty, and transcendence above all earthly powers and idols.
Hosea's message comes at a critical moment when the Northern Kingdom of Israel is being dismantled by the Assyrian Empire. This backdrop of military invasion and impending exile makes God's lament over their persistent turning away from Him, despite their calls to Him, all the more poignant and urgent.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following the death of King Solomon, the unified kingdom of Israel splits into two: the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). This division marks a new era of political instability and religious compromise.
c. 875-860 BC
Reign of Ahab and Jezebel
King Ahab, influenced by his Phoenician wife Jezebel, actively promotes the worship of Baal in Israel, leading to widespread idolatry and persecution of Yahweh's prophets.
c. 850-840 BC
Prophetic Ministry of Elijah
Elijah boldly confronts Ahab and Jezebel, challenging the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel and exposing the spiritual corruption rampant in Israel.
c. 740 BC
Reign of Pekah and Assyrian Pressure
During the reign of Pekah, Israel faces increasing military pressure from the Neo-Assyrian Empire, a powerful force that would eventually lead to the kingdom's downfall.
c. 733 BC— this verse
Assyrian Invasion and Annexation
The Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III invades the Northern Kingdom of Israel, annexing territory and deporting a significant portion of the population. This event devastates the nation.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The capital city of Samaria falls to the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V, marking the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel as an independent entity and leading to the exile of its people.
This passage echoes the stubborn refusal to return to God, describing people who are 'bent on turning away' and 'holding fast to deceit.' It highlights the persistent nature of their backsliding, just as Hosea describes Israel being 'bent to backsliding from me.'
Psalm 78:57This verse speaks of Israel turning away like a 'deceitful bow,' unable to shoot straight, which parallels the idea of being 'bent to backsliding' in Hosea. It shows how their actions were consistently aimed away from God.
Romans 1:28Paul describes people who, like the unrepentant Israelites in Hosea, are 'bent' on remaining in a state of spiritual rebellion. They have 'not approved of holding onto God,' choosing instead to indulge in their own ways.
John 5:44Jesus addresses the spiritual apathy and self-serving motives that prevent people from seeking God. Like the people in Hosea who refused to 'exalt' God, these individuals seek praise from one another rather than from the one true God.
pulpitHosea 11:7: "And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him."
Verse 7. - And my people are bent to backsliding from me. This first clause of the verse is very expressive, every word almost having an emphasis of its own. With all their sinfulness and shortcomings, Israel was still the people of God - my people; they were guilty of the sin of backsliding, and of backsliding from God, the best of benefactors and their chief good…
pooleHosea 11:7: "And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him."
My people; yet God owneth them for his, he had not cast them quite off; or since they call themselves his, he is willing to encourage them by owning all in them that looks toward him. Are bent to backsliding from me; or continue in suspense, doubtful and unresolved what to do, or rather inclined most to an aversion from me: though the Lord’s prophets have persuaded…
The verse uses the phrase "bent on turning away," which isn't just about occasional sin but a deep-seated inclination, like something they are physically "hung upon." Even when prophets call them to the Most High, their hearts are so fixed in rebellion that they refuse to rise up and honor God, choosing instead to remain attached to their destructive ways.
God declares that His people have a deep-seated tendency to turn away from Him. Even though His prophets call them to the Most High, they refuse to acknowledge or honor Him. This stubborn rebellion is the reason for the coming judgment, as their persistent apostasy leaves no room for divine mercy.
God declares that His people have a deep-seated tendency to turn away from Him. Even though His prophets call them to the Most High, they refuse to acknowledge or honor Him. This stubborn rebellion is the reason for the coming judgment, as their persistent apostasy leaves no room for divine mercy.
"My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all." — The verse uses the phrase "bent on turning away," which isn't just about occasional sin but a deep-seated inclination, like something they are physically "hung upon." Even when prophets call them to…
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Last reviewed October 2026