but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text highlights that Israel's "forgetting" of God wasn't a passive lapse, but a direct consequence of the very blessings God gave them – a rich "pasture" of provision. Their abundance led to a puffed-up heart that felt self-sufficient, making the Giver of all good things easily overlooked.
but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God uses the metaphor of livestock grazing in a lush pasture to describe Israel's unfaithfulness. When they received God's abundant blessings, particularly upon entering the Promised Land, instead of remembering their Provider, they grew complacent, proud, and ultimately forgot Him, turning away from worship and loyalty. This forgetfulness directly led to their downfall, as it echoed their fathers' warnings in Deuteronomy about the dangers of prosperity.
Ever notice how easily good times can make us complacent? Hosea points to a surprising truth: God's very gifts can become a stumbling block.
The Trap of 'Good Pastures'
God graciously led the Israelites into a rich, fertile land – a place of abundance, like sheep in a lush pasture. They received plenty: food, comfort, and security.
But this wasn't just about physical blessings. It was about the source of those blessings. The problem wasn't the abundance itself, but how Israel responded to it.
Instead of seeing their prosperity as a sign of God's faithfulness and a reason to draw closer to Him, they let it lead them astray. The 'pasture' became so good that they became overly satisfied, even arrogant. Their hearts grew 'exalted,' puffed up by their own success and possessions.
What’s the connection between a full belly, a proud heart, and forgetting the One who provides? Hosea lays it out clearly.
The Arrogance of Self-Sufficiency
When blessings lead to an 'exalted heart,' it means pride has set in. This pride creates a dangerous illusion of self-sufficiency.
Israel began to believe their prosperity was due to their own merit, their own cleverness, or perhaps the favor of their idols. They forgot that God was the one who had given them the strength to work, the land to cultivate, and the wisdom to manage it.
Ask a follow-up
This forgetfulness isn't usually a sudden, conscious decision. It's a gradual drift that happens when we stop crediting God for His goodness. When our hearts are lifted up, we look inward or outward to things we can control, rather than upward to the Giver of all good gifts.
Forgetting God isn't a neutral act. Hosea shows it has devastating consequences, turning God's provision into a path toward ruin.
The Ultimate Misplacement of Trust
The most tragic outcome of Israel's pride and forgetfulness was their abandonment of God Himself. They traded the true Source of life and blessing for fleeting satisfaction and hollow idols.
This 'forgetting' meant more than just a lapse in memory. It meant abandoning worship, neglecting His commands, and failing to trust in His promises. It was a betrayal of the covenant relationship they had with Him.
Hosea uses this verse to highlight the spiritual danger of prosperity untempered by humility and remembrance. When we forget God, we lose our true bearings, becoming susceptible to all sorts of destructive paths, just like sheep who wander from the shepherd's care and fall prey to predators.
Understand the original words
lebab · Hebrew Noun
In Scripture, the heart is considered the center of human personality, encompassing the intellect, will, emotions, and moral character. It is the seat of a person's inner life and the primary organ of faith or rebellion toward God.
shakach · Hebrew Verb
To forget God in the biblical sense is not a mere lapse of memory, but a willful abandonment of His covenant, laws, and authority. It signifies a shift in allegiance from the Creator to idols or self-sufficiency.
Hosea's message to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, on the brink of or already experiencing Assyrian conquest, powerfully uses the metaphor of sheep in a lush pasture. When blessed with the abundance of the promised land, they didn't just get full; they got proud and forgot the very Shepherd who provided for them. This all-too-human tendency to forget God in prosperity is a timeless warning, especially relevant as nations rise and fall.
c. 1406 BC
Israel Enters the Promised Land
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, led by Joshua, cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of Canaan, a fertile land of abundance.
c. 1400-722 BC
Period of the Judges and Early Monarchy
This era saw cycles of Israel's faithfulness and unfaithfulness, prosperity and oppression, with many falling into the same patterns of forgetting God when blessed.
c. 753 BC
Founding of Rome
The traditional date for the founding of Rome. This marks the rise of a powerful empire that would eventually dominate the region, influencing the political landscape Israel found itself in.
c. 732 BC
Assyrian Campaigns in the North
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under Tiglath-Pileser III, expands its influence, conquering territories and deporting populations in the northern Levant, including parts of Israel.
c. 722 BC— this verse
Fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire under Sargon II conquers the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its people and ending its existence as an independent entity.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
Sennacherib of Assyria attempts to conquer Jerusalem, the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Though the city is not captured, it is a significant display of Assyrian power.
This passage directly warns Israel against forgetting God when they are filled and prosperous in the promised land, echoing Hosea's charge of forgetfulness due to abundance.
Deuteronomy 32:15This verse describes Jeshurun (Israel) growing fat and kicking, forsaking God, which provides a strong parallel to Hosea's imagery of Israel being filled and then forgetting their Provider.
Psalm 106:13-15This psalm recounts Israel's quick forgetfulness of God's works and their subsequent grumbling and desire for Egyptian comforts, aligning with Hosea's theme of contentment leading to remembrance of lesser things and forgetfulness of God.
John 6:26-27Jesus rebukes the crowd for seeking Him not because of the miracles but because they were filled with bread, highlighting the spiritual danger of pursuing God for temporal benefits rather than for Himself, which resonates with Hosea's critique.
pulpitHosea 13:6: "According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me."
Verse 6. - According to their pasture so were they filled. The literal rendering is, according to their pasturing so were they filled. The reference is rather to the care in pasturing than to the pasture-ground. By God's care to the sheep of his pasture they waxed full. They were filled, and their heart was exalted. Two consequences followed from God's…
pooleHosea 13:6: "According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me."
According to their pasture, so were they filled; when they were come into Canaan, that land of springs, brooks, and rivers, that land of wheat, barley, vines, olives, and figs, as Deu 8:7-9 ; when they had abundance of all things for delight, as well as for necessary sustenance; when I had, like a good, careful, and wise shepherd, brought them into this…
The text highlights that Israel's "forgetting" of God wasn't a passive lapse, but a direct consequence of the very blessings God gave them – a rich "pasture" of provision. Their abundance led to a puffed-up heart that felt self-sufficient, making the Giver of all good things easily overlooked.
God uses the metaphor of livestock grazing in a lush pasture to describe Israel's unfaithfulness. When they received God's abundant blessings, particularly upon entering the Promised Land, instead of remembering their Provider, they grew complacent, proud, and ultimately forgot Him, turning away from worship and loyalty. This forgetfulness directly led to their downfall, as it echoed their fathers' warnings in Deuteronomy about the dangers of prosperity.
God uses the metaphor of livestock grazing in a lush pasture to describe Israel's unfaithfulness. When they received God's abundant blessings, particularly upon entering the Promised Land, instead of remembering their Provider, they grew complacent, proud, and ultimately forgot Him, turning away from worship and loyalty. This forgetfulness directly led to their downfall, as it echoed their fathers' warnings in Deuteronomy about the dangers of prosperity.
"but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me." — The text highlights that Israel's "forgetting" of God wasn't a passive lapse, but a direct consequence of the very blessings God gave them – a rich "pasture" of provision. Their abundance led to a pu…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026