Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that God doesn't demand outward sacrifices or rituals but "words" – a heartfelt confession and plea that comes from genuine repentance. This isn't just about saying things; it's about offering the "fruit of our lips," our praise and vows, as a living sacrifice in place of any animal offering.
Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a severe prophecy of judgment, God calls his unfaithful people, Israel, to repent and return to Him. This verse is God's gracious instruction on how they should return, providing them with the very words of confession and petition they should use to seek His face again. It marks a profound shift from condemnation to an invitation of mercy, contingent on their sincere turning back to Him.
God calls Israel back, not with flocks and herds, but with something far more precious. What kind of offering can we bring that's better than any animal sacrifice?
Words Over Sacrifices
Hosea's message here is a radical shift in how God wants to be approached. After so much religious ritual and empty sacrifice, God says, 'Take with you words.' This isn't about just saying anything; it's about bringing sincere, God-given expressions of repentance and reliance.
When we turn back to God, we ask for two things simultaneously. What is the relationship between getting rid of the bad and embracing the good?
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The Cleansing and Filling
The heart of Israel's plea is a profound two-part request: first, a plea for removal, and second, a plea for acceptance. This isn't just about stopping bad behavior; it's about receiving God's goodness.
In exile, sacrifices became impossible. How did God reframe the concept of 'paying back' His faithfulness, and what does this mean for us today?
The Faithfulness of Our Lips
The phrase 'we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips' is a beautiful paradox. Under the Old Covenant, vows were often sealed with animal sacrifices. But in exile, and looking forward to a new covenant, God shifts the offering.
Hosea's prophecy comes at a desperate time, after the Assyrian invasions have begun to shatter the Northern Kingdom. The call to 'take words' signifies a shift from empty sacrifices to sincere repentance, a recognition that genuine worship, expressed through heartfelt confession and vows of obedience, is what God desires, especially when the nation is facing judgment and exile.
c. 760-725 BC
Hosea's Ministry in Israel
Hosea prophesied during a period of prosperity and political stability in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, but also a time of deep religious corruption and idolatry. The nation had enjoyed peace and economic growth under King Jeroboam II, yet this outward success masked a spiritual decay.
c. 734 BC
Assyrian Invasion and Annexation
The powerful Neo-Assyrian Empire began to exert its influence, leading to the invasion of Israel. The northern territories were annexed, and many Israelites were deported, marking the beginning of the end for the Northern Kingdom.
c. 722 BC— this verse
Fall of Samaria
The capital city of Samaria fell to the Assyrians under King Sargon II. This event marked the complete destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the exile of its people, fulfilling God's judgment pronounced through prophets like Hosea.
Post-Exile Period
Return and Restoration Promises
After the exile, the promises of restoration and future repentance found in Hosea became particularly poignant. Though the Northern Kingdom was destroyed, God's covenant faithfulness offered hope for a renewed people and a future return to Him.
This psalm echoes Hosea's sentiment, presenting a contrite heart and the 'sacrifice of a broken spirit' as the ultimate offering to God, directly paralleling the 'calves of our lips' which are spiritual, not literal, sacrifices.
Hebrews 13:15The New Testament writer directly connects the concept of 'calves of our lips' to the 'sacrifice of praise' offered through Jesus, showing how this ancient prophetic call finds its fulfillment in the ongoing worship of believers.
Jeremiah 31:7This passage describes a future restoration where God's people will return with gladness and thanksgiving, mirroring the spirit of repentance and the promised 'fruit of the lips' that Hosea points toward.
Isaiah 48:20This verse commands Israel to 'declare with a shout of joy' and announce their redemption, highlighting the vocal, expressive praise that replaces mere animal sacrifice, a theme central to Hosea's message.
Romans 12:1Paul calls believers to present their bodies as 'living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God,' which is a spiritual offering. This reflects the transformation from literal animal sacrifices to the spiritual devotion signified by the 'calves of our lips'.
clarkeHosea 14:2: "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips."
Take with you words - And you may be assured that you pray aright, when you use the words which God himself has put in your mouths. On this very ground there is a potency in the Lord's Prayer, when offered up believingly, beyond what can be found in any human composition. And it may be presumed that it was this consideration that ind…
jfbHosea 14:2: "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips."
- Take with you words—instead of sacrifices, namely, the words of penitence here put in your mouths by God. "Words," in Hebrew, mean "realities," there being the same term for "words" and "things"; so God implies, He will not accept empty professions (Ps 78:36; Isa 29:13). He does not ask costly sacrifices, but words of heartfelt pe…
The verse highlights that God doesn't demand outward sacrifices or rituals but "words" – a heartfelt confession and plea that comes from genuine repentance. This isn't just about saying things; it's about offering the "fruit of our lips," our praise and vows, as a living sacrifice in place of any animal offering.
Following a severe prophecy of judgment, God calls his unfaithful people, Israel, to repent and return to Him. This verse is God's gracious instruction on how they should return, providing them with the very words of confession and petition they should use to seek His face again. It marks a profound shift from condemnation to an invitation of mercy, contingent on their sincere turning back to Him.
Following a severe prophecy of judgment, God calls his unfaithful people, Israel, to repent and return to Him. This verse is God's gracious instruction on how they should return, providing them with the very words of confession and petition they should use to seek His face again. It marks a profound shift from condemnation to an invitation of mercy, contingent on their sincere turning back to Him.
"Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips." — The verse highlights that God doesn't demand outward sacrifices or rituals but "words" – a heartfelt confession and plea that comes from genuine repentance. This isn't just about saying things; it's…
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Last reviewed October 2026