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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/hosea/6-6.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/18/28_Hos_06_06.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Hosea 6:6 - Israel and Judah are Unrepentant" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/hosea/6-6.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/hosea/6-6.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/hosea/">Hosea</a> > <a href="/hosea/6.htm">Chapter 6</a> > Verse 6</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad6.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/hosea/6-5.htm" title="Hosea 6:5">◄</a> Hosea 6:6 <a href="/hosea/6-7.htm" title="Hosea 6:7">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/hosea/6.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/hosea/6.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/hosea/6.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/hosea/6.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/hosea/6.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/hosea/6.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/hosea/6.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/hosea/6.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />For I desire loyalty rather than sacrifice, And the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/hosea/6.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/hosea/6.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/hosea/6.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />For I delight in lovingkindness rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/hosea/6.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />For I desire <i>and</i> delight in [steadfast] loyalty [faithfulness in the covenant relationship], rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/hosea/6.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/hosea/6.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/hosea/6.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />For I desire goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/hosea/6.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />I'd rather for you to be faithful and to know me than to offer sacrifices. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/hosea/6.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/hosea/6.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />I want your loyalty, not your sacrifices. I want you to know me, not to give me burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/hosea/6.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices. I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/hosea/6.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />For it is love that I seek, and not sacrifice; knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/hosea/6.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/hosea/6.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/hosea/6.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/hosea/6.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/hosea/6.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/hosea/6.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />For kindness I desired, and not sacrifice, "" And a knowledge of God above burnt-offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/hosea/6.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> For kindness I desired, and not sacrifice, And a knowledge of God above burnt-offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/hosea/6.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />For I delighted in mercy and not sacrifice; the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/hosea/6.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/hosea/6.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />For I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and knowledge of God more than holocausts.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/hosea/6.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/hosea/6.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/hosea/6.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />For I desired mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/hosea/6.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Because I have pleasure in goodness and not in sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God more than burning peace offerings<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/hosea/6.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/hosea/6.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />For I will <i>have</i> mercy rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than whole-burnt-offerings.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/hosea/6-6.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xpPG1oLnpGk?start=898" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/hosea/6.htm">Israel and Judah are Unrepentant</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">5</span>Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth, and My judgments go forth like lightning. <span class="reftext">6</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">For</a> <a href="/hebrew/2654.htm" title="2654: ḥā·p̄aṣ·tî (V-Qal-Perf-1cs) -- A primitive root; properly, to incline to; by implication to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire.">I desire</a> <a href="/hebrew/2617.htm" title="2617: ḥe·seḏ (N-ms) -- Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty. From chacad; kindness; by implication piety: rarely reproof, or Beauty.">mercy,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: wə·lō- (Conj-w:: Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">not</a> <a href="/hebrew/2077.htm" title="2077: zā·ḇaḥ (N-ms) -- A sacrifice. From zabach; properly, a slaughter, i.e. The flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice.">sacrifice,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1847.htm" title="1847: wə·ḏa·‘aṯ (Conj-w:: N-fsc) -- Knowledge. From yada'; knowledge.">and the knowledge</a> <a href="/hebrew/430.htm" title="430: ’ĕ·lō·hîm (N-mp) -- Plural of 'elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used of the supreme God">of God</a> <a href="/hebrew/5930.htm" title="5930: mê·‘ō·lō·wṯ (Prep-m:: N-fp) -- Whole burnt offering. Or mowlah; feminine active participle of alah; a step or; usually a holocaust.">rather than burnt offerings.</a> </span><span class="reftext">7</span>But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they were unfaithful to Me.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/9-13.htm">Matthew 9:13</a></span><br />But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/12-7.htm">Matthew 12:7</a></span><br />If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/6-6.htm">Micah 6:6-8</a></span><br />With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? / Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? / He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/15-22.htm">1 Samuel 15:22</a></span><br />But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/51-16.htm">Psalm 51:16-17</a></span><br />For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. / The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/1-11.htm">Isaiah 1:11-17</a></span><br />“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/5-21.htm">Amos 5:21-24</a></span><br />“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. / Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/12-33.htm">Mark 12:33</a></span><br />and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/11-42.htm">Luke 11:42</a></span><br />Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/21-3.htm">Proverbs 21:3</a></span><br />To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/7-22.htm">Jeremiah 7:22-23</a></span><br />For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices, / but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/10-5.htm">Hebrews 10:5-10</a></span><br />Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. / In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight. / Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/12-1.htm">Romans 12:1</a></span><br />Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/23-23.htm">Matthew 23:23</a></span><br />Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/40-6.htm">Psalm 40:6-8</a></span><br />Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. / Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll: / I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.</p><p class="hdg">I desired.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_samuel/15-22.htm">1 Samuel 15:22</a></b></br> And Samuel said, Hath the LORD <i>as great</i> delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey <i>is</i> better than sacrifice, <i>and</i> to hearken than the fat of rams.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/50-8.htm">Psalm 50:8</a></b></br> I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, <i>to have been</i> continually before me.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/21-3.htm">Proverbs 21:3</a></b></br> To do justice and judgment <i>is</i> more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.</p><p class="hdg">the.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/hosea/4-1.htm">Hosea 4:1</a></b></br> Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because <i>there is</i> no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_chronicles/28-9.htm">1 Chronicles 28:9</a></b></br> And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/22-16.htm">Jeremiah 22:16</a></b></br> He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then <i>it was</i> well <i>with him: was</i> not this to know me? saith the LORD.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/hosea/4-1.htm">Acknowledgment</a> <a href="/hosea/2-13.htm">Burned</a> <a href="/daniel/12-11.htm">Burnt</a> <a href="/ezekiel/45-17.htm">Burnt-Offerings</a> <a href="/ezekiel/26-12.htm">Delight</a> <a href="/hosea/4-8.htm">Desire</a> <a href="/daniel/11-38.htm">Desired</a> <a href="/hosea/6-4.htm">Goodness</a> <a href="/hosea/2-19.htm">Kindness</a> <a href="/psalms/101-1.htm">Loyalty</a> <a href="/hosea/4-1.htm">Mercy</a> <a href="/hosea/4-19.htm">Offerings</a> <a href="/daniel/8-9.htm">Rather</a> <a href="/hosea/4-14.htm">Sacrifice</a> <a href="/hosea/2-19.htm">Steadfast</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/romans/15-9.htm">Acknowledgment</a> <a href="/hosea/11-2.htm">Burned</a> <a href="/amos/5-22.htm">Burnt</a> <a href="/amos/5-22.htm">Burnt-Offerings</a> <a href="/hosea/7-3.htm">Delight</a> <a href="/hosea/7-1.htm">Desire</a> <a href="/micah/2-2.htm">Desired</a> <a href="/hosea/10-1.htm">Goodness</a> <a href="/hosea/10-12.htm">Kindness</a> <a href="/2_samuel/2-5.htm">Loyalty</a> <a href="/hosea/10-12.htm">Mercy</a> <a href="/hosea/8-11.htm">Offerings</a> <a href="/amos/8-11.htm">Rather</a> <a href="/hosea/8-13.htm">Sacrifice</a> <a href="/hosea/10-12.htm">Steadfast</a><div class="vheading2">Hosea 6</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/hosea/6-1.htm">Exhortations to repent and hope in God.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">4. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/hosea/6-4.htm">A lamentation over those who had sinned after conviction.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/hosea/6-5.htm">Reproofs of obstinate sinners, and threats against them.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/hosea/6.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/hosea/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/hosea/6.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>For I desire mercy, not sacrifice</b><br>This phrase emphasizes God's preference for genuine compassion and love over ritualistic religious practices. In the historical context of ancient Israel, sacrifices were a central part of worship, as outlined in the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 1-7). However, the Israelites often fell into the trap of performing these rituals without true repentance or love for others. This echoes the prophetic tradition found in <a href="/1_samuel/15-22.htm">1 Samuel 15:22</a>, where obedience to God is valued over sacrifice. Jesus later reiterates this principle in <a href="/matthew/9-13.htm">Matthew 9:13 and 12</a>:7, highlighting the importance of mercy and compassion in the Kingdom of God. The Hebrew word for "mercy" here is "chesed," which encompasses loving-kindness, loyalty, and faithfulness, reflecting God's covenantal love.<p><b>and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings</b><br>The "knowledge of God" refers to an intimate, relational understanding of God's character and will, rather than mere intellectual acknowledgment. In Hosea's time, the people of Israel were guilty of idolatry and superficial worship, lacking a true relationship with God. This call for knowledge over ritual is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, such as in <a href="/isaiah/1-11.htm">Isaiah 1:11-17</a> and <a href="/micah/6-6.htm">Micah 6:6-8</a>, where God expresses disdain for empty religious practices. The "burnt offerings" were a significant part of the sacrificial system, symbolizing atonement and dedication to God (Leviticus 1). However, without a heart aligned with God's desires, these offerings were meaningless. This phrase points to the New Covenant, where Jesus Christ fulfills the law and the prophets, offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice (<a href="/hebrews/10-5.htm">Hebrews 10:5-10</a>), and calls believers to a deeper, transformative relationship with God.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/h/hosea.htm">Hosea</a></b><br>A prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century BC. His ministry focused on calling Israel back to faithfulness to God amidst widespread idolatry and social injustice.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/i/israel.htm">Israel</a></b><br>The Northern Kingdom, often depicted in Hosea as unfaithful to God, akin to an adulterous spouse. The nation is called to repentance and genuine relationship with God.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God (Yahweh)</a></b><br>The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who desires a relationship with His people characterized by mercy and knowledge rather than mere ritualistic practices.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/s/sacrifices_and_burnt_offerings.htm">Sacrifices and Burnt Offerings</a></b><br>Ritual practices commanded in the Law of Moses, which had become empty religious formalities for the Israelites, lacking the heart of true worship.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/m/mercy.htm">Mercy (Hebrew: ?????, "chesed")</a></b><br>A key term in the Hebrew Bible, often translated as "loving-kindness" or "steadfast love," indicating a deep, covenantal loyalty and compassion.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/h/heart_over_ritual.htm">Heart Over Ritual</a></b><br>God values the heart's posture over mere external religious practices. True worship involves a heart aligned with God's values of mercy and knowledge.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_'chesed'.htm">Understanding 'Chesed'</a></b><br>The Hebrew word "chesed" encompasses mercy, love, and faithfulness. Our relationship with God should reflect these attributes, extending them to others.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/k/knowledge_of_god.htm">Knowledge of God</a></b><br>Knowing God goes beyond intellectual understanding; it involves an intimate, relational knowledge that transforms our lives and actions.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/r/repentance_and_return.htm">Repentance and Return</a></b><br>Hosea calls for genuine repentance, turning away from empty rituals to a vibrant, living relationship with God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/l/living_out_mercy.htm">Living Out Mercy</a></b><br>As believers, we are called to embody God's mercy in our interactions, prioritizing compassion and love over legalistic adherence to rituals.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_hosea_6.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Hosea 6</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_hosea_6_6_inconsistent_with_ot_sacrifices.htm">In Hosea 6:6, is placing mercy over sacrifice inconsistent with other Old Testament passages that emphasize animal offerings? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_does_'i_desire_mercy'_mean.htm">What does "I desire mercy, not sacrifice" mean?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_does_'mercy,_not_sacrifice'_mean.htm">What does "Mercy, Not Sacrifice" mean?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_'love_the_sinner'_biblical.htm">Is "Love the sinner, hate the sin" biblical?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/hosea/6.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(6) <span class= "bld">Mercy.--</span>Better rendered, <span class= "ital">love.</span> This passage is richly sustained by our Lord's adoption of its teaching (<a href="/matthew/9-13.htm" title="But go you and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.">Matthew 9:13</a>; <a href="/matthew/12-7.htm" title="But if you had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.">Matthew 12:7</a>). <a href="/mark/12-33.htm" title="And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.">Mark 12:33</a> shows that according to even Old Testament teaching, the moral ranks above the ceremonial, that ritual is valueless apart from spiritual conformity with Divine will.<p><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/hosea/6-6.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">For</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּ֛י</span> <span class="translit">(kî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">I desire</span><br /><span class="heb">חָפַ֖צְתִּי</span> <span class="translit">(ḥā·p̄aṣ·tî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2654.htm">Strong's 2654: </a> </span><span class="str2">To incline to, to bend, to be pleased with, desire</span><br /><br /><span class="word">mercy,</span><br /><span class="heb">חֶ֥סֶד</span> <span class="translit">(ḥe·seḏ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2617.htm">Strong's 2617: </a> </span><span class="str2">Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty</span><br /><br /><span class="word">not</span><br /><span class="heb">וְלֹא־</span> <span class="translit">(wə·lō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">sacrifice,</span><br /><span class="heb">זָ֑בַח</span> <span class="translit">(zā·ḇaḥ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2077.htm">Strong's 2077: </a> </span><span class="str2">A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and the knowledge</span><br /><span class="heb">וְדַ֥עַת</span> <span class="translit">(wə·ḏa·‘aṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1847.htm">Strong's 1847: </a> </span><span class="str2">Knowledge</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of God</span><br /><span class="heb">אֱלֹהִ֖ים</span> <span class="translit">(’ĕ·lō·hîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_430.htm">Strong's 430: </a> </span><span class="str2">gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative</span><br /><br /><span class="word">rather than burnt offerings.</span><br /><span class="heb">מֵעֹלֽוֹת׃</span> <span class="translit">(mê·‘ō·lō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5930.htm">Strong's 5930: </a> </span><span class="str2">Whole burnt offering</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/hosea/6-6.htm">Hosea 6:6 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/hosea/6-6.htm">OT Prophets: Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice (Ho Hs Hos.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/hosea/6-5.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Hosea 6:5"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Hosea 6:5" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/hosea/6-7.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Hosea 6:7"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Hosea 6:7" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>