Hosea 4:16
For Israel slideth backe, as a backe sliding heifer: now the Lord will feede them as a lambe in a large place. Hosea 4:16 (KJV)
The passage from Hosea 4:16 portrays Israel as a wayward heifer, emphasizing the nation’s tendency to backslide from covenant fidelity. In the same breath, a saying attributed to Israel declares, “The help of the LORD is in the north; therefore we shall go to keep the law of the LORD.” Some renderings of this saying add the phrase “I have forgotten it,” resulting in the fuller expression: “For Israel says, ‘The help of the LORD is in the north; therefore we shall go to keep the law of the LORD, I have forgotten it.’”
Both renderings convey a tension between reliance on divine assistance and the reality of human forgetfulness. The northern direction, traditionally associated with divine aid, is presented as the source of help, prompting a commitment to observe the law. Yet the addition of “I have forgotten it” introduces an admission of failure to retain that commitment, echoing the backsliding motif of the Hosea verse.
It is important to note that no known verse in the King James Version contains the wording of this saying. The statement about Israel’s declaration of the LORD’s help in the north and the subsequent resolve to keep the law is not found in the KJV text. This observation underscores the distinction between the biblical passage in Hosea and the extrabiblical saying that has been quoted in various drafts.
The juxtaposition of the Hosea image of a backsliding heifer with the quoted declaration about divine help invites reflection on the persistent struggle between spiritual reliance and human frailty. While the biblical text warns of Israel’s waywardness, the quoted saying reminds believers of the promised assistance from the north and the call to uphold the law, even when memory fails. The study thus highlights the ongoing need for vigilance, remembrance, and reliance on God’s providential help as Israel navigates the tension between backsliding and covenant obedience.
