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.
Hosea 14:2
The Bible, especially the Minor Prophets, use quite a bit of symbolism, such as the phrase in question here, “the calves of our lips”. To those who have not spent a significant amount of time in the KJV, much of the symbolism can be confusing. The greater the familiarity with the Bible, the greater the understanding. Seeing that the Bible contains everything God has, is, and will do within the seven thousand years allotted to the reconciliation, much of what the Bible says is not only current descriptions but symbolic of other or more expanded events to be able to contain such vast amounts of information in the form of the Bible.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Hosea 12:10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
Sticking with the KJV it is not difficult to render the correct interpretation of the phrase “calves of our lips”. A few modern translations get the general idea, but there is no reason to seek outside God’s word.
The context is Israel returning unto the Lord, praising Him. The Hebrew word translated calves here is mainly translated as “bullock”, a young bull. The blood of bullocks was a premier item of sacrifice.
Exodus 29:12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
Leviticus 16:14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
Numbers 8:8 Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
Ezekiel 43:19 And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.
These are but a few of the references to sacrificing a young bullock. A young bullock would be a yearling.
Micah 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
With this we understand that the phrase in question is speaking of offering a sacrifice as a calf as being representative of offering with our lips. The following images give us the realization of what a yearling calf is.
What we say with our lips can seal our fate.
Deuteronomy 23:23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.
Psalms 12:4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
Psalms 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
In our verse, Hosea 14:2 it is speaking of prasing the Lord with the sacrifice of our lips.
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Does this give more understanding than just running to a modern translation that may or may not interpret correctly.
Hosea 14:2 NET Return to the LORD and repent! Say to him: “Completely forgive our iniquity; accept our penitential prayer, that we may offer the praise of our lips as sacrificial bulls.
Hosea 14:2 UASV Take words with you and return to Jehovah; say to him, “Take away all error; accept what is good, and we will offer with bulls the praise of our lips.
Hosea 14:2 WEB Take words with you, and return to Yahweh. Tell him, “Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good: so we offer our lips like bulls.
Hosea 14:2 ASV Take with you words, and return unto Jehovah: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good: so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips.
Hosea 14:2 CEV Return to the LORD and say, “Please forgive our sins. Accept our good sacrifices of praise instead of bulls.
Hosea 14:2 CEV Return to the LORD and say, “Please forgive our sins. Accept our good sacrifices of praise instead of bulls.
Are these modern translations helpful in understanding?