Bible Dictionary
CALVES, OF THE LIPS
“Calves of the lips” is an ancient rendering of Hosea 14:2. The phrase is understood as offering words of repentance and praise rather than animal sacrifices, corresponding to the New Testament idea of the sacrifice of praise.
Definition
“Calves of the lips” is an ancient rendering of a difficult phrase in Hosea 14:2. It refers to worship expressed through words, such as hymns, prayers, gratitude, repentance, promises of reform, or vows of obedience, rather than meaningless animal ritual.
Biblical Usage
Hosea calls the people to return penitently to the LORD and offer the words of their lips. The Septuagint-based reading, “fruit of our lips,” is used in Hebrews as “sacrifice of praise.”
Historical Background
The Hebrew text is uncertain. The Revised Version retains a rendering involving bullocks or calves, while the Septuagint presupposes a slightly different Hebrew text and gives “fruit of our lips.”
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>kavz, (Septuagint: karpon cheileon): This is the King James Version rendering of a dubious Hebrew text in Ho 14:2 (parim sephathenu). The Revised Version (British and American) runs "So will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips." Strange as the text is, it may be retained, and it admits of at least a possible explanation. The prophet calls on his contemporaries to return in penitence to Yahweh. Their worship should consist not of meaningless dumb ritual, but of "words"--hymns and prayers, expressive of real gratitude and of actual needs--or perhaps pledges of repentance and reform. The people respond and undertake that their worship shall consist of "calves or bullocks of lips," i.e. not of animal offerings, but of promises of reform or vows of obedience. But this explanation is forced and most modern commentators follow the Septuagint, which presupposes a slightly different Hebrew text, and renders peri sephathenu, "fruit of our lips," i.e. adoring gratitude or, as the author of the Epistle to the He, who quotes this verse from the Septuagint, explains it, "sacrifice of praise" (Heb 13:15). The same phrase occurs in Isa 57:19, where it signifies gladsome gratitude.</p><p>T. Lewis</p>