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Hosea 7

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Israel's Internal Corruption 1–7

1
When I would heal Israel, then is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief entereth in, and the troop of robbers ravageth without. ​
2
And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now have their own doings beset them about; they are before my face. ​
3
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies. ​
4
They are all adulterers; they are as an oven heated by the baker; he ceaseth to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough, until it be leavened. ​
5
On the day of our king the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with scoffers. ​
6
For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7
They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me. ​

Ephraim's Loss of Identity 8–10

8
Ephraim, he mixeth himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. ​
9
Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth it not. ​
10
And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: yet they have not returned unto Jehovah their God, nor sought him, for all this. ​

Judgment for Foreign Alliances 11–16

11
And Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding: they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria. ​
12
When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the birds of the heavens; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard. ​
13
Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! for they have trespassed against me: though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me. ​
14
And they have not cried unto me with their heart, but they howl upon their beds: they assemble themselves for grain and new wine; they rebel against me. ​
15
Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet do they devise mischief against me.
16
They return, but not to him that is on high; they are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Hosea 7

Verse 1

When I would have healed Israel — 'Healed' is rapha, the verb of 6:1 and of 14:4, 'I will heal their backsliding'. The offer meets the uncovering (galah) of the iniquity of Ephraim and the wickedness of Samaria, as in 11:3, 'they knew not that I healed them'. The 'troop of robbers' (gedud) is the word of 6:9.

Verse 2

they consider not in their hearts — Literally they do not say to their heart (amar) that the LORD 'remember' (zakar) all their wickedness. Their 'own doings have beset them about', and nothing is hidden: 'Thou hast set our iniquities before thee' (Ps 90:8). The LORD's remembering returns in 8:13.

Verse 3

make the king glad with their wickedness — The princes share the king's pleasure in evil and in 'lies' (kachash, from the root of the 'lying' in 4:2). The verses that follow describe the plots by which the nation's kings were removed (vv.5–7).

Verse 4

as an oven heated by the baker — 'Oven' (tannur) returns in vv.6–7. In v.6 the heart is made ready 'like an oven, whiles they lie in wait', the baker 'sleepeth all the night', and 'in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire'. The charge is 'adulterers' (naaf), the sin named in 4:2, 13, 14.

Verse 5

made him sick with bottles of wine — 'Sick' is chalah, and 'bottles' is chemah, heat or fury, here the heat of wine. The king 'stretched out his hand with scorners', and 'Wine is a mocker' (Prov 20:1). The 'day of our king' is not further described in the verse.

Verse 7

have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen — The oven of vv.4–6 now consumes. The kings of the north fell by conspiracy: Shallum against Zachariah (2 Kgs 15:10), Menahem against Shallum (15:14), Pekah against Pekahiah (15:25), Hoshea against Pekah (15:30). 'Calleth' (qara) is the verb of v.11, 'they call to Egypt'.

Verse 8

Ephraim… a cake not turned — 'Mixed himself' is balal, the verb for oil mixed with the meal offering (Lev 2:5), here Ephraim mixed 'among the people', the nations: 'were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works' (Ps 106:35). A 'cake' (ugah) is baked on the hearth (Gen 18:6); one never turned is cooked on one side only.

Verse 9

Strangers have devoured his strength — 'Strangers' is zur, foreigners, as in 5:7, and the same verb is used of 'the strangers shall swallow it up' in 8:7. 'Gray hairs' (sevah) are the marks of age. The repeated 'he knoweth not' is the lack of knowledge named in 4:1 and 4:6.

Verse 10

they do not return to the LORD — The words of 5:5 are repeated, and now the people 'do not return' (shuv) 'nor seek him for all this'. Isaiah states the same: 'the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts' (Isa 9:13); so does Amos 4:6, 'yet have ye not returned unto me'.

Verse 11

a silly dove without heart — 'Silly' is pathah, simple or easily enticed, and 'heart' is lev, the word of 4:11, 'take away the heart'. 'They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria': Hoshea sent to So king of Egypt (2 Kgs 17:4), and 12:1 says 'they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt'.

Verse 12

I will spread my net upon them — The LORD takes up the fowler's net (resheth) of 5:1 and brings them down 'as the fowls of the heaven'. 'Chastise' is yasar, the root of 'rebuker' (musar) in 5:2, and the punishment is what 'their congregation hath heard'.

Verse 13

Woe unto them! — 'Fled' is nadad, to rove or flee, and 'transgressed' is pasha, the verb of 8:1. The LORD says 'I have redeemed them', the word (padah) for the deliverance from Egypt: 'redeemed you out of the house of bondmen' (Deut 7:8; Mic 6:4). Their answer is 'lies' (kazab).

Verse 14

they have not cried unto me with their heart — The 'cry' (za'aq) is the verb of 8:2, 'Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee'. They howl 'upon their beds', but the heart (lev) is absent, as in 7:11. 'Corn and wine' are the gifts of 2:8, 'she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine'.

Verse 16

They return, but not to the most High — 'Return' (shuv) is the verb of 6:1 and 14:1. 'Most High' here is al, 'above', a different word from the title Elyon in Ps 9:2. 'A deceitful bow' recalls 'turned aside like a deceitful bow' (Ps 78:57). Egypt returns as the place of 'derision' after v.11.