Hosea 10:7

[As for] Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.

As for Samaria {H8111}, her king {H4428} is cut off {H1820} as the foam {H7110} upon {H6440} the water {H4325}.

Shomron's king will perish like foam on the surface of the water.

Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water.

As for Samaria, her king is cut off, as foam upon the water.

Commentary

Hosea 10:7 delivers a stark prophetic warning to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, specifically targeting its capital, Samaria, and its leadership. This verse paints a vivid picture of the impending judgment and the ultimate demise of their earthly power.

Context

The prophet Hosea ministered during a tumultuous period in Israel's history, marked by profound political instability, widespread idolatry, and a rapid succession of short-lived kings. Samaria, as the capital of the Northern Kingdom (often referred to as Ephraim), had become a symbol of its spiritual apostasy and political corruption. This verse foreshadows the inevitable judgment and the complete collapse of Israel's monarchy at the hands of the Assyrian Empire, which would culminate in the fall of Samaria in 722 BC and the subsequent exile of its people. The kings of Israel frequently rose and fell through violent coups, as seen in Hosea 8:4 ("They have set up kings, but not by me"), reflecting their rejection of God's true authority.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The verse powerfully illustrates God's impending judgment upon a nation that had repeatedly turned away from Him through idolatry, injustice, and unfaithfulness.
  • Transience of Human Power: The imagery of the king being "cut off as the foam upon the water" highlights the fleeting and insubstantial nature of human authority and political stability when it is not founded upon God's righteousness. Earthly power, without divine favor, is easily swept away and vanishes without a trace.
  • Consequences of Sin: The instability and ultimate destruction of Israel's leadership serve as a clear consequence of their persistent disobedience and reliance on foreign alliances rather than on the Lord, demonstrating that sin ultimately leads to ruin.

Linguistic Insight

The Hebrew word translated "cut off" (nidmeh, ื ึดื“ึฐืžึถื”) conveys the sense of being silenced, destroyed, or annihilated. The vivid simile "as the foam upon the water" (ื›ึฐึผืงึถืฆึถืฃ ืขึทืœึพืคึฐึผื ึตื™ ืžึทื™ึดื, k'qetseph al-p'ney mayim) uses qetseph (ืงึถืฆึถืฃ) for foam. This metaphor emphasizes the utter insignificance and swift vanishing of Samaria's king and, by extension, its entire political structure, much like froth on a river that quickly dissipates.

Practical Application

Hosea 10:7 serves as a timeless reminder that all human institutions, leaders, and worldly power are ultimately subject to God's sovereign will. It underscores the fragility of power that is not anchored in divine principles and righteousness. For believers today, it encourages a perspective that places ultimate trust not in transient worldly leaders or systems, which are temporary like foam, but in the eternal and unchanging God. It also calls for introspection on the consequences of spiritual apostasy and the importance of walking humbly with God, recognizing that true security and lasting stability come only from Him.

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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Hosea 10:3

    For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us?

  • Hosea 13:11

    I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took [him] away in my wrath.

  • 2 Kings 17:4

    And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as [he had done] year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

  • 2 Kings 1:3

    But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, [Is it] not because [there is] not a God in Israel, [that] ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

  • 1 Kings 21:1

    ยถ And it came to pass after these things, [that] Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which [was] in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

  • Hosea 10:15

    So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.

  • 2 Kings 15:30

    And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
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