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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Hosea 8:8–14. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
It was the honour and happiness of Israel that they had but one God to trust to and he all-sufficient in every strait, and but one God to serve, and he well worthy of all their devotions. But it was their sin, and folly, and shame, that they knew not when they were well off, that they forsook their own mercies for lying vanities; for,
I.They multiplied their alliances (Hos 8:9):
They have hired lovers, or (as the margin reads it) they have hired loves. They were at great expense to purchase the friendship of the nations about them, that otherwise had no value nor affection at all for them, nor cared for having any thing to do with them but only upon the Shechemites' principles - Shall not their cattle and their substance be ours? Gen 34:23. Had Israel maintained the honour of their peculiarity, the surrounding nations would have continued to admire them as a wise and understanding people; but, when they profaned their own crown, their neighbours despised them, and they had no interest in them further than they paid dearly for it. But those surely have behaved ill among their neighbours who have no loves, no lovers, but what they hire. See here,
1.The contempt that Israel lay under among the nations (Hos 8:8): Israel is swallowed up, devoured by strangers, their land eaten up (Hos 8:7), and themselves too, and, being impoverished, they have quite lost their credit and reputation, like a merchant that has become a bankrupt, so that they are among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure, a vessel of dishonour (Ti2 2:20), a despised broken vessel, Jer 22:28. None of their neighbours have any value for them, nor care to have any thing to do with them. Note, Those that have professed religion, if they degenerate and grow profane, are of all men the most contemptible. If the salt have lost its savour, it is fit for nothing but to be trodden under foot of men. Or it denotes their dispersion and captivity among the Gentiles; they shall be among them poor and prisoners; and who has pleasure in such?
2.The court that Israel made to the nations notwithstanding (Hos 8:9): They have gone to Assyria, to engage the king of Assyria to help them; and herein they are as a wild ass alone by himself, foolish, headstrong, and unruly; they will have their way, and nothing shall hold them in, no, not the bridle of God's laws, nothing shall turn them back, no, not the sword of God's wrath. They take a course by themselves, and the effect will be that, like a wild ass by himself, they will be the easier and surer prey to the lion. See Job 11:12; Jer 2:24. Note, Man is in nothing more like the wild ass's colt than in seeking for that succour and that satisfaction in the creature which are to be had in God only.
3.The crosses that they were likely to meet with in their alliances with the neighbouring nations (Hos 8:10): Though they have hired among the nations, and hoped thereby to prevent their own ruin, yet now will I gather them, as the sheaves in the floor (Mic 4:12); so that what they provided for their own safety shall but make them the easier prey to their enemies. Note, There is no fence against the judgments of God, when they come with commission; nay, that which men hire for their own preservation often contributes to their own destruction. See Isa 7:20. The king of Assyria, whose friendship they courted, called himself a king of princes, Isa 10:8. Are not my princes altogether kings? He laid burdens upon Israel, levied taxes upon them, Kg2 15:19, Kg2 15:20. And for these they shall sorrow a little; this shall be but a little burden to them in comparison of what they may further expect; or they will be but little sensible of this grievance, will not lay it to heart, and therefore may expect heavier judgments. They have begun to be diminished (so some read it), by the burden of the king of princes; but this is only the beginning of sorrows (Mat 24:8), the beginning of revenges, Deu 32:42. Note, God often comes gradually with his judgments upon a provoking people, that he may show how slow he is to wrath, and may awaken them to repentance; but those that are made to sorrow a little, if they are not thereby brought to sorrow after a godly sort, will, another day, be made to sorrow a great deal, to sorrow everlastingly.
II.They multiplied their altars and temples. Observe,
1.How they denied the power of godliness, and wholly cast that off (Hos 8:12): I have written to him the great things of my law; this intimates the privilege they enjoyed, as having God's statutes and judgments made known to them, and being entrusted with the lively oracles. Note,
(1.)The things of God's law are magnalia Dei - the great things of God. They are things that proclaim the greatness of the Law-maker, and things of great use and great importance to us; they are our life, and our eternal welfare depends upon our observance of them and obedience to them; they will make us great if we make a right use of them; and they are things which God will magnify and make honourable.
(2.)It is a great privilege to have the things of God's law written; thus they are reduced to a greater certainty, spread the further, and last the longer, with much less danger of being embezzled and corrupted than if they were transmitted by word of mouth only.
(3.)The things of God's law are of his own writing; for Moses and the prophets were his amanuenses, and holy men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
(4.)It is the advantage of those that are members of the visible church that these great things are written to them, are intended for their direction, and so they must receive them; what things were written in former ages were written for our learning, and are profitable for us. And, if those were happy who had the great things of God's law written to them, how much happier are we who have the gospel written to us! But see how this privilege was slighted; these great things of the law were counted as a strange thing, as unintelligible and unreasonable (which might therefore be slighted, because not to be fathomed, not to be accounted for), or as foreign, and things of no concernment to them, things that they had nothing to do with nor were to be governed by; they used those things as strangers, which they were shy of, and knew not how to bid welcome. We desire not the knowledge of thy ways. Note,
[1.]God having written to us the great things of his law, we ought to make them familiar to us, as our nearest relations (Pro 7:3, Pro 7:4); for therefore we have them written, that they may talk with us, Pro 6:22.
[2.]We make nothing of the things of God's law if we make strange of them, as if they did not affect us and therefore we need not be affected with them.
2.How they kept up the form of godliness notwithstanding, and to what little purpose they did so.
(1.)They multiplied their altars (Hos 8:11): Ephraim made many altars to sin. God appointed that there should be but one altar for sacrifice (Deu 12:3, Deu 12:5); but the ten tribes, having forsaken that, would still be thought very devout, and zealous for the honour of God, and, as if they would make amends for the affront they put on God's altar, they made many altars, dedicated to the God of Israel, whom hereby they intended, or at least pretended, to give glory to; but that would not justify their violation of God's express command, nor would the example of the patriarchs, who before the law of Moses had many altars. No, they made many altars to sin (that is, they did that which turned into sin to them), and therefore these altars shall be unto them to sin, that is, God will charge it upon them as a heinous sin, and put that upon the score of their crimes which they designed to be for the expiation of their crimes. Or they shall be to them an occasion of further sin. Their multiplying of altars dedicated to the God of Israel would introduce altars dedicated to other gods. Note, It is a great sin to corrupt the worship of God, and it will be charged as sin upon those that do it, how plausible soever their pretensions may be. And the way of this, as other sins, is down-hill; those that once deviate from the fixed rule of God's commands will wander endlessly.
(2.)They multiplied their sacrifices, Hos 8:13. Their altars were smoking altars: They sacrificed flesh for the sacrifices of God's offerings, and they celebrated their feasts upon their sacrifices; they were at a great expense upon their devotions, and (as those commonly are who set up their own inventions in the room of divine institutions) were very zealous in their way; as if they hoped by their impositions on themselves to atone for the contempt of the great atonement, and by their observing a ceremonial law of their own to excuse themselves from the obligation of all God's moral precepts. But how did they speed?
[1.]God makes no reckoning of their services: The Lord accepts them not. How should he, when they did not offer their sacrifice upon that altar which alone sanctified the gift, and when they only sacrificed flesh, but not the spiritual sacrifice of a penitent believing heart? Note, Those services only are acceptable to God which are performed according to the rule of his word, and through Jesus Christ, Pe1 2:5.
[2.]He takes that occasion to reckon with them for their sins; now will he, instead of pardoning their iniquity and blotting out their sins, as they expected, remember their iniquity and visit their sins. Such an abomination to the Lord are the sacrifices of the wicked that they provoke him to call them to an account for all their other abominations. When they think by their sacrifices to bribe the Judge of heaven and earth into a connivance at their wickedness he will resent that as the highest affront they can put upon him, and it shall be the measure-filling sin. Note, A petition for leave to sin amounts to an imprecation of the curse for sin, and so it shall be answered, according to the multitude of the idols. "I will punish their sins, for they shall return to Egypt;" they shall be carried captive into Assyria, which shall be to them a house of bondage, as Egypt was to their fathers. Or it refers to Deu 28:68, where returning to Egypt is made to close and complete the miseries of that sinful nation.
(3.)They multiplied their temples, and these also in honour of the true God, as they pretended, but really in contempt of the choice he had made of Jerusalem to put his name there. Israel has forgotten his Maker, Hos 8:14. They pretended to know him, and yet forgot him, for they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, when the remembrance of him would give check to their lusts. It was an aggravation of their sin in forgetting God that he was their Maker (Deu 32:15, Deu 32:18; Job 35:10), as nothing obliges us more to remember him than that he is our Creator, Ecc 12:1. "He has forgotten his Maker, and builds temples; he seems by the temples he builds to me mindful of his Maker, and to be desirous still to keep him in mind, and yet really he has forgotten him, because he has cast off the fear of him." Some by temples here understand palaces, for so the word sometimes signifies. "He has forgotten his Maker, and yet is so secure and haughty that he sets his judgments at defiance, as Nebuchadnezzar did when he said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built?" Judah is likewise charged with multiplying fenced cities, and trusting in them for safety, when the judgments of God were abroad. To fortify their cities in subjection and subordination to God was well enough; but to fortify them in opposition to God, and without any regard to him or his providence (Isa 22:11), shows their hearts to be desperately hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. But none ever hardened his heart against God and prospered, nor shall they. God will send a fire upon his cities, upon the cities both of Judah and Israel, not only the head-cities of Jerusalem and Samaria, but all the other cities of those two kingdoms, and it shall devour not only the cottages, but the palaces thereof; though ever so strong, the fire shall master them; though ever so stately and sumptuous, the fire shall not spare them. This was fulfilled when all the cities of Israel were laid in ashes by the king of Assyria, and all the cities of Judah by the king of Babylon. The fires they both kindled were of his sending; and when he judges he will overcome.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
Because Ephraim has multiplied altars to sin, altars have been made for him to sin on. He said, led into captivity, they'll cease for a short while from the burden of the king and prince. And this they suffer, because Ephraim their prince has multiplied altars, not in which to sacrifice to the Lord, but in which to join sins and sins: these altars, that is, will turn into a sin for them, so that the more there are, the more their crimes will multiply. Then as he had said before: "What shall I do to you, Ephraim? What shall I do to you, Judah?" as if doubting and seeking, with what remedy he might heal the sick, and with what counsels he might draw the sinner back to salvation.
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Summary
Hosea 8:11 delivers a severe divine indictment against the Northern Kingdom of Israel, personified as Ephraim, for their pervasive and self-destructive idolatry. The verse starkly declares that because Ephraim has multiplied altars, not for true worship but for the purpose and outcome of sin, these very altars will ultimately serve as instruments that perpetuate their sin and lead to their downfall, highlighting the inescapable consequences of spiritual infidelity and the self-defeating nature of false worship.
Context
Literary Context
Hosea 8 is part of a larger prophetic message of judgment against Israel for its covenant infidelity. Following chapters that expose Israel's spiritual harlotry (e.g., Hosea 4 and Hosea 5), Hosea 8 specifically condemns their political alliances with foreign nations, their rejection of God's law, and most prominently, their widespread idolatry. Verse 11, with its focus on "many altars to sin," directly follows condemnations of their reliance on human kings rather than God (Hosea 8:4) and their worship of the golden calves (Hosea 8:5-6). This verse serves as a climactic statement on the depth of their spiritual rebellion, emphasizing that their religious practices, far from bringing them closer to God, were actively leading them into deeper transgression and inviting divine wrath, setting the stage for the pronouncements of impending exile and destruction in the subsequent verses (Hosea 8:12-14).
Historical & Cultural Context
The 8th century BCE was a period of significant decline for the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Politically, it was characterized by a rapid succession of kings, assassinations, and instability, often seeking alliances with Assyria or Egypt rather than trusting in Yahweh. Culturally, the syncretism of Yahweh worship with Canaanite Baal worship was rampant. King Jeroboam I had established cultic centers at Dan and Bethel with golden calves (see 1 Kings 12:28-30), ostensibly to prevent his people from returning to Jerusalem for worship, but these became sites of profound idolatry. Over time, the proliferation of "high places" and altars dedicated to various deities, or even to a corrupted form of Yahweh worship, became endemic. The Mosaic Law explicitly commanded a single, centralized place for legitimate worship (e.g., Deuteronomy 12:5-6), making the "many altars" a direct violation of God's covenant and a symbol of Israel's deep-seated apostasy and spiritual promiscuity.
Key Themes
Hosea 8:11 powerfully encapsulates several key themes prevalent throughout the book of Hosea and the broader prophetic literature. Central among these is Idolatry and Apostasy, as Israel's "many altars" are a tangible manifestation of their departure from exclusive covenant loyalty to Yahweh and their embrace of false gods or corrupted worship forms. This verse also highlights the theme of Covenant Infidelity, portraying Israel as an unfaithful wife who has betrayed her divine husband by prostituting herself to other gods and practices. Furthermore, it underscores the principle of Divine Justice and Inescapable Consequences, demonstrating that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a direct and proportional response to Israel's persistent sin. The phrase "altars shall be unto him to sin" reveals a chilling aspect of Self-Perpetuating Sin, where the very instruments of their transgression become catalysts for further moral decay and ultimately, their undoing. This speaks to the tragic reality of Spiritual Blindness, as Israel, despite prophetic warnings, remained oblivious to the destructive path their religious innovations were leading them down, failing to recognize that their actions were an affront to their holy God.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
While literally the name of Joseph's son, in Hosea and other prophetic books, "Ephraim" frequently serves as a metonym for the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel. This usage highlights the prominence of the tribe of Ephraim within the northern confederacy and emphasizes that the judgment is directed at the collective nation, not just a single tribe. The name itself, meaning "double fruit" or "fruitful," ironically contrasts with the spiritual barrenness and idolatry described.
This root signifies "to increase," "to multiply," or "to be great/abundant." Its use here emphasizes the sheer proliferation and excessive number of altars built by Ephraim. It's not just a few altars, but a vast quantity, indicating a widespread, deeply entrenched, and unrepentant practice of idolatry and illegitimate worship throughout the land. The abundance of altars underscores the depth of their spiritual rebellion.
Derived from a root meaning "to slaughter" or "to sacrifice," an altar is a place of offering. In the context of the Mosaic Law, altars were designated for legitimate worship of Yahweh. However, in Hosea 8:11, these "many altars" are explicitly linked "to sin," indicating that they were either dedicated to pagan deities (like Baal) or used for unauthorized, syncretistic, and therefore corrupted, worship of Yahweh, directly violating the singular, central worship command.
This verb, meaning "to miss the mark," "to go astray," or "to sin," is crucial. The phrase "to sin" (לַחֲטֹא, lachaṭa') indicates purpose or result. It implies that the altars were either built for the purpose of sinning (i.e., idolatry), or that their very existence resulted in sin, or that they became the instruments through which sin was committed. The repetition of this phrase intensifies the condemnation, emphasizing the direct link between the altars and Israel's transgression.
Verse Breakdown
"Because Ephraim hath made many altars"
This clause establishes the premise for God's judgment. "Ephraim," representing the Northern Kingdom, is accused of actively constructing a multitude of altars. This action signifies a deliberate and widespread rejection of God's command for a single, central place of worship and an embrace of syncretistic or outright idolatrous practices. The emphasis on "many" highlights the extent of their spiritual infidelity and the pervasive nature of their apostasy.
"to sin"
This crucial phrase immediately qualifies the nature of these altars. They were not built for legitimate worship of Yahweh but were intrinsically linked to transgression. This could mean they were built for the purpose of committing sin (e.g., offering sacrifices to Baal or engaging in unauthorized worship), or that their construction resulting in sin, or that they served as the instruments through which sin was perpetrated. The altars themselves, intended for devotion, became symbols and conduits of rebellion.
"altars shall be unto him to sin"
This second clause pronounces the divine judgment, which is a direct, ironic consequence of the first. The very altars Ephraim built "to sin" will now be "unto him to sin." This can be interpreted in several ways: (1) The altars will become a perpetual source or occasion for further sin, trapping Ephraim in a cycle of transgression. (2) The altars will become the very instruments of their judgment, leading to their downfall as a consequence of their sin. (3) The altars, which they thought would bring them blessing or security, will instead be the cause of their ruin, demonstrating the self-destructive nature of idolatry. The repetition of "to sin" underscores the inescapable link between their actions and their impending doom.
Literary Devices
Hosea 8:11 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its stark message. The most prominent is Repetition, specifically of the phrase "to sin" (לַחֲטֹא, lachaṭa') and the word "altars" (mizbêach). This repetition creates a strong emphasis, underscoring the pervasive nature of Ephraim's transgression and the direct, inescapable link between their actions and their consequences. It highlights the circular and self-perpetuating nature of their idolatry. Irony is also central to the verse: altars, typically places of sacrifice and communion with deity, are here explicitly identified as instruments "to sin." What was intended for devotion became a means of rebellion, and what they thought would bring blessing would bring judgment. This creates a tragic paradox. Furthermore, the use of Metonymy is evident in "Ephraim" representing the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel, allowing the prophet to personify the nation and directly address its collective guilt. The verse's structure also exhibits a form of Chiasm or Parallelism, where the first clause states the action ("made many altars to sin") and the second states the consequence, mirroring the first ("altars shall be unto him to sin"), reinforcing the direct cause-and-effect relationship between their idolatry and its inevitable destructive outcome.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Hosea 8:11 serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of idolatry and divine justice. It reveals that God demands exclusive worship and that any deviation, even under the guise of religious practice, is an affront to His holiness and covenant. The proliferation of altars, rather than being a sign of piety, was a testament to Israel's spiritual promiscuity and their attempt to control or manipulate the divine, rather than submitting to God's revealed will. The verse underscores the principle that sin, particularly idolatry, is not a neutral act but a self-destructive force that entrenches individuals and nations deeper into rebellion, ultimately leading to divine judgment. God's response is not arbitrary but a just consequence, where the very instruments of sin become the means by which further sin is committed or judgment is meted out, illustrating the inherent futility and danger of spiritual compromise.
Reflection and Application
Hosea 8:11 offers a timeless and sobering warning for believers today. While we may not erect literal altars to pagan gods, the principle of "altars to sin" remains acutely relevant. Anything that displaces God from His rightful, supreme position in our lives—whether it be career, wealth, relationships, personal comfort, entertainment, or even our own self-righteousness and opinions—can become an "altar to sin." This verse challenges us to examine our hearts and priorities, asking what we truly worship and where our ultimate trust lies. It reminds us that spiritual compromise is not benign; it is a corrosive force that deepens our entanglement in sin and separates us from genuine communion with God. The consequence is not merely external punishment but an internal spiritual decay where the very things we pursue for satisfaction or security become the instruments of our spiritual downfall. True worship demands exclusive devotion and obedience to God's revealed will, leading to life and flourishing, rather than the self-inflicted ruin promised by the altars of sin.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "altars shall be unto him to sin" mean?
This phrase highlights a profound and tragic consequence of Ephraim's idolatry. It means that the very altars they built, ostensibly for religious purposes, would become instruments or occasions for further sin, or even the means of their judgment. It implies a self-perpetuating cycle where their chosen path of rebellion would lead them deeper into transgression and ultimately, into divine punishment. It's an ironic statement: what they thought would bring them closer to their false gods or secure their future would instead be the direct cause of their spiritual and national undoing. The altars, instead of being places of blessing, become symbols of their curse, reinforcing the principle that the wages of sin is death.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Hosea 8:11, with its stark condemnation of Israel's "altars to sin," finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus, who perfectly embodied the exclusive worship and obedience that Israel failed to render. Israel's proliferation of altars symbolized their desperate attempts to find life, security, and blessing apart from Yahweh, often through self-devised religious practices or pagan rituals. This stands in stark contrast to Jesus, who, as the true and perfect Israelite, offered the one, ultimate, and sufficient sacrifice on the cross, thereby becoming the singular "altar" upon which all true reconciliation and worship are now based (Hebrews 13:10). Unlike Israel's altars that led to sin and judgment, Christ's sacrifice on the cross was "for sin" in a redemptive sense, taking away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Thus, the self-destructive cycle of sin highlighted in Hosea is broken by Christ, who invites humanity to abandon all "altars to sin" and find true life, forgiveness, and worship solely through Him, the one mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).