Hosea 8:5

Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast [thee] off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long [will it be] ere they attain to innocency?

Thy calf {H5695}, O Samaria {H8111}, hath cast {H2186} thee off; mine anger {H639} is kindled {H2734} against them: how long will it be ere {H3808} they attain {H3201} to innocency {H5356}?

Your calf, Shomron, has been thrown away; my fury burns against them. How long will it be until they are able to make themselves clean?

He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence?

He hath cast off thy calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?

Hosea 8:5 delivers a powerful indictment against the Northern Kingdom of Israel, specifically its capital, Samaria, for its deep-seated idolatry. The verse highlights God's righteous anger and His longing for His people to return to Him in purity.

Context

The prophet Hosea ministered during a period of spiritual and political decline in the Northern Kingdom of Israel (also called Ephraim). His message frequently condemned the nation's spiritual adultery – their turning away from the Lord to worship other gods. This verse specifically targets the golden calves set up by King Jeroboam I at Bethel and Dan, which became central to Israel's apostasy (1 Kings 12:28-30). Samaria, as the capital, became a symbol of the nation's idolatrous practices and rejection of the true God.

Key Themes

  • The Futility of Idolatry: The phrase "Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast [thee] off" underscores the worthlessness and impotence of the idol. It cannot help or save, and in fact, it is depicted as being broken or abandoned, signifying its ultimate uselessness and inability to protect its worshippers. The very object of their worship is shown to be a source of their downfall.
  • Divine Anger Against Sin: "Mine anger is kindled against them" reveals God's just wrath over Israel's persistent rebellion and betrayal of their covenant with Him. This anger is not arbitrary but a holy response to their spiritual unfaithfulness and the breaking of the first two commandments (Exodus 20:3-5).
  • God's Desire for Purity and Repentance: The rhetorical question "how long [will it be] ere they attain to innocency?" expresses God's exasperation and deep sorrow over His people's stubborn refusal to repent. It highlights His enduring patience, yet also His frustration with their unwillingness to turn from their sin and return to a state of spiritual purity and blamelessness before Him.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "calf" here is ‘eglek (עֶגְלֵךְ), specifically referring to the golden idol. The phrase "hath cast [thee] off" comes from the Hebrew verb natash (נָטַשׁ), which means "to abandon, forsake, cast off." In this context, it can imply that the calf itself is broken, abandoned, or rendered useless, demonstrating its inability to fulfill its supposed purpose. "Innocency" is niqqayon (נִקְיֹן), meaning blamelessness, purity, or freedom from guilt, indicating the spiritual state God desires for His people.

Practical Application

Hosea 8:5 serves as a timeless warning against the dangers of idolatry, whether it takes the form of physical idols or modern-day preoccupations that displace God in our lives—such as money, power, possessions, or self-worship. It reminds us that anything we elevate above God will ultimately prove futile and lead to divine displeasure. The verse also highlights God's persistent desire for His people's repentance and spiritual purity. His patience, though vast, is not endless, and He calls us to continually examine our hearts and ensure our devotion is solely to Him, seeking true repentance and cleansing from all forms of idolatry.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Hosea 10:5

    The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof [that] rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

  • Jeremiah 13:27

    I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, [and] thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when [shall it] once [be]?

  • Proverbs 1:22

    How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

  • Isaiah 45:20

    ¶ Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye [that are] escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god [that] cannot save.

  • 2 Kings 17:21

    For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.

  • 2 Kings 17:23

    Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

  • 2 Kings 17:16

    And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, [even] two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

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