Hosea 9:7

KJV

¶ The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know [it]: the prophet [is] a fool, the spiritual man [is] mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

KJV (with Strong's)

The days {H3117} of visitation {H6486} are come {H935}, the days {H3117} of recompence {H7966} are come {H935}; Israel {H3478} shall know {H3045} it: the prophet {H5030} is a fool {H191}, the spiritual {H7307} man {H376} is mad {H7696}, for the multitude {H7230} of thine iniquity {H5771}, and the great {H7227} hatred {H4895}.

Complete Jewish Bible

The days of punishment have come, the days of retribution are here, and Isra'el knows it. [Yet they cry,] "The prophet is a fool, the man of the spirit has gone crazy!" Because your iniquity is so great, the hostility [against you] is great.

Berean Standard Bible

The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived— let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.

American Standard Version

The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the man that hath the spirit is mad, for the abundance of thine iniquity, and because the enmity is great.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Hosea 9:7 is a stark prophetic declaration of impending divine judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim). It announces that the long-foretold "days of visitation" and "recompense" have arrived, signifying a divinely appointed time for reckoning where Israel will experience the direct consequences of their profound unfaithfulness. The verse highlights Israel's spiritual blindness and hostility, as they contemptuously dismiss God's true prophets as "fools" and "madmen," revealing their deep-seated rejection of divine truth. This severe judgment is explicitly attributed to their "multitude of iniquity" and "great hatred," underscoring the cumulative effect of their rebellion against God's covenant and His ways.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within a broader section of Hosea (chapters 9-10) that intensifies the prophecies of judgment against Israel, particularly Ephraim, for their pervasive idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. Immediately preceding this verse, Hosea 9:1-6 details Israel's spiritual harlotry, warning that their illicit worship practices will lead to the loss of their land, harvest, and the ability to offer sacrifices to YHWH. The people are depicted as celebrating their false gods, unaware that their revelry will soon turn to lament as they are driven into exile. Following Hosea 9:7, the prophet continues to elaborate on the severe consequences of their sin, including barrenness, destruction of their children, and their ultimate scattering among the nations, emphasizing the irreversible nature of the judgment due to their deep-seated corruption, reminiscent of the wickedness at [Gibeah](/hosea/9-9 "Hosea 9:9 - The Sin of Gibeah"). The prophetic message here serves as a pivotal point, marking the definitive arrival of the promised retribution.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Hosea prophesied to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the turbulent 8th century BC, a period marked by significant political instability, moral decay, and spiritual apostasy. Following the relatively prosperous reign of Jeroboam II, Israel experienced a rapid succession of kings, many of whom came to power through assassination, indicating a breakdown of internal order. Culturally, the nation had deeply embraced syncretism, blending the worship of YHWH with the idolatrous practices of Baal and other Canaanite fertility cults, often involving ritual prostitution and child sacrifice. Politically, Israel sought alliances with powerful foreign nations like Egypt and Assyria, rather than trusting in God for their security, a direct violation of their covenant obligations. This era culminated in the Assyrian conquest and the fall of Samaria in 722 BC, which led to the exile of the Northern Kingdom, fulfilling the very judgments Hosea proclaimed. The "days of visitation" were not abstract but referred to the imminent, concrete actions of God through the Assyrian empire.
* **Key Themes:** Hosea 9:7 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Hosea. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **Divine Judgment and Retribution**, asserting that God's justice is not delayed indefinitely but will inevitably be enacted upon unrepentant sin. The "visitation" and "recompense" highlight God's active involvement in history to uphold His covenant, bringing consequences for Israel's rebellion. Secondly, the verse emphasizes the **Rejection of God's Messengers**, portraying Israel's profound spiritual blindness and hostility towards divine truth. Their contempt for the true prophet, labeling him a "fool" or "mad," reveals a hardened heart that prefers comforting lies to inconvenient truths, a pattern seen throughout biblical history where God's messengers often face scorn, as [Jeremiah experienced](/jeremiah/20-7 "Jeremiah 20:7 - Jeremiah's Mockery"). Finally, the verse explicitly links the impending judgment to the **Consequences of Iniquity and Hatred**. The "multitude of thine iniquity" refers to their pervasive idolatry and moral corruption, while "great hatred" signifies their deep-seated animosity towards God's law, His covenant, and His ways, demonstrating a fundamental rebellion that necessitates divine intervention. This echoes the universal biblical principle that [the wages of sin is death](/romans/6-23 "Romans 6:23 - The Wages of Sin").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **visitation (Hebrew, _pᵉquddâh'_):** This term, derived from a root meaning "to visit" or "to attend to," carries a dual sense in Scripture. While it can denote a gracious visit for blessing, as in [Ruth 1:6](/ruth/1-6 "Ruth 1:6 - God's Visitation for Blessing"), in the context of judgment, it signifies a divine inspection or reckoning that leads to punishment. Here, it is not a benevolent visit but an accounting for deeds, a time when God "calls to account" for Israel's transgressions, emphasizing the imminence and certainty of divine justice.
* **recompence (Hebrew, _shillûwm'_):** From a root meaning "to be complete" or "to repay," this word refers to a requital, payment, or retribution. It highlights the principle of divine justice where actions have consequences, and God repays or rewards according to deeds. In Hosea 9:7, it specifically points to the just retribution Israel will receive for their covenant breaking, emphasizing that their punishment is a direct and deserved outcome of their unfaithfulness.
* **spiritual (Hebrew, _rûwach'_):** This word primarily means "wind" or "breath," but extensively refers to "spirit," including the human spirit, the Spirit of God, or even a demonic spirit. When combined with "man" (`ʼîysh`), "spiritual man" (`ʼîysh hārûaḥ`) refers to an inspired person, specifically a true prophet who speaks under the influence or guidance of God's Spirit. The irony in Hosea 9:7 is that the very people who should recognize and revere such a man instead label him as "mad," demonstrating their profound spiritual blindness and perversion of truth.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come":** This opening declaration serves as a solemn pronouncement of judgment. The repetition emphasizes the certainty and immediacy of God's appointed time for reckoning. It signifies that the period of divine patience has concluded, and the consequences for Israel's persistent sin are now at their threshold, not as a future threat but as a present reality.
* **"Israel shall know [it]":** This clause indicates that the impending judgment will serve as a stark, undeniable revelation for the nation. While they have refused to acknowledge God's warnings through His prophets, they will "know" the truth of His justice through the painful experience of its manifestation. This knowledge will not be intellectual assent but experiential understanding of their folly and God's unwavering righteousness.
* **"the prophet [is] a fool, the spiritual man [is] mad":** This phrase reveals Israel's contemptuous and dismissive attitude toward God's true messengers. They invert truth, labeling those who speak God's inconvenient word as irrational or insane. This reflects a profound spiritual distortion where genuine divine inspiration is perceived as folly, while their own idolatrous and rebellious ways are deemed rational. It highlights their hardened hearts and spiritual blindness.
* **"for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred":** This final clause provides the explicit reason for the impending judgment. The "multitude of iniquity" speaks to the pervasive and accumulated sin of the nation—their idolatry, moral corruption, and social injustice. The "great hatred" refers not merely to their animosity towards the prophets, but fundamentally to their deep-seated aversion and rebellion against God's covenant, His commands, and His very being. This cumulative sin and active defiance have provoked God's righteous wrath.

#### Literary Devices
Hosea 9:7 employs several powerful **literary devices** to convey its urgent message of judgment. The most prominent is **Repetition**, seen in the phrase "The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come." This reiteration creates a sense of solemn finality and emphasizes the absolute certainty and imminence of God's judgment, serving as a drumbeat of doom. **Parallelism** is evident in "the prophet [is] a fool, the spiritual man [is] mad," where the second clause reinforces the first, highlighting Israel's consistent contempt for God's messengers. This is a form of **Synonymous Parallelism**, where similar ideas are expressed in different words. There is also profound **Irony** in the verse: Israel, in its spiritual depravity, labels God's true prophets—the very voices of wisdom and truth—as "fools" and "mad," while their own actions of idolatry, rebellion, and self-destruction are truly foolish and lead to madness. This inversion of truth underscores their profound spiritual blindness. The use of **Metonymy** or **Synecdoche** is present in "Israel," which stands for the entire Northern Kingdom and its people, representing their collective guilt and fate. Finally, the phrases "multitude of thine iniquity" and "great hatred" can be seen as a form of **Hyperbole**, emphasizing the overwhelming and pervasive nature of their sin and rebellion, leaving no doubt as to the justification for the severity of the impending divine retribution.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Hosea 9:7 resonates deeply with core biblical truths about God's character and humanity's accountability. It powerfully asserts God's unwavering justice and sovereignty, demonstrating that while His patience is vast, it is not infinite. The "days of visitation" and "recompense" underscore the principle that sin, particularly covenant unfaithfulness and rebellion against divine authority, inevitably incurs consequences. This is not arbitrary punishment but a righteous response to a "multitude of iniquity" and "great hatred" that has accumulated over generations. The verse also highlights the tragic human tendency to reject divine truth when it challenges comfortable sin. By labeling God's prophets as "fools" and "mad," Israel exemplifies a spiritual blindness that prefers self-deception and false security over the confronting reality of God's Word. This rejection of God's messengers is tantamount to rejecting God Himself, sealing their fate.

* [Isaiah 1:28](/isaiah/1-28 "Isaiah 1:28 - Destruction for Transgression")
* [2 Chronicles 36:15-16](/2_chronicles/36-15-16 "2 Chronicles 36:15-16 - Mocking God's Messengers")
* [Romans 6:23](/romans/6-23 "Romans 6:23 - The Wages of Sin")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hosea 9:7 serves as a profound and timeless warning for all generations. It compels us to confront the reality that sin has consequences, and God, in His perfect justice, will indeed bring a day of reckoning for unrepentant rebellion. This should instill a healthy fear of the Lord, not a terror that paralyzes, but a reverence that motivates us to live in alignment with His will. The verse also challenges us to examine our own hearts: do we welcome God's truth, even when it is uncomfortable or exposes our own shortcomings, or do we, like ancient Israel, dismiss it as foolishness or madness because it contradicts our desires or preferred narratives? In a world increasingly prone to rejecting objective truth, it is crucial to cultivate a humble and discerning spirit, one that is open to the corrective and transformative power of God's Word, even when it comes through unexpected or unpopular voices. We are called to discern between genuine spiritual guidance and deceptive influences, ensuring that our "hatred" is directed towards sin, not towards the holy God who exposes it. Ultimately, this verse calls us to repentance and a renewed commitment to walk in faithfulness, recognizing that true wisdom begins with revering the Lord and embracing His truth.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might I be dismissing God's truth because it challenges my comfort or desires?**
* **How does my attitude towards spiritual warnings or difficult biblical passages reflect a "hatred" for God's ways?**
* **What are the "iniquities" in my own life or community that might be accumulating, inviting a "day of recompense"?**
* **How can I cultivate a greater openness to God's voice, even when it comes through unexpected or seemingly "foolish" channels?**

### FAQ
**What does "the days of visitation" mean in this context?**

Answer: In Hosea 9:7, "the days of visitation" refers to a divinely appointed time of reckoning or inspection. While "visitation" can sometimes imply a benevolent act of God, here it carries the ominous connotation of a judicial visit, where God comes to "call to account" or "punish" for the accumulated sins and unfaithfulness of Israel. It signifies that the period of divine patience has ended, and the consequences of their rebellion are now imminent and unavoidable, leading to their judgment and exile.

**Why did Israel call the prophet a "fool" and the spiritual man "mad"?**

Answer: Israel's labeling of the prophet as a "fool" and the spiritual man as "mad" reflects their profound spiritual blindness and hardened hearts. True prophets, like Hosea, spoke uncomfortable truths about Israel's idolatry, moral corruption, and impending judgment. These messages contradicted the people's self-perception and their desire for peace and prosperity without repentance. In their depravity, they inverted reality: they considered the divinely inspired message of the prophet to be irrational and insane, while their own rebellious and self-destructive path seemed rational to them. This dismissal was a way to justify their continued sin and reject God's inconvenient warnings, as seen when [Jeremiah was mocked for his prophecies](/jeremiah/20-7 "Jeremiah 20:7 - Jeremiah's Mockery").

**What is the "great hatred" mentioned as a reason for judgment?**

Answer: The "great hatred" mentioned in Hosea 9:7 is not merely hatred towards the prophets, but a deeper, fundamental animosity towards God Himself, His covenant, His laws, and His ways. It signifies a profound rebellion and active defiance against divine authority. This "hatred" manifested in their persistent idolatry, their pursuit of foreign alliances, their social injustice, and their rejection of God's loving discipline. It was a deep-seated aversion to the very principles of righteousness and faithfulness that God required of His covenant people.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hosea 9:7, with its pronouncement of judgment for iniquity and the rejection of God's messengers, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound reversal in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Just as Israel dismissed the true prophet as "fool" and "mad," so too was Jesus, the ultimate Prophet and the very [Wisdom of God](/1_corinthians/1-24 "1 Corinthians 1:24 - Christ the Power and Wisdom of God"), perceived as a madman by some ([John 10:20](/john/10-20 "John 10:20 - Jesus Accused of Madness")) and His message as foolishness by the world ([1 Corinthians 1:18](/1_corinthians/1-18 "1 Corinthians 1:18 - The Foolishness of the Cross")). He came in a "visitation" of grace and truth ([Luke 19:41-44](/luke/19-41-44 "Luke 19:41-44 - Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem")) to His own people, yet they, in their "great hatred" and "multitude of iniquity," rejected Him and crucified Him ([John 1:11](/john/1-11 "He Came to His Own"), [Matthew 27:22-23](/matthew/27-22-23 "Matthew 27:22-23 - Crucify Him!")). However, in a glorious paradox, Christ willingly absorbed the "recompense" for humanity's "multitude of iniquity" and "great hatred" on the cross. He became sin for us ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")) and bore the judgment we deserved, thereby offering reconciliation and forgiveness. His death and resurrection demonstrate that while sin brings death and judgment, God's ultimate "visitation" in Christ was for salvation, not condemnation, for all who believe ([John 3:17](/john/3-17 "John 3:17 - God Sent His Son to Save the World")). The final "days of visitation" and "recompense" will occur at His second coming, when He returns not as a suffering servant but as a righteous Judge, bringing ultimate justice and eternal salvation to those who have embraced His truth ([Matthew 25:31-46](/matthew/25-31-46 "Matthew 25:31-46 - The Judgment of the Nations")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Acts 26:24

¶ And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

Acts 26:25

But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

Micah 7:4

The best of them [is] as a brier: the most upright [is sharper] than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen [and] thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

2 Kings 9:11

¶ Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and [one] said unto him, [Is] all well? wherefore came this mad [fellow] to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication.

Mark 3:21

And when his friends heard [of it], they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

Ezekiel 13:3

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Ezekiel 14:9

And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.