Hosea 9:5

5 What will they do on the day of an appointed festival or on the LORD's festival days?

Hosea 9:5 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 9:5

What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast
of the Lord?
] Since their sacrifices now were so disagreeable and displeasing to the Lord, and so unavailable to themselves, what would they do when in captivity, "in the solemn day", the seventh day of the week, appointed by the Lord for rest and religious worship; and in the first day of the month, which also was to be solemnly observed, by offering sacrifice and on feast days of the Lord's instituting, as the feasts of the passover, pentecost; and tabernacles? seeing those that carried and held them captive would not allow them time for such solemnities; nor would they be furnished with proper sacrifices; nor could they be accommodated with a proper place to offer them at; nor be able, in a strange land, and under hardships and miseries, to express that joy that is suitable to such occasions: thus should they learn, by sad experience, the want of those means and opportunities of serving the Lord, which in their own land they rejected and despised. Jarchi and Kimchi interpret this of the destruction of Israel, and of punishment inflicted on them at the time appointed by the Lord; and which would be a solemn time, a feast with the Lord, to which he should invite their enemies, and they should spill their blood as the blood of sacrifices; and when he would display the glory of his justice, truth, and faithfulness, before all the world. And it is asked, what will you do then? whither will you flee for help? or what sacrifice can you offer up to the Lord to atone for sin, or appease his wrath? will you be able to rejoice then? no, your joy will be turned into mourning; see ( Isaiah 10:3 ) ( 34:6 ) .

Hosea 9:5 In-Context

3 The people of Ephraim won't stay in the LORD's land. They will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.
4 They won't pour wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices won't please him. Their sacrifices will be like the food that mourners eat. All who eat this food will be unclean. Their food will only satisfy their hunger. It will not be brought [as an offering] to the LORD's temple.
5 What will they do on the day of an appointed festival or on the LORD's festival days?
6 Even if they escape without being destroyed, Egypt will capture them and Memphis will bury them. Weeds will grow over their silver treasures. Thorns will grow over their tents.
7 The time for them to be punished will come. The time for them to pay for their sins will come. [When this happens,] Israel will know it. [They think that] prophets are fools and that spiritual people are crazy. They have sinned a lot, and they are very hostile.
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