Hosea 7:6-16

6 Their hearts are as hot as an oven. They make evil plans to get rid of him. Their anger burns like a slow fire all night. In the morning it blazes out like a flaming fire.

7 All of them are as hot as an oven. They destroy their rulers. All of their kings fall from power. But none of them calls on the LORD for help.

8 The people of Ephraim mix with the nations. They are like a flat cake that is baked on only one side.

9 People from other lands make them weaker and weaker. But they don't realize it. Their hair is becoming gray. But they don't even notice it.

10 The pride of Israel witnesses that they are guilty. But in spite of everything, they don't return to the LORD their God. They don't go to him for help.

11 The LORD says, "The people of Ephraim are like a dove. They are easily tricked. They do not have any sense at all. First they call out to Egypt for help. Then they turn to Assyria.

12 When they send for help, I will throw my net over them. I will capture them like birds of the air. I will punish them, just as I warned them I would.

13 How terrible it will be for them! They have wandered away from me. So they will be destroyed. They have refused to obey me. I long to save them. But they tell lies about me.

14 They do not cry out to me from their hearts. Instead, they just lie on their beds and sob. They cut themselves when they pray to Baal for grain and fresh wine. So they turn away from me.

15 I brought them up and made them strong. But they make evil plans against me.

16 I am the Most High God. But they do not turn to me. They are like a bow that does not shoot straight. Their leaders will be killed with swords. They will die because they have spoken too proudly. The people of Egypt will make fun of them."

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Hosea 7:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 7

This chapter either begins a new sermon, discourse, or prophecy, or it is a continuation of the former; at least it seems to be of the same argument with the latter part of it, only it is directed to Israel alone; and consists of complaints against them because of their manifold sins, and of denunciations of punishment for them. They are charged with ingratitude to God, sinning in a daring manner against mercy, and with falsehood, thefts, and robberies, Ho 7:1; with want of consideration of the omniscience of God, and his notice of their sins, which surrounded them, Ho 7:2; with flattery to their king and princes, Ho 7:3; with adultery, which lust raged in them like a heated oven, Ho 7:4; with drunkenness, aggravated by drawing their king into it, Ho 7:5; with raging lusts, which devoured their judges, made their kings to fall, and brought on such a general corruption, that there were none that called upon the Lord, Ho 7:6,7; with mixing themselves with the nations of the earth, and so learning their ways, and bringing their superstition and idolatry into the worship of God, so that they were nothing in religion, like a half baked cake, Ho 7:8; with stupidity and insensibility of their declining state, Ho 7:9; with pride, impenitence, and stubbornness, Ho 7:10; with folly, in seeking to Egypt and Assyria for help, and not to the Lord; for which they would be taken as birds in a net, and sorely chastised, Ho 7:11,12; with ingratitude, hypocrisy, and deceitfulness; for all which they are threatened with destruction, Ho 7:13-16.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Hosea 7:6-16

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Hosea 7:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 7