Hosea 10:1-5

The folly of Israel’s idolatry

1 Israel is a growing vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the richer his land became, the more he set up sacred standing stones.

2 Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and destroy their standing stones.

3 For now they will say: "We have no king, because we don't love the LORD. What then could a king do for us?"

4 They have spoken empty words, swearing falsely when making covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria shake because of the calf of Beth-aven. Its people will mourn over it, just as its idolatrous priests who rejoiced over its glory that is now gone.

Hosea 10:1-5 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 10

This chapter is of the same argument with the former, and others before that; setting forth the sins of the ten tribes, and threatening them with the judgments of God for them; and exhorting them to repentance, and works of righteousness. They are charged with unfruitfulness and ingratitude; increasing in idolatry, as they increased in temporal good things, Ho 10:1; with a divided heart, and with irreverence of God, and their king; and with false swearing, covenant breaking, and injustice, Ho 10:2-4; and are threatened with a removal of their king, and with the destruction of their idols, and places of idolatry, which should cause fear in the common people, and mourning among the priests, Ho 10:1,5-8. It is observed, that their sin had been of long continuance, though the Lord had been kind and good unto them, in chastising them in love, giving them good laws, sending his prophets to exhort them to repentance and reformation, but all in vain, Ho 10:9-13; wherefore they are threatened with the spoiling of their fortresses, the destruction of the people, and the cutting off of their king, Ho 10:14,15.