Hosea 7:1-6

1 When I would heal Israel, the wickedness of Ephraim was showed, and the malice of Samaria was showed, for they wrought leasing. And a night thief entered, and robbed; (and) a day thief was withoutforth. (When I desired to restore the prosperity of my people, and to heal Israel, then the wickedness of Ephraim was shown, and the malice of Samaria, for they were all liars. And they entered inside like a night thief, and robbed; and outside, like a day thief, they stole from the people.)

2 And lest they say in their hearts, that I have mind on all the malice of them, now their findings have compassed them, those be made before my face. (And lest they say in their hearts, that I only remember all their malice, now their own deeds have surrounded them, and they all be before me.)

3 In their malice they gladded the king, and in their leasings the princes. (They gladdened the king with their malice, and the princes with their lies.)

4 All that do adultery, be as an oven made hot of a baker. The city rested a little from the meddling of sourdough, till all was made sour. (All of them who do adultery, or idolatry, be made hot like a baker's oven. Then the city rested a little from the mixing of the sourdough, until all was made sour.)

5 The day of our king, the princes began to be wild of wine; he stretched forth his hand with scorners. (On the day of our king's celebration, the princes began to be wild with wine; yea, he stretched forth his hand with mockers.)

6 For they applied their heart as an oven, when he setted treason to them. All the night he slept (while) baking them; in the morrowtide he was made hot, as the fire of flame. (For they heated up their hearts like an oven, while they plotted their treasons. They slept through the night while baking them; and in the morning their anger was made as hot as a flame of fire.)

Hosea 7:1-6 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.