Hosea 8:3-13

3 Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him.

4 They have installed kings, but not through Me. They have appointed leaders, but without My approval. They make their silver and gold into idols for themselves for their own destruction.^[a]

5 Your calf-idol^[b] is rejected, Samaria.^[c] My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence?

6 For this thing is from Israel- a craftsman made it, and it is not God. The calf of Samaria will be smashed to bits!

7 Indeed, they sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if they did, foreigners would swallow it up.

8 Israel is swallowed up! Now they are among the nations like discarded pottery.

9 For they have gone up to Assyria [like] a wild donkey going off on its own. Ephraim has paid for love.

10 Even though they hire [lovers] among the nations, I will now round them up, and they will begin to decrease in number under the burden of the king and leaders.

11 When Ephraim multiplied his altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning.

12 Though I were to write out for him ten thousand points of My law, they would be^[d] regarded as something alien.

13 Though they offer sacrificial gifts^[e] and eat the flesh, the Lord does not accept them. Now He will remember their guilt and punish their sins; they will return to Egypt.

Hosea 8:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 8

This chapter treats of the sins and punishment of Israel for them, as the preceding; it is threatened and proclaimed that an enemy should come swiftly against them, because of their transgression of the covenant and law of God, Ho 8:1; their hypocrisy is exposed, Ho 8:2; they are charged with the rejection of that which is good, and therefore should be pursued by the enemy, Ho 8:3; with setting up kings and princes without consulting the Lord, Ho 8:4; and with making of idols, particularly the golden calves, which would be of no use to them, disappoint them, and at last be broke to pieces, Ho 8:4-6; their seeking to their neighbours for help, and entering into alliances with them, are represented as vain and fruitless, and issuing in their ruin and destruction, Ho 8:7-10; their sins of multiplying altars, contrary to the law of God, and in contempt of it, and offering sacrifices to the Lord, are observed; and they with a visitation from him, Ho 8:11-13; and the chapter is concluded with some notice and Judah, the one building temples, and multiplying fenced cities, which should be by fire, Ho 8:14.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit themselves that it might be cut off
• [b]. Lit calf
• [c]. 1 Kg 12:28-29
• [d]. Or Though I wrote out . . . law, they are
• [e]. Hb obscure