Hosea 7:1-11

1 cum sanare vellem Israhel revelata est iniquitas Ephraim et malitia Samariae quia operati sunt mendacium et fur ingressus est spolians latrunculus foris

2 et ne forte dicant in cordibus suis omnem malitiam eorum me recordatum nunc circumdederunt eos adinventiones suae coram facie mea factae sunt

3 in malitia sua laetificaverunt regem et in mendaciis suis principes

4 omnes adulterantes quasi clibanus succensus a coquente quievit paululum civitas a commixtione fermenti donec fermentaretur totum

5 dies regis nostri coeperunt principes furere a vino extendit manum suam cum inlusoribus

6 quia adplicuerunt quasi clibanum cor suum cum insidiaretur eis tota nocte dormivit coquens eos mane ipse succensus quasi ignis flammae

7 omnes calefacti sunt quasi clibanus et devoraverunt iudices suos omnes reges eorum ceciderunt non est qui clamet in eis ad me

8 Ephraim in populis ipse commiscebatur Ephraim factus est subcinericius qui non reversatur

9 comederunt alieni robur eius et ipse nescivit sed et cani effusi sunt in eo et ipse ignoravit

10 et humiliabitur superbia Israhel in facie eius nec reversi sunt ad Dominum Deum suum et non quaesierunt eum in omnibus his

11 et factus est Ephraim quasi columba seducta non habens cor Aegyptum invocabant ad Assyrios abierunt

Hosea 7:1-11 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.