Hosea 7:8-16

8 Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

9 Foreigners devour his strength, but he does not know it; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, but he does not know it.

10 Israel's pride testifies against him; yet they do not return to the Lord their God, or seek him, for all this.

11 Ephraim has become like a dove, silly and without sense; they call upon Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12 As they go, I will cast my net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the air; I will discipline them according to the report made to their assembly.

13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me.

14 They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; they gash themselves for grain and wine; they rebel against me.

15 It was I who trained and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me.

16 They turn to that which does not profit; they have become like a defective bow; their officials shall fall by the sword because of the rage of their tongue. So much for their babbling in the land of Egypt.

Hosea 7:8-16 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or [humbles]
• [b]. Meaning of Heb uncertain
• [c]. Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain