Hosea 8:7-14

7 "They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; It shall never produce meal. If it should produce, Aliens would swallow it up.

8 Israel is swallowed up; Now they are among the Gentiles Like a vessel in which is no pleasure.

9 For they have gone up to Assyria, Like a wild donkey alone by itself; Ephraim has hired lovers.

10 Yes, though they have hired among the nations, Now I will gather them; And they shall sorrow a little, Because of the burden of the king of princes.

11 "Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin, They have become for him altars for sinning.

12 I have written for him the great things of My law, But they were considered a strange thing.

13 For the sacrifices of My offerings they sacrifice flesh and eat it, But the Lord does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt.

14 "For Israel has forgotten his Maker, And has built temples; Judah also has multiplied fortified cities; But I will send fire upon his cities, And it shall devour his palaces."

Hosea 8:7-14 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]. Or begin to diminish
• [b]. Or oracle
• [c]. Or palaces