Hosea 9:4-14

4 The Israelites will not give offerings of wine to the Lord; they will not give him sacrifices. Their sacrifices will be like food that is eaten at a funeral; it is unclean, and everyone who eats it becomes unclean. Their food will only satisfy their hunger; they cannot sacrifice it in the Temple.

5 What will you do then on the day of feasts and on the day of the Lord's festival?

6 Even if the people are not destroyed, Egypt will capture them; Memphisn will bury them. Weeds will grow over their silver treasures, and thorns will drive them out of their tents.

7 The time of punishment has come, the time to pay for sins. You think the prophet is a fool, and you say the spiritual person is crazy. You have sinned very much, and your hatred is great.

8 Is Israel a watchman? Everywhere Israel goes, traps are set for him. He is an enemy in God's house.

9 The people of Israel have gone deep into sin as the people of Gibeahn did. they have done, and he will punish their sins.

10 "When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. Your ancestors were like finding the first figs on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they began worshiping an idol, and they became as hateful as the thing they worshiped.

11 Israel's glory will fly away like a bird; there will be no more pregnancy, no more births, no more getting pregnant.

12 But even if the Israelites bring up children, I will take them all away. How terrible it will be for them when I go away from them!

13 I have seen Israel, like Tyre, given a pleasant place. their children to be killed."

14 Lord, give them what they should have. What will you give them? Make their women unable to have children; give them dried-up breasts that cannot feed their babies.

Hosea 9:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 9

This chapter is an address to Israel or the ten tribes, and contains either a new sermon, or is a very considerable part of the former upon the same subject, the sins and punishment of that people. It begins with an instruction to them, not to rejoice in their prosperity, as others did; since it would soon be at an end, because of their idolatry, which was everywhere committed, and for which they expected a reward of temporal good things, Ho 9:1; but, on the contrary, they are threatened with famine, with want both of corn and wine, Ho 9:2; and with an ejection out of their land into foreign countries; where they should be obliged to eat things unclean by their law, Ho 9:3; and where their sacrifices and solemnities should be no more attended to, Ho 9:4,5; yea, where their carcasses should fall and be buried, while their own country and houses lay waste and desolate, Ho 9:6; for, whatsoever their foolish and mad prophets said to the contrary, who pretended to be with God, and know his will, and were a snare to them that gave heed unto them, and brought hatred on them, the time of their punishment would certainly come, Ho 9:7,8; and their iniquities would be remembered and visited; seeing their corruptions were deep, like those that appeared in Gibeah, in the days of old, Ho 9:9; they acting the same ungrateful part their fathers had done, of whom they were a degenerate offspring, Ho 9:10; wherefore for these, and other offences mentioned, they are threatened with being bereaved of their children, and drove out of their land, to wander among the nations, Ho 9:11-17.