Hosea 5:2-12

2 En die afwijken, verdiepen zich om te slachten; maar Ik zal hun allen een tuchtmeester zijn.

3 Ik ken Efraim, en Israel is voor Mij niet verborgen; dat gij, o Efraim! nu hoereert, en Israel verontreinigd is.

4 Zij stellen hun handelingen niet aan, om zich tot hun God te bekeren; want de geest der hoererijen is in het midden van hen, en den HEERE kennen zij niet.

5 Dies zal Israel hovaardij in zijn aangezicht getuigen; en Israel en Efraim zullen vallen door hun ongerechtigheid; ook zal Juda met hen vallen.

6 Met hun schapen, en met hun runderen zullen zij dan gaan, om den HEERE te zoeken, maar niet vinden; Hij heeft Zich van hen onttrokken.

7 Zij hebben trouwelooslijk gehandeld tegen den HEERE; want zij hebben vreemde kinderen gewonnen; nu zal hen de nieuwe maand verteren met hun delen.

8 Blaast de bazuin te Gibea, de trompet te Rama; roept luide te Beth-Aven; achter u, Benjamin!

9 Efraim zal tot verwoesting worden, ten dage der straf; onder de stammen Israels heb Ik bekend gemaakt, dat gewis is.

10 De vorsten van Juda zijn geworden, gelijk die de landpalen verrukken; Ik zal Mijn verbolgenheid, als water, over hen uitgieten.

11 Efraim is verdrukt, hij is verpletterd met recht; want hij heeft zo gewild; hij heeft gewandeld naar het gebod.

12 Daarom zal Ik Efraim zijn als een mot, en den huize van Juda als een verrotting.

Hosea 5:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 5

The design of this chapter is to expose the sins of Israel and of Judah, and to declare the judgment of God upon them for them. Men of all ranks in Israel are summoned to attend to the charge brought against then, and the sentence on them, Ho 5:1. The charge exhibited is, that they were guilty of in, hating men to the slaughter of idolatrous sacrifices, though they had been sufficiently rebuked and corrected, Ho 5:1,2; of both corporeal and spiritual adultery, whereby they were defiled, and which was well known to the Lord, Ho 5:3; of obstinate persistence in impenitence, owing to the efficacy of an unclean spirit in them, and their want of the knowledge of God, Ho 5:4; of open pride, which stared them in the face, and for which they fell into calamities, and Judah with them, and should not be able with all their sacrifices to find favour with God, who had withdrawn himself from them, Ho 5:5,6; also of treacherous dealing with the Lord by their spiritual adultery, and begetting strange children, Ho 5:7; next their punishment is denounced, of which notice was to be given them by the sound of the trumpet, as an alarm of war, or as calling for mourning, Ho 5:8; since Ephraim would become desolate, of which notification had been made among the tribes, Ho 5:9; and wrath would be poured out in great abundance on the princes of Judah, who were very wicked men, Ho 5:10; and Ephraim would be oppressed and broken by the judgment of God, who would be as a moth unto them, and also rottenness to Judah, because they followed the commandments of men, Ho 5:11,12; and, what was still more provoking, when they were sensible of their calamities and distresses, they sought not help from the Lord, but from men that could do them no good; and therefore he threatens to be as a devouring lion to them, Ho 5:13,14; and yet the chapter concludes with a promise of the conversion of these people, after the Lord had dealt with them in an angry manner, Ho 5:15.