The Prophetic Messages

God accuses the Israelites

4:1-3

• God accuses the Israelites of being so wicked that the whole land mourns

[perhaps because God gives them drought, see Amos 4:7-13 & cf. Hos 6:3, 13:15 (Amos prophesied at the same time as Hosea)]

4:4-5 KJV {+NIV}

• No man should accuse others [to try & shift blame (e.g. like Gen 3:9-13)] because [such accusers] are like those who argue with priests [when receiving their guilty verdict; see Dt 17:8-12]

[Alternate translation: {4:4-5, ESV:} God’s case is against priests (cf. 4:9)] 

• You [Israelites], along with the [false] prophets, will stumble & fall;
• God will destroy your Mother [i.e. Mother-Israel]

Lack of knowledge about God brings destruction

4:6-11

• [God says]: ‘People are destroyed because they lack knowledge! As you reject knowledge, I reject you! The priests feed on people’s sins, but I shall punish them for rejecting me and chasing after prostitution and wine’

[cf. Isa 5:11-13. The priests were not imparting any knowledge that might stop sin (cf. Mal 2:7-8) because they benefited from feeding on sin offerings, see Lev 6:25-26]

4:12-14

• People seek [knowledge] from idols but the ‘spirit of prostitution’ has led them astray (cf. 5:4);
  • so daughters & brides turn to sexual sin [in the cult of fertility religion];
  • but God will not punish the women because [the men who should lead by example] also go with prostitutes;
• It is the people who do not understand [and lack knowledge of God] who will perish (see 4:6)

Warning of God’s pending judgement

4:15

• Judah must not join in with Israel’s sin by going to Gilgal and Beth-Aven,

[Gilgal was a place of idolatry within Israel, see 9:15, 12:11 / ‘Beth-Aven’ means ‘House-of-Vanity’ and appears to be the name that Hosea gave to represent Bethel, another centre of idolatry within Israel, see 1 Kgs 12:28-33. Both cities were also condemned by Prophet Amos, see Amos 5:4-6]

• and they must not swear by God’s Name [at these places of idolatry, as it is not appropriate for His Name to be mentioned there]

4:16-19

• Israel is stubborn & idolatrous and they love their shameful ways; but they will be carried away by the wind (cf. 8:7-8 & 13:15) and become ashamed

5:1-2

• [God tells] the priests, the king’s household & all Israel to ‘Listen!’ as His judgement is against them.
• They have ensnared & trapped people & slaughtered them [cf. 6:9], but God will chastise them [or bind them in fetters (YLT) just as criminals are ensnared & trapped when caught]

5:3-5

• Ephraim & Israel have a ‘spirit of prostitution’ (cf. 4:12); they cannot return to God, and they stumble in sin, and Judah stumbles with them [Ephraim was one of the largest tribes in Israel]

5:6-7

• They may seek God with sacrifices but God has hidden himself from them;
• they are faithless towards God, so the new moon will devour them

[The people were worshipping God and idols at the same time (forbidden in Ex 20:4-5, cf. Matt 6:24). The new moon was the monthly festival for God (cf. Num 28:11-15). Prophet Isaiah went on to preach a similar message against Jerusalem in Isa 1:11-15]

5:8-12

• Blow a trumpet [of warning] because Ephraim [in Israel] & Judah are under God’s judgement

5:13-15

• They turn to Assyria but are not healed;
• God will attack [His people] until they seek His face

6:1-3

• [Hosea says]: ‘Let us return to Yahweh for He will bring healing.
• On the third day He will raise us up so we can live before Him;
• He will be to us like rain on [dry] land’

6:4-6

• [God says]: ‘Ephraim & Judah: your goodness is like [transient] dew (cf. 13:3) so I kill you with prophetic words;
• I desire mercy & the knowledge of God, not sacrifices [cf. Isa 1:11-20]'

6:7 [ESV]

• [God says]: 'But you are like Adam who broke my covenant [& was cursed Gen 2:16-17, 3:9-12, v17-19]’

[Some versions translate 'Adam' into English as 'men' (KJV), while others believe that the name Adam refers to the place named Adam (NIV)]

6:8-10

• [The region of] Gilead is [likened to] a city of wickedness & bloodshed [cf. Hab 2:12] & its priests are [likened to] robbers & murderers;
• Israel commits [spiritual] prostitution & is defiled

6:11

• i. Judah will also receive a harvest [of judgement! cf. Joel 3:12-13, Rev 14:19]

[The ones who heard Hosea’s message would immediately understand the context of this message: Just as Israel has sinned and will receive a harvest of God’s judgement, Judah will also have a harvest of judgement, see Jer 24:8-10]

• ii. [There will be a harvest] when God’s captive people return [from exile!]

[This verse reveals a twist: having introduced the fearful truth that Judah will experience a harvest (of judgement & exile)… Hosea shows his people that there is a double meaning to the word ‘harvest’, and provides them with hope in the promise that Judah will experience a (good) harvest during its restoration from exile, see Jer 24:4-7]

[Nb. Some bible translations choose to split this verse into two separate sentences so that, ‘when they return from exile’ is linked to ‘when God desires to heal Israel’ in the subsequent chapter (e.g. 6:11 – 7:1, NIV)]

7:1

• [God says]: ‘Whenever I would heal Israel [during their return to God, see 6:1-3], their wickedness is exposed in lying & stealing [because their return to God was as short-lived as the dew, see 6:4]

7:2

• [God says]: ‘They do not consider in their hearts that I remember and see their wickedness’

7:3-7

• [God says]: ‘They are like a blazing hot oven of adultery; none of them call to Me’

7:8-10

• Ephraim [Israel] has mingled with the [pagan] nations, and become like an unturned pancake [that was forgotten & left in the pan to burn];
• their strength is gone, but they do not turn to God

7:11-12

• [God says]: ‘Ephraim is like a silly dove [flying] to Assyria & Egypt, but I will catch them’

7:13-16

• [God says]: ‘Woe to them [Israelites]; they turn from Me, rebel against Me & think evil of Me!’

8:1 (KJV)

• Put the [warning] trumpet to your mouth, for an eagle is against God’s house, because they have sinned against God’s covenant and law

[The eagle represents the foreign armies that will invade the land / The eagle fulfils the prophetic warning of Dt 28:45-57, but some translations obscure this prophetic link by translating the word ‘nesher’ as ‘eagle’ in Dt 28:49 but as ‘vulture’ in Hos 8:1 (ESV)]

8:2-3

• The Israelites claim to know God yet reject what is good, so the enemy will pursue them

8:4-6

• They set up their own kings & idols, but their calf [of gold, see 1 Kgs 12:28-30] will be shattered

8:7

• They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind, which yields neither grain nor flour (cf. 10:13)

8:8-10

• Israel is swallowed up; they sought Assyria [for help] but its king burdens them [2 Kgs 17:3-6]

8:11 – 9:6

• Israel has many sinful altars [in contrast to 2 Chr 32:12]; they view all of God’s laws as strange, and they make unacceptable sacrifices to God, so they will suffer in Egypt (& in Assyria)

9:7-8

• The days of punishment have come, because Israel’s [false] prophets are fools & mad, & ([despite] the office of watchman with God) have become a snare [cf. 5:1, 1 Kgs 22:20-23]

[Other translation: Punishment comes because Israel is hostile to true prophets & calls them fools (NIV)]

9:9

• The [Israelites] have been corrupt like [the people of] Gibeah [cf. Jdg 20:4-5], so will be punished

9:10 – 10:11

• Israel was fruitful, but became idolatrous; God will punish them & they will bear no fruit

10:12-15

• [You should] sow righteousness & seek God; [but] you plough iniquity & will suffer from war

11:1-7

• God called Israel out of Egypt, but they turned away from God so will be punished [& exiled]

11:8-11

• [But after exile:] God is full of compassion & will roar like a lion to bring His people home

11:12 – 12:6 (NIV)

• Israel & Judah act wickedly & will be punished as [sons of] sinful Jacob [a.k.a. Israel, see Gen 25:26, 32:24-30];
• they must return to God

[Other translations: KJV & ESV translate 11:12b as: ‘Judah is faithful’]

12:7-8

• [Israel] is like a merchant who uses dishonest scales but claims, “I am rich & without sin!”

12:9 – 13:13

• [God says]: ‘I am your God since you left Egypt & I sent you the prophets, but you sin with idols; you will be destroyed; you are like a baby who refuses to be born [as God’s child]’

13:14-16, KJV

• [But in the future:] God will redeem [His people] from death & Hades [cf. 1 Cor 15:54-57]

[Other translations. ESV: God says, ‘Shall I redeem?’ / NET bible: God will not redeem {this generation}]

• [But right now:] God will show no pity: a drought is coming & Samaria will fall by the sword

A call to return to God

14:1-3

• [Hosea preaches]: ‘Israel, return to God and ask for forgiveness [and repent]’ [contrast 7:10, 7:16]

14:4-8

• [God says]: ‘I will heal & love them & be like a dew that brings fruitfulness’ [contrast 6:4, 13:3]

14:9

• [Hosea says]: ‘God’s ways are right; the righteous walk in them but sinners stumble in them’

Ezek / Dan / HOS / Joel / Amos