1 God’s judgments against the priests, the people, and the princes of Israel, for their manifold sins, 15 until they repent.
Hos 5:1 “Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen, royal house! This judgment is against you: You have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.
The various classes of people of the northern kingdom are here addressed, priests, citizens, and members of the royal family.
In God’s imperial realm of moral and spiritual requirements all stand free and equal in obeying or disobeying the divine law of righteousness. There is no respect of persons; all are placed on the same level and will be judged by the same standard (see on Deut. 10:17).
Judgment is toward you.
To the priests had been given the authority to teach the people (2 Chron. 15:3); to the king and his princes, the right and prerogative to execute civil judgments upon Israel. Now, however, because the entire nation is enmeshed in sin, leaders as well as people are the subjects of divine judgment, for these leaders have “been a snare” to the nation instead of being the people’s safeguard.
The announcement of “judgment” carries out the threat implied in the sign-name of Lo-ruhamah (see on ch. 1:6). Here, “judgment” is equivalent to Lo-ruhamah, “not pitied,” or “no mercy” (see on ch. 2:23).
Mizpah.
Perhaps mentioned along with Tabor to show the wide extent of the nation’s evil influence, Mt. Tabor being west of the river Jordan, and Mizpah probably in Gilead. It is generally assumed that this does not refer to the Mizpah of Benjamin, since that was in the southern kingdom.
Hos 5:2 The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter. I will discipline all of them.
Willful and desperately sinful men may abandon all the criteria of righteousness, but God cannot be put out of the human conscience and experience (see Acts 26:14). No other witness against the sinner is needed than his own conscience. The wicked cannot deceive the all-knowing Rebuker nor evade the penalty of their wrongdoing (Ps. 33:13–15; Heb. 4:13).
Hos 5:3 I know all about Ephraim; Israel is not hidden from me. Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution; Israel is corrupt.
This powerful, leading tribe was apparently the ringleader in calf worship and other idolatries, through this evil influence all Israel was defiled.
Hos 5:4 “Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the LORD.
So far have they gone into transgression that they find it impossible now to turn back to repentance as a nation. How forcefully this indicates the power of habit in human experience (see Jer. 13:23; 2 Peter 2:12–14). The outward actions of the people indicate that they had become so corrupt that the “inner man” could not be reached by the Spirit (see Eph. 3:16).
Hos 5:5 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them.
The burden of the prophet’s message was directed toward Israel, but occasionally the kingdom of Judah was included “also.”
Hos 5:6 When they go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, they will not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them.
Go with their flocks
With many and costly sacrifices Ephraim seeks to propitiate the Lord (see 1 Sam. 15:22; Hosea 6:6). Shall not find him. The people of Israel were not moved by true repentance, but by fear of approaching affliction. Love to God, which yields obedience, was not in their hearts (see Heb. 12:16, 17; see on Gen. 27:38).
Hos 5:7 They are unfaithful to the LORD; they give birth to illegitimate children. When they celebrate their New Moon feasts, he will devour their fields.
The whole chapter is a record of the people’s substitution of idol worship for the worship of God, and this passage may thus be an allusion to the substitution of a different month for the Lord’s appointed month for religious worship, which substitution had been forced upon the nation by Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12:33).
Hos 5:8 “Sound the trumpet in Gibeah, the horn in Ramah. Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven; lead on, Benjamin.
Hosea presents a graphic picture of Israel’s enemies as already on the march to execute the divine judgment.
Gibeah and Ramah were located in Benjamin, near its northern boundary and within the southern kingdom. They were suitable for giving signals of approaching danger because of their being situated on eminences.
Beth-aven. For comment see on ch. 4:15.
Hos 5:9 Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of reckoning. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain.
The day of rebuke is the time when God reproves sin by punishment.
Hos 5:10 Judah’s leaders are like those who move boundary stones. I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water.
One who dared to remove his neighbor’s landmarks was violating one of
God’s precepts (see Deut. 19:14; 27:17). In their utterly reckless and selfish disregard of the rights of others, the leaders of Judah did not hesitate to stoop to evils such as removing these boundaries. In this chapter Hosea interestingly and significantly mixes the condemnation and consequent punishment of both Israel and Judah.
It is not difficult to see why this should be, since Judah’s judgment and captivity followed, and not too long afterward, the punishment and captivity of Israel. The kingdoms may be different, but their fate will be the same. Hence the prophet’s composite picture. I will pour out my wrath. An emphatic, strong overflowing of divine wrath is meant, which will completely overwhelm these lawless leaders.
Hos 5:11 Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols.
It is likely that this specifically refers to the command of Jeroboam I to worship the calves, when he revolted from Judah (see 1 Kings 12:25–33).
Hos 5:12 I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rot to the people of Judah.
Like a moth. This is a graphic figure depicting the gradual decline and decay of Israel’s moral and spiritual life. The moth that eats garments aptly represents slow but sure destruction (Job 13:28).
Hos 5:13 “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores.
His sickness. Both Israel and Judah sensed their national decline. However, instead of turning to God for help, Ephraim turned to Assyria. Ephraim alone is mentioned as seeking this assistance because the northern kingdom was the first to become involved with Assyria (2 Kings 15–18).
Hos 5:14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.
As a lion. A symbol of the destroying conqueror. As by a lion, which first rends its prey and then takes it away, God’s people will first be rent, torn in pieces, and then carried away into captivity.
Hos 5:15 Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face— in their misery they will earnestly seek me.”
Still employing the figure of the lion that carries his prey away and then retires to his den or cave, the prophet represents God as withdrawing to His place in heaven after bringing captivity upon His people.
When as a result of “their misery” the people are truly repentant, and then only, will they find God, as Jeremiah so beautifully and tenderly expresses it in his prophecy (Jer. 29:10–14).
The two necessary steps in repentance are confession of sin and surrender to God (see Ps. 32:1, 2, 5, 6; Isa. 59:1, 2).