Hosea Chapter 7

Verse by verse walkthrough

Hosea: An Introduction and Commentary v. Divine Complaint of Deceitfulness (6:11b–7:2)

The two clauses—6:11b and 7:1a—are parallel and should be read together (cf. RSV; NEB; NIV) despite the unfortunate chapter division that separates them (Vulg.; AV; JB; NASB).

The Holman Christian Standard Bible Chapter 6

When I return My people from captivity,

7 1 when I heal Israel,

7:1 points back to 6:7-9 where the priests are indicted for murder and theft.

7:2 God reminds Israel that their sins are before him. Both sin and prayer are like the smoke of incense it fills the room and rises to God.

Psalm 141:2 HCSB

2 May my prayer be set before You as incense, the raising of my hands as the evening offering.

Instead of prayer however it is their sin that is engulfing them.

7:3 Another reference to the top down corruption of morals.

7:4 Israel’s adultery is likened to a baker who does not tend to a fire, ending in ruined results.

7:5-6 “Between 752 and 732 B.C. four of Israel’s rulers were assassinated (cf. ). This political intrigue provides the background for . Here a description is given of how the conspirators characteristically carried out their plots.

The day of the festival of our king probably refers to a special celebration in which the ruler was the center of attention. The king caroused with his princes, who are called mockers probably because they were completely under the influence of wine (cf. ). While they partied with the naive king, they plotted his overthrow.” Chisholm, R. B., Jr. (1985). Hosea. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1395). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.ts.

Chisholm, R. B., Jr. (1985). Hosea. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1395). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.ts.

7:7 Israel has been in this vicious cycle of political intrigue, violence, and corruption for king after king and God laments that none call upon him. How sad for God’s chosen people to not take advantage of this wonderful gift.

Verses 8-11 highlight the shameful ways in which Israel was going after the other nations.

7:8 This is not about pancakes! The baking metaphor continues. “Instead Ephraim launched a futile foreign policy (vv. 8–12). The baking metaphor continues in verse 8 (cf. vv. 4, 6–7). Israel had formed alliances with foreign nations (cf. v. 11; 8:9). This is compared to the mixing of flour with oil to form cakes (bālal, mixes, is frequently used in this sense). This policy had proven self-destructive. Israel had become like an unturned cake on hot stones—burned and soon to be discarded.” Chisholm, R. B., Jr. (1985). Hosea. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1395). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

7:9 The adverse effects of mixing with the nations are described as a man aging and drawing to death. Commentators consider this to be political in nature, however it is not unreasonable to consider the sexual and spiritual mixing that Israel repeatedly engaged in, and to infer that this too would tax the overall health of the people.

Proverbs 5:20–21 ESV

20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? 21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.

Proverbs 5:8-

Proverbs 5:8–11 HCSB

8 Keep your way far from her. Don’t go near the door of her house. 9 Otherwise, you will give up your vitality to others and your years to someone cruel; 10 strangers will drain your resources, and your earnings will end up in a foreigner’s house. 11 At the end of your life, you will lament when your physical body has been consumed,

\\Chisholm, R. B., Jr. (1985). Hosea. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1395). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

7:10 Israel’s pride is self-incriminating. “testifies to his face”. Israel knew their own iniquity yet still did not turn to God.

7:10 Israel’s pride is self-incriminating. “testifies to his face”. Israel knew their own iniquity yet still did not turn to God.

7:11 “In her efforts to arrange foreign alliances, Israel could be compared to a dove, which exhibits little sense (cf. comments on 11:11). Under Menahem (ca. 743 or 738 B.C.) Israel submitted to Assyrian suzerainty (). Pekah (ca. 734 B.C.) joined a coalition against Assyria, which Tiglath-Pileser III violently crushed (). Hoshea (ca. 732-722 B.C.), after acknowledging Assyrian rulership for a time, stopped tribute payments and sought an alliance with Egypt (). This act of rebellion led to the destruction of the Northern Kingdom (), the inevitable result of a foreign policy which for 20 years had been characterized by vacillating and expedient measures.” Chisholm, R. B., Jr. (1985). Hosea. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1395). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

7:12 God will draw his wayward people in and discipline them.

Chisholm, R. B., Jr. (1985). Hosea. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1395). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

7:13 “Woe” is suggestive of impending fate… Destruction. The word redeem here is the word that is frequently used to describe deliverance from Egypt. This is pre exilic, the redemption that God provided from Egypt he longs to give them now, but they “lie” by ignoring his authority over their nation and turning to the security of Egypt and Assyria.

7:14 What a sad condition Israel was in. Their crops would fail as a result of their sin, and they would lay on their beds and wail over the loss of crops, not relationship with God. This type of behavior is very similar to the patterns we see in Judges, and with some of the Kings, who only turn to God when they appear to have lost everything. It is not a bad thing to be turned to God at the loss of material gain, however the way this verse reads it gives the impression that the people were crying to God, but only that they might regain their prosperity. We do this.

7:15 The ultimate betrayal. Using gifts given to rebel against the gift giver.

7:16 Another vivid analogy of unfaithfulness. A bow that is true is able to be used by it’s Archer. Think of Odysseus when he returns from his journey and must draw the rigid, strong bow that no one else could pluck. Imagine if in that moment of redemption he found that in his absence the arms of the bow had warped and as he released the arrow it shot straight into the ground. Israel’s turn to Egypt for security would cause the Egyptians to mock them. Our unfaithfulness is seen by the world in technicolor.