Hosea 5

General context

Priests, the house of Israel and the house of the king are summoned: "judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor." Revolters are "profound to make slaughter." The speaker knows Ephraim; "Israel is not hid from me," and Ephraim commits whoredom. They will not turn to their God, "for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them." Israel's pride testifies to his face; Israel and Ephraim fall, and Judah with them. They will go with flocks and herds to seek the Lord and not find him, for "he hath withdrawn himself from them." They have begotten "strange children"; a month will devour them. A cornet in Gibeah and trumpet in Ramah are ordered, with a cry at Beth-aven, "after thee, O Benjamin." Ephraim will be desolate "in the day of rebuke." The princes of Judah are "like them that remove the bound," so wrath will pour on them like water. Ephraim is "oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment." The Lord will be a moth to Ephraim and rottenness to Judah. When Ephraim saw his sickness he "went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb," who could not heal him. The Lord will be a lion, "I, even I, will tear and go away," and none shall rescue. He will return to his place until they acknowledge their offence and seek his face; "in their affliction they will seek me early."

Cited passages: Hosea 5:1, Hosea 5:2, Hosea 5:3, Hosea 5:4, Hosea 5:5, Hosea 5:6, Hosea 5:7, Hosea 5:8, Hosea 5:9, Hosea 5:10, Hosea 5:11, Hosea 5:12, Hosea 5:13, Hosea 5:14, Hosea 5:15

Hosea 5 (KJV)

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Historical context

Three groups are addressed at the start: priests, the house of Israel and the house of the king. Places named are Mizpah, Tabor, Gibeah, Ramah and Beth-aven, and one tribe, Benjamin; the text uses them as sites of a snare, a net and alarm calls without describing events at them. Ephraim and Israel are used side by side for the same people, and Judah is judged alongside them in this chapter, its princes compared to those who "remove the bound." Verse 13 says Ephraim "went" to the Assyrian and "sent to king Jareb"; the text does not say who Jareb is or whether Jareb is a name or a description, and it does not identify the Assyrian ruler. Verse 11 says Ephraim "willingly walked after the commandment" without saying whose commandment. The speaker is the Lord in the first person, "I know Ephraim," and the summons in verse 1 does not name the prophet. No date is given, and the sickness and wound are not explained beyond the claim that the Assyrian could not heal them.

Cited passages: Hosea 5:1, Hosea 5:8, Hosea 5:10, Hosea 5:13, Hosea 5:11, Hosea 5:3

Literary context

The chapter runs from summons to withdrawal. It opens with three imperatives, hear, hearken, give ear, and a charge in hunting images, snare and net. The middle pairs Ephraim and Judah line by line: both fall (verse 5), the moth and the rottenness (verse 12), the lion and the young lion (verse 14). The alarm in verse 8 breaks the diagnosis with three place names and a shout. Seeking is stated twice with opposite results: they seek with flocks and herds and "shall not find him," and at the end "they will seek me early" in affliction. Verse 14 stacks the pronoun, "I, even I, will tear," and the tearing is answered in the next chapter's first line, "he hath torn, and he will heal us," so the withdrawal of verse 15 sets up the call to return in 6:1. The healing Ephraim sought from Assyria and did not get is contrasted with the healing the next chapter expects from the Lord.

Cited passages: Hosea 5:1, Hosea 5:5, Hosea 5:12, Hosea 5:14, Hosea 5:6, Hosea 5:15, Hosea 6:1, Hosea 5:13

Key moments

1. Priests, Israel and the king's house (Hosea 5:1). Three groups are summoned because they have been a snare on Mizpah and a net on Tabor.
2. Seeking and not finding (Hosea 5:6). They go with flocks and herds to seek the Lord, who has withdrawn from them.
3. Trumpet in Ramah (Hosea 5:8). Alarm is sounded in Gibeah, Ramah and Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin.
4. Moth and rottenness (Hosea 5:12). The Lord will be a moth to Ephraim and rottenness to the house of Judah.
5. Ephraim sends to king Jareb (Hosea 5:13). Seeing his sickness, Ephraim goes to the Assyrian, who cannot heal him.
6. The lion tears and goes (Hosea 5:14). The Lord will tear like a lion and carry away with none to rescue.
7. Withdrawn until they seek (Hosea 5:15). The Lord returns to his place until they acknowledge their offence and seek his face.

For reflection

The people go with flocks and herds to seek the Lord and do not find him, and the chapter ends with the Lord withdrawing until they seek his face in affliction. What separates the seeking that fails in verse 6 from the seeking the last verse expects?

People in this chapter

• Judah
• Jacob
• Benjamin

Also indexed here:

• Ephraim
• Tiglath-pileser