Hosea 5
World English Bible
WEB1“Listen to this, you priests! Listen, house of Israel, and give ear, house of the king! For the judgment is against you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor. 2The rebels are deep in slaughter, but I discipline all of them. 3I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me; for now, Ephraim, you have played the prostitute. Israel is defiled. 4Their deeds won’t allow them to turn to their God, for the spirit of prostitution is within them, and they don’t know Yahweh. 5The pride of Israel testifies to his face. Therefore Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity. Judah also will stumble with them. 6They will go with their flocks and with their herds to seek Yahweh, but they won’t find him. He has withdrawn himself from them. 7They are unfaithful to Yahweh; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the new moon will devour them with their fields. 8“Blow the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah! Sound a battle cry at Beth Aven, behind you, Benjamin! 9Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel, I have made known that which will surely be. 10The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark. I will pour out my wrath on them like water. 11Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment, because he is intent in his pursuit of idols. 12Therefore I am to Ephraim like a moth, and to the house of Judah like rottenness. 13“When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to King Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither will he cure you of your wound. 14For I will be to Ephraim like a lion, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I myself will tear in pieces and go away. I will carry off, and there will be no one to deliver. 15I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me earnestly.”
World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org
Overview
Hosea Chapter 5 presents a powerful message of judgment against the people of Israel and Judah due to their unfaithfulness and idolatry. The chapter begins with a call to the priests and the leaders of Israel, highlighting their responsibility in leading the people astray. The Lord accuses them of being like a snare on Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor, indicating that their actions have ensnared the people in sin (#Hosea #Judgment). The leaders' failure to uphold God's covenant leads to widespread corruption and a lack of understanding among the people, as they have turned away from the knowledge of God (Hosea 4:6).
The chapter continues with a vivid depiction of the consequences of their unfaithfulness. God declares that He will withdraw His presence from them, and they will seek Him but not find Him (Hosea 5:6). This separation emphasizes the seriousness of their sin and the resulting spiritual desolation. The people are described as being like a stubborn heifer, refusing to return to the Lord, which illustrates their obstinacy and refusal to repent (Hosea 5:4). Ultimately, the chapter concludes with a promise of restoration, as God expresses His desire to heal their waywardness and love them freely (Hosea 14:4). This chapter serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, while also pointing to His enduring mercy and willingness to restore those who repent.
Topics in this chapter
- Repentance
- Judgment
- Idolatry
- Restoration
- Ephraim
- Judah
- Leadership
- Covenant
- Divine Mercy
- Faithfulness
- Hosea
- Israel
- Mercy
- Northern Kingdom of Israel
- Prophecy
- Seeking God
- Sovereignty of God
- Unfaithfulness
- Accountability
- Breach
- Consequences
- Covenant Breaking
- Covenant Unfaithfulness
- Da'at (Knowledge)
- Davidic Covenant
- Decay
- Dependence on God
- Discipline
- Divine Influence
- Divine Judgment
- Divine Longing
- Divine Presence
- Divine Trust
- Faith
- Gibeah
- Guidance in the Bible
- Holiness
- Human Alliances
- Humility
- Influence
- Intimacy with God
- Knowledge
- Lawlessness
- Lion
- Moral Literature in the Bible
- Obedience
- Parables
- Prophet
- Ramah
- Reliance on Nations
- Repentance in Art
- Ruach
- Seeking God
- Self-Examination
- Sin
- Snare
- Southern Kingdom (Judah)
- Spiritual Adultery
- Spiritual Desolation
- The Spirit
- Trusting God
- Warnings in the Bible
Related chapters
- Hosea 6Covenant BreakingSouthern Kingdom (Judah)Hosea
- Jeremiah 3Southern Kingdom (Judah)Spiritual AdulteryNorthern Kingdom of Israel
- Hosea 4HoseaSpiritual AdulteryKnowledge
- Isaiah 1Southern Kingdom (Judah)Spiritual AdulteryUnfaithfulness
- Hosea 9HoseaGibeahSpiritual Adultery
- Isaiah 7Northern Kingdom of IsraelEphraimDavidic Covenant
- Hosea 7RuachEphraimUnfaithfulness
- Isaiah 31LionWarnings in the Bible
- Isaiah 17Spiritual AdulteryEphraimDivine Mercy
- 2 Chronicles 17Southern Kingdom (Judah)Northern Kingdom of IsraelEphraim
- Hosea 1HoseaSpiritual AdulteryUnfaithfulness
- 2 Kings 16Covenant UnfaithfulnessUnfaithfulnessDependence on God
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