5:1 Hear ye
this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of
the king; for judgment [is] toward you, because ye have been a a
snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.
(a) The priests and princes caught the poor
people in their snares, as the fowlers did the birds, in these two high
mountains.
5:2 And the revolters are profound to make b
slaughter, though I [have been] a c
rebuker of them all.
(b) Even though they seemed to be given
altogether to holiness, and to sacrifices which here he calls slaughter in
contempt.
(c) Though I had admonished them continually by
my Prophets.
5:3 I know d
Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest
whoredom, [and] Israel is defiled.
(d) They boasted themselves not only to be
Israelites, but also Ephraimites, because their King Jeroboam came from that
tribe.
5:5 And the e
pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim
fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.
(e) Meaning their condemning of all admonitions.
5:7 They have dealt treacherously
against the LORD: for they have begotten f
strange children: now shall g a month
devour them with their portions.
(f) That is, their children are degenerate, so
that there is no hope in them.
(g) Their destruction is not far off.
5:8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, [and] the trumpet
in Ramah: cry aloud [at] Bethaven, after thee, O h
Benjamin.
(h) That is, all of Israel that was included
under this tribe, signifying that the Lord's plagues would pursue them from
place to place until they were destroyed.
5:9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke:
among the tribes of Israel have I made i
known that which shall surely be.
(i) By the success they will know that I have
surely determined this.
5:10 The princes of Judah were like them that k
remove the bound: [therefore] I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
(k) They have turned upside down all political
order and all manner of religion.
5:11 Ephraim [is] oppressed [and] broken in
judgment, because he willingly walked after the l
commandment.
(l) That is, after King Jeroboam's commandment,
and did not rather follow God.
5:13 When Ephraim saw his
sickness, and Judah [saw] his wound, then went Ephraim to m
the Assyrian, and sent to king n Jareb:
yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
(m) Instead of seeking for remedy from God's
hand.
(n) Who was king of the Assyrians.
Hosea 5 Bible Commentary
The Geneva Study Bible
(a) The priests and princes caught the poor people in their snares, as the fowlers did the birds, in these two high mountains.
5:2 And the revolters are profound to make b slaughter, though I [have been] a c rebuker of them all.
(b) Even though they seemed to be given altogether to holiness, and to sacrifices which here he calls slaughter in contempt.
(c) Though I had admonished them continually by my Prophets.
5:3 I know d Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, [and] Israel is defiled.
(d) They boasted themselves not only to be Israelites, but also Ephraimites, because their King Jeroboam came from that tribe.
5:5 And the e pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.
(e) Meaning their condemning of all admonitions.
5:7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten f strange children: now shall g a month devour them with their portions.
(f) That is, their children are degenerate, so that there is no hope in them.
(g) Their destruction is not far off.
5:8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, [and] the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud [at] Bethaven, after thee, O h Benjamin.
(h) That is, all of Israel that was included under this tribe, signifying that the Lord's plagues would pursue them from place to place until they were destroyed.
5:9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made i known that which shall surely be.
(i) By the success they will know that I have surely determined this.
5:10 The princes of Judah were like them that k remove the bound: [therefore] I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
(k) They have turned upside down all political order and all manner of religion.
5:11 Ephraim [is] oppressed [and] broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the l commandment.
(l) That is, after King Jeroboam's commandment, and did not rather follow God.
5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah [saw] his wound, then went Ephraim to m the Assyrian, and sent to king n Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
(m) Instead of seeking for remedy from God's hand.
(n) Who was king of the Assyrians.