Hosea 5

15 verses

TL;DR

God warns Israel and Judah of judgment due to idolatry and pride, predicting their downfall while calling them to repentance.

Summary

In Hosea 5 the prophet delivers a stern rebuke to the priests, the house of Israel, and the house of the king, warning that judgment has come because they have become a snare to the nation. He accuses Ephraim and Israel of moral decay and spiritual adultery, describing their actions as whoredom and defilement. The text emphasizes that Israel will not turn back to God, as their hearts are full of deceit and they have forgotten the LORD. Despite their desire to seek Him with their flocks and herds, the LORD has withdrawn, and the people will be punished for breeding “strange children.” The chapter turns to a specific condemnation of Judah, likening its leaders to those who break their bonds, and promises that God will pour out wrath upon them. Ephraim is portrayed as oppressive and broken, yet he still seeks foreign aid (to the Assyrian king Jareb), which proves futile. God declares that He will be to Ephraim a lion and to Judah a rotting thing, and that He will tear them apart, leaving no rescue. The final verses present a conditional hope: God will return to His place until the people acknowledge their offense and seek His face in affliction.

Outline

1. Exposition of Israel’s sin and impending judgment (vv. 1‑9).
2. Specific condemnation of Ephraim and Judah, including foreign appeals (vv. 10‑13).
3. Prophetic threat and call to repentance (vv. 14‑15).

Themes

Divine judgment and holinessIdolatry and spiritual adulteryCall to repentance and restoration

Keywords

judgmentidolatryEphraimJudahrepentancepridecovenantflocks

People

GodpriestsEphraimIsraelJudahBenjaminking Jareb

Places

MizpahTaborGibeahRamahBethavenAssyria

Things

whoredomspirit of whoredomsflocksherdscornettrumpetlionmothrottenness

Key Verses

Hosea 5:1: Opening admonition to leaders, setting the tone of judgment.
Hosea 5:7: Explicit condemnation of idolatry and “strange children”.
Hosea 5:15: Hopeful call to repentance and restoration.

Questions

What does Hosea mean by describing Israel’s sin as ‘whoredom’?
Why does the prophet mention the ‘spirit of whoredoms’ among the people?
How does the text reconcile the call for repentance with the severity of the impending judgment?
What role do the foreign powers (e.g., Assyria) play in the narrative of Israel’s downfall?
In what ways does the imagery of the lion, moth, and rotting thing convey the nature of God’s judgment?
How might the message of Hosea 5 be relevant to contemporary religious communities facing moral crises?

Sentiment

mixed
The chapter is largely admonishing and warning, but concludes with a conditional hope for repentance and restoration.