Chapter Seven

1–7. Continuation of the accusations against Israel; the internal corruption of the people. 8–16. The false politics of the Israelite kingdom and its consequences.

Hosea 7:1. When I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed and the wickedness of Samaria, for they deal falsely; a thief breaks in and a robber strips on the streets. “When I healed Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed.” The prophet wishes to say that as the Lord employed various means for the correction of the people, the religious and moral corruption of the national organism, its sins, became even more apparent.

Hosea 7:2. And they do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness; now their deeds surround them; they are before My face. The people does not realize its transgressions; it is so steeped in them that it is as if surrounded by them. The Slavonic text reading “in order that they might sing together, like one who sings with all his heart” arose from a peculiar understanding of the original by the LXX. — Instead of the words (“their deeds surround them”) in the Slavonic “their conscience” διαβούλια, a term by which the LXX translates the Hebrew maallej (cf. Hos 4:9).

Hosea 7:4. They are all adulterers, burning like a furnace that a baker ceases to stir from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. The prophet spoke of both physical lechery and spiritual, namely the service of idols. The prophet compares the people, inflamed by passions, to a burning oven. Just as a baker stops heating the oven only for a short time (Slavonic “from the addition of fat,” from kneading the dough), so Israel only briefly abandons its passion, only to return to it after a rest.

Hosea 7:5. On the day of our king the princes became sick with the heat of wine, and he extended his hand to mockers. The words “day of our king” are understood either as a time designation (when this happens — “on the day of your king”), or as a greeting with which the princes, heated with wine on a holiday, address the king. The Slavonic reading “in the days of your kings” arose from a correction in Greek, where it now reads: ημέραι βασιλέων υμών. “They stretch out their hands with the mockers” in the accepted Greek text speaks of the king (εξετείνε τήν χείρα αυτοῦ), who “stretches out his hand,” meaning enters into friendly relations with mockers.

Hosea 7:6. For they make ready their heart like an oven; their thoughts burn all night, their baker sleeps, and in the morning it burns like a flaming fire. The meaning of the verse is not entirely clear. Apparently the prophet continues to characterize the princes and explains why he called them mockers (hypocrites). The prophet wishes to say that while greeting the king, the princes are plotting in their hearts, so that their heart in this respect can be compared to an oven that is extinguished only at night. The translation of the LXX and our Slavonic, which departs in verse 6 from a literal rendering of the Hebrew text, represents actually an interpretation of the latter. The reading “all night sleep Ephraim was satisfied” apparently arose from the LXX confusing the Hebrew ophehem (their baker) with ephraim (Ephraim).

Hosea 7:7. All of them are heated like an oven, and they devour their judges; all their kings fall, and no one among them calls upon Me. The whole people are consumed by passion for scheming, devouring their judges (by which name the prophet probably means the kings). The result is that “all their kings fall.” The history of the Northern Kingdom indeed shows us a long series of dynastic upheavals, victims of which were Nadab (1 Sam 15:25-27), Elah (1 Sam 16:8-10), Joram (2 Sam 9:24), Zechariah, Menahem, Pekahiah (2 Sam 15:10.). But by upheavals and the frequent fall of kings, which came as punishment to the people, no one was instructed. — The words of the Slavonic text “burned and fire” are found only in some manuscripts; the received text of the LXX does not read them.

Hosea 7:8. Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. Hosea 7:9. Strangers devour his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are scattered upon him, yet he does not know it. Set apart from among the peoples and chosen to be a holy people, Israel deviated from its calling and became like all the pagans, mingling with them. “Ephraim has become like bread not turned” — Slavonic “unleavened bread not turned over.” ... uggah — a thin cake baked by gradually turning it on hot ashes or hot stones; an unturned cake is burned on one side and raw on the other. Just as fire burned the unturned bread, so strangers, meaning pagan peoples, consumed Israel. Gray hair covered him. Gray hair is a sign of old age, the approach of death. The prophet wishes to say that Israel, having departed from its calling, is approaching decomposition and death.

Hosea 7:10. And the pride of Israel is humbled before his face, yet they do not return to the Lord their God, nor do they seek Him with all this. Cf. Hos 5:5.

Hosea 7:11. And Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without heart; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. The prophet condemns the false politics of the Israelite kingdom. He compares Israel to a dove which, in its search for food, foolishly throws itself into spread nets. Similarly, Israel, instead of seeking help from God, seeks it from those from whom destruction threatens — from Egyptians and Assyrians.

Hosea 7:12. When they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of heaven; I will discipline them according to what their congregation has heard. The prophet continues the comparison begun in verse 11. While Israel turns for help to pagan nations, Jehovah, like a bird catcher, will cover them with a net and “bring them down” like a bird from a state of freedom into a state of captivity. “I will chastise them as their congregation has heard” — the idea is that punishment will follow according to the threats made to sinners in the law (Lev 26:14; Deut 28:15) and in the words of the prophets (2 Sam 17:23; 2 Chr 24:18). Instead of the words “as their congregation has heard” in the Slavonic text it reads: “in the hearing of their grief.” It is thought that instead of adatam (their congregation) the LXX read zarafam (their grief).

Hosea 7:13. Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Ruin to them, for they have transgressed against Me! I myself would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me. Hosea 7:14. And they do not cry out to Me from their hearts, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gather themselves, but they turn away from Me. The prophet, exposing the nation for its turning away from Jehovah and threatening destruction (Slavonic: “they are wretched,” δείλαιοι, pitiable, miserable), has in mind in verse 13 the false politics of Israel, the seeking of help from pagan nations and lack of faith in Jehovah, who had repeatedly saved Israel. By turning away from God’s help, the people thereby as it were testify that the Lord cannot save them, and this is a lie against the Lord (“they speak lies against Me”). And in general, instead of heartfelt turning to God, the Israelites only cry out on their beds, being troubled (itgoraru, from gur — to gather, to crowd together, also to fear, to tremble, cf. Job 19:29; Hos 10:5) about bread and wine, which have become the prey of enemies. The Slavonic text’s reading “about wheat and wine they were cut” (κατετέμνοντα) arose, as it is thought, because the LXX derived itgoraru from garar, which in Arabic means to cut. The LXX apparently saw in the prophet’s words a reference to the Eastern custom when faced with heavy grief — to torment themselves and make cuts (“were cut”). The end of verse 14, “and rebel against Me,” is omitted in the Slavonic and by the LXX.

Hosea 7:15. I trained them and strengthened their arms, but they imagine evil against Me. “Yet they plan evil against Me.” The prophet has in mind Israel’s apostasy from Jehovah. Instead of the beginning words of the verse “I taught (issarti) them” the Slavonic reads: “they will be disciplined by Me,” Greek — επαιδευθησαν έν εμοί.

Hosea 7:16. They turn, but not upward; they are like a treacherous bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue; this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt. “They return, but not to the Most High,” more accurately from the Hebrew, “but not upward,” lo al. It is probable that the LXX made a transposition in the expression and read al lo, είς ουδέν, hence the Slavonic “they turned to nothing.” “Became like a treacherous (remijah) bow:” the meaning of the comparison is that just as a treacherous bow does not hit its target, so Israel departed from its calling — to worship Jehovah. Instead of the Slavonic text’s reading “like a bow stretched tight,” ώς τοξονεντεταμένον, which may have arisen from the substitution of the Masoretic remijah with romeh (shooting), many manuscripts have ώς τοξον ου τεταμενον, “like a bow not drawn.” — “Their princes shall fall by the sword for the arrogance of their tongue:” arrogance of tongue was expressed in lies against Jehovah (Hos 7:13), in reviling His omnipotence. The princes of Israel rely on Egypt. But this reliance is futile; they will fall, and this fall will be a subject of mockery in Egypt.