BIG IDEA:
GOD’S NATION CHARACTERIZED BY INIQUITY AND IDOLATRY MUST CONVERT OR SUFFER THE AWFUL CONSEQUENCES OF CONDEMNATION
INTRODUCTION:
Gary Smith: This section has a good deal of continuity with the previous one, since both condemn Israel’s false worship at pagan temples and at the golden calves. The difference is seen in the absence of first-person speeches in chapter 10 (except 10:10–11) and in a greater emphasis on accusations rather than punishment statements. Like 9:10, 10:1 draws the analogy between grape vines and Israel; like 8:7, 10:12–13 uses the sowing and reaping metaphor. Both chapters refer to the sin at Gibeah (9:9; 10:9) and the slaughter of children in war (9:13; 10:14). The tragedy is that God has told his people what they must do, but they refuse to do it. God encourages them to seek him so that they may experience his steadfast covenant love (10:12), but they are wicked and deceptive (10:13). . .
The message of this chapter is structured into two large sections. The first (10:1–8) focuses on the detestable altars (10:1, 2, 8) where the Israelites worship, while the second (10:9–15) is centered around the wickedness that will bring war and destruction on the nation. Although the demise of Israel’s king and the victory of a great Assyrian king are briefly mentioned (10:6–7, 15), this message is primarily concerned with the religious unfaithfulness at her temples.
Derek Kidner: Time to Seek the Lord — There is great variety in this chapter, for all its insistence on a single theme of warning. It draws now on early history (9), now on more recent memories (14); it bombards us with lively metaphors (4, 7, 11), ominous predictions (7-8), commonsense logic (13), snatches of current talk (3); it is always changing its angle of attack. But its thrust is positive: to spur the reader, not to stun him. The one gleam of light, the invitation of verse 12, is the raison d’être of the whole chapter.
Trent Butler: Main Idea: God’s love for his people guarantees that they cannot act any way they want without expecting him to respond in judgment.
Vv. 1-8 — Political and religious history paint God’s people as sinners who must face punishment for their false worship, false politics, and false religion.
Vv. 9-15 – A history of sin represents rebellion against God’s righteous purposes and calls for divine war against God’s own people.
I. (:1-8) CONDEMNATION AND CONSEQUENCES
Lloyd Ogilvie: Hosea 10:1–8 is obviously a continuation of the prophet’s address in 9:10–17. During an interlude in Hosea’s public ministry, he grapples with the question, “How did Israel get to this stage of apostasy?” The prophet reflectively discusses the nation’s petulant persistence down the path of rebellion and anticipates God’s judgment of destruction. Now he sees more clearly the real root of Israel’s sickness.
The problem is a divided heart. Depending on the vocalization of the text, there are two possible renderings of the Hebrew: “Their heart is false (hālaq RSV),” or, “Their heart is divided (ḥullaq).” Both strike at the essential spiritual malady: falseness in turning from God to false gods and a divided heart by giving loyalty to both. Ḥālaq also means “deceitful,” literally “smooth.” Applied to the heart, this would mean a slippery loyalty. God wanted wholehearted devotion and intentional commitment to Him and the covenant. He abhorred the double-minded, half and half, divided heart of His people that made them false and slippery in their commitment. He demanded from His people what His heart had consistently expressed to them: faithfulness (˒ ĕmet), trustworthiness ˒ĕmûnâ), and loyalty (ḥesed). God required an undivided heart (šālēm). . .
The hard truth for us is that words are not enough. When there is no congruity between what we say and do, soon our words become empty religiosity. The test of what we say is what we do to remove our false gods and how we put words into actions in living our faith.
James Mays: 10.1–8 portrays the judgment of Yahweh as it falls upon every significant institution of Israel’s religious and national life. Altar and pillar, king and capital, idol and high place – one by one they are blotted out until the people are left alone to face the wrath of Yahweh, crying out for the sanctuary of death in consternation.
H. D. Beeby: There is considerable agreement that these verses form a unit and that therefore they should be exegeted in close relationship with one another. Reasons for such a decision are:
1) The first and last verses include the word “Israel.” This is one of Hosea’s devices for marking beginnings and endings of subsections.
2) The address throughout is similar. It is not God speaking but someone speaking about God—presumably the prophet.
3) The eight verses divide into four strophes of two verses each. The first three strophes, vv. 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, have the same form—several lines of accusation culminating in a threat.
4) Each of the first three strophes is devoted to one of Hosea’s three great topics: cult, king, and calf, in that order. The fourth strophe seems to conclude the section by including all three.
A. (:1-2) Accusation of Religious Perversion — Metaphor of the Deceitful Vine
H. Ronald Vandermey: Refusing to acknowledge that these blessings had come from God, Israel produced “fruit for himself” rather than for the Lord. Accordingly, the Lord decrees that their heart is “faithless” (Hebrew, chalaq; literally “divided, smooth, trickish, treacherous”). A faithless or divided heart had long been Israel’s tragic flaw. Elijah, a century earlier than Hosea, encountered this divided loyalty when he asked the people, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). Even today, we need to be exhorted not to be “double-minded,” for such an attitude leads to instability and ruin (James 1:8). Through the law, Israel had received a sense of what was right, but that sense was met by an overwhelming love for doing what was wrong. For choosing the bad, Hosea warns that the people will bear their own “guilt” (Hebrew, asham; used only here in the Old Testament).
- (:1) Serving Self Rather than God
a. Picture of the Deceitful Vine
“Israel is a luxuriant vine;
He produces fruit for himself.”
Biblehub: The phrase “yielding fruit for himself” indicates self-centeredness and a failure to honor God with their prosperity. The vine, instead of producing fruit for God’s glory, serves its own interests, highlighting Israel’s spiritual decline and idolatry.
Allen Guenther: The grapevine, Israel, bears fruit which corresponds to its nature. The harvest matches the nation’s character. From the opening line, Hosea launches into a negative account of national religious life.
Three specific indictments follow.
- First, as the vine has matured and produced more fruit, the Israelites have responded by increasing the number of altars (10:1b). Two sins are represented.
- The first is the one of providing more centers of worship, an act which bears multiple consequences. The many shrines result in a diminished sense of the larger community. Increasing centers for sacrifice eventually leads to perceiving God as a local deity.
- A second sin implied in the accusation of multiplying altars has to do with the Israelites’ concept of faith and God. Israel places a premium on the activity of the worshiper. Religious ritual has become a means of salvation.
- The second indictment is that as the land has prospered, Israel has beautified the symbols of worship at high places (10:1c). Aesthetic pleasure is not the issue; making sin attractive is the problem. Israel was not to use stone pillars (phallic symbols?) known as masebah. God repeatedly commanded them to destroy all such pagan aids to worship ( 23:24; cf. Hos. 3:4).
- The third indictment touches the heart ( 10:2a). At a deep level Israel has come to pursue the Lord for his gifts and Baal for his benefits. They have come to justify their simultaneous worship of these two gods.
John Schultz: The context suggests that the blessing of Israel’s fruitfulness turned into a curse because of the use that was made of it. None of the abundance was used for the glory of God but for self-satisfaction and idolatry. As the empty fig tree on which Jesus found no fruit, so God found nothing to satisfy Himself on Israel’s vine. The fruitfulness of Ephraim had become meaningless
b. Prosperity Led to Multiplied Ostentatious Religious Displays
“The more his fruit, The more altars he made;
The richer his land, The better he made the sacred pillars.”
Robin Routledge: v. 1 — Increased fruit led to a corresponding increase in altars (cf. 8:11), and the more prosperous the land, the more ornate the sacred stones. Altars and sacred stones or pillars could feature in the legitimate worship of Yahweh. In this context, however, they are associated with Baal (cf. v. 2): the more Yahweh prospered them, the more they lavished on false worship.
Biblehub: “Sacred pillars” were often associated with Canaanite religious practices and idolatry (Exodus 34:13, Deuteronomy 12:3). As the land produced abundantly, Israel invested in these pagan symbols, further entrenching themselves in idolatry. This reflects a cultural assimilation with surrounding nations, contrary to God’s command to remain distinct (Leviticus 20:26). The prosperity intended to lead to gratitude and worship of God instead resulted in increased devotion to false gods, illustrating the nation’s spiritual adultery.
David Allan Hubbard: What we have is a picture of God and Israel utterly at cross-purposes. Yahweh’s abundant grace is wantonly squandered (v. 1b). . .
The motif of multiplication (cf. at 4:7; 8:11) is expanded here in two ways:
(1) God is featured as the one who took the initiative in multiplying Israel’s blessings; Israel’s response was to pervert them; and
(2) a motif of improvement based on the Hebrew root ṭb, ‘good’ (cf. on 3:5) is used to embellish the passage by showing that, while Yahweh outdid himself in working for the betterment of the land, all of that excess bounty was poured by Israel into the adornment and decoration of the pillars whose purpose by Hosea’s time had become largely pagan. . .
Neither the pattern of multiplication nor improvement (cf. on v. 1) could spare the cultic paraphernalia once God’s verdict was rendered.
- (:2) Storing Up Guilt Requiring Punishment
a. Principle of Accountability
“Their heart is faithless;
Now they must bear their guilt.”
Biblehub: Their hearts are devious — This phrase highlights the inner moral and spiritual corruption of the people of Israel. The heart, in biblical terms, often represents the center of one’s being, including thoughts, emotions, and will. Deviousness suggests deceit and a turning away from God’s commandments. This reflects the broader theme in Hosea of Israel’s unfaithfulness, akin to spiritual adultery. The deceitful heart is a recurring theme in Scripture, as seen in Jeremiah 17:9, which describes the heart as “deceitful above all things.”
James Mays: ‘Now’ introduces the verdict of Yahweh, as it often does in Hosea’s oracles (5.7; 8.10, 13). Yahweh himself shall bring upon them the consequences of their guilt and in his terrible action end the evasion and create encounter. The altars and pillars will in the end serve as a place of knowing Yahweh’s nearness – when they are shattered and destroyed! Then their false heart will have no way to pretend to seek Yahweh while only pursuing its own desires.
b. Punishment via Destruction of Instruments of Idolatry
“The LORD will break down their altars
And destroy their sacred pillars.”
Gary Smith: Israel is like a destroyed vine because she has selfishly used its fruit for herself. This misuse took place at their many altars and before the pagan sacred pillars, which represented different gods. They presumptuously use what God has given them and offer it to pagan fertility gods, hoping that these gods will bless them with even greater prosperity. Thus, God’s blessings are causing them to sink further and further into sin at these pagan altars. In order to reveal the falseness and deceptiveness of their thinking, God will hold the people accountable, take away their abundance, and demolish the altars and sacred pillars (10:2). One should not confuse God with an idol or give an idol credit for God’s rich blessings.
B. (:3-4) Accusation of No Governance and No Integrity
- (:3) No Governance
“Surely now they will say, ‘We have no king,
For we do not revere the LORD.
As for the king, what can he do for us?’”
Biblehub: We have no king — Historically, this reflects the political instability in Israel during Hosea’s time. The Northern Kingdom experienced frequent changes in leadership, with several kings being assassinated or overthrown. This instability is seen as a direct result of the nation’s spiritual unfaithfulness. Biblically, the absence of a king also symbolizes a lack of divine guidance, as the king was supposed to be God’s representative on earth.
What can a king do for us? — This rhetorical question underscores the futility of relying on human leadership when the people are spiritually bankrupt. It reflects a sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with earthly powers. Biblically, it echoes the sentiment found in Psalm 146:3, which warns against putting trust in princes. Theologically, it points to the need for divine intervention and foreshadows the coming of Jesus Christ, the true King who provides spiritual salvation and eternal hope.
James Mays: By means of a quotation the prophet dramatizes the despair which grips Ephraim when their king is gone and they realize that they are without king or God. The significance of the quotation is ambiguous. Does the prophet repeat in an ironic taunt what the people are already saying? Or is the quotation a portrayal of their future situation when judgment has left them without a king? It is conceivable that after the murder of Pekah some of the people attributed their desperate circumstances during the Assyrian invasion to his assassination. But the second possibility is the more likely interpretation.
Trent Butler: Here is the only place where Hosea uses the language of fearing or revering the Lord—language basic to Israel’s relationship to God—a relationship built on awe, respect, reverence, and fear of God (1 Sam. 12:14). Thus “fear of the LORD” is a shorthand description of the relationship God expects humans to have with him (Prov. 2:5). Without this proper religious relationship, all political relationships, commitments, and hopes were useless.
Derek Kidner: We might well wonder whether arrogance or apathy is the greater of two evils for a nation. For Israel, the mood had swung between the two, marked by their changing attitudes towards the throne: at one moment pinning all their hopes to kingship (‘Give me a king and princes’, 13:10), at another cheapening it with debauchery and tearing it apart with assassinations (7:3-7); finally, here in verse 3, shrugging it off as meaningless, along with everything else, from the Lord downwards. Only their superstition, their talisman the golden calf, will awaken any sense of loss by its removal.
- (:4) No Integrity
“They speak mere words,
With worthless oaths they make covenants;
And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds
in the furrows of the field.”
Derek Kidner: When heaven is considered empty (‘we fear not the Lord’, 3), words and promises soon follow suit, and justice, so-called, becomes a parody of its true self – no longer towering impartially above the strong and the weak, but earthbound and tortuous, springing from the thoughts and policies of the moment; no longer a force for good and for the nation’s health, but a source of poison. The picture of it as a weed which takes over a farmer’s field (4) provides a startling contrast to the majestic metaphors of height and depth and clarity associated with true, divine justice (‘on high, out of . . . sight’, Ps. 10:5; ‘like the great deep’, Ps. 36:6; ‘as the light’, Ho. 6:5). The accusation is borne out by history. At best, humanism takes its estimate of morality and justice from ground level – from whatever happens to be a society’s current mood and practice; while at worst, tyrants and demagogues equate it simply with their policies and interests. So the false morality strengthens its hold on the community, choking the true values as a wild crop smothers the good growth under its spreading carpet.
Biblehub: They speak mere words — This phrase highlights the insincerity and emptiness of the Israelites’ promises and declarations. In the context of Hosea, the prophet often condemns the people for their superficial worship and lack of genuine commitment to God. This reflects a broader biblical theme where God desires truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6) and condemns lip service without heart engagement (Isaiah 29:13). The emphasis on “mere words” suggests a disconnect between what is spoken and what is truly believed or intended.
So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds — The imagery of judgment as “poisonous weeds” suggests something that is both inevitable and destructive. In an agrarian society, weeds were a common threat to crops, symbolizing sin’s pervasive and corrupting influence. This metaphor indicates that the consequences of Israel’s deceitful actions are as natural and unavoidable as weeds overtaking a field. The idea of judgment as a natural outgrowth of sin is echoed in Galatians 6:7, where Paul warns that a man reaps what he sows.
Allen Guenther: The one who swears oaths invites God as Guarantor. To swear falsely is a deliberate act of deceit while using the Lord’s name. It shows disdain for God, essentially regarding him impotent and irrelevant. If anything, God has become a means to a greater end – the welfare of the nation state.
James Mays: The harvest of royal treachery had been a false justice that killed rather than saved. The fields of the nation bore poison weed instead of grain. The metaphor is quite similar to the one used by Amos (4.15; 8.14) and may be borrowed from him or could reflect a saying that was current among those who suffered under the king’s justice. In the coming judgment all Israel would learn to speak such bitter words and their lament would announce their own guilt in making kings in autonomous independence of Yahweh.
John Schultz: Verses 4-8 describe again the moral decline of the nation by the perversion of justice. The words: “They make many promises” are the NIV’s rendering of the Hebrew, which simply states: “They have spoken words.” The thought obviously is that words have become meaningless. A given word was no longer identical to a reliable promise. A break with God results in a moral vacuum. But a moral vacuum can never exist for long; it is immediately filled with, what the Bible calls: “poison.”
C. (:5-6) Abandonment by Their Impotent Idol = Golden Calf of Beth-aven
- (:5) Its Ignominious Departure
“The inhabitants of Samaria will fear
For the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it,
Over its glory, since it has departed from it.”
Biblehub: The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven — Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, often associated with idolatry and rebellion against God. The “calf of Beth-aven” refers to the golden calf idol set up in Bethel, a city that became a center of idol worship. “Beth-aven” is a derogatory term meaning “house of wickedness,” replacing “Bethel,” which means “house of God.” This reflects the spiritual decline of Israel. The fear mentioned here is due to the impending judgment and loss of their idol, which they wrongly trusted for protection and prosperity.
with its idolatrous priests—those who rejoiced in its glory — The idolatrous priests, or “chemārim,” were those who served at the high places and led the people in idol worship. They rejoiced in the glory of the calf, which was seen as a symbol of strength and fertility. This phrase underscores the corrupt religious leadership that led Israel astray, contrasting with the Levitical priesthood ordained by God. Their rejoicing was in something transient and false, rather than in the eternal glory of God.
Gary Smith: One of the main deceptions of their faith is the worship of the golden calf at Bethel (given the scornful nickname Beth Aven, “house of wickedness”). Verse 5 describes the people’s deep commitment to this idol. They worship in fear and trembling before this and other false gods. They and the false priests will mourn before the splendor of the golden image of Baal in some sort of cultic ceremony. This may be their final act of worship as the gold of the idol is removed so that it can be used to pay the tribute required by Tiglath-Pileser III, “the great king” (10:6). This removal of the glory of the calf god will demonstrate to all that it has no power and cannot defend itself. The people will be ashamed and disgraced because the true colors of their ugly wooden idol will finally be known. They have been fools to trust it.
M. Daniel Carroll R.: The idol’s “splendor”—that is, all the wealth of the sanctuary—will be taken away into exile (cf. 1Ki 14:26; Da 1:2). This turn of phrase is ironic: Israel’s true glory, Yahweh, will leave them (9:11), even as the empty glory of its idols will be taken. The sovereign God is leaving of his own free will; the idols and all the religious paraphernalia are to be carted away.
- (:6) Its Shameful Destiny
a. (:6a) Spoils of War – Hauled Off to Assyria
“The thing itself will be carried to Assyria
As tribute to King Jareb;”
James Mays: Such a fate is in store for the bull. In the days ahead the image will follow its trappings and end up in a caravan on the way to the court of the Assyrian king. The folly and uselessness of Bethel’s bull will then be apparent. Ephraim will be left exposed to the disgrace of having worshipped a powerless fraud.
David Allan Hubbard: The reasons for Israel’s dismay are described more fully in verse 6. The place of exile is pinpointed as Assyria (cf. 5:13; 7:11; 8:9; 9:3); the purpose of the deportation is stated as a ‘gift’ (i.e. tribute; cf. oil as tribute to Egypt in 12:1) to the great king, i.e. the king of Assyria (see on 5:13), who would be identified as Shalmaneser V at the time of the assault on Samaria and as Sargon II at the ultimate collapse (cf. 2 Kgs 17:3–6). The grammar of the first line of verse 6 is a bit awkward. It, i.e. the idol, is thrust into prominence at the beginning in a form that marks it as direct object. Yet the verb shall be carried is passive and hence would not ordinarily take an object. The syntax, strange as it is, is probably intentional. The calf-idol is highlighted for what it is – a thing, an object, a detestable artifact (cf. 8:5–6). It has to be carried. What kind of deity is that? The contrast between the passive ‘itness’ of the idol and the active personhood of God (cf. the emphatic he as proper name in v. 2) has been drawn in bold colours.
b. (:6b) Shame for the Nation of Israel
“Ephraim will be seized with shame,
And Israel will be ashamed of its own counsel.”
Biblehub: Ephraim will be seized with shame — Ephraim, representing the Northern Kingdom, will experience shame due to their misplaced trust in idols and foreign alliances. The shame is both a personal and national disgrace, as their religious and political failures become evident. Biblically, shame is often associated with sin and the realization of one’s wrongdoing. This phrase highlights the prophetic theme of accountability and the consequences of turning away from God. The shame is not just emotional but also a public acknowledgment of their failure to uphold their covenant with God.
J. Andrew Dearman: Israel’s plans had negative results, indeed catastrophic ones. The term “plans” (ʿēṣâ) is used similarly in Ps. 106:43, a poetic text with a number of connections to Hosea. In both places the term refers to plans undertaken by Israel in rebellion against YHWH’s leading. In the context of describing God’s anger and the resulting exile of his people (vv. 40–43), the psalmist notes, “Many times God delivered them, but they rebelled with their counsel (ʿēṣâ), they sank down because of their iniquity (ʿāwōn).” Hosea could not agree more.
D. (:7-8) Awful Consequences of Spiritual Apostasy
H. D. Beeby: The fourth strophe can best be understood as a partial summary of Hos. 10:1–6 and as a conclusion which carries a strong air of finality about it. It must be confessed that the notion that here we have a rounding-off of the section does contribute a little to the interpretation, but this is preferable to the guesswork which might be the alternative.
- (:7) Loss of Political Autonomy
“Samaria will be cut off with her king,
Like a stick on the surface of the water.”
Biblehub: like a twig on the surface of the water — This simile illustrates the helplessness and inevitability of Samaria’s downfall. A twig on water is easily carried away by currents, symbolizing the lack of control and stability. This imagery emphasizes the futility of relying on political alliances or military strength instead of trusting in God. The metaphor also connects to the broader biblical narrative of judgment and redemption, where human efforts are insufficient without divine intervention.
John Goldingay: So the capital and its king are lost (vv. 7–8). They are being carried away “like a twig” in a stream. Ruin will also overwhelm “the great shrine” where the great heifer is located. Only here does Hosea use the word “shrine” (bāmâ, conventionally “high place”), the term for local worship places, though he has likely had them in mind in some of his references to Ephraim’s whoring (e.g., 2:2–23 [4–25]). But here he is talking about Beth-el, which he likes to call Beth-aven. Beth-el is as significant for his Ephraimite hearers as Jerusalem is for Judahites. To call it a shrine, even a great shrine, looks like an insult. It implies that Beth-el is just a trumped-up version of one of those shrines that every town had. And as far as Yahweh is concerned, it’s the quintessence of Ephraim’s wrongdoing.
J. Andrew Dearman: Two primary options are apparent for the simile, either taking the noun qeṣep as a chip of wood, a piece of flotsam, or as foam, the frothy part of roiled waters that quickly dissipates. In favor of the first option is the LXX, which is followed by the NRSV and a number of commentators. These translators assume that if qeṣep is a chip of wood, then it is a homonym for the better-attested noun for “anger” or “wrath” (e.g., Josh. 9:20; Isa. 34:2). The latter option of foam, cautiously adopted here, takes the noun in its better-attested sense, but with the nuance of “agitation.” The phrase “foam on the water” allows for a subtle pun on the word “anger,” and can be readily related to Hosea’s expression in 13:11 that YHWH had given Israel a king in anger (ʾap) and taken him away in wrath (ʿebrâ). The intent of the simile differs little in either case. In metaphorical terms the tenor is the sudden disappearance or end of Israel’s king. The vehicle is the fleeting life of a wood chip on water or that of the foam on water produced by movement.
- (:8a) Loss of Religious Pride – Luxuriant Vine Replaced by Thorn and Thistle
“Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed;
Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars,”
H. D. Beeby: If the calf is not present in v. 7, it is included in v. 8 among “the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel.”
Biblehub: The high places of Aven will be destroyed — The term “high places” refers to elevated sites where the Israelites engaged in idol worship, often involving Canaanite deities. “Aven” means “wickedness” or “iniquity,” and it is likely a reference to Bethel, a significant site of idolatry in Israel. The destruction of these high places signifies God’s judgment against Israel’s persistent idolatry. This aligns with the broader biblical narrative where God consistently condemns idol worship (e.g., 1 Kings 13:2, 2 Kings 23:15).
thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars — The imagery of thorns and thistles symbolizes desolation and curse, reminiscent of the curse upon the ground in Genesis 3:18. This suggests that the places once used for idol worship will become abandoned and desolate, overtaken by nature. It reflects the futility and ultimate end of idolatry, as these altars, once central to Israel’s unfaithful worship, will be left in ruin.
Allen Guenther: The reference to thorn and thistle (Hos. 10:8b) echoes the curse on the first man’s disobedience (Gen. 3:18). It signals more than corrective judgment in the form of loss of fertility. The very symbols of fertility (high places) and obedience (altars) become the place where chaos conquers the powers of Baal. That curse comes from the Lord.
- (:8b) Lament of Desperation and Dread
“Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’
And to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’”
H. D. Beeby: To be crushed to the death by falling rocks is a fate one would not choose; but, says the prophet, it is so much better than what God has in store that it becomes desirable, something to be prayed for.
Biblehub: Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!” — This expression of despair and desire for escape from judgment is echoed in the New Testament, specifically in Luke 23:30 and Revelation 6:16, where it is associated with the end times and divine judgment. It indicates a recognition of inescapable judgment and a wish for annihilation rather than facing God’s wrath. This phrase underscores the severity of God’s judgment and the hopelessness of those who have turned away from Him.
Robin Routledge: The final part of the verse (:8) indicates despair. In the face of impending judgment, the people cry out for the mountains and hills to fall and cover them (cf. Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16), either to hide the shame of their actions or to avoid the horrors of coming judgment.
James Mays: Hosea depicts the dread of the time by quoting what the people will say (as in v. 3); they will implore mountains and hills to erupt in earthquake and cover them lest they be left in their nakedness to face the wrath of God (cf. Luke 23.30; Isa. 2.10, 21).
Trent Butler: Hosea concludes the description of punishment by noting the people’s prayers not at high places but to the high mountains and hills. Such cries would not be cries for help and deliverance but cries for final destruction and escape from their misery. A people whose worship, religion, and politics were corrupt would find life was no longer worth living.
II. (:9-10) CRIME AND CHASTISEMENT
Derek Kidner: The name Gibeah (9) is doubly potent, linking Hosea’s generation with the most vicious episode in Israel’s past and with its aftermath, the destructive civil war of Judges 20. But verse 10 appoints foreign nations, not fellow-Israelites this time, as the means of punishment. The fulfilment is recorded in 2 Kings 17:6 and, for good measure, 24-41.
A. (:9) Crime of Persistent Sinning
“From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel;
There they stand!
Will not the battle against the sons of iniquity overtake them in Gibeah?”
J. Andrew Dearman: The events at Gibeah are cited to confirm that Israel continues to sin in a familiar pattern. . . past problems are a clue to Israel’s current crisis and a harbinger of judgment to come. . .
The mention of warfare (milḥāmâ) and the gathering of predator nations fits the context of violence and destruction as portrayed in 10:2, 8. . . Gibeah is the fourth of four cities to be singled out for comment. There is shame in Baal-peor (9:10), evil in Gilgal (9:15), fear and mourning in Samaria (10:5), and now sin in Gibeah (10:9).
Gary Smith: Hosea goes back to the events at Gibeah (10:9) to remind his listeners of the civil war that took place in Judges 19–20 (see Hos. 9:9). Those events have blossomed into the sinful deeds surrounding the Syro-Ephraimite war, which also involved Gibeah (see 5:8). Hosea sees the spirit of violence and immorality that existed in Gibeah as continuing to haunt Israel in his time.
H. Ronald Vandermey: Another parallel between the time of the fall of Samaria and the time of the Great Tribulation may be deduced by noting the similar condition of the respective groups to be judged by God. The phrase in verse 9, “the days of Gibeah” parallels the New Testament concept of “the days of Noah” (Matt. 24:37; cf. 2 Pet. 2:5) in the sense that both speak of a period of unrestrained wickedness. Thus Hosea warns that the whole nation is standing like Gibeah of old, in a position that demands the judgment of God. The tenth verse amplifies the threat as God announces that “the peoples” (foreign invaders) will be gathered against Israel. This verse is again a parallel to the scene in Gibeah, in which the tribes assembled against Benjamin (Judg. 20:1-48).
Biblehub: Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity? — The battle in Gibeah refers to the conflict that arose from the sin committed there, leading to a devastating war between the tribes of Israel. This serves as a warning that sin inevitably leads to judgment and destruction. The “sons of iniquity” are those who persist in their sinful ways, and the rhetorical question emphasizes the certainty of divine retribution. It serves as a call to recognize the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance, drawing a parallel to the impending judgment Hosea warns about.
B. (:10) Chastisement by the Rod of the Nations
“When it is My desire, I will chastise them;
And the peoples will be gathered against them
When they are bound for their double guilt.”
John Schultz: Israel’s sinful condition demanded a punishment that would satisfy God’s righteousness.
Biblehub: I will chasten them when I please — This phrase indicates God’s sovereign authority and timing in disciplining His people. The concept of divine chastening is consistent throughout Scripture, where God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). The timing is at God’s discretion, emphasizing His control over history and events. This reflects the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where disobedience leads to correction (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).
James Mays: Their punishment is already under way! The parallelism between “I have come” and “peoples are assembled” co-ordinates divine act and external public history. In the assault of foreign nations (“peoples” for foreign folk in 7:8; 9:1) upon Israel Yahweh is the present acting subject. As the Lord of world history he assembles the nations to be the instrument of his chastisement of Israel (cf. Isa. 10:5). As the tribes rallied in assembly against Benjamin (Judg. 20:1f.), so the nations assemble against Israel. The old amphictyonic process for maintaining covenant order has been translated into the process of world history in order to chastise Israel for breach of covenant. If Hosea does have Saul’s kingship also in mind in the reference to Gibeah, the ”double iniquity” could be the sum of the incidents in Judges 19-21 and Saul (HAT, ATD). But Hosea may sse “then” and “now”, the original deed and its subsequent continuation, as two phases which double the iniquity (BK).
Derek Kidner: As for the ‘double iniquity’, many suggested meanings have been offered. Among the most likely is that it refers to Israel’s resort to Baal in its worship and to worldly allies in its politics – both of which are major accusations in these chapters. Another is that the allusion is to their rejection first of God as their true king and then of David as His anointed. This double defection is implied in 3:5, but that passage is hardly close at hand here. Further suggestions fasten on the reference to Gibeah just before this, and see the two sins either as those of Israel’s past and present, or else as the outrage of Judges 19 plus the disobedient reign of Saul (who made Gibeah his centre). Some of these interpretations seem over-subtle, and it may be that the simplest of all should be followed: that like the ‘three transgressions . . . and . . . four’ of Amos 1:3, 6, etc., the two iniquities mean just the repeated or persistent acts of Israel’s disobedience.
Barnes’ Notes: “their double sin” — as Jeremiah says, ‘My people hath committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, which can hold no water’ (Jer 2:13). This could not be said of any other nation, which knew not God. For if any such worshiped false gods, they committed only one transgression; but this nation, in which God was known, by declining to idolatry, is truly blamed as guilty of ‘two transgressions;’ they left the true God, and for, or against, Him they worshiped other gods. For he hath twofold guilt, who, knowing good, rather chooseth evil; but ‘he’ single, who, knowing no good, taketh evil for good. That nation then, both when, after seeing many wonderful works of God, it made and worshiped one calf in the wilderness; and when, forsaking the house of David and the temple of the Lord, it made itself two calves; yea, and so often as it worshiped those gods of the heathen; and yet more, when it asked that Barabbas should be released but that Christ should be crucified, committed two transgressions, rejecting the good, electing the evil; ‘setting sweet for bitter, and bitter for sweet; setting darkness as light, and light as darkness’ (Isa 5:20).”
III. (:11-15) CONVERSION OR CALAMITY
Lloyd Ogilvie: There are three sections in Hosea 10:9–15.
- Verses 9–10 cite Israel’s continued sin and the consequence of war;
- 11–13a is Yahweh’s wistful reflection on what He had elected His people to be,
- and 13b–15 pronounces the forthcoming doom because of Israel’s denial of that election.
David Allan Hubbard: The general movement of the passage looks like this:
- Metaphor of past blessings (v. 11a);
- Threat of necessary discipline (v. 11b);
- Admonitions to responsibilities of their calling (v. 12a);
- Motivation to obedience (v. 12b);
- Indictment for disobedience (v. 13);
- Announcement of judgment with historical illustration (v. 14);
- Summary announcement-indictment (v. 15).
A. (:11-12) Election for the Purpose of Service
- (:11) Metaphor of Trained Heifer
“And Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh,
But I will come over her fair neck with a yoke; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself.”
J. Andrew Dearman: A trained heifer is one that has learned the task of threshing and is obedient to the guidance of the farmer.
Gary Smith: Hosea quickly changes metaphors in 10:11 to draw on his audience’s understanding of agriculture. He compares Israel to a good heifer, who was well trained and a hard worker at threshing time. God was impressed with this animal and wanted to make it his own (symbolic of his having a covenant relationship with the people). So he put his willing heifer to work plowing for him—an analogy that suggests God’s election of his people to do his service. At that time God exhorted his people (the heifer) to sow righteousness so that they could reap the blessings (the “fruit”) of God’s steadfast covenant love (10:12). They needed to understand God’s ways in the Torah, follow a path of justice, have unfailing love for him, and seek the Lord continually. God would then shower them with his righteousness. From the beginning he explained in the blessings and curses of the covenant that he would deal with them fairly and justly by giving them salvation if they would turn to him and seek to live according to the covenant relationship.
Unfortunately, Israel instead planted unrighteous seeds, and they will now reap a harvest of evil (10:13), just what they deserve. They have done exactly the opposite of what God has wanted, and the results are the opposite of what they want. Consequently, instead of eating the wonderful fruit of a righteous life, the people will have to swallow the poisonous fruit of their own deception. The lies and false beliefs they accept explain why the Israelites are being punished so severely by God. They have the opportunity to please God, they have the knowledge of what God expects of his covenant people, and they are aware of the consequences of their actions. God has chosen them, and all they need to do is to seek him and serve him with righteous living, but they reject God’s way.
John Goldingay: With Judah and Jacob in parallelism, Jacob will refer to the Northern Kingdom (cf. Mic. 1:5). Plowing is stage one in the preparing of the ground for sowing, the breaking up of the hard earth; harrowing is stage two, the flattening and leveling of the ground (cf. Isa. 28:24). The parallelism implies that Judah and Jacob both plow and then harrow, not that the tasks are divided up. . .
Further, the farming process moves on from preparatory plowing and harrowing to sowing and reaping.
Biblehub: but I will place a yoke on her fair neck — The yoke symbolizes subjugation and hard labor. God declares that He will impose discipline on Ephraim, transitioning them from a state of ease to one of servitude and difficulty. This reflects the impending judgment and captivity that would come upon Israel due to their disobedience and idolatry. The “fair neck” suggests beauty and strength, indicating that Ephraim’s current state is one of grace and potential, yet it will be subjected to control and restraint. This is a prophetic warning of the Assyrian conquest, where Israel would lose its autonomy and freedom.
I will harness Ephraim — The act of harnessing implies control and direction. God intends to redirect Ephraim’s path, moving them from their self-directed ways to a path of divine correction. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God’s sovereignty and His ability to guide nations according to His purposes. The harnessing also suggests a transformation from a life of ease to one of labor and submission, aligning with the consequences of their covenant unfaithfulness.
Judah will plow — Judah, representing the southern kingdom, is depicted as plowing, a task that involves preparation and hard work. This indicates that Judah, unlike Ephraim, will be engaged in a more laborious and foundational role. Historically, Judah remained more faithful to God compared to the northern kingdom, though they too would eventually face judgment. The plowing metaphor suggests a role in preparing the ground, possibly for future restoration and blessing, aligning with prophecies of a remnant and the coming of the Messiah from the line of Judah.
and Jacob will break the hard ground — Jacob, representing the entire nation of Israel, is tasked with breaking the hard ground, a metaphor for repentance and renewal. This imagery suggests a call to spiritual renewal and the breaking up of hardened hearts. The hard ground symbolizes the stubbornness and sinfulness of the people, which must be addressed for true restoration to occur. This phrase connects to the broader biblical narrative of repentance and the need for a contrite heart, as seen in passages like Jeremiah 4:3 and Hosea 10:12, which call for breaking up fallow ground and seeking the Lord.
Derek Kidner: The point about the heifer in the opening verse (11) is that threshing was a comparatively light task, made pleasant by the fact that the creature was unmuzzled and free to eat (Dt. 25:4) as it pulled the threshing-sledge over the gathered corn. This owner’s pride in his beast, and his consideration for it (cf. Pr. 12:10), together with the creature’s obedience and contentment, provides one of the many affectionate touches in these troubled chapters. There will be another with the same imagery of man and beast in 11:4.
But the idyllic scene had to change. Perhaps we are meant to see that in any case there must be a transition to hard and testing work, in any worth-while enterprise and for any growth to maturity:
‘Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered’. ‘For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves’ (Heb. 5:8; 12:6).
But in Israel’s case (and Judah’s, 11b) the hardship was compounded by her retreat into obstinacy. ‘Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn’ (4:16). So the yoke of verse 11 would no longer be the well-fitting one of God’s ideal design, but the harsh, heavy collar of slavery.
- (:12) Mandate to Repent and Seek the Lord
“Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.”
Biblehub: break up your unplowed ground — This metaphorical language urges the people to prepare their hearts for spiritual renewal. Unplowed ground represents hardness and neglect, suggesting areas of life resistant to God’s influence. In Jeremiah 4:3, a similar call is made to break up fallow ground, indicating repentance and readiness to receive God’s word. This preparation is necessary for genuine transformation and growth in righteousness.
James Mays: The agricultural imagery allows for a marvelous portrayal of the mutual involvement of God and people in realizing the divine purpose. Canaan is the farm of Yahweh on which he set Israel to produce for him a harvest of righteousness and devotion that God’s own righteousness might find its fulfilment in blessing the earth.
John Goldingay: Yahweh’s challenge is for Israel to seek righteousness, mercy, and God himself. This takes us all the way back to the initial complaint against Israel, that it lacked moral integrity, compassion, and the knowledge of God (4:1). These three things describe the fundamental characteristics of life in God and also imply repentance from apostasy.
Trent Butler: Turning from metaphor, Hosea expressed his expectations clearly: it is time to seek the LORD. This was not to be a one-time happening but a continuous lifestyle, persisted in until he comes and showers righteousness on you.
B. (:13-15) Extermination and Destruction for Misplaced Trust
- (:13a) Moral Failures
“You have plowed wickedness,
you have reaped injustice,
You have eaten the fruit of lies.”
Biblehub: you have eaten the fruit of lies — The fruit of lies refers to the deceptive practices and false beliefs that the Israelites have embraced. In biblical terms, eating often symbolizes internalizing or accepting something. This phrase suggests that the people have consumed and been nourished by falsehoods, leading to their downfall. Lies can refer to idolatry, false prophecies, or reliance on foreign alliances instead of trusting in God. This connects to the broader biblical theme of truth versus falsehood, as seen in John 8:44, where Jesus speaks of the devil as the father of lies. The Israelites’ acceptance of lies has led to spiritual malnutrition and corruption.
James Mays: Verses 11f. are an interpretation of Yahweh’s relationship with Israel throughout her history that shows what he expected. Verse 13 states what happened. The contrast between expectation and result, between divine purpose and human performance, is quite like that created by Isaiah in his song of the vineyard (Isa. 5:4, 7).
John Goldingay: Actually, Ephraim has done its plowing (v. 13), and it’s not the kind that the exhortation had in mind. Instead of faithfulness, Ephraim has plowed the opposite, faithlessness: failure to do the right thing by God or by other people (rešaʿ). In the community it has reaped a harvest of villainy or corruption. It has consumed the fruit issuing from the deception that has characterized the nation’s politics (7:3) and that thus has an effect on its moral life. The words sum up the moral and relational failure with regard to God and to one another that Hosea has denounced throughout. The continuation of the denunciation in v. 13b implies that Ephraim’s reliance on its own decision-making and on its human military resources is an expression of the faithlessness, villainy, and deceptiveness of its claim to rely on Yahweh.
David Thompson: in verse 13 God describes what His own people have been doing and still are doing: There are five descriptions of what His peoples’ lives were like:
- They have plowed wickedness , not righteousness. 10:13a
- They have reaped unjust things, not just things. 10:13b
- They have eaten the fruit of liars , not eating the truth of God. 10:13c
- They have trusted in their own way, not God’s way. 10:13d
- They have trusted in their own warriors and not God. 10:13e
- (:13b-15) Misplaced Trust Leads to Devastation
“Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors,
14 Therefore, a tumult will arise among your people,
And all your fortresses will be destroyed,
As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,
When mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15 Thus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel will be completely cut off.”
Trent Butler: vs. 14 — Israel refused to accept the identity God had for them. They would not meet the job description the Lord had outlined for them. God had to put on his judge’s robes one more time and pronounce sentence upon his people. Their history began with war (v. 9). God had threatened war at his pleasure (v. 10). Now he described the horrors of that nation-ending war. Tumultuous sounds fill the air. Impregnable fortresses fall to the ground.
James Mays: Making military prowess a basis of self-confidence is a crime against Yahweh (cf. Amos 6:13; Isa. 31:1). The offence lies, not in the possession of armies, but in the trusting (batah), hoping to find one’s security in them. . .
Vs. 15 – The devastation of Israel will come with similar horror. Yahweh will be the one who acts in gruesome devastation against these whose faith makes them secure against his judgment and independent of his power. Autonomy as a state in violation of their existence as the covenant people is “the evil of their evil”. The king to whom the army belongs and who therefore incarnates their independence of Yahweh will be the first to fall. In the dawn’s first light, when the battle has hardly begun, he shall be cut off.
Biblehub: the roar of battle will rise against your people — This phrase indicates impending judgment and destruction. The “roar of battle” suggests a loud and overwhelming attack, symbolizing God’s judgment against Israel for their unfaithfulness. Historically, Israel faced numerous invasions due to their disobedience, as seen in the Assyrian conquest. The imagery of a “roar” emphasizes the terror and chaos of war, reminiscent of other biblical passages where God allows foreign nations to discipline His people (e.g., Isaiah 5:26-30).
When the day dawns — This phrase suggests an impending and inevitable judgment. The “day” often symbolizes a time of reckoning or divine intervention in prophetic literature. It implies that the judgment will come suddenly and with certainty, much like the dawn that follows night. This imagery is consistent with the prophetic theme of the “Day of the Lord,” a time when God executes justice.
J. Andrew Dearman: These last two verses conclude a subsection of the book. Their somberness reflects its dominant tone set in 9:10 with Israel’s waywardness. Historical judgment, however, will not be the last word. The historical resume and divine soliloquy that follow in ch. 11 show YHWH to be at work not only in judgment, but also in redemption.