BIG IDEA:
INDICTED FOR SPIRITUAL AND MORAL UNFAITHFULNESS, GOD’S ELECT NATION FACES DIVINE RETRIBUTION DESPITE THE CALL FOR REPENTANCE AND HOPE OF ULTIMATE RESTORATION DUE TO GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE
INTRODUCTION:
H. D. Beeby: ch. 12 stands at the beginning of the fourth and final section, which culminates in the hopeful ch. 14, with which the book ends.
Allen Guenther: The first unit (12:11-14; Heb. 12:12-15) is notoriously difficult. Perhaps Hosea’s very artistry creates the problems for the modern exegete. He delights in repetition of words and sounds:
Gil’ad – bagilgal – kegallim Gilead – in Gilgal – like piles
zibehu – mizbehotam they sacrifice – their altars
saday – sedeh [furrows of the] field – field [of Aram]
be’issah – be’issah for a wife – for a wife
samar – nismar he tended/remained – he was tended/guarded
benabi’ – benabi’ by a prophet – by a prophet
he’elah – ‘alayw [Yahweh] brought up – upon him
Worship dominates this text unit. In God’s economy, the prophetic religious model stands in stark contrast to Israel’s preoccupation with the cult, represented by sacrifices and festivals. Focus on the cult fails to direct Israel to the truth regarding God and itself. If the nation is to survive, it must return to the guidance given through Moses.
James Ward: [Proposes the following structure: sees the chapter consisting of five poems, each one having two parts:]
The first part is an accusation, or sarcastic recollection, consisting of from two to four lines. The second part is a threat, and is always stated in a single line. This last feature of the poems is actually the clue to the structure of the chapter.
It can hardly be accidental that the chapter has one-line threats occurring at such regular intervals. Each threat is logically dependent upon what precedes it.
The five poems are: 11:12 – 12:2; 12:3–6; 12:7–9; 12:10–11; 12:12–14.
ChatGPT: God’s steadfast love for Israel contrasts with their unfaithfulness, but His divine discipline will lead to eventual restoration, calling them to repentance and faithfulness.
I. (11:12 – 12:6) ESCAPING DIVINE RETRIBUTION REQUIRES A SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION AFTER THE PATTERN OF DECEITFUL JACOB
A. (11:12 – 12:2) Dispute with Deceitful Israel (and Judah)
Duane Garrett: The decision to regard 11:12 [Hb. 12:1] as the end of the previous text and 12:1 [Hb. 12:2] as the beginning of a new text requires some explanation. One could make the case that 11:12 begins the next section and that Yahweh’s oracle closes at 11:11. It certainly seems that 11:12 leads into 12:1. On the other hand, some interpreters place a major break between 12:1 and 12:2. Thus, one could argue that 11:12 and 12:1 go with 12:2ff., or that they both go with 11:1–11, or that 11:12 – 12:1 are a separate unit unto themselves. But one should not put a major break between 12:1 and 12:2. Although the English at the beginning of 12:2 (“The Lord has a charge to bring against Judah”) sounds as though it begins a new section, the Hebrew does not bear this out; 12:1 belongs with 12:2. Furthermore, 11:12 is plainly spoken by Yahweh, which implies that it belongs with 11:1–11. In addition 11:12 returns to the idea of worshiping God under the names ’ēl and “holy ones,” which links it to 11:7 and 11:9. Hosea 12:1–8, however, is spoken by Hosea and not Yahweh (see 12:2). Thus a major break after 11:12 is unavoidable. On the other hand, as one often sees in the Book of Hosea, 11:12 is transitional in that it also leads into 12:1. That is, at 12:1 Hosea begins by responding to Yahweh’s previous words.
In this text Hosea picks up where Yahweh breaks off, at the apostasy of Ephraim and Judah (vv. 1–2). That is, vv. 1–2 declare that both the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim, v. 1) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah, v. 2) are guilty of apostasy. After that Hosea reflects upon Israel’s ways in light of the story of Jacob (vv. 3–8), just as Yahweh had reflected on the current condition of Israel in light of the exodus event and the story of the destruction of the cities of the plain.
M. Daniel Carroll R.: The difficulties begin with 11:12. It is necessary to decide whether it belongs conceptually with ch. 11, whether the message of 11:11 extends through 12:1 (NEB, NRSV), or whether 11:12 more appropriately goes with what follows (e.g., NIV). This commentary concurs with the last option; 11:11 ends with “declares the LORD,” closing the major section that stretches from 4:1 through that verse. Clearly, the MT reckoned 11:11 to be a conclusion, as it is followed by the paragraph marker sāmek.
Hosea 11:12 – 12:2 serves as a general introductory indictment for which the following verses provide details. These verses could communicate the words of either Yahweh or the prophet. The fact that 12:1–8 uses third-person references for God inclines me to the latter option, but the message remains the same.
- (11:12) Indictment of Israel and Judah
a. Indictment of Israel for Lies and Deceit
“Ephraim surrounds Me with lies,
And the house of Israel with deceit;”
Gary Smith: Hosea 11:12 in the English Bible is 12:1 in the Hebrew Bible. The common theme throughout 11:12 – 13:3 is the deceitfulness of Israel. Like an untruthful spouse who lies about her loyalty to her husband, Israel has been deceitful with God. To emphasize this deceit, Hosea contrasts the many gracious things that God has done for his people with their repeated unfaithfulness to him. These are marked by sudden changes, such as “but you” (12:6), “[but] I” (12:9), “but Ephraim” (12:14), and the “therefore” clauses in 13:3.
Allen Guenther: Ephraim’s national and international policies are ringed with deceit. Social havoc and lies increase. These further feed distrust, create violence, and disrupt normal life. In desperation, the nation pursues survival as its primary goal. That goal is ephemeral. Like the dry east wind from the desert, representing Assyria, it brings only sterility and death.
b. Indictment of Judah for Apostasy
“Judah is also unruly against God,
Even against the Holy One who is faithful.”
Robin Routledge: Both kingdoms share the failings of their common ancestor. The consequence, which repeats the language of 4:9, will be repayment (šûb) in divine punishment for their attitudes and actions.
Duane Garrett: Verse 12b is subject to various interpretations. The NRSV, for example, renders it, “But Judah still walks with God, and is faithful to the Holy One,” thus taking this to be a positive assessment. The NIV, however, is correct to read this as a criticism of Judah that parallels the criticism of Ephraim in v. 12a (and see especially the assessment of Judah in 12:2a). It appears, however, that a more accurate translation would be “and Judah still wanders with deity, and is faithful with the holy gods.” The word here translated “deity” is ’ēl, also the name of the high god of the Canaanite pantheon. The word can, in a proper context, be used of the one God, Yahweh. To “wander,” however, implies apostasy. Judah wanders off into the religious worship of ’ēl, perhaps using the justification that ’ēl is merely another term for Yahweh. This generic and semi-pagan term, however, invites a pagan interpretation. Judah is also faithful to the “holy ones,” a term that might also be used of Yahweh but that in a context such as this is better taken to refer to pagan gods. Thus the text portrays Judah as wavering in its devotion to Yahweh. They worship Yahweh under names that might be associated with orthodox Yahwism but which already indicate a turning away into the language of the Canaanite cults. What is important here is the ambiguity of this half-verse, an ambiguity that leads to two opposing translations asserting either that Judah is faithful or that Judah is apostate. We should maintain this sense of ambiguity. In “wandering with” ’ēl, Judah is wavering in and out of orthodox Yahwism through the worship of God under ambiguous names.
M. Daniel Carroll R.: I take the verb in a negative sense (“is unruly against,” NASB, NIV; Keil, 144–45; Stuart, 185; cf. Jer 2:31). The condemnation of Judah parallels that of Israel.
- (12:1) Ideology of Futility
a. Futile Activities
1) Attempting to Feed on Emptiness
“Ephraim feeds on wind,”
Biblehub: Ephraim feeds on the wind — This phrase symbolizes the futility and emptiness of Ephraim’s (representing the northern kingdom of Israel) pursuits. In biblical literature, “wind” often signifies something transient and insubstantial. The imagery suggests that Ephraim is engaging in activities that are ultimately unproductive and meaningless. This can be connected to Ecclesiastes 1:14, where the pursuit of the wind is equated with vanity.
Gary Smith: Israel is pursuing the wind (12:1). By going after something that is illusive and without substance, she shows her stupidity and the uselessness of her quest. Her devotion to futile hopes is strong (she does it “all day”), but in the process she only “multiplies lies.” Another example of this futile action is Israel’s pursuit of treaties with Assyria and at the same time giving expensive gifts to Egypt to confirm a political relationship with her (12:1b). These nations will not give Israel protection and security; trusting them makes about as much sense as chasing the wind.
J. Andrew Dearman: No one can shepherd the wind. It is folly, for the wind cannot be controlled or guided. That apparently is one point of the prophetic sarcasm in v. 1a. It is just as stupid to follow the east wind, which all people in the eastern Mediterranean hope to avoid, since it comes off the desert as a hot and dry scourge. So much for the good sense of Ephraim! Modern proverbial sayings such as “she is playing with fire” or “he has a tiger by the tail” are intended, like Hosea’s shepherds the wind (cf. 8:7), to indicate fruitless and potentially harmful activity. Indeed, “lies and violence” are the product of Ephraim’s efforts, which are further identified with political engagements.
2) Attempting to Pursue Destructive Ends
“And pursues the east wind continually;”
Biblehub: and pursues the east wind all day long — The “east wind” in the Bible is often associated with destruction and desolation, as seen in Genesis 41:6 and Exodus 10:13. By pursuing the east wind, Ephraim is depicted as chasing after destructive and harmful endeavors. This reflects their misguided alliances and reliance on foreign powers rather than trusting in God.
H. Ronald Vandermey: The risk of Israel’s deceptive diplomacy is likened by Hosea to pursuing the east wind, a reference to the dry, searing sirocco winds that blow from the eastern deserts across Palestine’s coastal regions. Assyria, like the blast from the sirocco, is not Ephraim’s friend, but an uncontrollable power that will mercilessly consume all that stands before its fiery rage. Whereas it was hazardous to make a covenant with the east wind (2 Kings 17:3), an even greater danger was created when that covenant was broken (2 Kings 17:4-6). Ephraim had deceived the wicked sirocco, a deception that would spell disaster as the enraged east wind swept over the land.
John Schultz: Pursuing the east wind is the ultimate picture of meaninglessness and destruction. King Solomon uses it as an image of futility. Giving account of his exploits in Ecclesiastes, he states: “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
b. Futile Political Maneuvering
“He multiplies lies and violence.”
James Mays: In dealing with Ephraim Yahweh finds himself in the midst of a folk who practise treachery and evade truth. Deceit (kahas) is a primary feature of Israel’s unfaithfulness (7:3; 10:13; cf. the verb in 4:2; 9:2). In this text it could refer to the nation’s political policy of seeking a solution for their danger by manoeuvring between Assyria and Egypt (12:1). Probably the general terms “deceit” and “falsehood” are illustrated by the conduct described in v. 12b.
c. Futile Political Alliances
“Moreover, he makes a covenant with Assyria,
And oil is carried to Egypt.”
Biblehub: and sends olive oil to Egypt — Sending olive oil to Egypt signifies attempts to secure alliances and favor with another powerful nation. Olive oil, a valuable commodity in the ancient Near East, symbolizes the resources and wealth that Israel was willing to expend to secure these alliances. This reflects a lack of faith in God’s provision and protection, similar to the warnings given in Isaiah 30:1-2 against relying on Egypt.
Duane Garrett: The point is not that Yahweh had forbidden Israel all commercial contacts with other nations but that Israel had allowed its political and economic ties to these nations to give them a false sense of security. Like someone who has tried to make a pet of a tiger, they have forgotten how dangerous these nations are.
John Schultz: Hosea’s words, probably, refer to the political maneuvers of King Hoshea who tried to wiggle himself out of his liaison with Assyria by befriending Egypt, a plot which, ultimately, brought Israel down as a nation.
- (12:2) Summary Indictment Demanding Divine Retribution
“The LORD also has a dispute with Judah,
And will punish Jacob according to his ways;
He will repay him according to his deeds.”
H. Ronald Vandermey: vv. 2-6 — Hosea interrupts his denunciation of Ephraim’s deceitfulness with a suggestion that she follow the example of an ancient deceiver, who through repentance obtained the power of God.
Gary Smith: Hosea does not draw a lesson from this incident, but he apparently wants to show how the Israelites struggle for their own way against God just like their forefather, and they will only prevail if they obtain God’s blessing. They should stop fighting God and start begging for his compassion. Maybe they can be transformed into a new nation, just as Jacob became a different man through these events.
M. Daniel Carroll R.: The choice of the eponym “Jacob” presents a fascinating literary ambiguity. It can represent either Israel (and thus be a fitting parallel to Judah) or both nations together (thus serving as an appropriate closing, wide-ranging term for all the people of God in 11:12 – 12:2). In other words, “Jacob” is, at once, particular and inclusive. The name also functions as a transition to the next passage, which repeatedly appeals to the patriarch.
H. D. Beeby: Such behavior draws from God a deserved threat, which is expressed in a triple statement: God will indict, punish, and requite, for he is prosecutor, judge, and executioner.
B. (12:3-5) Deliverance of Deceitful Jacob via Obtaining God’s Blessing
- (:3-4) Story of Jacob’s Deliverance
a. Character of a Deceitful Supplanter
“In the womb he took his brother by the heel,”
Biblehub: In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel — This phrase refers to the birth of Jacob and Esau, as recorded in Genesis 25:24-26. Jacob’s grasping of Esau’s heel symbolizes his future struggle for supremacy and blessing, which is a recurring theme in his life. The act of grasping the heel is significant in Hebrew culture, as it foreshadows Jacob’s later actions to secure the birthright and blessing meant for the firstborn. This event is foundational in understanding the character of Jacob, whose name itself means “he who grasps the heel” or “supplanter.” The imagery of the heel is also seen in Genesis 3:15, where it is prophesied that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head, indicating a struggle between good and evil.
Gary Smith: Jacob is pictured as one who spent his life using deceptive means to get ahead instead of trusting God—the same thing the people of Israel in Hosea’s audience are doing.
John Calvin: Their ingratitude is showed in this, that they did not acknowledge that they had been anticipated, in the person of their father Jacob, by the gratuitous mercy of God. The first history is indeed referred to for this end, that the posterity of Jacob might understand that they had been elected by God before they were born. For Jacob did not, by choice or design, lay hold of the heel of his brother in his mother’s womb; but it was an extraordinary thing. It was, then, God who guided the hand of the infant and by this sign testified his adoption to be gratuitous. In short, by saying that Jacob held the foot of his brother in his mother’s womb, the same thing is intended as if God had reminded the Israelites that they did not excel other people by their own virtue or that of their parents, but that God of his own good pleasure had chosen them.
b. Crisis of Struggle and Transformation
“And in his maturity he contended with God.
Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed;”
Trent Butler: The Hebrew word translated as a man is literally “in his strength.” It refers to the virility of manhood as opposed to the weakness of a baby in the womb. The same word is also used for wickedness that works itself out in futility (Hos. 12:11), injustice (Hos. 6:8), and false worship (Hos. 10:8).
Biblehub: Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed — This phrase refers to the patriarch Jacob’s encounter with an angel, as recounted in Genesis 32:24-30. Jacob’s struggle with the angel is symbolic of his spiritual struggle and transformation. The angel is often interpreted as a theophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, which is why Jacob’s prevailing is significant. It represents the perseverance of faith and the importance of wrestling with God in prayer and seeking His blessing. This event took place near the Jabbok River, a tributary of the Jordan, highlighting the geographical significance of the location in Jacob’s journey back to Canaan.
James Mays: First, he supplanted his brother, and then he undertook to overpower God himself – so passionate and absolute was his self-will.
Derek Kidner: His ultimate name, Israel, speaks very differently: of tenacity without stealth (‘he strives’), and of a preoccupation, in the last-resort, not with man but with God. The transformation that this implies is put with beautiful economy in the first two lines of verse 4, initially portraying his aggression and will to win, redirected now towards the nobler end of having power with God (yet still in terms of imposing his own will on his great adversary), but finally portraying him as a suppliant for grace; his arrogance broken, but not his eagerness. The story is told in Genesis 32:22-32.
Even so, verse 4 has one more point to make: that the re-making of the man had its origin not in his own enterprise, but in God’s initiative revealed at Bethel long before, in that classic display of grace unexpected, unsought and overwhelming.
c. Cry for Mercy and Favor
“He wept and sought His favor.”
Allen Guenther: The blessing has been legitimated through what must be understood as deep remorse and thorough repentance. He wept and he [God] showed him mercy (Hos. 12:4b). Jacob’s prayer, uttered in great fear and distress (cf. Gen. 32:9-12), captures the spirit of contrition and dependence which pleases God.
Only such life-changing repentance can result in a new self-disclosure of God, as at Bethel (cf. Gen. 35:1-7). If Israel is to have any hope for a future in the land, it will require similar repentance and submission.
Alternate View:
Robin Routledge: And, while Jacob insists on receiving a blessing (Gen. 32:26), there is no specific mention of weeping and seeking favour. Sweeney (2000: 122) suggests that it is the man defeated by Jacob who pleads for favour, though that seems unlikely. The language of weeping and the request for favour is used, though, when Jacob meets Esau (Gen. 33:4, 8), and it is possible that the four lines in verses 3–4a have a chiastic structure: the first and last refer to Jacob’s relationship with Esau, while the middle two are parallel references to the encounter at Peniel (Holladay 1966: 53–64; cf. Garrett 1997: 239). Jacob’s reunion with Esau may then serve as a model for the humility required, in Hosea’s day, to end the conflict between north and south.
d. Communication with God at Bethel
“He found Him at Bethel,
And there He spoke with us,”
Biblehub: and spoke with Him there — The communication between Jacob and God at Bethel emphasizes the personal relationship God desires with His people. It highlights the importance of listening to God’s voice and responding in obedience. This encounter at Bethel is a pivotal moment in Jacob’s life, marking a transformation in his character and a deepening of his faith. It serves as a type of Christ, foreshadowing the ultimate revelation of God through Jesus, who is the mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).
James Mays: The appeal to Jacob is an appeal to a deceiver who had himself to be overcome by God’s power. Let them hear the word of God to the chastened Jacob as God’s answer to their appeal.
Duane Garrett: Because Hosea wants to present us with a theological portrayal of the transformation of Jacob, he rearranges the order of the story by placing the name “Bethel” at the end of the poem. In reality the first Bethel episode (Gen 28:10–22) took place many years earlier than the Peniel episode. It was at Bethel, however, that Jacob received from God the promise that he would inherit the promises given to his fathers Abraham and Isaac (Gen 28:13). Hosea places Bethel at the end of his retelling of the story to create a contrast between the grace Jacob received and his life of conniving, scheming, and struggling. That is, Jacob’s machinations and battles for survival represented his old life, his life without grace, whereas his reception of the promises at Bethel represented his new life, although chronologically the first Bethel incident came prior to some of his greatest struggles. Hosea has rearranged the order of the material in order to create a contrast between the old Jacob and the new Jacob, the man who received the promises at Bethel and was later renamed Israel.
M. Daniel Carroll R: The movement from Jacob’s birth to the wrestling at the river’s edge to the emotional reunion with Esau to the dream at Bethel has as its goal to trace the transformation in Jacob. At Bethel he met God and was changed. This event is the theological climax of the allusions, even though they break with the order of the Genesis narrative. The message is that the great, but flawed, patriarch became a broken man before God.
Trent Butler: Jacob’s story is one of struggle, weakness, deception, and victory and intimacy with God.
- (:5) Supremacy of the Lord Who Alone Can Deliver
“Even the LORD, the God of hosts;
The LORD is His name.”
Biblehub: the LORD God of Hosts — This phrase emphasizes the sovereignty and supreme authority of God over all heavenly armies and earthly powers. The term “LORD” is the English representation of the Hebrew name Yahweh, which signifies God’s eternal and self-existent nature. “God of Hosts” (Hebrew: “Yahweh Sabaoth“) is a title that underscores God’s command over the angelic armies, reflecting His omnipotence and ability to execute His will throughout creation. This title is frequently used in the Old Testament, especially in prophetic literature, to remind Israel of God’s power and His ability to protect and deliver His people. It also serves as a warning to those who oppose Him, as seen in passages like Isaiah 1:24 and Jeremiah 11:20.
Trent Butler: Israel forgot the power of the God who fought their battles and created their nation. Israel confused this God with the various gods of their enemies and attributed equal power and influence to those gods. Israel had to remember how their God was remembered and named among them. No other god controlled the earthly and heavenly armies.
C. (12:6) Directions for Spiritual Revival
Gary Smith: Hosea concludes this paragraph with an application to his listeners: “But you” or “But as for you.” He tries to persuade his audience to “return to your God” as Jacob finally did, to have steadfast covenantal love for the God who made such great promises to Jacob, to follow the just practices outlined in the covenant stipulations in the Torah, and to earnestly wait for God in difficult times (12:6). Hope is possible if God’s people follow his way, but not if they continue to follow the path of their ancestor Jacob. They cannot determine their own destiny through more manipulation and duplicity; they must listen to what God has said and learn from how he dealt with Jacob.
Duane Garrett: The nation of Israel continues to live like Jacob the conniver, the man without grace. Like the old Jacob, they struggle for success and seek security not in God but in wealth. Hosea calls for three things from his people: repentance, justice, and faith.
- Conversion – Return to God / Repent
“Therefore, return to your God,”
Trent Butler: A holy God requires a holy people, so returning to God means returning to the holy lifestyle he demands.
- Conduct – Practice Kindness and Justice / Restore Righteousness
“Observe kindness and justice,”
- Composure – Wait for God / Rely Continually on God
“And wait for your God continually.”
Biblehub: and always wait on your God — This phrase encourages a posture of trust and dependence on God. “Waiting” on God involves patience and faith, recognizing His sovereignty and timing (Psalm 27:14). In the historical context, Israel often turned to foreign alliances and idols for security, rather than trusting in God. This call to “wait” is a reminder of the need for faithfulness and reliance on God alone, as seen in Isaiah 40:31, where those who wait on the Lord renew their strength. This waiting is also a type of the Christian hope in Christ’s return, where believers are called to live in expectation and readiness (Titus 2:13).
II. (12:7-8) EXCUSING OPPRESSIVE EXPLOITATION CHARACTERIZED BY MISPLACED SECURITY AND MISTAKEN CONFIDENCE
Gary Smith: Hosea now analyzes the contemporary economic situation where deceit rules instead of justice. The Israelite merchants are acting like their Canaanite neighbors by using dishonest scales in their business dealings. By rigging two sets of weights for the scale, they can use one that is too heavy or too light. The merchant “defrauds” people by requiring that they put 110 percent of a shekel to balance his heavy weight. Or when the merchant sells, he weighs his product using a light weight so that he gives his customers only 90 percent of what they deserve.
This reminds one of Jacob’s attempts to get ahead financially by taking advantage of Esau and Laban (Gen. 25:27–34; 30:30–43) as well as his attempt to bribe Esau with his wealth in order to escape responsibility for past mistreatment of his brother (Gen. 32). The people in Hosea’s day continue this tradition. Those in the upper class boast about their illegally gained wealth (Hos. 12:8) and boldly flaunt their affluence with great houses that are richly decorated (cf. Amos 3:15). To make things worse, these same people think they are above the law, claiming that no one can ever make any charges stick against them (Hos. 12:8b). They are trusting in their wealth to protect them, not the legal system or God. Like Mafia generals, they fix any court case so that they will never be held accountable for their deceptive financial dealings. They think they are above both the laws of God and the nation’s legal system.
Pulpit Commentary: Vers. 7-14 contain a fresh description of Israel’s apostasy. To this the prophet is led by the preceding train of thought. When he called to mind the earnestness of the patriarch to obtain the blessing, the sincerity of his repentance, and the evidences of conversion, consisting in mercy and judgment and constant waiting on God, he looks around on Israel, and finding those virtues conspicuous by their absence, he repeats the story of their degeneracy.
A. (:7) Materialistic Greed
“A merchant, in whose hands are false balances,
He loves to oppress.”
B. (:8a) Misplaced Security
“And Ephraim said, ‘Surely I have become rich,
I have found wealth for myself;’”
Lloyd Ogilvie: Wealth does have an insulating force. It makes one foolishly think that he can control his environment and destiny, as well as people and groups. Here Ephraim places itself above reproach and any accountability to God in the use of wealth. Wolff translates the Hebrew text, “All my gains bring me no guilt that would be sin.” This is in blatant denial of Hosea’s charge. Their wealth had been gained dishonestly and had not been used to lift the burden of the oppressed. . .
A friend of mine who is a wealthy entrepreneur confided, “The power of money is intoxicating. It will get you anything you want from people except real love and will get you into any place except heaven. The more you have, the closer you have to stay to God. The minute you think you’ve got what you have in your own strength, you’ve got an idol; and the day you spend or give or invest without gratefully asking for guidance, you’re on the way to using money to manipulate. And when you think you’re perfect in the way you handle money, trouble is on the way.”
Biblehub: And Ephraim boasts — Ephraim, representing the northern kingdom of Israel, is often depicted as prideful and self-reliant. This boast reflects a false sense of security and self-sufficiency, ignoring their dependence on God. The name Ephraim is frequently used in the prophetic books to symbolize the ten tribes of Israel, highlighting their spiritual and moral decline. This pride is reminiscent of the warnings in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
How rich I have become! — The wealth of Ephraim is seen as a source of pride and self-congratulation. This reflects a materialistic culture that equates prosperity with divine favor, a common belief in the ancient Near East. However, this wealth is illusory and temporary, as it is not accompanied by righteousness. The Bible often warns against the deceitfulness of riches, as seen in 1 Timothy 6:10, where the love of money is described as the root of all kinds of evil.
I have found wealth for myself — This phrase underscores the self-centeredness and self-reliance of Ephraim. The emphasis on “for myself” indicates a lack of acknowledgment of God as the source of all blessings. This attitude is contrary to the biblical teaching that all wealth and success come from God, as seen in Deuteronomy 8:18, which reminds the Israelites to remember the Lord who gives them the ability to produce wealth.
C. (:8b) Mistaken Confidence and Self Deception
“In all my labors they will find in me No iniquity, which would be sin.”
Biblehub: In all my labors — Ephraim’s focus on their own efforts and achievements highlights a works-based mentality, neglecting the role of divine grace. This reflects a broader cultural context where human effort was often seen as the primary means of achieving success. However, the Bible teaches that human labor is ultimately futile without God’s blessing, as expressed in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”
they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful — This self-assessment of innocence is a form of self-deception, as it ignores the pervasive sinfulness that God sees. The claim of being without sin is contradicted by the prophetic messages throughout Hosea, which accuse Israel of idolatry and unfaithfulness. This echoes the New Testament teaching in 1 John 1:8, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” The phrase also foreshadows the need for a savior, pointing to Jesus Christ, who alone is without sin and can offer true redemption.
III. (12:9-14) EXCHANGING FUTURE RESTORATION FOR DIVINE RETRIBUTION IS ISRAEL’S TRAGIC STORY OF APOSTASY
A. (:9-10) Preparing Israel for Future Restoration
- (:9) Restoration Has Always Been God’s Goal for His People
“But I have been the LORD your God since the land of Egypt;
I will make you live in tents again,
As in the days of the appointed festival.”
John Schultz: Scholars are divided as to the meaning of these words. Some see in them a threat of punishment: God will reduce them to the former primitive conditions from the time of the desert crossing. Others read this as a promise of restoration. Some even see in them a combination of the two. . .
The Feast of Tabernacles was the last in the cycle of festivities of the Jewish year. It coincided with the end of the harvest. We find its institution in Leviticus: “So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”
The feast was a strange combination of rejoicing and sober reflection. It reminded man of the transient character of life on earth and the faithfulness of God in leading him through the desert of life. The celebration of this particular feast must have fallen through the cracks in the affluence of the northern kingdom. All of the feasts that the law prescribed were meant to remind Israel of its history and position, of the fact that God had chosen them to play a vital part in this world. It was essential that the people would not forget from where they came and how they had arrived. The testimony of God’s grace ran through all of the commemorations. The people in Hosea’s days had done away with all the celebrations God had ordained. They neither celebrated the Day of Atonement, nor the Feast of Tabernacles. God always wants man to know the way of salvation in the pardon of his sins and the fact that all life on earth is like living in a tent. People who do not celebrate these two crucial facts are lost.
The people who returned from the Babylonian captivity celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. In that sense, they fulfilled Hosea’s prophecy here. We read in Nehemiah: “The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.” Zechariah prophesied that this feast would be celebrated universally at the end of times. We read: “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.”
Gary Smith: Verse 9 gives Yahweh’s response to Ephraim’s boasting. Everything they have and are has come through him. ‘I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt’ (nrsv; cf. 13:4) echoes the frequently repeated statement ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt’ (cf. Exod. 20:2; Lev. 25:38; Deut. 5:6; Ps. 81:10). This emphasizes the distinctive nature of the relationship between God and his people, established through the Sinaitic covenant. It was Yahweh who brought the people into Canaan, and for all their boasting it was he, not they, who enabled them to prosper there. But they do not acknowledge Yahweh, and have instead taken on the characteristics of Canaan. As a result, they will be taken back to a time before the settlement had its adverse effects. The reference to living in tents points particularly to the exodus. The ‘appointed festival’ (nrsv) may be the feast of Tabernacles (cf. 9:5), when the people constructed booths to recall the days in the desert.
Alternate View:
Lloyd Ogilvie: The rich nation will be forced to live in nomad tents as in the wilderness during the exodus. In the forthcoming exile the people will be brought to a new sense of loyalty and gratitude such as they had when the appointed feast, the Feast of the Tabernacles, was a time of praise to God as their provider.
Duane Garrett: Once again Yahweh declares that he will undo the exodus and return Israel to the status of being no longer a nation. Here, however, he speaks of a return to wilderness rather than a return to slavery. In declaring himself to be their Savior-God, the one who came to their aid when they were slaves in Egypt, Yahweh asserts his sovereignty over them. The NIV translation is somewhat misleading at the end of the verse, “as in the days of your appointed feasts.” The word translated “appointed feasts” is actually singular and refers to only one feast, the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. This was the annual holy week in which Israel memorialized the wilderness wandering by leaving their homes and spending a week in tents or in hastily constructed, temporary lean-to shelters (Lev 23:33–44). Probably a fair number of the people did not relish the idea of having to move outdoors and live like this for one week a year, and Yahweh’s point is that the discomfort of the booths would become a permanent condition. They would become, like their ancestors, homeless wanderers. The verse looks ahead to Israel’s Diaspora.
Jeremy Thomas: And God says you didn’t learn a thing from the wilderness wanderings so I guess we’ll just have to teach the lesson again. There’s no substitute for review. You rebelled at Kadesh Barnea and you rebelled at Samaria and Gilgal and all the rest of the high places and so therefore since you commit the same sin, you get the same punishment. I will make you live in tents again, As in the days of the appointed festival, which is the festival of booths. That feast was a reminder to the nation, never, never to rebel against the command of the Lord because there are consequences to sin, God judges sin and so every year they’d build these booths at the appointed time as a reminder.
- (:10) Revelation Provided Guidance and Warnings
“I have also spoken to the prophets, And I gave numerous visions;
And through the prophets I gave parables.”
Duane Garrett: Yahweh’s point is that he has been warning the people, albeit sometimes in a puzzling form, but they are too stubborn and too obtuse to receive the warnings.
Trent Butler: Israel had no excuse. They could not plead ignorance. God made his point with emphatic repetition. God spoke to the prophets, with the normal prophetic visions as the means of reception and the parables or comparative sayings as the prophetic method of teaching. God had spoken, but Israel refused to acknowledge the prophets as God’s inspired speakers.
B. (:11) Punishing Spiritual Unfaithfulness – 2 Historical Examples
- Accusation against Gilead and Devastating Punishment
“Is there iniquity in Gilead?
Surely they are worthless.”
Biblehub: Is there iniquity in Gilead? — Gilead, a region east of the Jordan River, was known for its balm and fertile land. Historically, it was a place of refuge and healing, yet here it is questioned for iniquity. This rhetorical question implies the presence of sin and corruption, contrasting its reputation. The region’s spiritual decline reflects Israel’s broader unfaithfulness to God, as seen in other prophetic writings like Jeremiah 8:22, where Gilead’s balm is mentioned in the context of spiritual sickness.
Gary Smith: As punishment Gilead will be reduced to nothing, a “worthless” thing. Moreover, the stones on the altars at Gilgal will look like unorganized piles of rocks on a plowed field rather than a sacred altar for worship. Both images project a picture of destruction so severe that nothing of value is left. This once proud and prosperous people will end up having nothing and becoming nothing because of their deceptive ways.
- Accusation against Gilgal and Devastating Punishment
“In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
Yes, their altars are like the stone heaps
Beside the furrows of the field.”
Biblehub: Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? — Gilgal was a significant site in Israel’s history, associated with the Israelites’ first encampment after crossing the Jordan and the renewal of the covenant (Joshua 4:19-24). However, it became a center of idolatrous worship, as indicated in Amos 4:4. The mention of sacrificing bulls suggests a continuation of ritualistic practices devoid of true devotion to God, highlighting the people’s misplaced trust in religious formalism rather than genuine faith.
C. (:12-13) Protecting with the Goal of Blessing
Gary Smith: The purpose of bringing up this history is unclear. Hosea does not seem to condemn Jacob for going to Laban to find a wife and doing the demeaning work of tending sheep, nor does Hosea suggest Jacob should not have married Laban’s daughters. Andersen and Freedman believe Hosea is contrasting Jacob’s enslavement of “keeping/tending” sheep for a wife with the prophet Moses’ “keeping/caring” for the Israelites (Hos. 12:13) when they came up from Egypt to freedom. Garrett finds other parallels between Jacob in Aram and Israel in Egypt: Both were in foreign lands; both worked in slavery for a time; both were delivered by God from enslavement; both had great wealth when they left.
The similarity of “keeping/caring/tending” draws the experiences together, but the contrast between Jacob’s experiences and those of Israel in Egypt is greater than the similarities. Through Jacob’s own efforts he managed to survive Esau’s hatred and worked for a wife, but the nation of Israel was freed from working as slaves by God’s grace through Moses. The implication is that Hosea’s audience should not follow the patterns of Jacob (self-effort and deception) but should allow God to care for them and bring them freedom through another prophet (Hosea).
Unfortunately, Israel has rejected God’s grace and does not listen to God’s prophets; consequently, they “provoke him to anger” (12:14). Therefore God, the Lord and master of Israel, will hold the nation accountable for its deeds. The verdict is guilty; they will have to pay the penalty for their sins.
Lloyd Ogilvie: The key word of verses 12 and 13 is šāmar, “keep, preserve, or tend.” Reference is again made to Jacob, a keeper of sheep. Then Moses is mentioned as the keeper of the nation, during the exodus (12:12–13). Stuart suggests the deeper meaning of the use of šāmar.
Hosea’s implication is clear: the sheep have strayed from their shepherd’s keeping (cf. Is. 53:6). The person, Israel, kept (šmr) sheep. The nation Israel was kept (šmr) by the prophet Moses who remains their keeper through the covenant he mediated. On the basis of this catchword Hosea builds not a syllogism but a simple reminder: Israel disobeyed the keeper by not keeping the covenant. . . . Inasmuch as šmr is the verb most associated with keeping the commandments/covenant of Yahweh in the Old Testament, occurring scores of times in that sense, the mere mention of šmr as what Moses did for Israel—on the analogy of what Jacob did for sheep—must have been intended as a subtle reminder of Israel’s central task.
- (:12) Case of Jacob
“Now Jacob fled to the land of Aram,
And Israel worked for a wife,
And for a wife he kept sheep.”
Biblehub: Jacob fled to the land of Aram — This phrase refers to the biblical account of Jacob, the patriarch, who fled to the land of Aram to escape the wrath of his brother Esau (Genesis 27:41-45). Aram, also known as Padan-Aram, is located in the region of modern-day Syria. This journey marks a significant turning point in Jacob’s life, as it is during his time in Aram that he encounters God in a dream at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22). The flight to Aram is a reminder of God’s providence and protection over Jacob, despite his deceptive actions. It also sets the stage for the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, as Jacob’s time in Aram leads to the expansion of his family, which becomes the nation of Israel.
for a wife he tended sheep — Jacob’s work as a shepherd during his time in Aram is significant both culturally and theologically. Shepherding was a common occupation in the ancient Near East, and it required patience, diligence, and care—qualities that God would later require of the leaders of Israel. This role as a shepherd also prefigures the imagery of God as the Shepherd of Israel (Psalm 23) and ultimately points to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). Jacob’s tending of sheep is a humble task that underscores the theme of servitude and foreshadows the servanthood of Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45).
M. Daniel Carroll R.: The repetition of the verb šmr joins v.12 (“he tended [sheep]”) to v.13 (“he [Yahweh] cared for”). Once again, the view taken of the Jacob reference is determinative. If the patriarch stands as a negative lesson, the “prophet”—most likely Moses—serves to contrast his behavior with Yahweh’s providential provision. My approach, however, likens the dedication of the humbled patriarch to God’s care as instances of grace. Moses was the prophet par excellence (Dt 18:15–19). He was the first of the prophets sent to Israel over these many years (cf. v.10). Now Hosea is another in that line. Will the nation respond to Yahweh through this prophet? Can they be transformed as dramatically as Jacob and receive God’s blessing?
- (:13) Case of Israel
“But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was kept.”
Biblehub: But by a prophet — In the biblical narrative, prophets are chosen by God to deliver His messages and guide His people. The reference here is to Moses, who is considered one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history. Moses was instrumental in leading the Israelites out of Egypt, acting as God’s mouthpiece. Prophets in the Old Testament often served as intermediaries between God and His people, providing guidance, warnings, and revelations. This highlights the importance of prophetic leadership in God’s plan for His people.
M. Daniel Carroll R.: This verse makes it clear that there is no chance for change in Ephraim. The lessons from Jacob’s life and other incidents of the past have no effect on Israel. It has “bitterly [tamrûrîm, abstract plural of intensity, GKC §124d] provoked” Yahweh (cf. Dt 4:25–26). To this transgression is added the sin of “contempt” (ḥerpâ), possibly disdain for the true God and his demands (NIV, NRSV, NJPS; Stuart, 196; Davies, 284). These descriptions reveal how deeply rooted is rebellion in the heart of the people (cf. “a spirit of prostitution” in 4:12; 5:4). Their crimes bring bloodguilt (dāmîm, “bloods”; cf. HALOT, 225). That is, their sins are worthy of the death penalty (cf. Lev 20)—in this case, destruction in warfare, which will come at the hand of Israel’s divine Master (ʾadōnāy).
James Mays: Israel should not see themselves in Jacob, but instead in the identity given them in the Exodus. There they were the object of Yahweh’s deliverance. There it was Yahweh who acted and did the keeping. While Jacob’s life was determined by a wife, Israel’s life was determined by a prophet. The reference must be to Moses.
Trent Butler: Again God testifies to his history with Israel. Earlier he highlighted the prophetic office as his way of informing Israel of their sin and thus giving them no excuse for sin. Now he highlights that office further by identifying Moses as a prophet (Deut. 18:15) who brought Israel up from Egypt and cared for him. Hosea uses the same Hebrew word to speak of Jacob tending sheep in Hosea 12:12 and the prophet caring for Israel here. Hosea is the prophet like Moses, tending his generation, while Israel is the insignificant Jacob of that generation, tending sheep—not people. God provided Israel the prophet they needed, but Israel would not accept that leadership or acknowledge God’s care.
D. (:14) Provoking Divine Retribution Instead of Repenting and Submitting
- Retribution Demanded
“Ephraim has provoked to bitter anger;”
Trent Butler: The Hebrew text does not have an expressed object, so that the prophet or God himself may be seen as becoming angry. The ambiguity here may be intentional, but obviously God’s anger is the central focus.
- Retribution Deserved
“So his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him,
And bring back his reproach to him.”
Biblehub: and repay him for his contempt — The word “contempt” here signifies a deep disrespect and disregard for God’s covenant and commandments. This phrase indicates that God will enact justice by repaying Ephraim according to their deeds, a theme consistent throughout the Old Testament, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 32:35 and Psalm 94:2. The idea of divine retribution is central to the prophetic message, emphasizing that God’s patience has limits and that persistent sin will lead to consequences. This repayment is not only punitive but also serves as a call to repentance and a return to covenant faithfulness.
J. Andrew Dearman: Verse 14 is a somber conclusion to an intricately developed case against Ephraim/Israel. What is set forth as a transformative possibility in v. 6 simply hangs there in the midst of a didactic lesson that comes to the sad conclusion that Ephraim’s guilt and reproach will come back upon him.