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Hosea, 8

1. Put the trumpet to your lips! Like an eagle, disaster is swooping on Yahweh's home! Because they have violated my covenant and been unfaithful to my Law,

1. Set the trumpet to your lips, for a vulture is over the house of the LORD, because they have broken my covenant, and transgressed my law.

2. in vain will they cry, 'My God!' In vain, 'We, Israel, know you!'

2. To me they cry, My God, we Israel know thee.

3. Israel has rejected the good, the enemy will pursue them.

3. Israel has spurned the good; the enemy shall pursue him.

4. They have set up kings, but without my consent, and appointed princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold, they have made themselves idols, but only to be destroyed.

4. They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.

5. I spurn your calf, Samaria! My anger blazes against them! How long will it be before they recover their innocence?

5. I have spurned your calf, O Sama'ria. My anger burns against them. How long will it be till they are pure

6. For it is the product of Israel- a craftsman made the thing, it is no god at all! The calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces!

6. in Israel? A workman made it; it is not God. The calf of Sama'ria shall be broken to pieces.

7. Since they sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind; stalk without ear, it will never yield flour- or if it does, foreigners will swallow it.

7. For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads, it shall yield no meal; if it were to yield, aliens would devour it.

8. Israel has himself been swallowed; now they are lost among the nations like something no one wants,

8. Israel is swallowed up; already they are among the nations as a useless vessel.

9. for having made approaches to Assyria- like a wild donkey, all alone. Ephraim has rented lovers

9. For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild ass wandering alone; E'phraim has hired lovers.

10. and because he has rented them from the nations I am now going to round them up; soon they will feel the weight of the king of princes!

10. Though they hire allies among the nations, I will soon gather them up. And they shall cease for a little while from anointing king and princes.

11. Ephraim keeps building altars for his sins, these very altars are themselves a sin.

11. Because E'phraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have become to him altars for sinning.

12. However much of my Law I write for him, Ephraim regards it as alien to him.

12. Were I to write for him my laws by ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing.

13. They offer sacrifices to me and eat the meat, they do not win Yahweh's favour. On the contrary, he will remember their guilt and punish their sins; they will have to go back to Egypt.

13. They love sacrifice; they sacrifice flesh and eat it; but the LORD has no delight in them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt.

14. Israel has forgotten his Maker and has built palaces, while Judah keeps on building fortified towns; but I shall send fire down on his cities to devour their citadels.

14. For Israel has forgotten his Maker, and built palaces; and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour his strongholds.



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Footnotes:

8:1-3 - The Lord orders the trumpet to be blown, signaling the approaching invasion and destruction. Israel has rejected God's law and, as a result, faces divine judgment. The people's sin is clear, and the consequences are inevitable (see also Amos 3:6 and Jeremiah 6:17).

8:4-6 - Israel was unfaithful in establishing kings and princes without God's direction, violating the covenant. Idolatry spread, and images of metal and gold became objects of worship. This represents a direct rejection of the Lord as the only God (see also Exodus 32:4 and Deuteronomy 4:16-18).

8:7-10 - Israel's sowing is described as ineffective because they sought help from foreign nations and rejected God's grace. Judgment will be the consequence of their dependence on external forces instead of trusting in the Lord (see also Isaiah 31:1 and Jeremiah 2:13).

8:11-14 - Israel's idolatry and altars are an affront to God. Their reliance on empty, external religious practices leads them away from true worship. The destruction of their cities and temples symbolizes punishment for their betrayal of the covenant (see also 1 Kings 12:28-31 and Ezekiel 8:5-18).

08:14 - Israel has forgotten its Creator, seeking security and prosperity in its own hands, without recognizing God's sovereignty. Destruction is imminent as a result of this trust in man rather than God (see also Psalm 9:17 and Jeremiah 2:32).

Verses related to Hosea, 8:

Hosea chapter 8 announces the imminent judgment of Israel. What are the consequences of rejecting God? This incisive text uses the metaphor of the eagle to symbolize the swiftness of the coming judgment. The chapter addresses topics such as idolatry, false religiosity and the futility of trust in human resources. Hosea 8 emphasizes that sowing the wind results in reaping the whirlwind. Consider with us five biblical passages that illuminate the fundamental principles of this cautionary chapter.

Matthew 7:23: "Then I will tell you clearly: 'I never knew you. Away from me, you who do evil!'" - It echoes God's judgment in Hosea 8:2-3 against those who claim to know Him but live in sin.

Galatians 6:7: "Don't be fooled: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." - It reflects the principle of sowing and reaping mentioned in Hosea 8:7.

1 Samuel 8:7: "And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Listen to everything the people are saying to you; It was not you they rejected as king, but me.'" - It relates to Hosea 8:4, where Israel establishes kings without God's approval.

Jeremiah 2:13: "My people have committed two sins: they have abandoned me, the source of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water." - It complements the idea in Hosea 8:14 of Israel forgetting its Creator.

Acts 7:41: "On that occasion they made an idol in the shape of a calf. They brought him sacrifices and held a celebration in honor of what his hands had done." - It refers to idolatry, a theme also present in Hosea 8:4-6.

FAQ:

What does "Israel sows the wind and reaps the whirlwind" mean?

It means that Israel, by rejecting obedience to God and following wrong paths, is sowing the seeds of its own destruction. (Hosea 8:7)

Why does God reject Israel's altars?

God rejects Israel's altars because they were being used for false worship, with rituals that were not pleasing to God but fueled idolatry. (Hosea 8:11-13)

What is the consequence of Israel's alliance with foreign peoples?

Israel's alliance with foreign nations resulted in idolatry and alienation from God. This brought God's wrath, for God had commanded Israel to be faithful to Him. (Hosea 8:9-10)

What does the expression "Ephraim is like a bird" mean?

The expression points to the frailty and inconstancy of Israel, who is being led to destruction, like a bird that flies away without direction or purpose. (Hosea 8:11-14)

Why does God say that "Israel has sinned since the days of Gibeah"?

The reference to Gibeah harks back to Israel's ancient corruption and sin, showing that the people did not learn from their history and continued to make the same mistakes. (Hosea 8:9)


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