Oseas 7:1-7

NEW PICTURE OF THE MORAL CORRUPTION AND RESULTING ANARCHY, Hosea 6:11 to Hosea 7:7.

1, 2. The mercy of Jehovah, manifesting itself in his willingness to “heal,” wrought no change for the better; it was interpreted as an indication of Jehovah’s weakness, and only increased the people’s recklessness. Iniquity… discovered [“uncovered”] The reflexive force of the verb form may be expressed by rendering “displayed itself.” Iniquity broke out with ever-increasing force and prevented the carrying out of God’s gracious purpose.

Samaria The capital of the northern kingdom mentioned because it was the center of the corruption. Wherein consisted the iniquity?

Commit falsehood Practice fraud and deceit toward God and man.

Thief cometh [“entereth”] in Into the house. Theft and highway robbery were common (Joel 2:9).

Spoileth [“ravageth”] The highways were made unsafe by robbers in quest of plunder.

Consider Literally, they do not speak to their heart; their consciences have become seared.

I remember They have no thought that Jehovah will remember and punish, but they are mistaken; their sins are constantly before his face, where he can see them.

Their own doings have beset them about They are completely surrounded by their wrongs, so that escape has become impossible; even repentance seems to be out of the question. The verse closes with a re-affirmation that Jehovah is not deceived about their real condition (Psalms 90:8).

In Hosea 7:3-7 the text is in places obscure, but concerning the general drift of the thought there can be no doubt. The prophet describes in vivid colors the corruption that pervades the whole nation, and shows that the existing anarchy is the inevitable result of the same: adultery, drunkenness, conspiracy, assassinations everywhere, not one redeeming feature.

They make the king glad The subject is the same as in Hosea 7:1-2, the Israelites. As representatives of Jehovah king and princes should rejoice in righteousness and justice; their depravity is seen in the fact that they not only fail to punish crime, but actually delight in it.

Princes See on Hosea 3:4. The Hebrew gives good sense; the emendation first suggested by Wellhausen and since adopted by many scholars, “they anoint” instead of “they make glad,” is not necessary, though it would give equally good sense and would make this passage agree in meaning with Hosea 8:4.

They are all adulterers King, princes, and people are filled with unholy passions for revelry, licentiousness, etc. This is a new condemnation, and is not to be connected with the preceding as a circumstantial clause. The rest of the verse is doubtful.

As an oven heated by the baker R.V. supplies “they are,” which is an improvement. A different division of the consonantal text would give, “they are like a burning oven,” and with “the baker” the new sentence might be begun.

This is preferable. In their madness the people resemble a burning oven.

The heart is the oven, the unholy passions the fire. Modern commentators are inclined to regard this clause, as well as the rest of Hosea 7:4, a later addition, a gloss to Hosea 7:6. Whatever one may think of the rest of the verse, which seems to be dependent on Hosea 7:6, this clause certainly sounds like a part of the original denunciation; Hosea 7:5 would make a good continuation.

The baker… ceaseth As these words stand now they describe the apparent calm between one outbreak of violence and the next. “The baker ceases from stirring when the oven has reached a certain heat; and then he leaves the fire to smolder until the fermentation of the dough is complete and fresh heating is necessary. So after passion has been gratified it smolders for a time, but is afterward kindled to a greater heat than before, when some attractive object comes within range.”

In Hosea 7:5 the prophet evidently refers to a recent event Wellhausen thinks to a royal assassination when passion found unrestrained expression.

Day of our king Perhaps the king’s birthday (Matthew 14:6), or the coronation day; at any rate, a day of joyful celebration.

The princes have made him sick R.V., “made themselves sick.” Either translation is possible, though usage favors A.V. they made the king drunk and assassinated him (2 Samuel 13:28-29). Royal assassinations are referred to in Hosea 7:7; in this verse, however, the thought implied in R.V. is more probable, though usage may favor A.V. they gave themselves to such excesses that they became ill.

Bottles of wine Better, R.V., “heat of wine,” or “with fever from wine” (G.A. Smith).

He stretched out his hand The meaning is uncertain, but it is generally interpreted as meaning that the king entered into intimate relations with scoffers, that is, worthless, lawless fellows who are always devising mischief. Perhaps the words allude to “some lawless project decided upon in the intoxication of the revel.”

Hosea 7:6-7 do not connect with 4, giving the explanation and ground for the simile of the oven, so that Hosea 7:5 would be parenthetical (Keil); they contain a new assertion, co-ordinate with the statements in Hosea 7:3-5. The subject is the same as in the other verses, the Israelites.

For Here not a causal conjunction, but, as often, a particle of asseveration “truly,” “indeed” (G.-K., 148d).

Have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait The Hebrew contains several peculiarities, hence the translation and interpretation are uncertain. Many attempts have been made to interpret the present Hebrew text and not a few emendations have been suggested. It seems necessary to alter the text. Following in part LXX., we get, by only slight alterations, an excellent thought: “Indeed, like an oven their hearts burn with their intriguing” (compare Hosea 4:1, “There is no truth in the land”; Hosea 4:2, “There is naught but swearing and breaking faith”).

Their baker Who is their baker? The subject of burneth is the same in Hebrew as that of sleepeth. Can it be said of the baker that he burns as a flaming fire? Two ancient versions, Targum and Peshitto, read “their anger” for “their baker”; this requires no change of the consonantal text in Hebrew and may be accepted as original: “Their anger sleepeth all the night.” The conspiracy is kept secret until it is matured, then it breaks forth. The darkness of the night is the time when the schemes are developed; in the morning, the time for action having arrived, the conspiracy blazes forth (compare Micah 2:1). Hosea 7:7 describes the result of these intrigues. They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured [“and devour”] Need not be rejected as an unnecessary repetition; it sums up in a few words the thought of Hosea 7:6. It would be better, however, to translate it as a circumstantial clause, “Being (thus) hot like an oven, they devour.”

Judges Not to be understood in the narrower sense of that term, but equivalent to rulers, that is, king and princes as the guardians of the law and administrators of justice (Isaiah 40:23; Psalms 2:10).

Their kings are fallen By assassination; parallel to the preceding clause. 2 Kings 15:0 furnishes a commentary. In all probability the prophecy comes from the reign of Menahem, which was preceded by two royal assassinations, that of Zechariah after a reign of six months and that of Shallum after one month. There is none among the people that calleth unto me “A prophetic touch to the historical statement” which precedes. Notwithstanding the serious condition of affairs, no one appealed to Jehovah, who alone could bring relief.