Call to Repentance and Persistent Rebellion
Hosea 6:1-7:16
Hos.6.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לכו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- ונשובה: VERB,qal,cohort,1,_,pl
- אל: NEG
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- טרף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וירפאנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg,obj:1,pl
- יך: PRON,2,m,sg,suff
- ויחבשנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg,obj:1,pl
Parallels
- Joel 2:12-13 (thematic): A call to return to the LORD with repentance; both texts link turning back to God with restoration and mercy.
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 (thematic): Promise that if the people humble themselves, pray and turn from sin, God will hear, forgive and heal — parallels return producing healing.
- Psalm 147:3 (verbal): ‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds’ closely echoes Hosea's language of God healing and binding up.
- Jeremiah 30:17 (verbal): God's vow ‘I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds’ parallels Hosea's assurance of divine healing and restoration.
- Isaiah 57:18-19 (allusion): God sees the contrite, promises to heal and revive them and to speak peace — thematically akin to Hosea's return-and-heal motif.
Alternative generated candidates
- Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck, and he will bind us up.
- Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck, and he will bind us up.
Hos.6.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יחינו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מימים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ביום: PREP
- השלישי: ADJ,m,sg,def
- יקמנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ונחיה: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- לפניו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Jonah 1:17 (allusion): Jonah is in the fish three days and three nights — an Old Testament instance of a 'third day' deliverance motif that echoes Hosea's 'on the third day he will raise us up.'
- Matthew 12:40 (quotation): Jesus cites Jonah's three days as a sign; the New Testament applies the 'third day' motif to vindication and resurrection, resonating with Hosea's language of rising on the third day.
- 1 Corinthians 15:4 (quotation): Paul's summary that Christ 'was raised on the third day' uses the same third-day vindication/resurrection motif implicit in Hosea 6:2.
- Luke 24:7 (quotation): The prophecy that the Son of Man 'must be delivered... and be raised on the third day' parallels Hosea's expectation of restoration on the third day.
- Ezekiel 37:5 (thematic): God promises to put breath into dry bones so they will live — a related theme of divine restoration and revival found in Hosea's 'on the third day he will revive us, that we may live before him.'
Alternative generated candidates
- After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
- He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live in his presence.
Hos.6.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונדעה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,pl
- נרדפה: VERB,qal,impf,1,m,pl
- לדעת: VERB,qal,inf,-,-,-
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כשחר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נכון: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- מוצאו: NOUN,m,sg,suff-3ms
- ויבוא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- כגשם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- כמלקוש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יורה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Hos.10.12 (thematic): Calls for seeking the LORD and portrays repentance as preparation for God’s blessing; combines 'seek the LORD' language with the image of rain (righteousness/rain upon the land).
- Joel 2.23 (verbal): Speaks of 'the former and the latter rain' coming to Zion—very close verbal imagery to Hosea’s promise that God will come to us like the former and latter rain.
- Deut.11.14 (structural): God’s covenant promise to send rain in its season so the land will yield crops; provides the covenantal background for rain as a symbol of divine blessing in Hosea.
- Isa.55.6 (thematic): Urgent summons to seek/know the LORD while he may be found; parallels Hosea’s call to 'press on to know the LORD' and the restoration that follows.
- Ps.72.6 (verbal): Royal prayer image—'may he be like rain upon the mown grass'—uses rain as a simile for divine blessing, similar to Hosea’s comparison of God coming 'like the rain.'
Alternative generated candidates
- Let us know—let us press on to know the LORD; his going forth is sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth.
- Let us know—let us press on to know the LORD; his going forth is sure as the dawn; he will come to us like rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.
Hos.6.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מה: PRON,int
- אעשה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מה: PRON,int
- אעשה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- וחסדכם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,mp
- כענן: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכטל: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- משכים: VERB,qal,ptc,-,m,pl
- הלך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Hosea 6:3 (structural): Immediate context/contrast: Hosea 6:3 speaks of the LORD coming like rain (a sustaining, returning blessing), which contrasts with 6:4’s image of Ephraim’s 'kindness' as fleeting morning cloud and early dew.
- Deuteronomy 32:2 (verbal): Uses the dew/rain motif ('my teaching shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew')—similar vocabulary and imagery but employed positively as enduring divine instruction, contrasted with Hosea’s transient kindness metaphor.
- Psalm 90:5-6 (thematic): Portrays human life and fortunes as fleeting (like grass that flourishes in the morning and withers by evening), echoing Hosea’s theme of transience in Israel’s devotion likened to morning phenomena that vanish.
- Amos 4:7-8 (thematic): God’s control of rain and withholding of blessing is used to provoke Israel to return; thematically related to Hosea’s critique of faithless, ephemeral piety and the connection between divine blessing (rain/dew) and covenantal response.
Alternative generated candidates
- What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your steadfast love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.
- What shall I do with you, Ephraim? What shall I do with you, Judah? Your steadfast love is like a morning cloud and like the early dew that vanishes.
Hos.6.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- על: PREP
- כן: ADV
- חצבתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- בנביאים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הרגתים: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- באמרי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cs
- פי: NOUN,m,sg,construct
- ומשפטיך: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs,2,ms
- אור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:29 (verbal): Jeremiah depicts God's word as a consuming fire and a hammer that breaks rock—parallel to Hosea's claim that God 'slew them by the words of my mouth,' emphasizing the destructive/efficacious power of divine speech.
- Isaiah 55:11 (verbal): Isaiah 55:11 states that the word going forth from God's mouth accomplishes his purpose, echoing Hosea's idea that God's spoken judgments effectively execute judgment.
- Amos 3:7 (thematic): Amos affirms that the LORD reveals his plans to his prophets before acting; this connects to Hosea's presentation of prophets as instruments through whom God's judgments are announced and carried out.
- Psalm 107:20 (thematic): Psalm 107:20 reports that God 'sent his word' to effect healing and deliverance; thematically it parallels Hosea's stress on the real-world, decisive effects that flow from God's spoken word—whether saving or judging.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth; and my judgments go forth like light.
- Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth; and my judgments go forth like light.
Hos.6.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- חסד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חפצתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,-,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- זבח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ודעת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מעלות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Matthew 9:13 (quotation): Jesus directly quotes Hosea 6:6 ('I desire mercy, not sacrifice') to rebuke the Pharisees and defend associating with sinners, applying Hosea's priority of mercy over ritual.
- Matthew 12:7 (quotation): Jesus again cites Hosea 6:6 ('I desire mercy, not sacrifice') when confronting legalistic interpretation of Sabbath law, emphasizing compassion above ceremonial observance.
- Psalm 51:16-17 (thematic): David rejects mere sacrifices in favor of a broken, contrite heart—echoing Hosea's insistence that mercy/repentance matters more than ritual offerings.
- Isaiah 1:11-17 (thematic): God repudiates the multitude of sacrifices and calls for justice and righteousness (cease doing evil, seek justice), paralleling Hosea's critique of empty worship and demand for ethical devotion.
- Micah 6:6-8 (thematic): Rather than ritual compensations, Micah emphasizes what God requires—doing justice, loving mercy (hesed), and walking humbly—closely aligning with Hosea's valuation of mercy/knowledge over sacrifice.
Alternative generated candidates
- For I desire steadfast love, and not sacrifice; knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
- For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hos.6.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והמה: PRON,3,m,pl
- כאדם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עברו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- ברית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שם: ADV
- בגדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 32:8 (thematic): Israel's rapid apostasy and breach of covenant at the golden calf—parallel theme of violating the covenant relationship.
- Psalm 78:10 (verbal): Explicit language about the people not keeping God's covenant echoes Hosea's charge that they have transgressed the covenant.
- Jeremiah 31:32 (allusion): God contrasts a faithful covenant with the former covenant that 'they broke'—an explicit prophetic reflection on covenant unfaithfulness like Hosea's.
- Isaiah 24:5 (thematic): Speaks of the land defiled because inhabitants 'have transgressed the laws' and 'broken the everlasting covenant,' resonating with Hosea's accusation of treachery against the covenant.
Alternative generated candidates
- But they, like men, broke the covenant; there they acted treacherously against me.
- But they, like men, have broken the covenant; there they have dealt treacherously with me.
Hos.6.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- גלעד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קרית: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- פעלי: NOUN,m,pl,cstr
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עקבה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מדם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 1:21 (verbal): Speaks of a once‑faithful city become full of murderers—paralleling Hosea’s image of Gilead as a city stained with blood.
- Ezekiel 22:2-6 (thematic): Accuses the city and its leaders of bloodguilt and corruption; like Hosea, Ezekiel depicts communal violence and moral pollution in an urban center.
- Amos 2:6-8 (thematic): Condemns Israel’s social violence and exploitation (selling the righteous, trampling the needy), echoing Hosea’s charge of a region marked by violent wrongdoing and bloodshed.
- Zephaniah 3:1-3 (thematic): Denounces an ‘oppressing, polluted city’ whose officials and prophets are corrupt—resonant with Hosea’s portrayal of Gilead as a city of evildoers.
Alternative generated candidates
- Gilead is a city of workers of iniquity; a place marked by bloodshed.
- Gilead is a city of workers of iniquity, tracked with blood.
Hos.6.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכחכי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גדודים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- חבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כהנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- דרך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ירצחו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- שכמה: NOUN,f,sg,suff,3,f
- כי: CONJ
- זמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Ezekiel 22:26-27 (verbal): Ezekiel condemns priests and princes who profane the sanctuary and shed blood; closely echoes Hosea’s picture of priests as violent and corrupt.
- Jeremiah 5:30-31 (thematic): Jeremiah portrays prophets and priests as false and ruling by their own devices, leading the people astray—paralleling Hosea’s charge of priestly wickedness.
- Micah 3:11 (thematic): Micah accuses priests and rulers of accepting bribes and teaching for pay, a related denunciation of religious leaders’ corruption and exploitation.
- Malachi 2:8-9 (thematic): Malachi rebukes priests who have corrupted the covenant and caused many to stumble, echoing Hosea’s indictment of priestly unfaithfulness and moral failure.
Alternative generated candidates
- And as for Ephraim: men in bands—associations of priests—murder on the road to Shechem; for they have acted wantonly.
- Their men are as bands—their troops and companions of the priests: on the road they set the ambush; for their debauchery they make ready to slay.
Hos.6.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ראיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- שערוריה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שם: ADV
- זנות: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לאפרים: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,pl,abs
- נטמא: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Hosea 4:12-13 (verbal): Same prophetic context and vocabulary: Ephraim/Israel charged with whoredom and defilement, linking cultic practice and sexual unfaithfulness.
- Hosea 9:1 (thematic): Direct continuation of Hosea's accusation—'you have gone a-whoring from your God'—reinforcing the theme of Israel's spiritual adultery.
- Ezekiel 16:15-16 (thematic): Ezekiel depicts Jerusalem's moral corruption as harlotry, using similar imagery of defilement, adultery, and covenant betrayal.
- Isaiah 1:21 (thematic): Isaiah calls the 'faithful city' a harlot, a parallel indictment of urban/covenantal unfaithfulness and loss of righteousness.
- Jeremiah 2:20 (verbal): Jeremiah accuses Israel of having a 'harlot's forehead'—shameless covenant unfaithfulness that echoes Hosea's charge of prostitution and defilement.
Alternative generated candidates
- In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing: there is the harlotry of Ephraim; Israel is defiled.
- I have seen an abomination in the house of Israel: there is the harlotry of Ephraim; Israel is defiled.
Hos.6.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- גם: ADV
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- שת: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- קציר: NOUN,m,sg,construct
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- בשובי: PREP+VERB,qal,ptcp,1,m,sg
- שבות: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- עמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
Parallels
- Hosea 3:5 (structural): Same book and movement: after exile/discipline comes a return of Israel to the LORD—continuation of Hosea’s restoration motif.
- Amos 9:14-15 (verbal): Uses the same language of restoring/building and ‘bringing back the captivity’ of Israel—direct parallel promise of national restoration.
- Jeremiah 30:3 (verbal): Explicit promise to ‘restore the captivity’ of Israel and Judah in the days to come, echoing Hos. 6:11’s restoration language.
- Ezekiel 37:21-22 (thematic): God’s promise to gather Israel from the nations and bring them back into their land parallels Hos. 6:11’s theme of return and restoration.
- Isaiah 10:21-22 (allusion): Speaks of a remnant of Israel returning to God—the same motif of return/repentance and hope after judgment found in Hos. 6:11.
Alternative generated candidates
- Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed—when I restore the fortunes of my people.
- And also for you, Judah—there is a harvest appointed for you, when I restore the fortunes of my people.
Hos.7.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כרפאי: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- לישראל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ונגלה: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- עון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ורעות: CONJ+ADJ,f,pl,abs
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- פעלו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וגנב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יבוא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פשט: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- גדוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בחוץ: ADV
Parallels
- Hosea 4:1-2 (verbal): Lists the same catalogue of social and religious crimes (no faithfulness, swearing, lying, murder, stealing) that explain why Ephraim/Israel face judgment — close verbal and thematic overlap with Hos.7:1's 'they work falsehood and thief.'
- Hosea 5:13-14 (thematic): Continues the prophetic indictment of Ephraim/Samaria and announces divine attack/external devastation — parallels Hos.7:1's movement from exposed sin to impending assault by enemies.
- 2 Kings 17:7-23 (structural): Gives the historical outcome of Israel's persistent sin (including idolatry and covenant breaches): Assyrian invasion and exile of the northern kingdom — the historical fulfillment of the judgment announced in Hos.7:1.
- Psalm 78:9-11 (thematic): Speaks of Ephraim's unfaithfulness and refusal to keep God's covenant in the day of battle, echoing the theme of Ephraim's exposed guilt and failure in Hos.7:1.
- Amos 2:6-8 (thematic): Condemns social injustice and covenant violations (selling the righteous, trampling the needy, corrupt worship) as grounds for judgment — parallels Hos.7:1's linking of moral corruption to national disaster.
Alternative generated candidates
- When I would heal Israel, the guilt of Ephraim was exposed and the wickedness of Samaria; for they work deceit, and a robber will come—bands shall sweep in from outside.
- When I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed, and the wickedness of Samaria—deceit is their practice; a thief comes, a band of plunderers breaks in from outside.
Hos.7.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובל: CONJ+PART
- יאמרו: VERB,qal,imprf,3,m,pl
- ללבבם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cstr+PRON,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- רעתם: NOUN,f,sg,suff-3mp
- זכרתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,na,sg
- עתה: ADV
- סבבום: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מעלליהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- נגד: PREP
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Amos 5:12 (verbal): God declares his knowledge of the people's many sins and implies judgment—paralleling Hosea's statement that he has remembered all their evil and their deeds surround them before him.
- Genesis 6:5-7 (thematic): Like Hosea's image of evil 'surrounding' the people and God remembering it, Genesis presents human wickedness before God and God's decision to act because he has seen/remembered their corruption.
- Psalm 139:1-4 (thematic): Psalm 139 emphasizes God's intimate knowledge of hearts and deeds—echoing Hosea's contrast between what people 'do not say in their hearts' and God's full awareness of their actions.
- Jeremiah 23:24 (verbal): Jeremiah stresses that nothing can be hidden from the LORD ('Do I not fill heaven and earth?'), paralleling Hosea's emphasis that the people's deeds lie before God's face and are remembered.
Alternative generated candidates
- They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face.
- They do not say in their hearts, 'Let us remember our evil.' Behold, their deeds have compassed them; they are continually before my face.
Hos.7.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ברעתם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+3mp
- ישמחו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ובכחשיהם: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- שרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Obadiah 1:12 (thematic): Condemns gloating over a brother's day of misfortune — parallels the image of rulers rejoicing at Israel's calamity.
- Psalm 35:26 (verbal): Prayer that those who rejoice at the psalmist's distress be ashamed — echoes the theme of others taking pleasure in disaster.
- Zephaniah 3:3-4 (thematic): Describes princes/judges and prophets as treacherous and predatory — parallels Hosea's charge of deceitful leaders.
- Lamentations 1:15 (thematic): Passersby clap and mock Jerusalem in her downfall — a parallel instance of rejoicing over a city's calamity.
- Proverbs 11:10-11 (thematic): Notes communal rejoicing at the downfall of the wicked and joy when the righteous prosper — related motif of leaders/people rejoicing in others' ruin.
Alternative generated candidates
- In their wickedness the king will rejoice, and the princes will be glad in their lies.
- In their wickedness the king delights, and the princes delight in their lies.
Hos.7.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כלם: PRON,3,m,pl
- מנאפים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כמו: PREP
- תנור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בערה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- מאפה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- מעיר: PREP
- מלוש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בצק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- חמצתו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Hos.4:12 (thematic): Same book: Israel’s unfaithfulness described as sexual/prostutional infidelity — a spirit of harlotry leading the people astray, directly parallel to ‘all are adulterers.’
- Jer.7:18 (verbal): Uses baking/kneading imagery in cultic/idolatrous context (‘the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven’), echoing Hosea’s oven/baker metaphor linking domestic baking to unfaithfulness and idolatry.
- Jer.3:8 (thematic): God’s giving of a ‘certificate of divorce’ to faithless Israel frames Israel as an adulterous wife — closely parallels Hosea’s charge that the nation is adulterous.
- Ezek.16:25-26 (thematic): Ezekiel indicts Jerusalem with graphic prostitution imagery and depicts cultic/sexual infidelity; thematically parallels Hosea’s use of adultery language to describe covenant unfaithfulness.
- Ezek.24:3-5 (thematic): Uses domestic cooking/boiling imagery as a prophetic sign of purification and judgment on the city’s impurity — parallels Hosea’s oven metaphor where domestic baking images signify moral/covenantal corruption.
Alternative generated candidates
- All of them are adulterers; they are like an oven heated by the baker—he ceases to tend the dough from the city until it is leavened.
- All of them are adulterers—like an oven they burn; the baker kneads their dough until it is leavened.
Hos.7.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלכנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,suff_1pl
- החלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- חמת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- מיין: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- משך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ידו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- לצצים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 28:7 (verbal): Isaiah condemns religious and civic leaders who 'stagger from wine' and 'reel from strong drink'—a close verbal/thematic parallel to Hosea’s charge that the princes are inflamed or sick from wine.
- Proverbs 31:4-5 (verbal): A principled warning that 'it is not for kings to drink wine' because intoxication impairs judgment—directly relevant to Hosea’s criticism of the kingly/princely intoxication on the king’s day.
- Amos 6:1,4-6 (thematic): Amos denounces the complacent, indulgent elite who revel, lie on luxury beds, and drink freely—paralleling Hosea’s rebuke of princely revelry and drunkenness among Israel’s leaders.
- Habakkuk 2:15-16 (thematic): Habakkuk pronounces woe on those who make their neighbors drunk and thereby shame them; both texts use drunkenness imagery to expose moral corruption and public disgrace.
- Ezekiel 23:30 (thematic): Ezekiel uses drunkenness and infatuation language to depict leaders’ moral degradation and defilement—resonant with Hosea’s portrayal of princes inflamed by wine and consorting with mockers.
Alternative generated candidates
- On the day of our king the princes grow sick with wine; he stretches out his hand with mockers.
- In the day of our king the princes are inflamed by wine; they reach out their hands to scoffers.
Hos.7.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- קרבו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כתנור: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבם: NOUN,m,sg,poss
- בארבם: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- הלילה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ישן: ADJ,m,sg
- אפהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- בקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- בער: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כאש: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- להבה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 22:20-22 (thematic): Ezekiel uses fire/oven imagery of God's kindled flame to portray internal corruption and impending destruction—parallel to Hosea's 'heart like an oven' and burning heat as a sign of consuming judgment.
- Psalm 39:3 (verbal): Both texts speak of inner heat: 'my heart grew hot within me' (Ps 39:3) echoes Hosea's language of hearts burning like an oven—connecting intense inward agitation or passion with the fire metaphor.
- Isaiah 30:30 (verbal): Isaiah represents the Lord's coming as a consuming, blazing fire and morning brightness; Hosea's image of burning in the morning ('in the morning it burns like a blazing fire') parallels this prophetic motif of dawn and consuming flame.
- Jeremiah 23:29 (allusion): Jeremiah compares God's word to fire and a hammer—both prophets use fire imagery to signify purifying or judgmental force, aligning Hosea's depiction of searing heat with prophetic dynamics of divine action.
Alternative generated candidates
- For their heart is like an oven—there they lie in ambush; all night the baker sleeps; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
- For their heart is like an oven—while they lie in ambush, their baker sleeps all night; at dawn it blazes like a flaming fire.
Hos.7.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כלם: PRON,3,m,pl
- יחמו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- כתנור: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואכלו: VERB,qal,imp,2,mp
- את: PRT,acc
- שפטיהם: NOUN,f,pl,suff3mp
- כל: DET
- מלכיהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- נפלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אין: PART,neg
- קרא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Ezek.22.27 (verbal): Leaders ‘devour’/‘raven’ the people — echoes Hosea’s language of judges/kings being consumed by corruption and predation.
- Micah 3.11 (thematic): Corrupt rulers and judges who exploit the people for gain; connects to Hosea’s indictment of fallen kings and unjust leadership.
- Psalm 146.3-4 (thematic): Warning not to trust princes who cannot save — parallels Hosea’s portrayal of failed kings and the futility of relying on human rulers instead of God.
- Jer.2.13 (thematic): Israel’s abandonment of the Lord (‘forsaking the fountain’) so that they do not call on God — parallels Hosea’s note that none call on the LORD.
Alternative generated candidates
- All of them are hot as an oven and devour their judges; all their kings have fallen—no one among them calls to me.
- All of them are hot as an oven and consume their judges; all their kings have fallen—no one calls upon me.
Hos.7.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בעמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- יתבולל: VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,sg
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עגה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בלי: PREP
- הפוכה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Hos.7.9 (structural): Immediate context/continuation: verse 9 follows verse 8, continuing the indictment of Ephraim’s mixing with foreign peoples and describing the consequences (loss of strength).
- Hos.8.8 (verbal): Uses similar language of Israel/Ephraim being 'among the nations' and depicts national humiliation and exile; echoes the motif of Israel’s mingling with the peoples and its resulting judgment.
- Ps.106:35 (verbal): The psalm condemns Israel for mingling with the nations and learning their practices—same verbal motif of 'mingling' as a characterization of apostasy and syncretism.
- Isa.1:21 (thematic): Isaiah portrays Jerusalem as a 'harlot' and faithless city—parallel theme of covenant unfaithfulness and moral/spiritual prostitution found in Hosea’s image of Ephraim mixed among the nations.
- Jer.2:11 (thematic): Jeremiah indicts Israel for exchanging the LORD for worthless things and for changing allegiance—thematic parallel of apostasy and turning away from covenant loyalty implied by Ephraim’s mingling with foreign peoples.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ephraim mixes himself among the peoples; Ephraim has become a flat cake not turned.
- Ephraim is mingled among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake that is not turned.
Hos.7.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אכלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- זרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כחו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF:3,m,sg
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- ידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- גם: ADV
- שיבה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- זרקה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- ידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Hosea 4:6 (thematic): Both verses stress Israel’s ruin rooted in ignorance—'my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge' echoes Hos.7:9’s portrayal of people who do not know/recognize their condition.
- Jeremiah 8:7 (verbal): Jeremiah contrasts birds that 'know their times' with a people who 'do not know' (לא ידע), paralleling the refrain in Hos.7:9 about failing to perceive what is happening.
- Ezekiel 34:2-3 (thematic): Ezekiel’s imagery of shepherds who 'feed themselves' and 'devour the flock' parallels Hos.7:9’s language of eating (אכלו) and the exploitation/misuse of the people.
- Isaiah 5:13 (thematic): Isaiah links exile and judgment to 'lack of knowledge' (חסר דעת), a theme parallel to Hos.7:9’s depiction of ignorance as a cause of judgment.
- Leviticus 19:32 (allusion): Leviticus commands honor for the gray-headed; Hos.7:9’s striking image 'gray hair is sprinkled on him and he does not know' invokes the motif of old age/gray hair but subverts expected wisdom, creating an implicit contrast with Levitical respect for elders.
Alternative generated candidates
- Strangers have devoured his strength, and he does not know; gray hairs have been sprinkled upon him, and he does not perceive.
- They have devoured the strength of the nations, yet he does not know it; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, yet he perceives it not.
Hos.7.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וענה: CONJ+PN,m,sg,abs
- גאון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בפניו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,3ms
- ולא: CONJ
- שבו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהיהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- ולא: CONJ
- בקשהו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg+obj_pron3,m,sg
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
Parallels
- Amos 4:6-11 (verbal): God sends successive judgments on Israel, and each time the people do not return to him—echoing Hosea's charge that they 'did not return' or 'did not seek' the LORD.
- Jeremiah 3:10 (verbal): After recounting Israel's unfaithfulness, Jeremiah states that Judah has 'not returned' to the LORD—language and theme closely parallel Hosea's indictment.
- Isaiah 1:2-4 (verbal): Isaiah accuses the people of rebellion and explicitly observes that they do not seek the Lord, matching Hosea's complaint about failure to seek or return to God.
- Psalm 78:34-37 (thematic): The psalm recounts Israel's repeated failures to trust and turn to God despite his acts—themewise parallel to Hosea's depiction of proud Israel refusing to repent.
Alternative generated candidates
- The pride of Israel testifies against him; yet they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
- The pride of Israel testifies against him; yet they do not return to the LORD their God, nor do they seek him.
Hos.7.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כיונה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- פותה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- אין: PART,neg
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- קראו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אשור: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- הלכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Hos.5.13 (verbal): Same prophetic critique of Ephraim seeking foreign powers: Hosea records Ephraim turning to Assyria (and to other nations) for help instead of trusting YHWH.
- Isa.31.1 (thematic): Isaiah condemns reliance on Egypt (and horses) for military/political rescue rather than on the Lord—parallel rebuke of seeking foreign alliances.
- Jer.2.18 (thematic): Jeremiah rhetorically asks what Judah gains by running to Egypt for help, echoing the prophetic denunciation of reliance on Egypt instead of God.
- 2 Kings 17:4-6 (structural): Historical parallel: the king of Israel (Hoshea) sent to Egypt while Assyria conquered Samaria—an historical outcome of the very political alliances criticized in Hosea 7:11.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ephraim is like a gullible dove without heart—when they called to Egypt, they went to Assyria.
- Ephraim is like a simple dove—without understanding—they called to Egypt, and to Assyria they went.
Hos.7.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כאשר: CONJ
- ילכו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אפרוש: VERB,qal,impf,1,comm,sg
- עליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- רשתי: NOUN,f,sg,suf
- כעוף: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השמים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אורידם: VERB,qal,impf,1,common,sg
- איסרם: VERB,hiph,impf,1,m,sg
- כשמע: CONJ
- לעדתם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,suf
Parallels
- Amos 3:5 (verbal): Uses the image of a bird and a snare/trap to portray inevitability of divine action—similar fowler/net metaphor for judgment.
- Jeremiah 5:26–27 (verbal): Speaks of wicked men who 'set a trap' and 'spread a net' among the people; parallels Hosea's language of nets/snares laid upon Israel.
- Psalm 91:3 (thematic): Refers to the 'snare of the fowler' imagery; while Psalm 91 promises deliverance from such snares, it shares the common fowler/net motif used for danger/judgment.
- Hosea 5:1 (structural): Within the same book God indicts leaders and speaks of a snare among Israel (Mizpah); an internal parallel treating Israel's entrapment and coming punishment.
- Proverbs 1:17 (thematic): Describes the net and trap laid by evildoers that ensnare themselves; relates to the broader biblical motif of nets/traps as instruments of judgment or destruction.
Alternative generated candidates
- As they go, I will spread a net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the heavens; I will chastise them as their assembly has heard.
- When they go, I will spread a net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the sky; I will chastise them for their assemblies.
Hos.7.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אוי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- נדדו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ממני: PREP,suff,1,m,sg
- שד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- פשעו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ואנכי: PRON,1,sg
- אפדם: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- והמה: PRON,3,m,pl
- דברו: INF,qal,inf+3ms
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- כזבים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Hos.6.7 (verbal): Close verbal/ideological parallel within Hosea: Israel 'dealt treacherously against' the covenant/God—echoes 'they have transgressed against me'.
- Jeremiah 2:13 (thematic): Both condemn Israel for forsaking the LORD and turning aside to other things (abandoning God as the life-giving source).
- Exodus 32:7-9 (allusion): God accuses Israel of quickly turning away and corrupting themselves (idolatry), a pattern echoed in Hosea's charge that they have wandered from Him and sinned.
- Psalm 78:36-37 (verbal): Speaks of the people flattering and lying to God with their tongues—parallels Hosea's 'they spoke lies against me.'
- Ezekiel 20:8 (thematic): God recounts Israel's rebellion—'they rebelled against me'—matching Hosea's theme of Israel wandering from and transgressing against the LORD.
Alternative generated candidates
- Woe to them, for they have wandered from me—destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me. Though I redeemed them, they speak lies against me.
- Woe to them, for they have wandered from me; destruction to them, for they have transgressed against me—though I punish them, they speak lies against me.
Hos.7.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולא: CONJ
- זעקו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- בלבם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,pl
- כי: CONJ
- יילילו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- על: PREP
- משכבותם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- על: PREP
- דגן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ותירוש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יתגוררו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- יסורו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 29:13 (verbal): Condemns worship that is merely words while the heart is far from God—directly parallels Hosea’s critique that they do not cry to God from their heart.
- Jeremiah 14:11 (structural): God tells Jeremiah not to pray for the people because their repentance and pleas are insincere—echoes Hosea’s picture of cries that are not from the heart and therefore ineffective.
- Proverbs 28:9 (thematic): States that turning away from God’s instruction makes prayer an abomination—parallels Hosea’s theme that their petitions are unacceptable because their hearts are divided.
- Psalm 106:14–15 (thematic): The people crave food and test God in the wilderness (lusting after provision) rather than trusting him—parallels Hosea’s image of seeking grain and wine instead of calling on God.
- Amos 5:4 (thematic): The prophetic summons 'Seek me and live' contrasts with Israel’s failure in Hosea to seek God sincerely, preferring material provision over wholehearted dependence on the LORD.
Alternative generated candidates
- They do not cry to me with their heart; they wail upon their beds; they assemble for grain and new wine, and turn away from me.
- They do not cry out to me from their hearts; they howl upon their beds; they gather for grain and new wine, and they turn away from me.
Hos.7.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- יסרתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- חזקתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- זרועתם: NOUN,f,sg,suff3mp
- ואלי: CONJ+PREP+PRON,1,sg
- יחשבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 32:15-20 (thematic): God’s judgment and withdrawal in response to Israel’s unfaithfulness: though God disciplines, the people persist in folly and turn to evil, provoking further punishment.
- Isaiah 63:10 (thematic): Even after God’s mighty acts among them, the people rebel and ‘grieve’/‘harden’ the Spirit — echoing the idea that God’s corrective action is met by human opposition or plotting against him.
- Ezekiel 20:8-11 (structural): God recounts chastening Israel—purifying and testing them—yet they repeatedly rebel; parallels the pattern of divine correction followed by continued human wickedness implied in Hosea 7:15.
- Psalm 78:34-37 (thematic): The people are repeatedly disciplined and rescued, but their response is forgetfulness, flattery, and continued sin—matching Hosea’s picture of divine chastening met by persistent evil intent.
Alternative generated candidates
- And I will discipline them, and strengthen their arms; yet they devise evil against me in their heart.
- I will chasten them, I will strengthen their arms; yet they devise evil against me.
Hos.7.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ישובו: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,pl
- לא: PART_NEG
- על: PREP
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- כקשת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רמיה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יפלו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- בחרב: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שריהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,pl_suf
- מזעם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לשונם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+3,m,pl
- זו: PRON,dem,f,sg
- לעגם: PREP+INF,qal
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 64:3-4 (verbal): Uses the same imagery of weapons and speech—enemies ‘sharpen their tongues’/aim arrows—connecting destructive tongues to violence (parallels Hosea’s ‘princes fall by the sword…for the rage of their tongue’).
- Proverbs 18:21 (thematic): States that ‘death and life are in the power of the tongue,’ thematically linking culpable speech to life-or-death consequences as in Hosea’s account of rhetoric bringing downfall.
- Isaiah 31:1 (thematic): Condemns reliance on Egypt for help (‘woe to those who go down to Egypt for help’), paralleling Hosea’s final clause about derision ‘in the land of Egypt’ and the folly of seeking foreign aid.
- Hosea 7:11 (structural): Immediate parallel within Hosea—Ephraim’s flights to Egypt/Assyria and foolishness are a recurring theme here, reinforcing the present verse’s charge that their prideful ways lead to humiliation in Egypt.
Alternative generated candidates
- They shall return, but not to me; they are like a deceitful bow—their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This shall be their mockery in the land of Egypt.
- They shall return, but not to the Most High; they are like a deceitful bow—whose princes fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongues. This will be their scorn in the land of Egypt.
Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
Let us know—let us press on to know the LORD; his going forth is sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.
What shall I do to you, Ephraim? What shall I do to you, Judah? Your steadfast love is like a morning cloud, like the early dew that vanishes.
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth; and my judgments go forth like light.
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. But they, like men, have broken the covenant; there they betrayed me.
Gilead is a city of workers of iniquity, bespattered with blood.
The warriors of Manasseh are in confusion; the priests are companions of violence— they walk the ways of murder, for they have practiced unfaithfulness.
I saw a horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoring of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
Also for Judah there is a harvest appointed—you shall reap, when I restore the captives of my people.
When I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, the wickedness of Samaria is laid bare: they practice deceit; plunder and thief-raid are in their hands.
They take no thought in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God.’ I remember all their wickedness; their deeds encompass them; they are before my face.
The king rejoices in their wickedness, and the princes in their lies.
All of them are adulterers; they are like an oven heated by the baker—each is hot as an oven, his ruler is the hearth; they knead their deceit into the dough until it is leavened.
On the day of their king, the princes devise intrigue; their wine inflames them— they stretch forth their hands to plunder.
Their hearts are like an oven; through the night they lie in ambush; in the morning it bursts forth like a blazing flame.
All of them are hot as an oven and have devoured their judges; all their kings have fallen—none calls to me.
Ephraim is mingled among the peoples; Ephraim has become a cake not turned.
Foreigners have devoured his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he perceives it not.
The pride of Israel bears witness against him; yet they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him despite all this.
Ephraim is like a foolish dove—without sense; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
When they go, I will spread a net for them; I will bring them down like birds of the heavens; I will chastise them according to the multitude of their assemblies.
Woe to them, for they have gone away from me—ruin to them, for they have sinned against me. Though I punish, they speak lies against me.
They do not cry to me from their heart; they wail upon their beds. They gather themselves for grain and wine, and turn away from me. So I will discipline them and lay bare their strength; and they will scheme evil against me.
They shall not return there; like a treacherous bow, their princes shall fall by the sword— their proud tongues shall be silenced. This is their derision in the land of Egypt.