Hosea 6

King James Version

Full text for Hosea Chapter 6

1¶ Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

2After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

3Then shall we know, [if] we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter [and] former rain unto the earth.

4¶ O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness [is] as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

5Therefore have I hewed [them] by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments [are as] the light [that] goeth forth.

6For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

8Gilead [is] a city of them that work iniquity, [and is] polluted with blood.

9And as troops of robbers wait for a man, [so] the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.

10I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there [is] the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

11Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Hosea 6 begins with a call for Israel to return to the LORD, expressing hope that He will heal and revive them after their affliction. However, the LORD laments that Ephraim and Judah's goodness is fleeting, like a morning cloud. He declares His preference for mercy and the knowledge of God over mere sacrifices and burnt offerings, revealing that His people have transgressed His covenant.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with an exhortation for the people to return to the LORD, believing that He who has torn will also heal and revive them, enabling them to live in His sight. It speaks of knowing the LORD, whose coming is as certain as the morning and as refreshing as the rain. Yet, the LORD expresses sorrow over Ephraim and Judah, whose devotion is transient, like early dew. He explains that He has delivered His judgments through the prophets, emphasizing His desire for mercy and the knowledge of God rather than ritualistic sacrifices. The chapter then details Israel's transgression of the covenant, highlighting the iniquity and bloodshed in Gilead and the murderous, lewd acts of the priests, concluding with a declaration of Ephraim's spiritual defilement and Judah's impending judgment.

Long Summary

Hosea 6 commences with an earnest plea for the people of Israel to return to the LORD, expressing confidence that despite His having afflicted them, He will surely heal and bind them up. It is prophesied that after a short period, He will revive and raise them up, allowing them to live in His presence. The passage encourages a diligent pursuit of the knowledge of the LORD, whose appearance is depicted as certain as the dawn and as life-giving as the former and latter rains. However, the tone shifts as the LORD laments the superficiality of Ephraim and Judah's goodness, comparing their fleeting devotion to a transient morning cloud or early dew. He states that He has delivered His judgments and pronouncements through the prophets, emphasizing that His ultimate desire is for mercy and a deep knowledge of God, rather than external acts of sacrifice and burnt offerings. Despite this divine preference, the people are accused of transgressing the covenant, dealing treacherously against God. Specific examples of their iniquity are cited, including Gilead, described as a city polluted with blood due to its workers of iniquity. Furthermore, the company of priests is condemned for acting like robbers, committing murder and lewdness in their ways. The LORD declares that He has witnessed a 'horrible thing' in the house of Israel, specifically the spiritual whoredom of Ephraim, which has defiled the nation. The chapter concludes with a pronouncement that Judah also faces a time of reckoning, a 'harvest,' when the LORD returns the captivity of His people.

Core Concepts

  • Return and RestorationThe chapter begins with a call for Israel to return to the LORD, accompanied by the promise that He will heal and revive them, allowing them to live in His sight after a period of affliction.
  • Fleeting GoodnessGod laments that the goodness and devotion of Ephraim and Judah are temporary and unreliable, likened to a morning cloud or early dew that quickly vanishes.
  • Mercy Over SacrificeA central theme is God's explicit declaration that He desires mercy and the knowledge of God more than ritualistic sacrifices and burnt offerings, emphasizing internal righteousness over external observances.
  • Prophetic JudgmentThe LORD states that He has 'hewed' and 'slain' His people by the prophets and the words of His mouth, indicating that His judgments and pronouncements were delivered through His chosen messengers.
  • Covenant TransgressionIsrael is accused of breaking their covenant with God, dealing treacherously against Him, which forms the basis for the divine lament and impending judgment.
  • Priestly CorruptionThe priests are specifically condemned for their wickedness, described as acting like robbers who commit murder and lewdness, highlighting the moral decay within the religious leadership.
  • Spiritual WhoredomEphraim is singled out for its 'whoredom,' signifying spiritual unfaithfulness and defilement through idolatry and turning away from God.