Hosea 9

King James Version

Full text for Hosea Chapter 9

1¶ Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as [other] people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.

2The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

3They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean [things] in Assyria.

4They shall not offer wine [offerings] to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices [shall be] unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.

5What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?

6For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant [places] for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns [shall be] in their tabernacles.

7¶ The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know [it]: the prophet [is] a fool, the spiritual man [is] mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

8The watchman of Ephraim [was] with my God: [but] the prophet [is] a snare of a fowler in all his ways, [and] hatred in the house of his God.

9They have deeply corrupted [themselves], as in the days of Gibeah: [therefore] he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: [but] they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto [that] shame; and [their] abominations were according as they loved.

11¶ [As for] Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

12Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, [that there shall] not [be] a man [left]: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

13Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, [is] planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.

14Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

15All their wickedness [is] in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes [are] revolters.

16Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay [even] the beloved [fruit] of their womb.

17My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Israel is condemned for spiritual whoredom and idolatry, leading to severe divine judgment. Their land will become barren, their sacrifices unacceptable, and they face exile to unclean lands. God declares a time of recompense, where their glory will vanish, and their offspring will be lost due to their deep corruption and rejection of His commands.

Medium Summary

Hosea warns Israel not to rejoice, as their spiritual whoredom and idolatry have provoked God's wrath. Consequently, their agricultural bounty will fail, and they will be exiled from the LORD's land to Egypt and Assyria, forced to eat unclean things. Their solemn feasts will cease, and their sacrifices will be considered polluted and unacceptable. The prophet declares that days of visitation and recompense are at hand, exposing the folly of their false prophets. God recounts finding Israel pure but their subsequent turning to Baalpeor and other abominations. As a result, Ephraim's glory will vanish, and they will suffer the loss of their children through barrenness and death, culminating in their being cast away and becoming wanderers among the nations for their disobedience.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with a stern warning to Israel not to rejoice like other nations, for they have committed spiritual whoredom against their God, loving idolatrous rewards. As a direct consequence, their agricultural yields—the floor and winepress—will fail, and new wine will cease. They are prophesied to be exiled from the LORD's land, returning to Egypt and eating unclean things in Assyria, signifying a loss of their covenant blessings and purity. In exile, they will be unable to offer pleasing wine offerings or sacrifices to the LORD; their offerings will be considered defiled, like the bread of mourners, unable to enter God's house. The prophet questions what they will do on their solemn feast days when they are dispersed. The days of divine visitation and recompense are declared to have arrived, revealing the madness of their false prophets who acted as snares. God remembers their deep corruption, akin to the wickedness of Gibeah. He recalls finding Israel initially pure and delightful, like grapes in the wilderness, but they quickly turned to the shameful worship of Baalpeor, embracing abominations. Therefore, Ephraim's glory is prophesied to vanish completely, like a bird flying away, affecting their ability to conceive, bear, or raise children. Even if children are born, God threatens to bereave them, leading to a plea for miscarrying wombs and dry breasts. Their wickedness in Gilgal is highlighted as a place where God's hatred for their actions intensified, leading to their expulsion from His house and the cessation of His love for their revolting princes. Ephraim is depicted as smitten, its root dried up, bearing no fruit, with even beloved offspring being slain. Ultimately, God will cast them away for their disobedience, condemning them to be wanderers among the nations.

Core Concepts

  • Spiritual Whoredom and IdolatryIsrael is condemned for forsaking God and pursuing idolatry, symbolized as 'going a whoring' and loving rewards from false worship, which is the root cause of their impending judgment.
  • Divine Judgment and RecompenseThe chapter emphasizes that 'the days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come,' signifying God's active punishment for Israel's sins, leading to famine, exile, and loss.
  • Exile and DispersionA key consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness is their forced removal from the LORD's land, with prophecies of returning to Egypt or dwelling in Assyria, becoming 'wanderers among the nations'.
  • Unacceptable SacrificesDue to their spiritual pollution and impending exile, Israel's sacrifices will no longer be pleasing to the LORD, becoming like 'the bread of mourners' and unable to enter His holy house.
  • Barrenness and Loss of PosterityA severe judgment upon Ephraim is the loss of children, from conception to birth and even after, symbolizing the complete destruction of their future and glory.
  • False ProphetsThe chapter denounces the 'prophet [as] a fool' and 'mad,' describing them as a 'snare of a fowler,' indicating their role in leading Israel astray and contributing to their downfall.
  • Historical ApostasyGod recalls Israel's past unfaithfulness, specifically mentioning their turning to 'Baalpeor' and their deep corruption 'as in the days of Gibeah,' highlighting a pattern of rebellion.