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Hosea 5

Hosea 5

The big picture

Hosea 5 opens in verse 1 with “Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 8 with “Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after…”, and closes in verse 15 with “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face…” Repeated or prominent terms include Ephraim, Israel, Judah, house, LORD. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Hosea · King James Version · 15

Hosea 5:1-8

1–8: Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye…

Hosea 5:1–8 opens with “Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king…” and reaches “Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Hosea 5 develops its own movement around Ephraim, Israel, Judah, house, LORD, with particular weight carried by Israel, Ephraim, LORD.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the…” By verse 4, the text has turned to “They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in…” It lands on “Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 stated contrast, 3 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Accusation, warning, invitation to return, judgment, and hope each do different work. The prophet’s first audience anchors later questions about fulfillment. Words such as Israel, Ephraim, LORD, fall, house, aloud tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Hosea 5 develops its own movement around Ephraim, Israel, Judah, house, LORD,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Israel, Ephraim, Benjamin, Beth, Blow, Gibeah. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 4: “They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: Israel, Ephraim, LORD, fall, house, aloud

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Hosea 5:1

    “Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward…” Naming Hear and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Hosea 5:2

    “And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.” The line’s distinctive content terms include profound, rebuker, revolters. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. Hosea 5:3

    “I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.” Naming Ephraim and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  4. Hosea 5:4

    “They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

  5. Hosea 5:5

    “And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  6. Hosea 5:6

    “They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD ; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  7. Hosea 5:7

    “They have dealt treacherously against the LORD : for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  8. Hosea 5:8

    “Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin.” Naming Benjamin and Beth keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Hosea 5:1-8

King James Version

1Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

2And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

3I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

4They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD .

5And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.

6They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD ; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.

7They have dealt treacherously against the LORD : for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

8Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

Hosea 5:9-15

9–15: Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of…

Hosea 5:9–15 opens with “Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known…” and reaches “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Hosea 5 develops its own movement around Ephraim, Israel, Judah, house, LORD, with particular weight carried by Ephraim, Judah, house.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known…” By verse 12, the text has turned to “Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.” It lands on “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. Its subjects, actions, connecting terms, and consequences reveal how the thought develops before any interpretation is added.

Accusation, warning, invitation to return, judgment, and hope each do different work. The prophet’s first audience anchors later questions about fulfillment. Words such as Ephraim, Judah, house, lion, seek, wound tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Hosea 5 develops its own movement around Ephraim, Israel, Judah, house, LORD,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Ephraim, Judah, Assyrian, Israel, Jareb. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 12: “Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: Ephraim, Judah, house, lion, seek, wound

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Hosea 5:9

    “Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  2. Hosea 5:10

    “The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.” Naming Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  3. Hosea 5:11

    “Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.” Naming Ephraim keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  4. Hosea 5:12

    “Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

  5. Hosea 5:13

    “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet…” Naming Ephraim and Assyrian keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  6. Hosea 5:14

    “For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

  7. Hosea 5:15

    “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will…” The line’s distinctive content terms include seek, acknowledge, affliction. Its relationship to verses 14 shows what work it does in this passage.

Hosea 5:9-15

King James Version

9Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

10The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

11Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

12Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

13When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

14For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

15I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Identify the historical crisis, covenant failure, warning, and promised hope.
  2. Distinguish the prophet’s immediate audience from later biblical connections.
  3. Do not turn present-day headlines into confident fulfillment claims without textual evidence.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Hosea 5?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Hosea 5 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Hosea 5 develops its own movement around Ephraim, Israel, Judah, house, LORD?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?