Hosea Chapter 9

From The Open Bible Project

9:1 Don't rejoice, Israel, to jubilation like the nations; for you were unfaithful to your God. You love the wages of a prostitute at every grain threshing floor.

• (a) For even though all other people should escape, yet you will be punished.
• (b) You have committed idolatry in hope of reward, and to have your barns filled ((Jeremiah 44:17)), as a harlot that had rather live by playing the whore, than to be provided for by her own husband.
• Israel is identified as playing the harlot just like Israel is in Revelation.-KC

9:2 The threshing floor and the winepress won't feed them, and the new wine will fail her.

• (c) These outward things that you seek will be taken from you.

9:3 They won't dwell in Yahweh's land; but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.

9:4 They won't pour out wine offerings to Yahweh, neither will they be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat of it will be polluted; for their bread will be for their appetite. It will not come into the house of Yahweh.

• (d) All their doings both with regard to administration and religion, will be rejected as polluted things.
• (e) The meat offering which they offered for themselves.

9:5 What will you do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Yahweh?

• (f) When the Lord will take away all the occasions of serving him, which will be the most grievous part of your captivity, when you will see yourselves cut off from God.

9:6 For, behold, they have gone away from destruction. Egypt will gather them up. Memphis will bury them. Nettles will possess their pleasant things of silver. Thorns will be in their tents.

• (g) Even though they think to escape by fleeing the destruction that is at hand, yet they will be destroyed in the place where they flee for help.

9:7 The days of visitation [punishment] have come. The days of reckoning [retribution] have come. Israel will consider the prophet to be a fool, and the man who is inspired to be insane [demented], because of the abundance of your sins, and because your hostility is great.

• (h) Then they will know that they were deluded by those who claimed themselves to be their prophets and spiritual men.
• Jesus used similar words in Luke 21:22 when he was describing the "days of vengeance" which his disciples would witness.-KC

9:8 A prophet watches over Ephraim with my God. A fowler's snare is on all of his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.

• (i) The Prophet’s duty is to bring men to God, and not to be a snare to pull them from God.

9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish them for their sins.

• (k) This people is so rooted in their wickedness, that Gibeah, which was similar to Sodom, was never more corrupt; (Judges 19:22).

9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season; but they came to Baal Peor, and consecrated themselves to the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.

• (l) Meaning, that he esteemed them and delighted in them in this way.
• (m) They were as abominable to me, as their lovers the idols.

9:11 As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, none with child, and no conception.

• (n) Signifying that God would destroy their children by these different means, and so consume them by little and little.

9:12 Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them, so that not a man shall be left. Indeed, woe also to them when I depart from them!

9:13 I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place; but Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.

• (o) As they kept tender plants in their houses in Tyrus to preserve them from the cold air of the sea, so was Ephraim at the first to me: but now I will give him to the slaughter.

9:14 Give them--Yahweh what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

• (p) The Prophet seeing the great plagues of God toward Ephraim, prays to God to make them barren, rather than that this great slaughter should come upon their children.

9:15 "All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house! I will love them no more. All their princes are rebels.

• (q) The chief cause of their destruction is that they commit idolatry, and corrupt my religion in Gilgal.
• These are strong and clear words that speak of an end of the Jewish authority over the temple system. -KC

9:16 Ephraim is struck. Their root has dried up. They will bear no fruit. Even though they bring forth, yet I will kill the beloved ones of their womb."

• Jesus said the kingdom will be taken away from national Israel and given to a nation [Gentiles] which will bear its fruits. Matt. 21:43 -KC

9:17 My God will cast them away, because they did not listen to him; and they will be wanderers among the nations.

• The Jews were cast away and became wanderers among the nations ever since their temple was destroyed in 70 AD. They can never again come into covenant with God unless through Christ. -KC