1
Hear this, O priests; give heed, O house of Israel; and listen, O house of the king! For the judgment is against you, because you have become a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread upon Mount Tabor,
2
and a pit dug deep in Shittim; therefore I will chastise them all.
3
I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me; for you have played the harlot, O Ephraim, and Israel has defiled itself.
4
Their deeds do not allow them to turn back to their God, for a spirit of harlotry is within them, and they do not know the LORD.
5
The pride of Israel bears witness against him; Ephraim shall stumble in his iniquity, and Judah also shall stumble with them.
6
With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they shall not find Him; He has withdrawn from them.
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They have dealt treacherously against the LORD, for they have begotten illegitimate children; now the destroyer shall devour them and their fields.
8
Blow the trumpet in Gibeah, and the horn in Ramah. Cry aloud at Beth-aven; tremble, O Benjamin!
9
Ephraim shall become desolate in the day of punishment; among the tribes of Israel I declare what is sure.
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The princes of Judah are like those who move a boundary stone; upon them I will pour out My wrath like water.
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Ephraim is oppressed, crushed by judgment, because he was determined to walk after emptiness.
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Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like rottenness to the house of Judah.
13
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King ‘Agung’. But he was not able to heal you, nor to remove the wound from you.
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For I am like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and none shall deliver.
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I will go and return to My place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face. In their distress they will long for Me:
⚖️📯🏛️ Summary of Hosea 5 – God Against His Stubborn People
Hosea 5 shows that God’s judgment cannot be avoided when the people and their leaders refuse repentance. Priests, kings, and the people of Israel and Judah alike stand united in rebellion, so that God Himself declares war against them. They seek help from foreign nations (Assyria), but not from the Lord. As a result, the Lord withdraws and lets them feel the ruin — until they truly seek Him.
📌 1. Leaders and People Guilty (verses 1–3)
“Hear this, O priests… house of the king… you have become a snare at Mizpah…”
- God calls three groups: the priests, the people, and the king
- Instead of leading the people to God, they set traps and lead them astray
- The Lord says: “I know Ephraim” — nothing is hidden from Him
🎯 No sin escapes the Lord’s eyes, including religious and political leaders.
📌 2. Unable to Repent (verses 4–7)
“Their deeds do not allow them to turn back to their God…”
- Their hearts are so bound to a spirit of immorality and idolatry
- They do not know the Lord
- Even when offering sacrifices, the Lord does not receive them
- They give birth to unfaithful children — the next generation is ruined as well
🎯 Sin that is nurtured will take root and spread, even to the next generation.
📌 3. The Day of Judgment Draws Near (verses 8–12)
“Blow the trumpet in Gibeah… destruction will come upon Ephraim…”
- The command to blow the trumpet: a sign that danger is close at hand
- The Lord will be like a moth and decay to Ephraim and Judah — slowly but surely bringing ruin
- No political power can save them from divine judgment
🎯 God gives early signs before judgment — yet the people still close their ears.
📌 4. Israel Seeks Assyria, Not God (verses 13–14)
“Ephraim saw his sickness… but he went to the king of Assyria…”
- Instead of repenting, they sought human help
- The Lord will be like a lion: tearing away and carrying off, with no one to save them
🎯 If the people reject the Lord’s love, they will face the power of His judgment.
📌 5. The Lord Withdraws (verse 15)
“I will go and return to My place… until they acknowledge their guilt…”
- The Lord withdrew from them — not because He was unable, but because they rejected Him
- He waits for the people to repent of sin and earnestly seek His face
🎯 Sometimes the Lord is silent not because He is far away, but because He wants the people to realize their condition and return.
📖 Main Teaching
- Sin led by leaders will destroy an entire nation
- False repentance (mere formality without the heart) will not be heard by the Lord
- The Lord reveals His judgment justly and step by step
- Seeking help from people without God is spiritual folly
- The Lord withdraws not to destroy, but so that we may realize our condition and return
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“Woe to you… like whitewashed tombs…”
→ As with the priests in Hosea, Jesus rebukes religious leaders who are clean only on the outside.
“When he came to himself…”
→ Like the lost son, the Lord waits for us to come to our senses and return.
“If we deliberately keep on sinning… there is no longer any sacrifice for that sin.”
→ True repentance cannot be delayed — the Lord does not take persistent sin lightly.
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
→ The Lord withdraws so that we may draw nearer with a broken heart.
🎯 Hosea 5 reminds us that judgment can become a path to restoration, if the people truly repent.
🕊️ “I know Ephraim… your deeds keep you from turning back.” – Hosea 5:3–4
🕊️ “The Lord has withdrawn… until they acknowledge their guilt.” – Hosea 5:15
🕊️ “Ephraim went to the king of Assyria… but he cannot heal you.” – Hosea 5:13
🕊️ “I am like a lion… no one can deliver.” – Hosea 5:14
