Hosea 7:1 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Corruption of the Court

In this chapter the tone again becomes despondent. How can Israel be saved when her iniquity is so deep, so glaring, so obstinate? Samaria is especially instanced as the centre of a wicked and corrupt government sustained by a lawless people and false teachers. Hosea dwells chiefly on some plot which ended in regicide and the reliance on foreign powers which meant want of faith in God.

2. They fail to realise how patent in God's sight their iniquity is, while they attempt to combine a profession of religion with sins of the worst type. Now they are 'holden with the cords of their sins' (Proverbs 5:22).

3. They induced their rulers not only to connive at, but to take part with delight in their wicked practices.

4. The fire of lust is likened to a baker's oven. But the simile seems also to include the passion of anger which worked in the heart and produced acts of violence, such as regicide.

5-7. A scene from the palace. The king carouses with his courtiers, who have formed a plot against him, and wait the fitting moment to rise and put him to death. It would appear that Hosea has in his mind the assassination of a king at a feast, or just after a feast, in the early morning. The case is perhaps that of Zechariah, son of Jeroboam II (see Intro.).

Related Commentaries of Hosea 7:1

Hosea 7:1-16

1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickednessa of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.

2 And they considerb not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.

3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

4 They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottlesc of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

7 They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.

8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.

11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.

13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destructiond unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.

15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.

16 They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.