Hosea 7 Study Notes

7:3-7 Several parallels unite these verses with a chiastic (a-b-b-a) structure. The king cared nothing for God but loved to hear of evil, deceptive schemes, for which reason he would fall. All of them in the government burned with passions like a baker’s oven. The king’s conspiratorial counselors lured him into drunkenness, passion, and death. Their anger smolders may also be rendered “their baker sleeps.” The baker may be an image of the king whose debauchery allowed evil to flourish.

7:8-10 Ephraim’s leaders were negligent in allowing the people to become like the other nations. They were like careless cooks who failed to turn the bread, allowing it to burn on one side. Yet they did not even notice what was happening. For similar uses of return or “turn” and seek, see 3:5; 5:15; 2Ch 7:14; Is 9:13; Dn 9:3; Zph 1:6.

7:11-12 Israel was like a bird that had forgotten its way home. The news that reaches their assembly was probably news that their efforts to find security in foreign governments had failed.

7:13 The section that begins in 6:1 with a call to return to the Lord and be healed ends here with a lament that Israel had done just the opposite. Woe to them is a declaration of coming judgment (9:12; Is 3:9; Jr 50:27; Jd 11). The term for fled is often used of birds (Is 16:2; Jr 4:25) and can also refer to restless wandering (Pr 27:8). Israel could flee from God in rebellion, but they could not escape destruction. The phrase I want to redeem can also be translated “I redeemed,” referring to the exodus (Dt 7:8; 9:26; Mc 6:4). God’s deliverance should cause his people to declare the truth about him.

7:14 Israel’s wailing and slashing probably involved pagan rituals (1Kg 18:28; Ezk 8:14).

7:15 Here is the second of two contrasts between “I” and “they” in the passage (cp. v. 13). God had trained Israel to be a mighty nation, but they had turned their might against him.

7:16 Israel’s leaders were as helpful as a faulty bow that could not send arrows to hit the mark (Ps 78:57). Israel’s insolent tongue may refer to their bitter words against God or the prophets (2Ch 36:16). The consequent ridicule may be what they would experience when they sought help from Egypt (Hs 7:11) or when they were destroyed (v. 13).