Hosea 9 KJV
1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
2 The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.
3 They shall not dwell in the Lord's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord.
5 What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?
6 For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.
Hosea 9 (Old Testament)
7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.
8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
Hosea 9 (Old Testament)
13 Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.
14 Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.
16 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.
17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
| Hebrew Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning | Scholarly Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| אַל־תִּשְׂמַח — al-tismach | Verse 1 — “rejoice not, O Israel…” | Do not rejoice | Tismach (“rejoice”) in the negative forbids false joy (rejoice not). Israel’s celebration contradicts their spiritual state. The term warns of misguided confidence. — C. F. Keil, Minor Prophets Commentary (1866) |
| זָנָה — zanah | Verse 1 — “thou hast gone a whoring…” | Commit harlotry | Zanah (“harlotry”) captures covenant betrayal (harlot”). Israel pursues other gods. The term is central to Hosea’s metaphor. — Franz Delitzsch, OT Commentary (1884) |
| פָּרַד — parad | Verse 6 — “they shall be buried in Egypt…” | Separate, divide | Parad (“separate”) signals alienation (separate/divide). Israel’s exile becomes ultimate separation. The term reinforces judicial distance. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon (1857) |
| מָאַס — ma’as | Verse 17 — “my God will cast them away…” | Reject, despise | Ma’as (“reject”) denotes divine repudiation (reject/despise). Persistent rebellion leads to judgment. The term conveys severed fellowship. — S. R. Driver, OT Literature (1891) |
| אָהַב — ahav | Verse 10 — “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness…” | Love | Ahav (“love”) expresses divine affection (love). God recalls Israel’s early devotion. The term frames judgment within love. — C. F. Keil, Minor Prophets (1866) |
| פָּרָה — parah | Verse 11 — “Ephraim…their glory shall fly away…” | Be fruitful | Parah (“be fruitful”) undergirds Israel’s calling (fruitful). Rebellion reverses fruitfulness. The term contrasts blessing with barrenness. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary (1884) |
| גּוּר — gur | Verse 3 — “they shall not dwell in the LORD’s land…” | Sojourn | Gur (“sojourn”) indicates vulnerable dwelling (sojourn). Loss of land marks covenant curse. The term stresses instability. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon (1857) |
| שָׂרָה — sarah | Verse 15 — “all their wickedness is in Gilgal…” | Contend, persist | Sarah (“contend”) exposes stubborn sin (contend/persist). Gilgal symbolizes hardened rebellion. The term intensifies moral indictment. — S. R. Driver, OT Literature (1891) |
| שָׁחַת — shachat | Verse 9 — “the days of visitation are come…” | Corrupt, destroy | Shachat (“ruin/corrupt”) denotes moral destruction (corrupt). Israel’s sin invites divine visitation. The term shows decay leading to judgment. — Franz Delitzsch, OT Commentary (1884) |
| פָּקַד — paqad | Verse 7 — “the days of visitation…” | Visit, punish | Paqad (“visit/punish”) implies divine intervention (visit). God’s visitation brings justice, not blessing. The term introduces judgment imagery. — C. F. Keil, Minor Prophets Commentary (1866) |
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar (Institution & Dates) | Work | View on Chapter 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Hugo Gressmann (University of Leipzig, 1864–1935) | Die Eschatologie der israelitischen Propheten | The chapter depicts the certainty of exile as a consequence of unfaithfulness. |
| Franz Delitzsch (University of Leipzig, 1813–1890) | Biblischer Commentar über das Buch Hosea | Delitzsch emphasizes the moral and theological reasons behind the impending punishment. |
| Bernhard Duhm (University of Göttingen/Berlin, 1847–1928) | Das Buch Hosea | The text portrays Israel’s failure to heed prophetic warnings, leading to divine discipline. |
| Karl Budde (University of Strasbourg, 1850–1935) | Die Weisheit des Alten Testaments | Budde notes the literary depiction of exile as both a warning and a call to reflection. |
| Charles Foster Kent (Yale University, 1867–1925) | The Book of Hosea: Introduction and Commentary | Kent highlights the intertwining of social, political, and spiritual consequences. |
Hosea 9: God accepts your life before your offering.
Meaning verse: Hosea 9:4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted:
for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.
It became known that God did not find the Israelites' offerings to be pleasing, therefore He rejected them. They erred and disobeyed His rules, which is why this sacrifice was unacceptable to God. As a result, their offering has lost all significance in God's sight.
What's Next? Read Our Bible Verses About Life With Purpose and Encouragement
This is not the only instance in the Bible that God rejected offerings from people due to their abominable attitudes. King Saul, Cain, Ananias, and Sapphira are a few other cases that come to mind. The significance of this is that only offerings from lives that He has accepted are acceptable to God. And what is the requirement for having a life that is accepted? It involves living by His instructions and moving in whatever direction He commands. You then can make an acceptable sacrifice. Your life must be accepted first, before your offering.
What's Next? Get A Piano Lesson in Houston or Online from The Alive Christians' School of Music
