Hosea 8

Chapter 8



1 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law.


2 Israel shall cry unto me, ‘My God, we know thee.’

Israel will only call out to God when all is lost and it is too late.

3 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.


4 They have set up kings, but not by Me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.


5 Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?

This is the calf made by Jeroboam when he took the kingdom from Solomon’s son Rehaboam. Israel is still worshiping it and pretending that God told them to.

6 For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.


7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

8 Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

Assyria will carry away Israel into a whole different country as slaves.

9 For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

Israel paid money to Assyria to protect them from Egypt. As a result Assyria will conquer them.

10 Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

Hiring a human nation as protection from the punishment of God is useless at best and in this case opened the door for God to use Assyria as the “spanking paddle” to punish them.

11 Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.


12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

Israel had flat refused to follow God’s law.

13 They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will He remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

This return to Egypt was a return to a bondage like they were under in the time of Moses. They would become slaves again because they had denied God.

14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

Nothing humans can do can protect them from God. Only humbleness and obedience to God can turn punishment aside.