Hosea 8

1 Put the ram’s horn [trumpet] to your lips! An eagle [like a bird of prey] looms over the house [dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], because the people have transgressed [broken away from] My covenant [promise] and rebelled [revolted] against My law [instruction, torah]. word study 2 Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] cries out [with a loud voice, to announce publicly] to Me, “O our God [Elohim, the one supreme God], we know [have learned, perceived, and acknowledged] You [as our Lord and Savior]!” word study 3 But Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] has rejected [cast off, given up] good [what is pleasant, beneficial, or pleasing]; an enemy [hater, adversary, one who opposes] will pursue [chase after, follow with hostile intent] him. word study 4 They set up kings [without my consent, not by Me], but not by Me [not with my approval]. They make princes [and I knew it not, without my knowledge], but without My approval [not with my sanction]. With their silver [money, wealth] and gold [a valuable metal] they make themselves idols [idolatrous images, objects of worship], to their own destruction [that they may be cut off, leading to their downfall]. word study 5 He has [completely] rejected [cast off, thrown away] your calf [idol, young ox], O Samaria [watch mountain, capital of Israel]. My anger [strong emotion, furious] burns [is kindled, ablaze] against them. How long [until when, for how much time] will they be [remain, continue to be] incapable [unable, powerless] of innocence [purity, moral cleanness]? word study 6 For this thing is from Israel [originating from the descendants of Jacob]— a craftsman [skilled artificer, maker of idols] made it, and it is not [lacking the nature of] God [Elohim, the supreme Being]. It will be broken to pieces [shattered into fragments], that calf [young bull, idol] of Samaria [the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel]. word study 7 For they sow [planting the wind, trying to reap a benefit] the wind, and they shall reap [gather, harvest] the whirlwind [a hurricane or storm]. There is no [nothing, an absence of] standing grain [mature crops, growth]; what sprouts [a new branch or shoot] fails to yield [produce, bring forth] flour [the kind used to make bread]. Even if it should produce [perhaps, if not], the foreigners [strangers, those who are not part of the community] would swallow it up [consume, destroy completely]. word study 8 Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] is swallowed up [completely destroyed, devoured]! Now [at this time, in this moment] they are among the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] like a worthless [useless, unpleasing] vessel [article, utensil, without delight or pleasure]. word study 9 For [because of this reason] they have gone up [ascended, risen] to Assyria [Asshur, the land of the Assyrians] like a wild [fierce] donkey [onager, a strong and solitary animal] on its own [alone, solitary, unguided]. Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel] has hired [paid for, employed] lovers [those who show affection, friends]. word study 10 Though they hire [pay for services, solicit support] allies [troops, mercenaries] among the nations [Gentile peoples, foreign countries], I will now [at this time, presently] round them up [gather, collect], and they will begin [start, initiate] to diminish [decline, decrease] under the oppression [burden, weight] of the king [ruler, sovereign] of princes [leaders, nobles]. word study 11 Though Ephraim [doubly fruitful, referring to Joseph’s son and the tribe] multiplied [to increase or grow, like a plant shooting up] the altars [places of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God] for sin [to miss the mark or go wrong, incurring guilt or penalty], they became his altars [places where they commit more sins] for sinning [to repent or make amends]. word study 12 Though I wrote [inscribed, recorded] for them the great [abundant, numerous] things of My law [instruction, Torah], they regarded [considered, deemed] them as something [a thing] strange [foreign, alien]. word study 13 Though they offer [as gifts, presents] sacrifices [flesh, animals] as gifts [offerings] to Me, and though they eat [consume, devour] the meat [flesh], the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] does not [lo, absolutely not] accept [ratza, be pleased with] them. Now [at this time, presently] He will remember [recall, bring to mind] their iniquity [moral evil, sin] and punish [visit, reckon] their sins [guilt, wrongdoing]: They [those men] will return [turn back, go back] to Egypt [the land of the Nile]. word study 14 Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants] has forgotten [to mislay or be oblivious to] his Maker [the one who created their nation] and built [established or constructed] palaces [temples or large public buildings]; Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob] has multiplied [increased or grown] its fortified [strongly defended or gathered] cities [towns or places with a wall]. But I will send [to depart or dispatch] fire [burning, flame] upon their cities [towns or places with a wall], and it will consume [eat or devour] their citadels [high palaces or fortresses]. word study