Hosea 8

Hosea 8:1

Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD.

Call the people to war. The Assyrian enemy shall come, like an eagle, against the professed Church of God, the people of Israel.

Hosea 8:2

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

Israel shall feignedly cry unto me, and challenge favour from me; and say, My God, we make profession of thy name.

Hosea 8:4

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.

They have set up kings, but, ever since their defection, I have had no hand in the appointment of them; for they have not been of the seed of David, which I have chosen, but men of their own designing: and, as they have made princes, so they have made gods, to themselves; for, of their silver and gold have they made them idols, as if they had aimed at nothing else, but their own destruction.

Hosea 8:5

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

O Samaria, the chief city of Israel, the calf, which thou hast made and worshipped, hath failed thee, and left thee miserable: mine anger is justly kindled against those idolaters: how long will it be, ere they bethink themselves of their wicked ways, and attain to their former innocency?

Hosea 8:6

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.

The Israelites did not receive it from the Gentiles, but they themselves made it; and, since it was of their making, it cannot be God: no; it is nothing but mere metal, and shall be used accordingly, for it shall be broken in pieces.

Hosea 8:7

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.

And as for them, they shall even reap, as they have sown: they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind; they have trusted to vanity, and they shall receive loss and disappointment: a famine shall come upon them: the grain, that they have sown, shall yield no stalk; or, if it have a stalk, yet that stalk shall yield no ear; or, if an ear, yet that ear shall yield no substance of meal; or, if it do yield any, the strangers, their enemies, shall swallow it up.

Hosea 8:8

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

Israel is now swallowed up of their heathenish enemies: now shall they be to the Gentiles as broken vessels, that are put to base uses.

Hosea 8:9

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

For they are gone up to Assyria, to seek for help; like a wild ass, that wanders alone by himself, in a dry desert, to seek that water, which he cannot find: Israel hath sent out to solicit and hire confederates.

Hosea 8:10

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.

But, though they have hired abettors among the nations, yet will I fetch them up together, to a common destruction; and they shall now sorrow, too late, for the charge of that tribute, that was raised upon them to pay to the great king of Assyria.

Hosea 8:11

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

Because Israel hath set up many altars in Dan and Beth-el and other high places, to sin in their idolatrous devotions, those altars of theirs shall be unto them, both an occasion of their sinning, and a motive of my just judgments.

Hosea 8:13

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.

They have made fair shews of religious services; they have presented me with their sacrifices, and have eaten the flesh of them, accordingly; but the Lord regardeth not these outward formalities: now he will rather remember their iniquity, and take account of their sins: they shall return to an Egyptian captivity.

Hosea 8:14

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.

For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and, contrary to his commandment, buildeth temples to their idols; and Judah, contrary to the command of the same God, hath multiplied fenced cities, as trusting in his own strength: but I will send the Assyrian as a fire upon the cities of Israel, and the Chaldean into the cities of Judah, and they shall consume and waste the palaces thereof.