Hosea 5:12 kjv
Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
Hosea 5:12 nkjv
Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth, And to the house of Judah like rottenness.
Hosea 5:12 niv
I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rot to the people of Judah.
Hosea 5:12 esv
But I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like dry rot to the house of Judah.
Hosea 5:12 nlt
I will destroy Israel as a moth consumes wool.
I will make Judah as weak as rotten wood.
Hosea 5 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 5:12 | "For I am like a moth to Ephraim and like dry rot to the house of Judah." | Hosea 5:12 (Verse itself) |
| Psalm 39:11 | "When you rebuke and correct a man because of sin, you consume him like a moth, though firm is his strength." | Psalm 39:11 (Consumption by God's rebuke) |
| Job 4:19 | "how much less in those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust! They are crushed like a moth." | Job 4:19 (Frailty and destruction) |
| Isaiah 50:9 | "Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up." | Isaiah 50:9 (God's protection against accusers, linked to moth imagery) |
| Matthew 6:19-20 | "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal..." | Matthew 6:19-20 (Earthly treasures are perishable) |
| 1 Corinthians 3:17 | "...if anyone defiles the temple of God, him God will destroy. For the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple." | 1 Corinthians 3:17 (Divine destruction for defiling God's temple) |
| Deuteronomy 28:30 | "You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it..." | Deuteronomy 28:30 (Consequences of disobedience, loss of possessions) |
| Leviticus 26:36 | "And those of you who are left shall be suffer their iniquity in the land of your enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall put them to flight..." | Leviticus 26:36 (Fear and demoralization as a consequence of sin) |
| Psalm 38:5 | "My iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy weight they are too heavy for me." | Psalm 38:5 (Weight and pervasiveness of sin) |
| Amos 8:2 | "And he said, 'An oracle from the LORD.' And he said, 'Amos, what do you see?' And I said, 'A basket of summer fruit.' Then the LORD said to me, 'The end has come upon my people Israel; I will not pass by them again.'" | Amos 8:2 (Prophetic pronouncement of Israel's end) |
| Jeremiah 22:28 | "Has this man thekipun? a vessel despised and broken? Or a coveted vessel? Why are they cast away, he and his descendants, and cast into a land that they do not know?" | Jeremiah 22:28 (Metaphor of a broken vessel) |
| 1 Kings 14:10 | "therefore thus says the LORD, behold, I will bring disaster upon this house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, bond or free, in Israel..." | 1 Kings 14:10 (Divine judgment upon a sinful house) |
| Romans 1:23 | "...and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." | Romans 1:23 (Idolatry leading to spiritual decay) |
| Psalm 115:4-8 | "Their idols are silver and gold, a work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear; they have noses, but do not smell; they have hands, but do not feel; they have feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them, so do they who trust in them." | Psalm 115:4-8 (Idolatry renders people like their lifeless idols) |
| Romans 11:7 | "What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened." | Romans 11:7 (Spiritual blindness and hardening) |
| Hosea 4:16 | "For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer. Now the LORD will let them graze like a lamb in a broad pasture." | Hosea 4:16 (Stubbornness leading to being surrendered to consequence) |
| 1 Peter 5:8 | "Be sober-minded; be vigilant. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." | 1 Peter 5:8 (Spiritual vulnerability to destruction) |
| Proverbs 22:5 | "Thorns and traps are in the way of the crooked path; whoever guards his life will keep far from them." | Proverbs 22:5 (Dangers of sin and crookedness) |
| Psalm 73:18-19 | "Truly you set them in slippery places; you lay them in ruins. How they are suddenly brought to nothing, swept away by terrors!" | Psalm 73:18-19 (Sudden destruction of the wicked) |
| Hosea 7:10 | "The pride of Israel testifies against him, and they do not return to the LORD their God or seek him, for all this." | Hosea 7:10 (Pride as a reason for not returning to God) |
| Ezekiel 13:11 | "...say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall..." | Ezekiel 13:11 (Judgment against false security/prophecy) |
Hosea 5 verses
Hosea 5 12 Meaning
This verse describes the judgment of God upon Israel, specifically likening their spiritual sickness to moths and rot. Their wealth and strength are ultimately consumed by divine retribution, reflecting their spiritual decay and disobedience.
Hosea 5 12 Context
Hosea chapter 5 continues the prophetic message of judgment against Israel and Judah for their spiritual adultery and idolatry. The prophet highlights their reliance on false gods and their turning away from the LORD. This verse is a powerful metaphor for the impending destruction and desolation that will befall the nation due to their deep-seated sin. It underscores God's intention to dismantle their false security and expose their inherent weakness. The house of Judah is also included, indicating the widespread apostasy affecting both kingdoms.
Hosea 5 12 Word Analysis
- Ki (כִּי): "For" or "Because." Introduces the reason or explanation for what was stated previously, in this case, the divine action to be taken against them.
- Anochi (אָנֹכִי): "I." The personal pronoun of God, emphasizing His direct involvement and pronouncement of judgment.
- Kə- (כְּ): "Like" or "As." Introduces a simile, comparing God's action to the destructive forces of nature that target weak points.
- Smollet (שָׁמְלִי): "My moth." The word is unique to this passage and likely a denominative from a root meaning "moth." It personifies the destructive element as originating from God, illustrating a slow, insidious, and thorough consumption.
- La-Ephrayim (לְאֶפְרָיִם): "to Ephraim." Refers to the northern kingdom of Israel, the dominant entity at the time, personified by its capital Samaria or its king.
- Wə-Kə- (וּכְ): "And like." Connects the simile to Judah.
- Yəq (יָק): "Dry rot" or "consumption." Another unusual word, possibly related to a word for decay or to consume. It signifies an internal deterioration, an unseen process of ruin.
- Lə- (לְ): "to."
- Bayit (בֵּית): "House." Refers to the dwelling or lineage of Judah.
- Yəhûdâh (יְהוּדָה): "Judah." Refers to the southern kingdom.
Word Group Analysis:
- "Like a moth to Ephraim": This phrase vividly portrays God as an unseen, persistent force that slowly but surely devours Ephraim. A moth attacks fabric, weakening it from within, much like sin and idolatry were weakening the spiritual and national fabric of Israel.
- "and like dry rot to the house of Judah": This part likens God's judgment to dry rot, a condition that decays wood from the inside, leading to inevitable collapse. It signifies internal corruption within the house of Judah, making them susceptible to divine judgment.
Hosea 5 12 Bonus Section
The use of "moth" and "dry rot" is significant in that both represent a process of internal decay that leads to inevitable destruction. These are not external, forceful blows, but rather insidious processes of dissolution that start from within. This suggests that Israel and Judah had become spiritually unsound and internally weak due to their sin, making them ripe for judgment. The imagery highlights the destructive power of sin, not just on a personal level, but on a national and societal level as well, demonstrating how spiritual rot leads to total collapse.
Hosea 5 12 Commentary
God, speaking through Hosea, reveals Himself as the source of their impending destruction. He is not distant from their plight but is the agent of their ruin. This is a stark consequence of their turning away from Him. Their spiritual maladies, their misplaced trust, and their idolatry have rendered them fragile, like cloth eaten by moths or wood consumed by rot. God’s judgment will expose this internal decay, leading to their complete dissolution and ruin. It's a profound picture of how sin corrodes from within, making individuals and nations vulnerable to divine consequences. Their strength is illusory, their foundation unsound.