Hosea 5 5

Hosea 5:5 kjv

And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity: Judah also shall fall with them.

Hosea 5:5 nkjv

The pride of Israel testifies to his face; Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; Judah also stumbles with them.

Hosea 5:5 niv

Israel's arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them.

Hosea 5:5 esv

The pride of Israel testifies to his face; Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt; Judah also shall stumble with them.

Hosea 5:5 nlt

"The arrogance of Israel testifies against her;
Israel and Ephraim will stumble under their load of guilt.
Judah, too, will fall with them.

Hosea 5 verses

Hosea 5 5 meaning

The verse declares that the pervasive arrogance and self-sufficiency of Israel, particularly the dominant tribe Ephraim, serves as a direct indictment against them before God. This spiritual pride, which manifested in apostasy and reliance on foreign alliances rather than God, is the very cause leading to their inevitable collapse and defeat. Moreover, the Southern Kingdom of Judah, having similar tendencies towards unfaithfulness, is explicitly warned that it too will share in a similar divine judgment alongside Israel.

Hosea 5 5 Context

Hosea 5:5 stands within a prophetic pronouncement of divine judgment primarily against the Northern Kingdom of Israel (often called Ephraim due to its dominant tribe and capital). Hosea’s ministry predates Israel's fall to Assyria in 722 BC, during a time of moral decline, political instability, and pervasive idolatry. Chapter 5 begins with God’s indictment of the priests, the people, and the royal house for leading the nation into spiritual harlotry – abandoning Yahweh for Baal worship, foreign alliances, and corrupted religious practices. The previous verses described their refusal to return to God despite their afflictions, and the "spirit of harlotry" (5:4) preventing them. Verse 5 zeroes in on "pride" as a key manifestation and self-evident proof of their unfaithfulness, sealing their doom. It also broadens the warning to include Judah, indicating that similar sins would incur similar consequences, foreshadowing Judah’s later Babylonian exile.

Hosea 5 5 Word analysis

• And the pride of Israel (וְעָנָה גְאוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל - v'anah g'on yisrael)

  • וְעָנָה (v'anah): Meaning "to answer," "testify," "respond." Here, it signifies the act of bearing witness against oneself, personifying pride as an accuser. This emphasizes the undeniable nature of their guilt.
  • גְאוֹן (g'on): "Pride," "majesty," "arrogance," "haughtiness." While potentially positive when describing God's majesty, for humans it denotes sinful self-exaltation. In Hosea, it reflects Israel's confidence in its own strength, wealth, or political strategies instead of God, manifesting in idol worship and foreign alliances.
  • יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisrael): Refers specifically to the Northern Kingdom, the ten tribes. They are the primary subject of Hosea's prophecy concerning imminent judgment.

• testifies to his face (בְּפָנָיו - b'fanav)

  • "To his face," "against him," "in his presence." This phrase amplifies the directness and incontrovertibility of the accusation. Israel's arrogant defiance is openly displayed, serving as undeniable and public evidence of their guilt.

• therefore Israel and Ephraim (וְכָשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶפְרַיִם - v'khashlu yisrael v'ephraim)

  • וְכָשְׁלוּ (v'khashlu): "And they shall fall," "stumble," "fail." This verb indicates utter defeat, often military, implying a complete national collapse. It signifies a divine judgment causing their downfall from their position.
  • יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisrael) וְאֶפְרַיִם (v'ephraim): This serves as repetition and specification. "Israel" broadly denotes the kingdom. "Ephraim" specifically names the dominant tribe (and territory of the capital, Samaria) and acts as a common prophetic synonym for the entire Northern Kingdom, reinforcing the pervasive nature of their apostasy and judgment across the populace and leadership.

• shall fall in their iniquity (בַּעֲוֹנָם - ba'avonam)

  • בַּעֲוֹנָם (ba'avonam): "In their iniquity," "because of their sin/guilt." The prefix "ba" (בְּ) indicates cause. This phrase unequivocally states the reason for their fall: it is not random but a direct consequence of their collective wickedness and guilt before God, encompassing idolatry, social injustice, and covenant unfaithfulness. Avon covers both the moral fault and its deserved punishment.

• Judah also shall fall with them (גַּם יְהוּדָה כָּשְׁלָה עִמָּם - gam y'hudah kashlah immam)

  • גַּם (gam): "Also," "even." This conjunction extends the warning and judgment. It serves as a stern reminder to the Southern Kingdom that its distinct status does not grant exemption from similar consequences if it persists in similar pride and sin.
  • יְהוּדָה (y'hudah): The Southern Kingdom, encompassing the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with Jerusalem as its capital.
  • כָּשְׁלָה (kashlah): "Shall fall," from the same root as the earlier "they shall fall," but feminine singular, agreeing with "Judah." It confirms a similar fate of defeat and downfall.
  • עִמָּם (immam): "With them," "alongside them." Emphasizes a shared destiny of judgment due to shared transgression, despite distinct historical timing for their respective exiles.

Hosea 5 5 Bonus section

The Hebrew word v'anah ("testifies" or "answers") in this context carries the legal weight of self-incrimination, as if Israel’s pride itself becomes the undeniable evidence presented in a divine court. This demonstrates the objective and unavoidable nature of God's judgment based on visible realities. The choice of "pride" (גְאוֹן) over more explicit sins underscores that arrogance and self-sufficiency are root causes, fueling the abandonment of God and the adoption of false practices. The prophecy was remarkably fulfilled: Israel fell to Assyria, and though Judah survived longer, it too succumbed to Babylon for its pride and unfaithfulness, validating the prophetic word against both kingdoms.

Hosea 5 5 Commentary

Hosea 5:5 delivers a potent indictment against the Northern Kingdom. Their deeply ingrained pride—a blend of self-sufficiency, defiant idolatry, and misguided reliance on political maneuvers—is so profound and public that it acts as a personal witness condemning them before God. This self-incriminating pride directly causes their national downfall, emphasizing that their coming defeat is not an external misfortune but an internal collapse stemming from spiritual apostasy. By specifically naming Ephraim, the prophecy underscores the pervasiveness of this corruption across their leadership and population. Crucially, the warning extends to Judah, highlighting that despite its relative stability or special status, it is not immune to God’s justice. If Judah mimics Israel's pride and unfaithfulness, it too will share in a similar judgment, fulfilling the divine principle that unrepentant sin inevitably leads to severe consequences. The verse underscores God's consistent justice and the unbreakable link between national spiritual health and national destiny.