Hosea 7 5

Hosea 7:5 kjv

In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

Hosea 7:5 nkjv

In the day of our king Princes have made him sick, inflamed with wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers.

Hosea 7:5 niv

On the day of the festival of our king the princes become inflamed with wine, and he joins hands with the mockers.

Hosea 7:5 esv

On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with mockers.

Hosea 7:5 nlt

On royal holidays, the princes get drunk with wine,
carousing with those who mock them.

Hosea 7 verses

Hosea 7 5 meaning

Hosea 7:5 describes the moral depravity and failed leadership within Israel's royal court during a national celebration. On an important day commemorating their king, the officials, possibly including the king himself, succumb to excessive consumption of wine, leading to physical sickness and impaired judgment. Further illustrating this moral decay, the king aligns himself with and participates alongside ungodly mockers and scoffers, signifying a public endorsement of wickedness and a profound departure from the righteous standards expected of the nation's leaders under God's covenant.

Hosea 7 5 Context

Hosea chapter 7 specifically highlights Israel's pervasive moral and spiritual decay, despite God's desire to heal them. It paints a picture of systemic corruption that permeates all levels of society, from the common people to the highest echelons of leadership. The nation of Ephraim (Northern Kingdom of Israel) is characterized by political instability—with kings rapidly succeeding one another, often through assassination—and a futile reliance on foreign alliances rather than turning back to Yahweh. Verse 5 zeroes in on the royal court, showcasing how this deep-seated spiritual apostasy manifested in reckless personal conduct and the complete dereliction of duty among the nation's rulers. Historically, during this period, Israel experienced immense political turmoil and moral decline, leading them further away from their covenant obligations.

Hosea 7 5 Word analysis

• בְּיֹ֣ום (bə·yōm) "On the day of": This indicates a specific, scheduled, or significant occasion. It implies a national event, likely a celebration associated with royalty. The use of a definite "the day" emphasizes its known and recognized nature.

• מַלְכֵּ֗נוּ (mal·ḵê·nu) "our king": The Hebrew "melech" (מֶלֶךְ) for 'king' combined with the first-person plural possessive suffix "nu" (נוּ) signifies a communal, national leader. This highlights that the festivities were tied to their earthly king, possibly overlooking or disregarding their true Divine King.

• הֶחֱל֞וּ (he·ḥĕ·lū) "became sick": From the Hebrew root חָלָה (ḥālāh), meaning to be weak, to be ill, or to be diseased. It denotes a physical consequence, literally sickening from overconsumption. Metaphorically, it can imply a spiritual or moral sickness affecting the nation's core.

• שָׂרִ֣ים (śā·rîm) "officials": The term 'sarim' (שָׂרִים) refers to princes, chiefs, or leading officers. These were the governmental and societal leaders, entrusted with upholding justice and moral order. Their sickness indicates a widespread failure of responsibility among the ruling class.

• חֲמַ֣ת (ḥa·maṯ) "heat of": Derived from חֵמָה (ḥemah), meaning 'heat', 'burning rage', 'wrath', or even 'poison'. While primarily referring to the intense effect or strength of the wine here, the alternate meanings subtly suggest that the wine itself contained an element of wrath or spiritual poison leading to their condition.

• יַ֗יִן (ya·yin) "wine": The common Hebrew term for fermented grape juice. While wine could be used in celebratory or sacred contexts, its excessive use here turns it into an instrument of debauchery and moral decay, stripping away decorum and judgment.

• מָשַׁ֤ךְ (mā·šaḵ) "he stretched out": From the Hebrew verb מָשַׁךְ (māshaḵ), which means to draw, drag, prolong, or extend. This action suggests an intentional reach or gesture. It could mean extending a hand to offer wine, inviting participation, or joining in. The subject "he" most likely refers to the king, or possibly one of the key officials acting in a representative capacity.

• יָדֹו֙ (yā·ḏōw) "his hand": The use of 'hand' often symbolizes action, power, or fellowship. Stretching out the hand signifies a deliberate, personal involvement in the activities described.

• עִם־לֹצְזִֽים׃ (ʿim-lō·ṣə·zîm) "with mockers/scoffers": The Hebrew "lōts" (לֵץ) refers to a scorner or mocker—individuals who deride wisdom, piety, and the ways of God. To "stretch out his hand with mockers" signifies a willing association, partnership, or even shared scorn with those who reject divine truth and righteousness.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "On the day of our king": This phrase immediately sets a significant stage. A royal celebration, which should be a time for upholding national honor and order, instead becomes the backdrop for gross misconduct, indicating how deeply corruption had penetrated Israel's leadership.
  • "the officials became sick with the heat of wine": This vivid imagery portrays complete self-indulgence and physical incapacitation. The leaders, who were to provide guidance and stability, are shown to be weak, uncontrolled, and irresponsible, rendered unfit for their duties by their own excesses.
  • "he stretched out his hand with mockers": This powerfully illustrates the moral descent of the king or leading official. To join in fellowship with "mockers" means abandoning the path of wisdom and aligning oneself with those who despise righteousness, thereby setting a corrupt example for the entire nation.

Hosea 7 5 Bonus section

• The phrase "day of our king" could signify a number of specific annual celebrations: the anniversary of his ascension to the throne, his birthday, or perhaps a significant feast tied to an alliance treaty with a foreign power. These feasts were often accompanied by revelry.
• The repetition of internal struggle and political chaos throughout Hosea (e.g., assassinations of kings) lends a deeper historical layer to this "day of our king," suggesting such events were also fertile grounds for political intrigue and unrest fueled by drunkenness.
• The Hebrew concept of "lōts" (mocker) is deeply embedded in the Wisdom Literature, particularly Proverbs. Scoffers are consistently presented as the antithesis of the wise and righteous, rejecting instruction and inviting judgment. For the king to associate with such individuals directly implies his rejection of the wisdom that should govern a monarch.
• This scene not only highlights the king's personal moral failure but also implies the breakdown of royal decorum and the spiritual guardianship a king was expected to provide for his people, effectively modeling apostasy.

Hosea 7 5 Commentary

Hosea 7:5 vividly captures the profound spiritual and moral decay within the Northern Kingdom of Israel. On what should have been a day of solemnity or honorable celebration for "our king," the nation's leaders—the king and his officials—plunged into excessive feasting and drinking, to the point of incapacitating sickness. This demonstrates a leadership utterly devoid of self-control, sound judgment, and devotion to God's law. Even more critically, the king is depicted as extending his hand "with mockers"—individuals who scoff at divine wisdom and righteous living. This indicates a deliberate choice to align with ungodliness, validating the behavior of those who disdain God's ways. The verse highlights not merely individual failures but a systemic corruption at the very top, where national celebrations devolved into drunken orgies and the king became complicit in mockery, ensuring that divine judgment was deserved and inevitable upon a people whose leaders had so thoroughly abandoned their sacred trust.