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

This verse describes the culmination of Israel's sinful behavior, which is depicted as a "baking" process where their rulers "baking" their plots. The image suggests an intentional, fervent, and complete development of wicked schemes by the leaders, leading to their eventual judgment. The constant "baking" implies a continuous, active engagement in their sinfulness without respite.

Hosea 7 5 Context

Hosea chapter 7 continues the prophecy against the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The preceding verses detail various specific sins: idolatry, adulterous affections towards foreign gods and nations, and the lack of remembrance of God. Verse 5 serves as a summary and intensifying statement regarding the rulers. It points to their ingrained corruption, characterized by excessive drinking and pride. This decadence among the leadership is presented as a significant factor contributing to the nation's downfall, making them vulnerable to foreign powers and divine judgment. Historically, this period saw political instability and repeated alliances with foreign powers, often accompanied by a moral and spiritual decline among the elite.

Hosea 7 5 Word Analysis

• "All" (כֹּל - kol): Emphasizes universality and completeness within the group of rulers. No leader is exempted from this condemnation.

• "our" (אֲנַ֤חְנוּ - anachnu): This possessive pronoun indicates a sense of shared responsibility and perhaps a rhetorical device by the prophet to speak from the perspective of the people or even the sinning leadership, highlighting the pervasive nature of the sin within Israel.

• "rulers" (שָׂרִים - sarim): Refers to princes, commanders, or chiefs; the governing and influential elite of Israel.

• "grew sick" (חָֽלָ֕וּ - chaluy): From the root חלה (chalah), meaning to be sick, weak, faint, or diseased. It implies a debilitating condition, a moral and spiritual sickness that weakens their ability to govern justly. This sickness is brought on by their indulgence.

• "with wine" (בַּיַּ֚יִן - bayayin): Directly attributes their sickness to wine, symbolizing intoxication, revelry, and the reckless abandonment of responsibility that accompanies excessive drinking. It speaks of debauchery.

• "the prince of dealers" (שַׂ֣ר לְֽשָׁלַּ֗ח - sar leshalach): This phrase is complex. "Sar" is again prince or chief. "Leshalach" can mean sending, to send away, or to contract/bargain. The connection to dealers and the context of bribery or corrupt deals is strongly suggested by commentaries and the flow of thought. It refers to the ruler who engages in corrupt transactions or possibly one who is prone to making hasty or bad decisions when sent forth, like an envoy who succumbs to worldly pleasures. It can also be understood as a leader involved in plotting schemes to send away or betray.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "our rulers grew sick with wine": This idiom powerfully links political corruption and moral decay to excessive consumption of wine. The rulers are not just indulging; they are incapacitated by their indulgence, making them weak and incompetent leaders. Their "sickness" is a result of their sinful lifestyle.

Hosea 7 5 Bonus Section

The Hebrew word for "wine" (יַ֚יִן - yayin) appears frequently in the Old Testament. While wine could be used for celebration and religious rites (Deuteronomy 14:26), its misuse is consistently condemned as a source of moral and social decay, particularly among leaders. This verse echoes the warnings in Proverbs about the dangers of drunkenness (Proverbs 20:1) and the specific woes pronounced in Isaiah against those consumed by wine (Isaiah 5:11, 5:22). The concept of leaders being "sick with wine" points to a loss of sound judgment and an openness to evil, a recurring theme in prophetic warnings.

Hosea 7 5 Commentary

Hosea declares that all of Israel's leaders were afflicted by a profound sickness, directly caused by their addiction to wine. This indulgence in strong drink rendered them foolish, reckless, and incapable of proper leadership. They were spiritually and morally unwell, prone to drunken stupor and the pursuit of wicked schemes. The leadership's degeneracy was a critical factor in Israel's societal breakdown, contributing to their vulnerability to external enemies and their inevitable divine judgment. The prophet highlights this self-inflicted malady as a manifestation of their deep-seated apostasy.