Hosea 7:7 kjv
They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
Hosea 7:7 nkjv
They are all hot, like an oven, And have devoured their judges; All their kings have fallen. None among them calls upon Me.
Hosea 7:7 niv
All of them are hot as an oven; they devour their rulers. All their kings fall, and none of them calls on me.
Hosea 7:7 esv
All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls upon me.
Hosea 7:7 nlt
Burning like an oven,
they consume their leaders.
They kill their kings one after another,
and no one cries to me for help.
Hosea 7 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 7:1 | When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria | Restoration contrasted with iniquity |
| Psalm 5:5 | The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all workers of lawlessness. | God's hatred for the wicked |
| Psalm 7:11 | God is a righteous judge, and a God who shows indignation every day. | God's righteous anger |
| Psalm 73:18 | Surely you lay them in slippery places; you cast them down into destruction. | The downfall of the wicked |
| Proverbs 1:10-11 | My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood... | The allure of sin leading to ruin |
| Proverbs 1:15-16 | Do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their path, for their feet rush to evil and they are eager to shed blood. | Consequences of following sinful paths |
| Isaiah 5:11 | Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may pursue strong drink, who stay up late at night till wine inflames them! | The corrupting influence of indulgence |
| Isaiah 5:12 | Their feasts are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute and wine, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or have consideration for the works of his hands. | Disregard for God's actions |
| Isaiah 9:15 | The elders and the honored man are the head, and the prophets who teach lies are the tail. | Corruption in leadership |
| Jeremiah 5:26 | Among my people are found wicked men; they lie in wait, as a fowler lies in wait into a snare. They set a trap; they catch men. | Sinful traps set by men |
| Jeremiah 5:27 | Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and have enriched themselves. | Deceit filling their houses |
| Jeremiah 14:18 | If I go out to the field, behold, those slain by the sword! And if I enter the city, behold, those sick with famine! For the prophets also protest no more, and my priests were also defiled, and they did violence to my law. | Devastation and corrupted priesthood |
| Ezekiel 22:23-24 | The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed, not rained upon in the day of indignation.’ ... | God's judgment on a corrupt land |
| Ezekiel 22:27 | Her princes in her midst are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, to destroy lives, to get dishonest gain. | Corrupt princes like wolves |
| Amos 3:11 | Therefore the Lord GOD says: Disaster is near, both round about the land! They will bring down your might from you, and your strongholds will be plundered. | Impending disaster |
| Amos 5:10 | They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks truthfully. | Hatred for reproof |
| Amos 5:12 | For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the gate. | Sins of the nation |
| Amos 6:1-3 | Woe to those who are complacent in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria... You have dismissed the day of disaster and brought near the seat of violence. | Complacency leading to disaster |
| Amos 6:11 | For behold, the LORD commands, and he will strike the great house with breaches, and the small house with clefts. | Divine judgment on houses |
| Zephaniah 1:12 | At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men who are settled on their dregs, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’ | Punishment for spiritual apathy |
| Malachi 4:1 | “For behold, the day is coming, burned as a furnace, and all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branches. | The coming day of burning |
Hosea 7 verses
Hosea 7 7 Meaning
The verse describes Israel as a furnace raging, consuming their leaders. This is a metaphor for divine judgment, where the fire of God's wrath intensifies and devours those in authority, causing destruction and widespread ruin.
Hosea 7 7 Context
Hosea 7 is set in the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of great moral and spiritual decay. The nation is depicted as a faithless wife, unfaithful to her covenant with God. They are relying on foreign alliances, particularly with Egypt, instead of trusting in the Lord. This chapter details their corrupted worship, political scheming, and internal injustice, all of which draw God's judgment. Verse 7 specifically highlights the consequence of their corruption: their leaders, the very ones who should be guiding them, are consumed by internal strife and divine wrath, symbolized as a raging furnace. This internal decay weakens them, making them vulnerable to external destruction, which eventually came through the Assyrian empire.
Hosea 7 7 Word Analysis
- he: Hebrew: hēmmâ (הֵמָּה). Refers to "they," indicating the men or princes of Israel.
- was: Hebrew: hāyâ (הָיָה). "Became" or "was." Indicates a state or condition.
- even: Hebrew: kĕrĕ’šâ (כְּרַעַשׁ). Suggests "like" or "as." Implies a comparison of the manner of their burning.
- in: Hebrew: bĕ (בְּ). Preposition indicating "in" or "within."
- the: Hebrew: ha (הַ). Definite article.
- midst: Hebrew: qereb (קֶרֶב). "Middle," "inner part," "midst." Refers to the center or among them.
- of: Hebrew: mi (מִ). Preposition "from."
- his: Hebrew: yĕhowāh (יְהוָה) - here referring to God, "the LORD."
- his: Possessive pronoun indicating ownership or relation to God.
- heat: Hebrew: qĕ Ahab (קְדָּחָה). "Heat," "burning," "fierceness." Relates to intense, destructive heat or anger.
Words Group Analysis:
- "their princes in their midst": This phrase points to the leadership of Israel being corrupted from within. The issue is not external but internal rot among those who should be upright. This is a recurring theme in prophetic literature, condemning the spiritual and moral failure of those in power.
- "a furnace raged": The metaphor of a furnace vividly portrays intense heat and consuming fire. In biblical imagery, fire often represents judgment, purification, or God's consuming wrath against sin. This "furnace" represents the judgment being enacted upon Israel.
- "they burned the princes among them": This combination highlights that the agents of their destruction are not necessarily outside forces but perhaps their own internal conflicts fueled by God's judgment, or God directly acting against their leaders for their wickedness. It signifies a self-destructive element, amplified by divine displeasure, that consumes their leadership.
Hosea 7 7 Bonus Section
The imagery of a furnace reflects God's sovereignty in judgment. Just as a potter uses a furnace to shape and refine, or to destroy, God uses His judgment. For the wicked, it is a consuming fire. This passage contrasts sharply with God's desire to heal Israel mentioned earlier in Hosea, emphasizing how persistent sin leads to severe, destructive intervention. The phrase "they burned" implies agency, possibly meaning the princes were consumed by their own inner corruptions and quarrels (fueled by God's wrath) or that God Himself is the one causing their consumption.
Hosea 7 7 Commentary
The verse vividly portrays divine judgment falling upon the leadership of Israel. Their sin has not gone unnoticed; God's "furnace" of wrath is active, and it is specifically targeting the "princes," the ones in positions of authority and influence. This indicates that the consequences of sin often begin with the leadership, which sets the moral tone for the nation. Their corrupt practices, scheming, and rejection of God's ways have brought them to a point where they are consumed by God's righteous anger. This destruction among the leaders serves as a stark warning to the entire nation about the severity of their covenant unfaithfulness and the inevitable consequences of turning away from the Lord.