Hosea Chapter 9 Breakdown

1 Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples, For you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor.

Israel should not rejoice with the other gentiles of the nations they have been scattered into. The house of Israel has not been faithful to YHWH. Israel has loved sinning against YHWH on the floors of barns.

2 The threshing floor and the winepress Shall not feed them, And the new wine shall fail in her.

Without realizing these false gods will not feed them. The new wine will not satisfy them.

3 They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land, But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, And shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

The House of Israel will not remain living in the land of Israel, but they will be scattered. Some will find themselves in Egypt, others will turn up in Assyria. They will eat what YHWH has called unclean. This is quite interesting to me considering the prophecy says the House of Israel will eat unclean animals, and many believers today argue tooth and nail that it is okay to eat what YHWH has called unclean.

4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, Nor shall their sacrifices be pleasing to Him. It shall be like bread of mourners to them; All who eat it shall be defiled. For their bread shall be for their own life; It shall not come into the house of the Lord.

Israel will no longer give up wine offerings to YHWH, nor will any of their sacrifices be accepted. When they make their sacrifices, it will be considered done for idols and will be as unclean. They will not be allowed to bring their offerings into the Temple of YHWH.

5 What will you do in the appointed day, And in the day of the feast of the Lord?

So, what will Israel do during the feast days of YHWH?

6 For indeed they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver; Thorns shall be in their tents.

Israel is gone into destruction. Egypt has gathered them up, Memphis buries them. They will lose their valuables in the wilderness. Thorns will grow through their tents.  

7 The days of punishment have come; The days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, The spiritual man is insane, Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity.

Israel’s punishment of being scattered has come. They will now fulfill the prophecy for breaking the Law of YHWH.

Leviticus 26:27-33

‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you. I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas. I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it. I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.

All this is exactly what we have been reading is happing to Israel. It is prophecy fulfilled.

8 The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways— Enmity in the house of his God.

There are watchmen in the House of Israel for YHWH, but the prophets set traps with bait, causing men to sin against YHWH.

9 They are deeply corrupted, As in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins.

The prophets are deeply corrupted. YHWH will remember their sin, and He will punish those sins.

10 “I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved.

Israel was something special, YHWH refers to them as grapes in the desert. However, the House of Israel turned their worship to Baal and separated themselves from YHWH. Now they are an abomination, just like the things they worship.

11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird— No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!

The House of Israel lost all their glory.

12 Though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!

YHWH will not be watching over the children of Ephraim, and will leave them. Woe to those children without YHWH.

13 Just as I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place, So Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.”

The House of Israel had been in a great location, but now they will kill their children, sacrifice them to idols.

14 Give them, O Lord— What will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb And dry breasts!

Hosea calls out for them to make their women miscarry and no longer be able to breast feed these children.

15 “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, For there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more. All their princes are rebellious.

Israel has become wicked and YHWH hates them for it. YHWH sends them out of His land. YHWH no longer shows love to them. Their leaders are all disobedient.

16 Ephraim is stricken, Their root is dried up; They shall bear no fruit. Yes, were they to bear children, I would kill the darlings of their womb.”

The House of Israel is troubled, the roots of their olive tree have dried up. They can no longer do good works. They will miscarry.

17 My God will cast them away, Because they did not obey Him; And they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Hosea says YHWH will scatter them, and throw them away. He does this because they do not keep His commandments. They will now be wanderers throughout the nations.