Hosea 6:7-2

The Sinfulness Of Israel/Ephraim Is Totally Exposed And Judah Is Briefly Warned Of What Will Come On Them As Well (Hosea 6:7 to Hosea 7:2).

The sinfulness of Israel is now exposed commencing from Gilead (Hosea 6:8), and moving through Shechem (Hosea 6:9) to Samaria (Hosea 7:1). They are revealed as covenant breakers (seen as a gross sin in those days) and murderers (Hosea 6:7), their priests are exposed as murderers, highway robbers and perpetrators of ‘mischief or ‘heinous crime' (Hosea 6:8), the house of Israel is found to be guilty of ‘whoredom', both literal and spiritual, and Samaria is described as a place of ‘wickedness' where falsehood abounds, theft is commonplace, and bandits await any who leave the city. But what they overlook is that YHWH remembers all their wickedness, and that what they do so gathers round them as a spectacle that it is openly apparent before the face of YHWH.

And this occurs despite YHWH's desire to restore them (Hosea 6:11 to Hosea 7:1 a), a desire which proves futile because it only helps to reveal their sinfulness. Judah also are warned in a brief aside that they too have a harvest of judgment to reap (compare Matthew 13:30 for the idea of a harvest of judgment).

Analysis of Hosea 6:7 to Hosea 7:2.

a But they like Adam (or ‘like men') have transgressed the covenant. There have they dealt treacherously against me (Hosea 6:7).

b Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity, it is stained with blood (Hosea 6:8).

c And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way towards Shechem. Yes, they have committed mischief (Hosea 6:9).

d In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing, there whoredom is found in Ephraim (Hosea 6:10 a).

e Israel is defiled (Hosea 6:10 b).

f Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you (Hosea 6:11 a).

e In my bringing back the captivity of my people, when I would heal Israel (Hosea 6:11 to Hosea 7:1 a).

d Then is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria (Hosea 7:1 b).

c For they commit falsehood, and the thief enters in, and the troop of robbers ravages without (Hosea 7:1 c).

b And they consider not in their hearts, that I remember all their wickedness (Hosea 7:2 a).

a Now have their own doings beset them about, they are before my face (Hosea 7:2 b).

Note that in ‘a' they have, like Adam, transgressed God's covenant, and have dealt treacherously against Him, and in the parallel their own doings beset them about, and they are ‘before His face' (compare how though Adam hid ‘from the face of YHWH' in Genesis 3:8, he too had necessarily been ‘before His face'). In ‘b' the iniquity of Gilead is revealed, and in the parallel their wickedness is remembered by God. In ‘c' the priests are like troops of robbers, and they commit ‘indecency', and in the parallel a troop of robbers ravages without, and Ephraim commit falsehood. In ‘d' whoredom is found in Ephraim, and in the parallel the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered. In ‘e' Israel is defiled, and in the parallel YHWH desired to heal Israel from her defilement. Centrally in ‘f' a harvest of judgment is also appointed for Judah.