Hosea 7:3-7

The People And Their Kings Are Both Alike, Burning Hot In Their Sins, In Consequence Of Which Their Kings Are Assassinated One After The Other (Hosea 7:3).

Hosea now likens the people of Israel in their sins to a burning baker's oven which is overheated. They are hot after adultery, they are hot after injustice. And their kings and princes go along with them. Finally they are hot after their kings. But none of them call on YHWH.

Analysis of Hosea 7:3.

a They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies (Hosea 7:3).

b They are all adulterers (Hosea 7:4 a)

c They are as an oven heated by the baker, he ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened (Hosea 7:4 b).

d On the day of our king the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine, he stretched out his hand with scoffers (Hosea 7:5).

c For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait, their baker sleeps all the night, in the morning it burns as a flaming fire (Hosea 7:6).

b They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges (Hosea 7:7 a).

a All their kings are fallen, there is none among them who calls to me (Hosea 7:7 b).

Note that in ‘a' the kings and princes rejoice in the wickedness of the people, and in the parallel all the kings are fallen and none calls on YHWH. In ‘b' they are all adulterers, and in the parallel they are all judge devourers. In ‘c' they are hot like an oven heated by the baker and in the parallel their hearts are like an oven, which the baker has left to continue burning. Centrally in ‘d' the folly of the king is revealed.