God's threats against the priests, the people, and princes of Israel,
for their idolatry.
5:1. Hear ye this, O priests, and hearken, O ye house of Israel, and
give ear, O house of the king: for there is a judgment against you,
because you have been a snare to them whom you should have watched over
and a net spread upon Thabor.
O priests... What is said of priests in this prophecy is chiefly
understood of the priests of the kingdom of Israel; who were not true
priests of the race of Aaron; but served the calves at Bethel and Dan.
5:2. And you have turned aside victims into the depth and I am the
teacher of them all.
5:3. I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me for now Ephraim hath
committed fornication, Israel is defiled.
5:4. They will not set their thoughts to return to their God: for the
spirit of fornication is in the midst of them, and they have not known
the Lord.
5:5. And the pride of Israel shall answer in his face: and Israel, and
Ephraim shall fall in their iniquity, Juda also shall fall with them.
5:6. With their flocks and with their herds, they shall go to seek the
Lord, and shall not find him: he is withdrawn from them.
5:7. They have transgressed against the Lord: for they have begotten
children that are strangers: now shall a month devour them with their
portions.
Children that are strangers... That is, aliens from God: and therefore
they are threatened with speedy destruction.
5:8. Blow ye the cornet in Gabaa, the trumpet in Rama: howl ye in
Bethaven, behind thy back, O Benjamin.
5:9. Ephraim shall be in desolation in the day of rebuke: among the
tribes of Israel I have shewn that which shall surely be.
5:10. The princes of Juda are become as they that take up the bound: I
will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
As they that take up the bound... That is, they that remove the
boundary, encroaching on the property of their neighbors: figuratively:
going beyond the boundary of the laws of God.
5:11. Ephraim is under oppression, and broken in judgment: because he
began to go after filthiness.
5:12. And I will be like a moth to Ephraim: and like rottenness to the
house of Juda.
5:13. And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Juda his band: and Ephraim went
to the Assyrian, and sent to the avenging king: and he shall not be able
to heal you, neither shall he be able to take off the band from you.
5:14. For I will be like a lioness to Ephraim, and like a lion's whelp
to the house of Juda: I, I will catch, and go: I will take away, and
there is none that can rescue.
5:15. I will go and return to my place: until you are consumed, and seek
my face.