The Meaning of Hosea 11:5 Explained

Hosea 11:5

KJV: He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.

YLT: He turneth not back unto the land of Egypt, And Asshur -- he is his king, For they have refused to return.

Darby: He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king; for they refused to return to me;

ASV: They shall not return into the land of Egypt; but the Assyrian shall be their king, because they refused to return to me .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He shall not return  into the land  of Egypt,  but the Assyrian  shall be his king,  because they refused  to return. 

What does Hosea 11:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Because Israel refused to return (Heb. shub) to Yahweh after so many appeals by His prophets ( Hosea 11:2), He would return (Heb. shub) the nation to captivity. Yet the place of exile would not be Egypt but Assyria. In other messages Hosea identified Egypt as the place of Israel"s future exile (cf. Hosea 8:13; Hosea 9:3; Hosea 9:6), but here it becomes clear that He was only using Egypt as a metaphor for a place of captivity. Assyria would be the geographical location of Israel"s exile. Thus "Egypt" is an atbash for Assyria (cf. Hosea 4:15).

Context Summary

Hosea 11:1-11 - "bands Of Love"
This is a very tender chapter, full of moving appeals. God looks back on the happy, blessed past, as a fond parent on the innocent childhood of a son who is now causing endless pain and grief. He recapitulates the call from Egypt, and relates how, in obedience to His appeal, Israel came out of the idolatries of that country. He describes Israel as a tiny child beginning to walk, and says, I taught him to go. He compares the Israel of those days to horses or oxen, relieved of the yoke, before whom food is set. Let us remember that God is also willing to teach us to go, and to carry us when we are weary.
The blessed childhood of Israel had become like an overcast morning. They were bent on backsliding. But God's love is not easily repelled. What more pathetic words were ever uttered by broken-hearted parents than Hosea 11:8-9! That is the motive of our plea still. If we were dealing with man, we might despair. But we are dealing with One who forgives us according to the riches of His grace. If a back-slider should read these touching appeals, let him be encouraged to retrace His steps one by one, sure that the Father waits to welcome him where the by-path has broken off from the main road. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 11

1  The ingratitude of Israel unto God for his benefits
5  His judgment
8  God's mercy toward them
12  Israel's falsehood and Judah's fidelity

What do the individual words in Hosea 11:5 mean?

Not He shall return to the land of Egypt but Assyria it shall be his king because they refused to repent
לֹ֤א יָשׁוּב֙ אֶל־ אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וְאַשּׁ֖וּר ה֣וּא מַלְכּ֑וֹ כִּ֥י מֵאֲנ֖וּ לָשֽׁוּב

יָשׁוּב֙  He  shall  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֔יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וְאַשּׁ֖וּר  but  Assyria 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
מַלְכּ֑וֹ  shall  be  his  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
כִּ֥י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מֵאֲנ֖וּ  they  refused 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָאַן  
Sense: (Piel) to refuse.
לָשֽׁוּב  to  repent 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.