The Meaning of Hosea 7:5 Explained

Hosea 7:5

KJV: In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.

YLT: A day of our king! Princes have polluted themselves with the poison of wine, He hath drawn out his hand with scorners.

Darby: In the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine: he stretched out his hand to scorners.

ASV: On the day of our king the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with scoffers.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In the day  of our king  the princes  have made [him] sick  with bottles  of wine;  he stretched out  his hand  with scorners. 

What does Hosea 7:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Hosea 7:5-7 describe the assassination of one or more of Israel"s kings, an example of the passion for wickedness just illustrated. The political leaders became drunk on a particular festive occasion that honored the king. The king himself joined in scoffing at what was holy.

Context Summary

Hosea 7:1-16 - Iniquity Uncovered
The last clause of the previous chapter belongs to this. God desired to turn aside the captivity of His people and to heal Israel, but His pleading was unavailing because of their inveterate sin. This evil-doing witnessed against them, Hosea 7:2. Their passions did not need incitement, just as an oven retains its heat without the baker's continued attention. The royal birthday was celebrated with drunken orgies, and the national religion had become a confused mixture of Gentile superstition and the old Hebrew faith. In this Israel resembled a cake not turned-crisp on one side, sour and uneatable on the other, Hosea 7:8.
What a searching suggestion comes in Hosea 7:9! Can it be that strangers have been stealing away our strength, without our realizing that deterioration is creeping steadily through our religious life? Silently the frosty air steals the warmth from boiling water; silently the fungus pitches its tent in the autumn woods; silently old age fastens on the stalwart frame. Thus also our spiritual strength declines, unless we watch and pray; and when it ebbs away, we become foolish as the dove which flies straight into the snare, and useless as the deceitful bow which turns aside in the archer's hand, Hosea 7:11; Hosea 7:16. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 7

1  A reproof of manifold sins
11  God's wrath against them for their hypocrisy

What do the individual words in Hosea 7:5 mean?

In the day of our king have made [him] sick Princes inflamed with wine He stretched out his hand with scoffers
י֣וֹם מַלְכֵּ֔נוּ הֶחֱל֥וּ שָׂרִ֖ים חֲמַ֣ת מִיָּ֑יִן מָשַׁ֥ךְ יָד֖וֹ אֶת־ לֹצְצִֽים

י֣וֹם  In  the  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
מַלְכֵּ֔נוּ  of  our  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
הֶחֱל֥וּ  have  made  [him]  sick 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
שָׂרִ֖ים  Princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
חֲמַ֣ת  inflamed 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֵמֶת  
Sense: bottle, waterskin.
מִיָּ֑יִן  with  wine 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.
מָשַׁ֥ךְ  He  stretched  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָשַׁךְ  
Sense: to draw, drag, seize.
יָד֖וֹ  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לֹצְצִֽים  scoffers 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: לָצַץ  
Sense: (Qal) to scorn, make mouths at, talk arrogantly.