Hosea 8:1-4

God Will Raise Up the Assyrians to Attack Israel

8:1 Sound the alarm! ¹ 

An eagle ²  looms over the temple of the Lord!

For they have broken their covenant with me, ³ 

and have rebelled against my law.

8:2 Israel cries out to me,

“My God, we acknowledge you!”

8:3 But Israel has rejected what is morally good;

so an enemy will pursue him.

The Political and Cultic Sin of Israel

8:4 They enthroned kings without my consent! ⁴ 

They appointed princes without my approval! ⁵ 

They made idols out of their silver and gold,

but they will be destroyed! ⁶ 

[8:1]  ¹ tn Heb “A horn unto your gums!”; NAB “A trumpet to your lips!”

[8:1]  ² tn Or perhaps “A vulture.” Some identify the species indicated by the Hebrew term נֶשֶׁר (nesher) as the griffon vulture (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[8:1]  ³ tn Heb “my covenant” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “the covenant I made with them.”

[8:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “but without me”; NCV “without asking my permission”; CEV “without consulting me.”

[8:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “but I did not know”; NRSV “but without my knowledge.”

[8:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “in order to be cut off.” The text gives the impression that they made the idols for this purpose, but the language is ironic and sarcastic, bringing out the futility of their efforts. One could paraphrase, “they made idols…but only so that they might be destroyed.” Though they had other plans for the idols, God’s judgment would bring their intentions to naught.