Hosea 5:1
Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.
Original Language Analysis
שִׁמְעוּ
Hear
H8085
שִׁמְעוּ
Hear
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
1 of 20
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים
ye this O priests
H3548
הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים
ye this O priests
Strong's:
H3548
Word #:
3 of 20
literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
וּבֵ֤ית
O house
H1004
וּבֵ֤ית
O house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
5 of 20
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
6 of 20
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
וּבֵ֤ית
O house
H1004
וּבֵ֤ית
O house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
7 of 20
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
הַאֲזִ֔ינוּ
and give ye ear
H238
הַאֲזִ֔ינוּ
and give ye ear
Strong's:
H238
Word #:
9 of 20
to broaden out the ear (with the hand), i.e., (by implication) to listen
כִּ֥י
H3588
כִּ֥י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
10 of 20
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
הַמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט
for judgment
H4941
הַמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט
for judgment
Strong's:
H4941
Word #:
12 of 20
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
13 of 20
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
פַח֙
is toward you because ye have been a snare
H6341
פַח֙
is toward you because ye have been a snare
Strong's:
H6341
Word #:
14 of 20
a (metallic) sheet (as pounded thin)
הֱיִיתֶ֣ם
H1961
הֱיִיתֶ֣ם
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
15 of 20
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
Cross References
Hosea 9:8The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.Hosea 6:9And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.Judges 4:6And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?Micah 3:9Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.Micah 7:2The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.Amos 7:9And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.Malachi 2:1And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.Hosea 10:15So shall Beth-el do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.Hosea 4:1Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Historical Context
Mizpah (in Gilead) and Tabor (in Zebulun/Issachar) were strategic locations that became idolatrous shrines. Hosea's indictment spans both religious and civil leadership during Israel's final chaotic decades: political instability, assassination of kings, desperate alliances with Assyria and Egypt, and pervasive idolatry. The priests failed to teach God's law (4:6), kings pursued power politics ignoring divine will, and elders led people astray. This leadership vacuum contributed to Israel's collapse. Hosea's contemporary Micah pronounced similar judgment on Judah's leaders (Micah 3:1-12). Jesus later condemned Pharisees and teachers of the law for blocking others from God's kingdom (Matthew 23:13).
Questions for Reflection
- What accountability do I bear for my influence on others, especially if I hold leadership positions?
- How do I evaluate spiritual leaders—by worldly success or by faithfulness to God's Word?
Analysis & Commentary
The summons 'Hear this, O priests; listen, O house of Israel; give ear, O house of the king' calls all leadership to account: religious (priests), tribal (Israel collectively), and political (royal house). 'For the judgment is toward you' (ki lakem ha-mishpat) announces God's legal proceeding against them. The specific charge: 'you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread on Tabor'—geographic locations where leaders should have guided people to God but instead trapped them in sin. Mizpah was Saul's coronation site and Tabor a Levitical city; both became centers of false worship. Leaders entrusted with spiritual guidance perverted their office into instruments of destruction. This principle applies universally: greater privilege brings greater accountability (Luke 12:48), and unfaithful shepherds face severe judgment (Ezekiel 34, John 10:12-13).