Hosea 5:6

6. It is impossible to appease the divine wrath and to avert the threatened judgment by the means with which Israel is accustomed to seek the favor of Jehovah. Go…

seek Jehovah Hosea 6:1-3, indicates that they sought Jehovah only to find relief from calamity; repentance was lacking completely (see on Amos 5:4).

Flocks… herds Multitudes of sacrificial animals. These are of value only when offered in the right spirit and backed by a life acceptable to Jehovah (Introduction, p. 32; compare Amos 5:21 ff.; Isaiah 1:11 ff.).

He hath withdrawn himself He has cut the ties which bound him to the people; he can no longer be reached by them (Hosea 5:15; compare Isaiah 8:17). Why? Hosea 5:7 supplies the answer.

Dealt treacherously Better, They have been faithless. The verb is used of the infidelity of a wife to her husband (Jeremiah 3:20). The next figure expresses a similar thought. They have begotten [“borne”] strange children Children not the offspring of a legitimate union. “Israel ought to have begotten children of God in the maintenance of the covenant with the Lord; but in its apostasy from God it had begotten an adulterous generation” a generation which from its infancy was led astray by the example of the parents. The second clause marks an advance. Not only have they themselves become faithless; in addition they have brought into the world a generation which is estranged from Jehovah.

Now shall a month devour them with their portions R.V., “now shall the new moon devour them with their fields.” Marti alters the text so as to read, “Now shall a destroyer devour them; and wasted shall become their fields.” Less radical emendations have been proposed, but, since all are based upon conjecture, if we accept any we may as well accept the one giving the best sense. But what does the present Hebrew text mean? Are emendations absolutely necessary? If we follow A.V. in reading month the meaning might be either that within a month’s time the destroyer will be upon them (Clarke), or that a brief month will be sufficient to completely destroy them and their possessions. A still different meaning is suggested by G.A. Smith; he translates, “Now may a month devour them with their portions,” which he interprets, “Any month may bring the swift invader.” These interpretations would make the transition from 7 to 8 quite natural. The destroyer will soon be here; therefore (8) give the signal, prepare for battle. The Revisers, however, preferred the translation “new moon,” one of the most ancient festivals among the Hebrews, on which it was customary to offer sacrifice (Hosea 2:11; 1 Samuel 20:6; 1 Samuel 20:29; Isaiah 1:13). Even with this translation Cheyne finds in the passage a thought similar to that expressed by G.A. Smith: “Instead of watching gladly for the new moon… they should have a ‘fearful looking for of judgment,’ increasing as each new moon arose. If not this, then perhaps the next would bring a slaughtering, plundering horde of invaders.” A vivid imagination is needed to see this meaning in the words. A more natural interpretation would be to regard new moon as synonymous with festival or, better, as representing the entire superficial sacrificial system and worship. “Your hypocritical worship, so far from bringing you salvation, will rather prove your ruin” (Keil). If the portions or fields of the individuals are destroyed it will amount to the devastation of the whole land. The differences among commentators show the obscurity of the passage. The interpretation of G.A. Smith, on the one hand, and that of Keil, on the other, reproduce most faithfully the present Hebrew text; of these that of G.A. Smith connects more naturally with Hosea 5:8.