Hosea 5:3

3 Ik ken Efraim, en Israel is voor Mij niet verborgen; dat gij, o Efraim! nu hoereert, en Israel verontreinigd is.

Hosea 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 5:3

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me
Though they may cover their designs from men, and seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and make plausible pretences for what they do, and put on an appearance of religion; yet God, who knows all men, and their hearts, cannot be deceived; he judges not according to outward appearance; all things are naked and open to him; nor can any hide themselves from him; he knows their persons, intentions, and designs, as well as actions. Kimchi interprets Ephraim of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who was of that tribe; others, of the tribe itself, and Israel of the other nine tribes; others take Ephraim for the ten tribes, and Israel for the two tribes: but it is best to understand Ephraim and Israel of the same, even of the ten tribes; whose works, as the Targum paraphrases it, the Lord knew, particularly what follows: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom;
both corporeal and spiritual adultery, which frequently went together, as observed in the preceding chapter: the Lord knew their corporeal whoredom, though ever so secretly committed, and their spiritual adultery or idolatry, under all the specious pretences of worshipping him; which was an abhorrence to him, as well as a pollution to them: [and] Israel is defiled;
with the same sins; for all sin is of a defiling nature, and especially those mentioned, which defile body and soul, and render men loathsome and abominable in the sight of God.

Hosea 5:3 In-Context

1 Hoort dit, gij priesters! en merkt op, gij huis Israels! en neemt ter oren, gij huis des konings! want ulieden gaat dit oordeel aan, omdat gij een strik zijt geworden te Mizpa, en een uitgespannen net op Thabor.

2 En die afwijken, verdiepen zich om te slachten; maar Ik zal hun allen een tuchtmeester zijn.

3 Ik ken Efraim, en Israel is voor Mij niet verborgen; dat gij, o Efraim! nu hoereert, en Israel verontreinigd is.

4 Zij stellen hun handelingen niet aan, om zich tot hun God te bekeren; want de geest der hoererijen is in het midden van hen, en den HEERE kennen zij niet.

5 Dies zal Israel hovaardij in zijn aangezicht getuigen; en Israel en Efraim zullen vallen door hun ongerechtigheid; ook zal Juda met hen vallen.