Hosea 5:7 · Bible study
Hosea 5:7 Commentary: The New Moon of Judgment
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does the 'new moon' devouring Israel mean? Analyze Hebrew terms, covenant treachery, and the swiftness of divine judgment in Hosea 5:7.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel's covenant unfaithfulness, raising children in idolatry, will result in sudden judgment, symbolized by the new moon consuming them and their land.
- Key words: bagad (dealt treacherously, marital infidelity), zarim (strange/foreign children), chodesh (new moon/month), akal (devour/consume).
- Main debate: Does 'new moon' refer to a swift month-long judgment (Barnes, Wesley) or to the corrupted festival itself becoming a curse (Keil, Gill)? A minority reads it as 'locust' (Clarke).
- Theological theme: God's covenant requires wholehearted fidelity; empty ritual cannot avert judgment. The consequences of sin affect the next generation.
- Best use: A warning against religious hypocrisy and a call to examine whether our worship flows from genuine covenant love or mere routine.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They have been unfaithful to the LORD; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the New Moon will devour them along with their land.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They are unfaithful to Yahweh; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the new moon will devour them with their fields.
KJV King James Version 1769
They have dealt treacherously against the Lord: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
They have dealt treacherously against Jehovah; for they have borne strange children: now shall the new moon devour them with their fields.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Against Jehovah they dealt treacherously, For strange sons they have begotten, Now consume them doth a month with their portions.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
They have dealt treacherously against Jehovah; for they have begotten strange children: now shall the new moon devour them, with their allotted possessions.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
They have transgressed against the Lord: for they have begotten children that are strangers: now shall a month devour them with their portions.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Contra Jehová prevaricaron, porque hijos extraños han engendrado: ahora los devorará un mes con sus heredades.
Agiram traiçoeiramente contra o SENHOR, porque geraram filhos estrangeiros; agora a lua nova os consumirá com suas propriedades.
Ils ont été infidèles à l’ Éternel,
Sie verachten den HERRN und zeugen fremde Kinder; darum wird sie auch der Neumond fressen mit ihrem Erbteil.
Zij hebben trouwelooslijk gehandeld tegen den HEERE; want zij hebben vreemde kinderen gewonnen; nu zal hen de nieuwe maand verteren met hun delen.
Hanno agito perfidamente contro l’Eterno, poiché han generato dei figliuoli bastardi; ora basterà un mese a divorarli coi loro beni.
Wystąpili przeciwko Panu, bo synów cudzych napłodzili; a tak teraz pożre ich miesiąc z majętnościami ich.
Господу они изменили, потому что родили чужих детей; ныне новый месяц поест их с их имуществом.
他們向耶和華 行事詭詐， 生了 私 子。到了 月朔，他們與 他們的地業 必被吞滅。
They have been false to the Lord; they have given birth to strange children; now the new moon will make them waste with their fields.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Hosea 5:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Hosea 5:7 charges Israel with covenant infidelity. The verb bagad (dealt treacherously) is the same word used for a wife's unfaithfulness in Jeremiah 3:20, reinforcing the marriage metaphor Calvin highlights. The phrase 'strange children' (zarim) does not necessarily mean literal intermarriage, though some argue that (Gill, Kimchi). Rather, as Calvin and Keil explain, Israel's children were raised in idolatry, becoming 'strangers to God', a deliberate contrast to Abraham's command to teach his household (Genesis 18:19). The judgment is expressed through the 'new moon' (chodesh). Barnes, Wesley and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown read this as a measure of time: one month, swift and sudden, like a debt falling due. Keil and the Cambridge Bible interpret it as the festival itself, the very feasts meant for worship become instruments of judgment. A minority reading (represented by Adam Clarke) renders chodesh as 'locust,' though the lexical data supports 'new moon' or 'month.' All agree the verse underscores that worship without repentance cannot avert God's justice.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Swift temporal judgment (month): Barnes, Wesley, JFB read 'month' as a very short time until invasion, citing Zechariah 11:8 for rapidity, and the monthly loan cycle for imminence.
- Corrupted festival (new moon feast): Keil, Cambridge Bible, and Gill interpret 'new moon' as the sacrificial feast itself; what should bring blessing now brings judgment, because worship is hypocritical (Isaiah 1:13-14).
- Locust plague (minority): Adam Clarke notes an alternative rendering 'locust' for chodesh; supported by some versions (not in standard lexicons).
What is clear: All interpreters agree that Israel's covenant unfaithfulness, especially in raising the next generation in apostasy, brings a sudden and comprehensive judgment from which religious rituals cannot save them.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'strange children' (zarim) | The phrase indicates that the children are alienated from God, they are not acknowledged as His people due to idolatrous upbringing. | Some interpreters (Gill, Jarchi) take this literally as children born from mixed marriages with pagans, while others (Calvin, Keil) see it as a spiritual statement: children raised in apostasy regardless of ethnicity. |
| What 'new moon' (chodesh) signifies | Both views agree that the judgment is imminent, comprehensive, and tied to Israel's religious life. | Barnes, Wesley and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown read it as a short time ('a month'). Keil and the Cambridge Bible see it as the new moon festival itself, which devours them because of their hypocritical worship. A very minority reading (Clarke) renders it 'locust.' |
| Meaning of 'their portions' (chelqeihem) | The term refers to what each family owns or trusts in, land, possessions, idols. | Henderson (per JFB) takes 'portions' as idols (from Isaiah 57:6), while most commentators understand it as land allotments or inherited possessions. Keil emphasizes sacrificial portions, but concludes it is the land. |
| Theological emphasis of the judgment | God's judgment is a direct response to covenant unfaithfulness and cannot be averted by mere ritual. | Reformed interpreters (Calvin, Keil) highlight God's sovereignty in withdrawing from a faithless people. Wesleyan traditions (Wesley, Clarke) emphasize the human responsibility for training children in faith and the consequences of sin. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel (often called Ephraim) in the mid-8th century BC, a time of political instability and religious syncretism. The covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel is repeatedly portrayed as a marriage (Hosea 1, 3). Israel's 'unfaithfulness' (Heb. bagad) is spiritual adultery: the worship of Baal and other Canaanite deities alongside or instead of Yahweh. The phrase 'strange children' reflects a society where the next generation is being raised in idolatry, cutting off any hope of repentance (Calvin).
The new moon (chodesh) was a regular religious observance in Israel, marked by special sacrifices (Numbers 28:11, 15; 1 Samuel 20:6). By Hosea's time, these festivals had become hollow rituals, divorced from covenant loyalty (Isaiah 1:13, 14). The threat that the new moon 'will devour them with their fields' is a shocking inversion: the feast that should bring blessing becomes an agent of destruction. The word chelqeihem (their portions) likely refers to the land allotments given to families and tribes, their inheritance and livelihood (Joshua 13, 21). The judgment is comprehensive: it consumes both their worship and their material security.
Historically, this prediction found fulfilment in the Assyrian invasions under Tiglath-pileser III (745, 727 BC) and later Shalmaneser V, who besieged Samaria. The 'month' reading (Barnes, Wesley) captures the swiftness of invasion, while the 'new moon' reading (Keil) emphasizes that Israel's corrupted worship could not save them.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries note no significant textual variants for Hosea 5:7. The Masoretic Text is consistent across sources. The one interpretive variation is lexical: a few interpreters (referenced by Adam Clarke) read chodesh (new moon/month) as 'locust,' possibly based on an alternative vocalization or a cognate in other Semitic languages, but this is not supported by the standard Hebrew text or lexicons.
Reception History
Hosea 5:7 has been read as a stark warning against empty worship. The Reformers (Calvin, Geneva Bible) used it to caution against trusting in outward ceremonies while the heart is estranged from God. In the Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke and Wesley emphasized the generational impact of training children in idolatry. Many Protestant commentaries (Barnes, JFB, Keil) connect the verse to the Assyrian invasions, seeing the 'new moon' as either a swift timeline or a corrupted festival. The verse is less frequently cited in liturgy but has appeared in sermons on covenant faithfulness, especially during penitential seasons. Some modern interpreters note the irony that religious observance, intended for blessing, becomes the occasion of judgment when divorced from obedience.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Treachery against God: Israel broke covenant like an unfaithful spouse. The same word (bagad) appears in Jeremiah 3:20. Our relationship with God is a faithful covenant, not a mere contract.
- Strange children: The next generation was raised in apostasy. Spiritual legacy matters. Children learn faithlessness as much as faith.
- The new moon devours: Religious observance minus repentance brings judgment, not protection. The very things we trust in can become instruments of God's discipline.
Five-point outline
- God knows the heart (v.3): He sees Ephraim's prostitution, no hiding.
- Spiritual addiction (v.4): The spirit of whoredom prevents return to God.
- Pride testifies (v.5): Self-reliance becomes a witness against Israel.
- Sacrifices can't buy God (v.6): God withdraws when repentance is absent.
- New moon of judgment (v.7): The appointed time of blessing becomes a time of ruin.
Illustration hooks
- A family uses the same table for holiday feasts year after year. One year, they find a foreclosure notice taped to it, what was meant for celebration now marks loss. Israel's new moon festivals hosted a similar surprise.
- A dieter who exercises only to earn dessert misses the purpose of health. Israel treated worship as a way to get God's goods, not to love Him.
- A relationship where one partner goes through the motions but has already checked out emotionally. The outward forms continue, but the heart is gone. That was Israel's worship.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Could my church attendance and worship actually be displeasing to God?
- What does it mean that our deeds can 'not allow' us to turn to God (v.4)?
- How do I know if I am simply going through religious motions without real faith?
Leading a Discussion
Hosea 5:7 sits in a passage where God charges Israel with persistent unfaithfulness. The people still came to worship, they brought flocks and herds to seek Yahweh (v.6). But their hearts were far from Him. This raises uncomfortable questions about our own worship today.
Discussion questions
- Read Hosea 5:1, 7 aloud. What reasons does the prophet give for God's judgment? Make a list of Israel's sins.
- The word bagad (dealt treacherously) is used of marital infidelity in Jeremiah 3:20. How does this shape your understanding of God's relationship with His people?
- Why does Hosea mention that Israel had borne 'strange children'? What hope might children represent, and why is that hope lost here?
- What is the significance of the 'new moon' being an instrument of judgment? How can something good (a feast day) become a source of destruction?
- In verse 6, the people seek God with their flocks and herds but do not find Him. What does that tell us about the limits of religious activity?
- How does this passage challenge the idea that external worship is enough to maintain a right relationship with God?
- What is one area of your life where you might be going through the motions without genuine heart commitment? How can this group pray for you about that?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Nehemiah 13:23 | In those days I also saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab; |
| Nehemiah 13:24 | and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. |
| Psalms 144:7 | Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners, |
| Psalms 144:11 | Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. |
| Isaiah 48:8 | Yes, you didn’t hear. Yes, you didn’t know. Yes, from of old your ear was not opened, for I knew that you dealt very treacherously, and were called a transgressor from the womb. |
| Isaiah 59:13 | transgressing and denying Yahweh, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. |
| Jeremiah 3:20 | “Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says Yahweh. |
| Jeremiah 5:11 | For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me,” says Yahweh. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the word month here refers to a specific length of time not a type of insect. He explains that this period will see the Assyrian king attack Israel.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Israel treated God as a stranger just as a wife leaves her husband. He also says God’s judgment will come suddenly in a brief month.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes the Israelites led their children into the same unfaithfulness as themselves so there was no hope of repentance. They had broken God’s covenant and corrupted their offspring completely.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view understand that Israel sinned by being unfaithful just as an adulteress is unfaithful. They also see their assigned lands taken away because of this sin.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note highlights two key points in this verse: the people's sin of marrying outside the covenant, producing "strange children," and the swift judgment that follows—within a month they and all they own will be devoured. The emphasis falls on how quickly betrayal brings destruction.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill treats the "strange children" as children raised in idolatry, alienated from God. His distinctive point is that the "month" refers to their religious festivals, especially the new moon. These observances, which they trusted to appease God, would instead provoke His wrath and bring swift destruction.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Christians who hold this view point to Hosea 5:7 while others emphasize verses about God’s true portion for His people. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture. You may find hope in Christ and the resurrection.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch see Israel’s unfaithful children as those born outside the marital relationship between God and His people. They believe the new moon symbolizes their sacrificial worship which instead proves their sin.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that all people from priests to kings share in the nation’s sin. He says this means no one’s status can protect them from God’s judgment.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes some teach Hosea 5:7 refers to Shallum’s one month rule and Assyrian conquest. He also says they train their children in idolatry using all their possessions.