Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Hosea 5:1 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 1. 1Hear 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse summons priests, Israel, and the royal house because their leadership became a snare at Mizpah and net on Tabor.
Priest, people, and royal house are summoned together
This verse is one part of that explanation in Hosea 5:1-7. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Hosea 5:1-7
Read Hosea 5:1 with 5:1-7. This verse summons priests, Israel, and the royal house because their leadership became a snare at Mizpah and net on Tabor. The complete unit establishes this movement: Religious, national, and royal leaders are charged with trapping people; entrenched unfaithfulness prevents return, pride testifies, Judah joins the fall, and sacrificial seeking cannot overcome divine withdrawal.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The summons concentrates responsibility in cultic and royal institutions, then shows why ritual search without changed conduct fails. Within that movement, this verse summons priests, Israel, and the royal house because their leadership became a snare at Mizpah and net on Tabor.
Follow the Context
- Priests, Israel, and royal household must hear because judgment is directed at them.
- Mizpah and Tabor traps and a difficult slaughter line accuse leaders of predation.
- God's knowledge of Ephraim contrasts with Israel's lack of knowledge.
- Conduct, an unfaithful disposition, and pride block return.
- Flocks and herds cannot secure access; treachery and strange children lead to near judgment.
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“snare ... net”
In plain language: images of leaders trapping people at important sites
summons priests, Israel, and the royal house because their leadership became a snare at Mizpah and net on Tabor. Religious and royal authorities are accountable when places or offices meant to guide become traps.
Why it matters: The wording carries interpretive or ethical risk that requires the complete unit and stated limits.
How certain? probableWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
The verse does not identify every priest, Israelite, or ruler as predatory or authorize retaliation.
What Remains True
Religious and royal authorities are accountable when places or offices meant to guide become traps.
How It Can Shape Life
- Audit leadership systems for incentives and practices that entrap less powerful people.
Teach It Back
Explain how Hosea 5:1 functions within Hosea 5:1-7. Show what the surrounding verses add, identify the stated uncertainty, and name the boundary that keeps this verse from being misused.
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Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Hosea 5:1-7 — Priests, People, and Royal House Become a Snare and Cannot Find the LORDSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
Which Mizpah, what occurred on Tabor, and whether cult or politics dominates are uncertain.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: Hosea 5:1-7, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Hosea
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew, morphology, syntax, names, wordplay, repetitions, and the base text for translation questions.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Hos.xml, 5:1-7
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Hosea with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-level translation, textual, grammatical, historical, rhetorical, and uncertainty notes.
Exact location: NET Bible Hosea PDF, printed pp. 1681-1682, translation and notes on 5:1-7
Open source ↗