Hoshe’a 5 | “Efrayim Hailed to Assyria”

To whom is this prophecy directed? Rav Yossi Elitzur identifies phrases within this prophecy — and throughout the book — that provide clues about which kings it was originally addressed to. He suggests that the opening prophecy in the chapter was spoken during the reign of Shalum son of Yavesh, who ruled for only one month: "soon there will come a month, and your fields will be consumed" (5:7). The second prophecy in the chapter also hints at one of the kings of Israel mentioned in Melakhim. For the first time, the text refers to seeking aid from the kings of Assyria: "Efrayim hailed Assyria and dispatched messengers to the great king, but he cannot heal you, nor can he cure your wound" (5:13). This likely refers to the time of Menachem son of Gadi, of whom it is written that he bribed the king of Assyria for assistance: "Menachem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver to gain his support in maintaining control of the kingdom" (Melakhim II 15:19).

Reliance on Foreign Nations: This prophecy marks the first explicit condemnation of placing trust in a foreign power. As previously noted, this sin — like the sin of idolatry — stems from the same root: a failure to recognize the Lord. Lacking trust in God, one turns outward in search of solutions. But God makes it clear that this strategy is futile, for Efrayim’s true adversary is none other than God Himself, and no foreign power can provide deliverance.

With their Flocks and Herbs: The prophet condemns both Yehuda and Israel for seeking the Lord with offerings of flocks and herbs, while failing to meet the true demands of repentance. This reflects a recurring theme throughout Tanakh, which will be stated explicitly in the next chapter: God desires repentance and righteous deeds, not mere sacrifices.

Notably, this rebuke is directed at both the people of Yehuda — who bring their offerings at the Temple — and the people of Israel, who have no Temple and, at best, offer sacrifices on high shrines. At first glance, the prophet’s critique of Israelite sacrifices appears to be that they are simply “not good enough,” since they lack true repentance and righteous actions. However, he does not present their sacrificial practices as sinful themselves for being sacrificed on the high shrines. In fact, as far as I am aware (and I would be glad to hear counterexamples if I am wrong), nowhere in Tanakh is there a direct rebuke of the Israelites for offering sacrifices outside the Temple — only for idolatry. Perhaps the expectations for the kingdom of Israel were different, or perhaps, when severe transgressions such as idolatry were rampant, the practice of sacrificing on high shrines was seen as a lesser concern.