The phrase "our king" is starkly ironic here; the princes aren't celebrating him with genuine loyalty, but getting him "sick" from excess wine, revealing a deep disrespect beneath the surface. This intimate, yet corrupted, closeness with "scorners" shows how the king had abandoned any pretense of seeking God, instead embracing those who mocked divine truth and goodness.
On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with mockers. For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls upon me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Hosea is painting a picture of Israel's deep corruption and spiritual decay, focusing on their kings and princes. He describes them engaging in wild celebrations, likely on the king's birthday or coronation day, where they get drunk and associate with mockers who disregard God. This verse shows the leadership's debauchery and contempt for righteousness, setting the stage for the broader judgment that Hosea is announcing.
Imagine a king's special day – a birthday or coronation – meant for joy and celebration. Instead, it becomes a scene of drunken excess. How can a joyous occasion turn so sour?
Hosea describes a king's celebration that has gone terribly wrong. The 'day of our king' was likely a significant royal event, a time for national rejoicing. However, the princes, instead of honoring their king with respectful celebration, 'made him sick with bottles of wine.' This wasn't just casual drinking; it was an extreme indulgence that incapacitated the king and, by extension, the kingdom.
This highlights how easily celebrations can become corrupted. What starts as an honorable observance can devolve into self-serving excess, reflecting a deeper spiritual sickness. The princes' actions show a disregard for their responsibilities and for the sanctity of the occasion, leading to a king who is weak and unable to lead.
Who would a king choose as his closest companions? In this verse, the king aligns himself with a particularly dangerous group. What does this say about his character and the kingdom's future?
The verse concludes with a stark image: the king 'stretched out his hand with scorners.' This gesture signifies deep fellowship and agreement. The 'scorners' were those who mocked what was holy and right; they likely derided God, His prophets, and His commands.
Instead of distancing himself from such people, the king embraced them. This shows a king who has abandoned his royal dignity and his responsibility to lead his people in righteousness. His close association with 'scorners' reveals a shared contempt for God's ways and a willingness to ally himself with those who actively oppose Him. This alliance is a dangerous omen for the nation, indicating a king who is not only weak but actively leading his people away from God.
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Understand the original words
lets · Hebrew Noun
Those who speak with scorn, mockery, or arrogance; in the Psalms and Prophets, it refers to those who despise God's word and actively work against His righteous ones.
lebab · Hebrew Noun
A figurative center of moral, intellectual, and emotional life; the seat of human will and conscience, often viewed as the place where God interacts with a person or where sin originates.
tannur · Hebrew Noun
A secret plan or plot to commit an evil act or to deceive; often associated with treachery or conspiracy against God's order or His people.
hemah · Hebrew Noun
A powerful emotional state, often divine or human, characterized by intense indignation. In a human context, it frequently denotes uncontrolled, sinful hostility or wrath.
The corrupt celebration described in Hosea 7:5 highlights a king and his princes who, on a day meant to celebrate royal authority, indulged in drunken revelry, aligning themselves with mockers of God. This reveals a profound disconnect from their divine calling and a dangerous complacency in the face of rising external threats.
c. 767 BC
Reign of Jeroboam II
Jeroboam II ruled Israel during a period of relative peace and prosperity, but this outward success masked deep moral and spiritual corruption within the nation.
c. 753 BC
Hosea's Ministry Begins
Hosea begins his prophetic ministry in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, a time of political instability following Jeroboam II's death.
c. 743 BC— this verse
Coronation or Birthday of the King
The verse refers to a specific celebration, likely the king's coronation day or birthday, which was meant to be a joyous occasion for the nation.
c. 740 BC
Assyrian Expansion
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under Tiglath-Pileser III, begins its aggressive expansion, putting increasing pressure on the smaller kingdoms of the Levant, including Israel.
732 BC
Fall of Damascus
The capital of Aram (Syria) falls to the Assyrians, a stark warning to Israel about the impending danger and the futility of relying on alliances.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Exile
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrians, its capital Samaria is destroyed, and its people are exiled, marking the end of the nation.
This proverb directly warns that wine's deceptive power can lead to destructive behavior and a loss of wisdom, mirroring the princes' excess and the king's poor judgment in Hosea.
Isaiah 28:7Similar to Hosea's imagery, Isaiah condemns the spiritual leaders and the people for being overcome by wine, showing a pattern of national leaders succumbing to intoxication and abandoning their responsibilities.
Galatians 5:19-21This passage lists 'drunkenness' alongside other sinful behaviors that disqualify one from inheriting God's kingdom, highlighting the serious spiritual consequences of the revelry described in Hosea.
1 Samuel 15:23The stubbornness and rebellion described here, like the princes' scorn for God's ways, are presented as detestable sins. Hosea's princes, by aligning with 'scorners,' demonstrate a similar rejection of divine authority.
Luke 12:47-48This parable about servants who do wrong when their master is away speaks to the consequences of unchecked sin and poor leadership. The princes and king in Hosea act with similar disregard, inviting severe judgment.
barnesHosea 7:5: "In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners."
In the day of our king, the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine - (Or, "with heat from wine.") Their holydays, like those of so many Englishmen now, were days of excess. "The day of their king" was probably some civil festival; his birthday, or his coronation-day. The prophet owns the king, in that he calls him "our king;" he does not blame them for keepi…
jfbHosea 7:5: "In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners."
- the day of our king—his birthday or day of inauguration.have made him sick—namely, the king. Maurer translates, "make themselves sick."with bottles of wine—drinking not merely glasses, but bottles. Maurer translates, "Owing to the heat of wine."he stretched out his hand with scorners—the gesture of revellers in holding out the cup and in drinking to one another's…
The phrase "our king" is starkly ironic here; the princes aren't celebrating him with genuine loyalty, but getting him "sick" from excess wine, revealing a deep disrespect beneath the surface. This intimate, yet corrupted, closeness with "scorners" shows how the king had abandoned any pretense of seeking God, instead embracing those who mocked divine truth and goodness.
The prophet Hosea is painting a picture of Israel's deep corruption and spiritual decay, focusing on their kings and princes. He describes them engaging in wild celebrations, likely on the king's birthday or coronation day, where they get drunk and associate with mockers who disregard God. This verse shows the leadership's debauchery and contempt for righteousness, setting the stage for the broader judgment that Hosea is announcing.
The prophet Hosea is painting a picture of Israel's deep corruption and spiritual decay, focusing on their kings and princes. He describes them engaging in wild celebrations, likely on the king's birthday or coronation day, where they get drunk and associate with mockers who disregard God. This verse shows the leadership's debauchery and contempt for righteousness, setting the stage for the broader judgment that Hosea is announcing.
"On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with mockers. For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in th…" — The phrase "our king" is starkly ironic here; the princes aren't celebrating him with genuine loyalty, but getting him "sick" from excess wine, revealing a deep disrespect beneath the surface. This i…
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Last reviewed October 2026
