What's easily missed here is the stark connection between political power and idolatry. The people didn't just choose rulers separate from God; they actively made idols with their wealth, mirroring their rejection of divine authority with a fabricated one. This highlights how their quest for control, both earthly and spiritual, led directly to their own ruin.
They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction. I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? For it is from Israel; a craftsman made it; it is not God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Hosea is speaking to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which has a history of political instability and is deeply entangled in idolatry. This verse comes in the midst of a harsh prophetic judgment, directly following God's command to sound the alarm because Israel has broken their covenant and laws. Israel's kings and rulers have been self-appointed, often through violence and factionalism, completely disregarding God's authority and His appointed line of David, and their wealth is being poured into making idols rather than obeying Him.
Imagine a nation choosing its leaders based on popularity or ambition, completely ignoring any divine guidance. Hosea confronts Israel with just such a reality.
Hosea's message cuts deep into the heart of Israel's political and spiritual rebellion.
What happens when wealth and human ambition are poured into things that ultimately lead to ruin? Hosea paints a grim picture.
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The verse connects political rebellion with religious apostasy, showing how they go hand-in-hand.
Understand the original words
atsabim · Hebrew Noun
Anything created, fashioned, or elevated to take the place of God as the object of worship and trust. It represents a substitute for the Creator and is considered an act of profound spiritual adultery.
egel · Hebrew Noun
Refers specifically to the golden calves set up by Jeroboam I at Dan and Bethel to discourage worship in Jerusalem. It serves as a visual symbol of national apostasy and the worship of false gods.
aph · Hebrew Noun
A manifestation of God’s righteous indignation against sin and unrighteousness. It is the reaction of a holy God to the violation of His covenant and the defilement of His creation.
naqiy · Hebrew Noun
The state of being blameless, pure, or free from guilt. Biblically, it refers to a condition of moral integrity and uprightness before God, often lost through continued participation in sin.
elohim · Hebrew Noun
In the Old Testament, 'God' (Elohim or El) refers to the one true Creator and Sovereign of Israel. When contrasted with idols, it emphasizes the unique, transcendent, and living nature of the Creator versus the lifeless, man-made creations of humanity.
egel · Hebrew Noun
A ritual object, often representing a deity, made by human hands. Biblically, idols are consistently condemned as non-entities that possess no power and distract worshippers from the true God, reflecting the vanity and spiritual blindness of the idolater.
Hosea is prophesying during a chaotic period in Israel's history where kings and princes were set up through political intrigue and factionalism, rather than by God's will. This lawlessness mirrored their religious apostasy, as they turned to man-made idols from their ill-gotten silver and gold, hastening their own destruction.
c. 931 BC
Kingdom Divides
Following Solomon's death, the united Israelite kingdom splits. The northern tribes rebel against Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and establish their own kingdom with Jeroboam as king.
c. 931 BC
Jeroboam Establishes Idolatry
To prevent his people from returning to Jerusalem and the Davidic king, Jeroboam sets up golden calves at Bethel and Dan, effectively creating an alternative religious center and promoting idolatry.
c. 793-753 BC
Reign of Jeroboam II
Jeroboam II rules the northern kingdom of Israel during a period of relative prosperity and territorial expansion, but also significant religious and social corruption.
c. 753-732 BC— this verse
Anarchy and Usurpations in Israel
Following Jeroboam II's death, the northern kingdom descends into a period of intense political instability, marked by rapid successions, assassinations, and usurpations of the throne.
733-732 BC
Assyrian Campaigns Begin
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under Tiglath-Pileser III, begins aggressive military campaigns into the Levant, directly impacting Israel and its surrounding regions.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The capital city of the northern kingdom, Samaria, falls to the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V and Sargon II, leading to the deportation of many Israelites and the effective end of the northern kingdom.
This passage describes the very moment the united kingdom split, with the ten northern tribes setting up Jeroboam as king without consulting God, mirroring Hosea's accusation of kings made 'not through me'.
Psalm 1:6It highlights God's awareness and judgment of the wicked who walk apart from Him, echoing Hosea's 'I knew it not' which signifies God's disapproval and lack of knowledge of their illegitimate rulers.
Jeremiah 27:10This verse warns against listening to false prophets who prophesy about kings and kingdoms that are not established by God, paralleling the self-made rulers in Hosea and the ultimate consequence of their actions.
Isaiah 44:9-10This passage directly critiques the creation of idols from precious materials like silver and gold, emphasizing their worthlessness and the shame of their makers, which strongly aligns with Hosea's imagery of idols made 'with their silver and their gold'.
Acts 4:27-28It shows how earthly rulers conspired against Jesus, acting according to their own will but ultimately fulfilling God's predetermined plan, which relates to Hosea's message that even man-made kings and actions are subject to God's ultimate knowledge and sovereignty.
barnesHosea 8:4: "They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off."
They have set up kings, but not by ME - God Himself foretold to Jeroboam by Ahijah the prophet, that He would "rend the kingdom out of the hands of Solomon, and give ten tribes" to him, "and" would "take" him, "and" he "should reign according to all that" his soul desired and" should "be king over Israel" 1 Kings 11:31…
jfbHosea 8:4: "They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off."
- kings … not by me—not with My sanction (1Ki 11:31; 12:20). Israel set up Jeroboam and his successors, whereas God had appointed the house of David as the rightful kings of the whole nation.I knew it not—I approved it not (Ps 1:6).of … gold … idols—(Ho 2:8; 13:2).that they may be cut off—that is, though warned of the…
What's easily missed here is the stark connection between political power and idolatry. The people didn't just choose rulers separate from God; they actively made idols with their wealth, mirroring their rejection of divine authority with a fabricated one. This highlights how their quest for control, both earthly and spiritual, led directly to their own ruin.
The prophet Hosea is speaking to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which has a history of political instability and is deeply entangled in idolatry. This verse comes in the midst of a harsh prophetic judgment, directly following God's command to sound the alarm because Israel has broken their covenant and laws. Israel's kings and rulers have been self-appointed, often through violence and factionalism, completely disregarding God's authority and His appointed line of David, and their wealth is being poured into making idols rather than obeying Him.
The prophet Hosea is speaking to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which has a history of political instability and is deeply entangled in idolatry. This verse comes in the midst of a harsh prophetic judgment, directly following God's command to sound the alarm because Israel has broken their covenant and laws. Israel's kings and rulers have been self-appointed, often through violence and factionalism, completely disregarding God's authority and His appointed line of David, and their wealth is being poured into making idols rather than obeying Him.
"They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction. I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them…" — What's easily missed here is the stark connection between political power and idolatry. The people didn't just choose rulers separate from God; they actively made idols with their wealth, mirrori…
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Last reviewed October 2026
