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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Hosea 5:12 So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/hosea/5-12.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/8/28_Hos_05_12.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Hosea 5:12 - God's Judgment on Israel and Judah" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/hosea/5-12.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/hosea/5-12.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/hosea/">Hosea</a> > <a href="/hosea/5.htm">Chapter 5</a> > Verse 12</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad12.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/hosea/5-11.htm" title="Hosea 5:11">◄</a> Hosea 5:12 <a href="/hosea/5-13.htm" title="Hosea 5:13">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/hosea/5.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/hosea/5.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rot to the people of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/hosea/5.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />I will destroy Israel as a moth consumes wool. I will make Judah as weak as rotten wood.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/hosea/5.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />But I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like dry rot to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/hosea/5.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/hosea/5.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Therefore <i>will</i> I <i>be</i> unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/hosea/5.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Therefore I <i>will be</i> to Ephraim like a moth, And to the house of Judah like rottenness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/hosea/5.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim, And like rottenness to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/hosea/5.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim And like rottenness to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/hosea/5.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim, And like rottenness to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/hosea/5.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim And like rottenness to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/hosea/5.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim And like dry rot to the house of Judah [in My judgment against them].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/hosea/5.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />So I am like rot to Ephraim and like decay to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/hosea/5.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />So I am like rot to Ephraim and like decay to the house of Judah. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/hosea/5.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Therefore am I unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/hosea/5.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Now I, the LORD, will fill Israel with maggots and make Judah rot. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/hosea/5.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Therefore am I unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/hosea/5.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />I will destroy Ephraim as a moth destroys clothing. I will destroy the nation of Judah as rot destroys wood.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/hosea/5.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />I will bring destruction on Israel and ruin on the people of Judah. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/hosea/5.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Therefore I will consume Ephraim like a moth, and the house of Judah as rottenness consumes.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/hosea/5.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/hosea/5.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />I will be like a moth to Ephraim, like wood rot to the house of Judah. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/hosea/5.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Therefore I am to Ephraim like a moth, and to the house of Judah like rottenness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/hosea/5.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Therefore will I be to Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/hosea/5.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Therefore I am to Ephraim like a moth, and to the house of Judah like rottenness. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/hosea/5.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And I [am] as a moth to Ephraim, "" And as a rotten thing to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/hosea/5.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And I am as a moth to Ephraim, And as a rotten thing to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/hosea/5.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And I as a moth to Ephraim, and as rottenness to the house of Judah.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/hosea/5.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And I will be like a moth to Ephraim: and like rottenness to the house of Juda. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/hosea/5.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And I will be like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/hosea/5.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />I am like a moth for Ephraim, like rot for the house of Judah. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/hosea/5.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Therefore I am like maggots to Ephraim, and like rottenness to the house of Judah.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/hosea/5.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Therefore I will be as a tempest to Ephraim, and to the house of Judah as a lion.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/hosea/5.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And I shall be like a tempest to Aphreim and like a lion to the house of Yehuda<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/hosea/5.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Therefore am I unto Ephraim as a moth, And to the house of Judah as rottenness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/hosea/5.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Therefore I <i>will be</i> as consternation to Ephraim, and as a goad to the house of Juda.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/hosea/5-12.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xpPG1oLnpGk?start=788" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/hosea/5.htm">God's Judgment on Israel and Judah</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">11</span>Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he is determined to follow worthless idols. <span class="reftext">12</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/589.htm" title="589: wa·’ă·nî (Conj-w:: Pro-1cs) -- I. Contracted from 'anokiy; I.">So I am</a> <a href="/hebrew/6211.htm" title="6211: ḵā·‘āš (Prep-k, Art:: N-ms) -- A moth. From ashesh; a moth.">like a moth</a> <a href="/hebrew/669.htm" title="669: lə·’ep̄·rā·yim (Prep-l:: N-proper-ms) -- Dual of masculine form of 'Ephraath; double fruit; Ephrajim, a son of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory.">to Ephraim,</a> <a href="/hebrew/7538.htm" title="7538: wə·ḵā·rā·qāḇ (Conj-w, Prep-k, Art:: N-ms) -- Rottenness, decay. From raqab; decay.">and like decay</a> <a href="/hebrew/1004.htm" title="1004: lə·ḇêṯ (Prep-l:: N-msc) -- A house. Probably from banah abbreviated; a house.">to the house</a> <a href="/hebrew/3063.htm" title="3063: yə·hū·ḏāh (N-proper-ms) -- From yadah; celebrated; Jehudah, the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory.">of Judah.</a> </span><span class="reftext">13</span>When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/51-8.htm">Isaiah 51:8</a></span><br />For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/3-24.htm">Isaiah 3:24</a></span><br />Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/5-24.htm">Isaiah 5:24</a></span><br />Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/9-14.htm">Isaiah 9:14-15</a></span><br />So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day. / The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/19-14.htm">Isaiah 19:14-15</a></span><br />The LORD has poured into her a spirit of confusion. Egypt has been led astray in all she does, as a drunkard staggers through his own vomit. / There is nothing Egypt can do—head or tail, palm or reed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/14-2.htm">Jeremiah 14:2</a></span><br />“Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/30-12.htm">Jeremiah 30:12-15</a></span><br />For this is what the LORD says: “Your injury is incurable; your wound is grievous. / There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sores, no recovery for you. / All your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer seek you, for I have struck you as an enemy would, with the discipline of someone cruel, because of your great iniquity and your numerous sins. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/7-10.htm">Ezekiel 7:10-11</a></span><br />Behold, the day is here! It has come! Doom has gone out, the rod has budded, arrogance has bloomed. / Their violence has grown into a rod to punish their wickedness. None of them will remain: none of their multitude, none of their wealth, and nothing of value.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/30-12.htm">Ezekiel 30:12</a></span><br />I will make the streams dry up and sell the land to the wicked. By the hands of foreigners I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it. I, the LORD, have spoken.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/1-9.htm">Micah 1:9</a></span><br />For her wound is incurable; it has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem itself.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/nahum/3-15.htm">Nahum 3:15-16</a></span><br />There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like a young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust; make yourself many like the swarming locust! / You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/malachi/4-1.htm">Malachi 4:1</a></span><br />“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/23-27.htm">Matthew 23:27-28</a></span><br />Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. / In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/12-1.htm">Luke 12:1-3</a></span><br />In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. / There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. / What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/15-6.htm">John 15:6</a></span><br />If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Therefore will I be to Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.</p><p class="hdg">as a.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/13-28.htm">Job 13:28</a></b></br> And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/50-9.htm">Isaiah 50:9</a></b></br> Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who <i>is</i> he <i>that</i> shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/51-8.htm">Isaiah 51:8</a></b></br> For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.</p><p class="hdg">as.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/12-4.htm">Proverbs 12:4</a></b></br> A virtuous woman <i>is</i> a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed <i>is</i> as rottenness in his bones.</p><p class="hdg">rottenness.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jonah/4-7.htm">Jonah 4:7</a></b></br> But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/mark/9-44.htm">Mark 9:44-48</a></b></br> Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/hosea/5-7.htm">Children</a> <a href="/hosea/4-6.htm">Destruction</a> <a href="/hosea/2-3.htm">Dry</a> <a href="/hosea/5-11.htm">Ephraim</a> <a href="/hosea/5-11.htm">E'phraim</a> <a href="/hosea/5-1.htm">House</a> <a href="/jeremiah/46-20.htm">Insect</a> <a href="/hosea/5-10.htm">Judah</a> <a href="/isaiah/51-8.htm">Moth</a> <a href="/ezekiel/24-23.htm">Rot</a> <a href="/jeremiah/38-12.htm">Rotten</a> <a href="/jeremiah/29-17.htm">Rottenness</a> <a href="/ezekiel/38-9.htm">Wasting</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/hosea/5-14.htm">Children</a> <a href="/hosea/7-13.htm">Destruction</a> <a href="/hosea/9-14.htm">Dry</a> <a href="/hosea/5-13.htm">Ephraim</a> <a href="/hosea/5-13.htm">E'phraim</a> <a href="/hosea/5-14.htm">House</a> <a href="/1_samuel/24-14.htm">Insect</a> <a href="/hosea/5-13.htm">Judah</a> <a href="/matthew/6-19.htm">Moth</a> <a href="/joel/1-17.htm">Rot</a> <a href="/joel/1-17.htm">Rotten</a> <a href="/habakkuk/3-16.htm">Rottenness</a> <a href="/hosea/11-6.htm">Wasting</a><div class="vheading2">Hosea 5</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/hosea/5-1.htm">The judgments of God are denounced against the priests, people, and princes, </a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/hosea/5-9.htm">both of Israel and Judah, for their manifold sins.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">15. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/hosea/5-15.htm">An intimation is given of mercy on their repentance.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/hosea/5.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/hosea/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/hosea/5.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>So I am like a moth to Ephraim</b><br>In biblical symbolism, a moth represents destruction and decay, often in a slow and subtle manner. Here, God compares Himself to a moth, indicating a gradual but inevitable judgment upon Ephraim, which is another name for the northern kingdom of Israel. This imagery suggests that the consequences of their idolatry and unfaithfulness will eat away at their strength and prosperity. The moth's destructive nature is not immediate but persistent, reflecting how Israel's spiritual decay will lead to its downfall. This metaphor aligns with the broader theme of Hosea, where God warns Israel of the consequences of their covenant unfaithfulness. The use of "Ephraim" highlights the leading tribe of the northern kingdom, emphasizing the widespread nature of the sin and its impact.<p><b>and like decay to the house of Judah</b><br>The term "decay" here is often associated with rot or corrosion, indicating a destructive process that weakens and undermines. By comparing Himself to decay, God warns the southern kingdom of Judah of a similar fate as Ephraim, though the process may differ in form. This serves as a prophetic warning that Judah is not immune to judgment despite its proximity to the temple in Jerusalem and its Davidic lineage. The imagery of decay suggests a deeper, internal corruption that will lead to Judah's eventual downfall if they do not repent. This phrase connects to the broader biblical narrative where both Israel and Judah face consequences for their disobedience, as seen in the eventual Babylonian exile. The mention of both kingdoms underscores the comprehensive nature of God's judgment and the call for repentance across the entire nation.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/h/hosea.htm">Hosea</a></b><br>A prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the Israelites.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/e/ephraim.htm">Ephraim</a></b><br>Represents the Northern Kingdom of Israel, often used as a synonym for Israel in the prophetic books.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/j/judah.htm">Judah</a></b><br>The Southern Kingdom, distinct from Israel, but also subject to God's judgment due to their unfaithfulness.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/m/moth.htm">Moth</a></b><br>A metaphor used by God to describe His subtle and consuming judgment on Ephraim.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/d/decay.htm">Decay</a></b><br>Another metaphor illustrating the slow and destructive nature of God's judgment on Judah.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_subtle_judgment.htm">God's Subtle Judgment</a></b><br>Just as a moth quietly consumes fabric, God's judgment can be subtle yet pervasive. We must be vigilant in our spiritual lives to recognize and respond to God's corrective measures.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_consequences_of_unfaithfulness.htm">The Consequences of Unfaithfulness</a></b><br>Both Ephraim and Judah faced decay due to their unfaithfulness. This serves as a warning to remain steadfast in our commitment to God, avoiding spiritual complacency.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_call_to_repentance.htm">The Call to Repentance</a></b><br>God's judgment is not merely punitive but is intended to lead His people back to Him. We should view challenges and trials as opportunities for repentance and spiritual growth.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_spiritual_integrity.htm">The Importance of Spiritual Integrity</a></b><br>Just as decay weakens a structure, sin weakens our spiritual integrity. We must regularly examine our lives and seek God's strength to maintain our spiritual health.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_restoration.htm">Hope in Restoration</a></b><br>While the imagery of moth and decay is sobering, it also points to the possibility of renewal. God's ultimate desire is to restore His people, offering hope and redemption through repentance.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_hosea_5.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Hosea 5</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_are_israel's_other_names.htm">What are the different names for Israel?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/psalm_39_11__how_does_god_'consume'_wealth.htm">Psalm 39:11 – How can God “consume” one’s wealth like a moth, and is there any archaeological or historical basis for this metaphor? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/evidence_of_israel_and_judah's_joint_fall.htm">Hosea 5:5 - If the text claims Israel and Judah will both stumble, where is the historical or archaeological evidence of a simultaneous downfall as described?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/meaning_of_'lion_of_the_tribe_of_judah'.htm">What does 'Lion of the Tribe of Judah' mean?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/hosea/5.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(12) <span class= "bld">Rottenness.</span>--The Authorised version is right in this rendering (the disease <span class= "ital">caries</span>) rather than <span class= "ital">worm</span> (margin). Both images express concealed causes of irreparable destruction which come suddenly to view when <span class= "ital">it is too late.</span><p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/hosea/5.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 12.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.</span> This verse is well explained by Calvin as follows: "The meaning of the prophet is by no means obscure, and that is, that the Lord would by a slow corrosion consume both the people; and that, though he would not by one onset destroy them, yet they would pine away until they became wholly rotten." The two agents of destruction here named - the moth which eats away clothes, and the woodworm which gnaws away wood - figuratively represent slow but sure destruction. They are found together in <a href="/job/13-28.htm">Job 13:28</a>. Kimchi explains the sense in like manner: "<span class="accented">Like</span> the moth which eats away garments, and like the woodworm which consumes bones and wood, so shall I consume you." The pronoun at the beginning of the verse is emphatic: "<span class="accented">I your</span> God, who would have been your protector and preserver, whom you have sinfully forsaken, and whose commandments you have arbitrarily set aside - even I am to you as the source of rottenness, and of slow but sure ruin." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/hosea/5-12.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">So I am</span><br /><span class="heb">וַאֲנִ֥י</span> <span class="translit">(wa·’ă·nî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_589.htm">Strong's 589: </a> </span><span class="str2">I</span><br /><br /><span class="word">like a moth</span><br /><span class="heb">כָעָ֖שׁ</span> <span class="translit">(ḵā·‘āš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6211.htm">Strong's 6211: </a> </span><span class="str2">A moth</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to Ephraim,</span><br /><span class="heb">לְאֶפְרָ֑יִם</span> <span class="translit">(lə·’ep̄·rā·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_669.htm">Strong's 669: </a> </span><span class="str2">Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and like decay</span><br /><span class="heb">וְכָרָקָ֖ב</span> <span class="translit">(wə·ḵā·rā·qāḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7538.htm">Strong's 7538: </a> </span><span class="str2">Rottenness, decay</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to the house</span><br /><span class="heb">לְבֵ֥ית</span> <span class="translit">(lə·ḇêṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1004.htm">Strong's 1004: </a> </span><span class="str2">A house</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of Judah.</span><br /><span class="heb">יְהוּדָֽה׃</span> <span class="translit">(yə·hū·ḏāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3063.htm">Strong's 3063: </a> </span><span class="str2">Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/hosea/5-12.htm">Hosea 5:12 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/hosea/5-12.htm">OT Prophets: Hosea 5:12 Therefore I am to Ephraim like (Ho Hs Hos.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/hosea/5-11.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Hosea 5:11"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Hosea 5:11" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/hosea/5-13.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Hosea 5:13"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Hosea 5:13" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>