Bible Strands
Hosea 8:13
Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Yahweh speaks through Hosea to Israel and Judah immediately after declaring they treated His written law as strange (Hosea 8:12) and before warning of fire consuming their cities (Hosea 8:14). The moment captures the peak of their covenant rebellion and misplaced trust in ritual and political alliances.
The words — `רָצָ֑/ם (ra.Tza/m)` = he is pleased with/them, and `זִבְחֵ֣י (ziv.Chei)` = sacrifices of. These terms frame the direct statement that Yahweh does not accept their offerings despite their consumption of the meat.
The thread — The text records Yahweh’s refusal of their sacrifices in Hosea 8:13, which aligns with Amos 5:22 where burnt and grain offerings are rejected, and Hosea 9:9 where God states He will remember their guilt and punish their sins. Hosea 9:6 extends the sequence by noting that those fleeing destruction will be gathered by Egypt and buried in Memphis.
Why it lands — The passage requires acknowledging that ritual performance cannot override covenant violation. It demands the reader to stop treating worship as a transactional shield against the consequences of disobedience.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.
Cross-references
- Hosea 9:6 For even if they flee destruction, Egypt will gather them and Memphis will bury them. Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles, and thorns will overrun their tents.
- Hosea 9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.
- Amos 5:22 Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard.
- Amos 8:7 The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget any of their deeds.
- Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.
- Deuteronomy 28:68 The LORD will return you to Egypt in ships by a route that I said you should never see again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.”
- Isaiah 1:11 “What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
- Jeremiah 14:10 This is what the LORD says about this people: “Truly they love to wander; they have not restrained their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; He will now remember their iniquity and punish them for their sins.”
- Hosea 5:6 They go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, but they do not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.
- Hosea 9:3 They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.