Hosea 5:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consequently, Israel could not encounter the Lord through the ministry ordained by the law, “for they have forsaken the Lord,” having strayed from Him to the extent that they have become like parents of foreign children. The term “children of strangers” applies to those who, from birth, are dedicated to idol worship, as parents were believed to have presented gifts and sacrifices to demons for successful childbirth. Such “children of strangers” have not been born of God; they have instead intermarried with the daughters of Gentiles who continued in their idolatries, despite the law’s clear prohibition against such unions: “Thou shalt not give thy daughter unto his son, neither shalt thou take his daughter unto thy son: for they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods” (Deut. 7:3-4). Their actions are directly linked to the impending calamity foreshadowed by God, which threatens to consume them like rust, destroying both them and their possessions.

This reflects their broken fellowship. The imminent nature of this judgment is emphasized by the declaration, “Now I will make the rust appear,” suggesting that suffering is inevitable and approaching rapidly. Therefore, those who offend God will not be able to find Him, despite their attempts; they will become the parents of wayward offspring—not born of noble heritage aligned with virtue and holiness, but rather consumed by their own corruption and unworthiness, ultimately forfeiting their divine inheritance. This is poignantly expressed in the words of David as he calls on God, the universal Savior: “Into thy hand are my lots” (Ps. 30:16). Every portion and every inheritance resides in God’s sovereign will, for He alone dispenses the crowns of glory.

Not only Israel and Ephraim but also Judah, as noted earlier, will attempt to seek the Lord alongside their flock: Judah will also kneel in a futile attempt to appease Him with offerings, despite angering Him through their disloyalty. However, they will not encounter Him whom they seek, for He has withdrawn from those who have turned away from Him. The Scriptures echo this sentiment: ‘Will I eat the flesh of young bulls, or drink the blood of goats?’ and ‘I will not accept offerings from your households or your flocks’ (Psalms 49:13, 9). The betrayal of the Lord is clear, as by engaging in idolatry, they have borne children dedicated not to God but to demons. Some interpret this in light of events described later in the book of Ezra, when foreign wives were taken and children were born from them, ultimately leading to their abandonment. However, it is more fitting to consider here those foreign offspring resulting from worshipping idols or those sacrificed in fire to them. They have committed these acts not after many years but imminently, as the Assyrians and Chaldeans will soon come to consume them along with their heritage—the land divided by survey. The Septuagint's reference to ‘rust’ replaces the original phrase about the month consuming them; the term for rust, ἐρυσίβη, translates as hasil, as noted in the book of the prophet Joel (Joel 1:4). The month, referred to as hodes, implies that the enemy will repeatedly devastate their lands. Historical accounts from the books of Kings and Chronicles show that Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, invaded during the reign of King Pekah, carrying many of the Israelites into captivity—this invasion coinciding with a specific period in history that gives context to their suffering.

Heretics mistakenly believe that numerous sacrifices will please God, assuming that charitable acts within the Church will atone for ongoing sins, thinking every sacrifice offsets previous wrongdoings rather than current failings; thus, they miss the Lord who seems to withdraw from them. They have indeed been unfaithful to God and bore children not in Christ's image but for the adversary; hence, their actions are consistently immersed in condemnation, and everything they do is consumed by a rust of blood, indicative of danger and demise. It is noted that rust descends with the dew of night, tainting bread as if it were covered in the color of insects. In a deeper, mysterious interpretation, it signifies the loss of the possessions of the heretics, of whom it is said, ‘Their possessions shall not benefit them’ (Jeremiah 12:13).