All their evil appears at GilgalGilgal holds significant historical and spiritual importance in Israel's history. It was the first campsite of the Israelites after crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land (
Joshua 4:19-20). However, it later became a center of idolatry and rebellion against God (
Hosea 4:15). The mention of Gilgal here symbolizes the transformation of a place of initial obedience into one of persistent sin. This serves as a reminder of how sacred places can become corrupted when the people turn away from God.
For there I hated them
The use of the word "hated" reflects God's righteous indignation towards Israel's persistent sin and idolatry. It is not an emotional hatred but a divine judgment against their actions. This phrase underscores the seriousness of Israel's rebellion and the resulting separation from God's favor. It echoes the covenantal language where disobedience leads to divine displeasure (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).
I will drive them from My house
"My house" refers to the land of Israel, which God had given to His people as an inheritance. The driving out signifies exile, a consequence of breaking the covenant. This is a fulfillment of the warnings given in the Law, where disobedience would lead to expulsion from the land (Leviticus 26:33). It also foreshadows the Assyrian exile of the Northern Kingdom.
For the wickedness of their deeds
The phrase highlights the cause of God's judgment: the people's actions. Their deeds included idolatry, injustice, and moral corruption, which violated the covenant relationship with God. This reflects the biblical principle that sin has consequences, and God's holiness demands justice (Isaiah 59:2).
I will no longer love them
This statement indicates a withdrawal of God's covenantal love, which was conditional upon Israel's obedience. It is a sobering reminder of the conditional aspects of the Mosaic Covenant, where blessings were contingent on faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:9-11). It also points to the need for a new covenant, fulfilled in Christ, where love is unconditional and based on grace (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
All their leaders are rebellious
The leaders, including kings and priests, were responsible for guiding the people in righteousness. Their rebellion exacerbated the nation's sin, leading the people astray (Isaiah 9:16). This highlights the importance of godly leadership and the impact of leaders on the spiritual health of a nation. It also foreshadows the coming of Jesus Christ, the perfect leader and shepherd who would lead His people in truth and righteousness (John 10:11).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
HoseaA prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, called by God to deliver messages of judgment and redemption.
2.
GilgalA significant location in Israel's history, often associated with pivotal events, but here it symbolizes a place of Israel's rebellion and sin.
3.
IsraelThe Northern Kingdom, which is the primary audience of Hosea's prophecies, known for its idolatry and turning away from God.
4.
GodThe sovereign Lord who is expressing His judgment and displeasure with Israel's persistent sinfulness.
5.
Leaders of IsraelThe rulers and authorities who are described as rebellious, contributing to the nation's spiritual decline.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Persistent SinGod’s patience has limits; persistent rebellion leads to judgment.
Reflect on areas in life where we may be ignoring God’s warnings.
The Significance of LeadershipLeaders have a profound impact on the spiritual direction of a community.
Pray for and support godly leaders who seek to honor God.
The Danger of IdolatryIdolatry is not just about physical idols but anything that takes God’s rightful place in our hearts.
Regularly evaluate what might be competing with God for our devotion.
God’s Love and JusticeGod’s love is profound, but His justice is equally important.
Understand that true love sometimes involves discipline and correction.
Repentance and RestorationDespite judgment, God always offers a path to repentance and restoration.
Seek God’s forgiveness and strive to return to Him wholeheartedly.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Hosea 9:15?
2.How does Hosea 9:15 illustrate God's response to persistent sin and rebellion?
3.What does "all their evil is at Gilgal" signify in Israel's history?
4.How can we avoid the behaviors that led to God's rejection in Hosea 9:15?
5.Compare Hosea 9:15 with Psalm 5:5. How does God view wickedness?
6.What steps can we take to ensure our actions align with God's will?
7.Why does God express hatred for Gilgal in Hosea 9:15?
8.How does Hosea 9:15 reflect God's judgment on Israel?
9.What historical events led to the condemnation in Hosea 9:15?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Hosea 9?
11.What is the meaning of Jesus eating with sinners?
12.What are the key events in 1 Samuel?
13.In Hosea 9:15, how do we reconcile an “all-loving” God with the statement that God hates His people in Gilgal?
14.Hosea 4:15: How can God hold the people responsible for following Judah's sins if their fates are ultimately under His control?What Does Hosea 9:15 Mean
All their evil appears at Gilgal• Gilgal began as a place of covenant remembrance (Joshua 4:19-24), yet by Hosea’s day it had become a center of empty ritual and outright idolatry (Hosea 4:15; 12:11;Amos 4:4).
• “Appears” underscores that nothing was hidden; the people’s sin was laid bare before the Lord (Psalm 90:8;Hebrews 4:13).
• What made Gilgal so grievous was the contrast between past blessing and present corruption—light rejected becomes deeper darkness (Luke 12:48).
for there I hated them• Divine “hatred” speaks of settled opposition to persistent sin (Psalm 5:5;Malachi 1:3;Romans 9:13).
• God’s love is holy; when it is spurned, righteous wrath follows (Deuteronomy 32:19-20).
• The phrase is not emotional volatility but covenant judgment: Israel chose idols over intimacy, so the Lord’s stance turned from favor to fury.
I will drive them from My house• “My house” can point to the land, the temple, and the overall covenant dwelling (Jeremiah 12:7;Hosea 8:1).
• Exile is in view—loss of place, protection, and worship (2 Kings 17:18-23;Hosea 9:3).
• The same God who brought them in (Deuteronomy 6:10-12) will now send them out because persistent unfaithfulness forfeits privilege.
for the wickedness of their deeds• Judgment is never arbitrary; it is tied to concrete actions—idolatry, injustice, and immorality (Hosea 7:2; 8:13).
• Scripture consistently links sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7;Proverbs 1:31); Hosea is living proof.
• The Lord’s standard has not changed; sin still carries consequences (Romans 6:23).
I will no longer love them• EchoesHosea 1:6, the naming of Lo-Ruhamah (“Not Loved”). Love withheld means covenant blessings are withdrawn, not that God ceases to be love (Jeremiah 16:5;Romans 11:22).
• Even this hard word contains a warning meant to awaken repentance (Hosea 11:8-9 shows the heartbeat behind the discipline).
all their leaders are rebellious• When rulers rebel, the nation soon follows (Isaiah 9:16;Micah 3:11).
• Hosea repeatedly indicts priests and princes for leading the people astray (Hosea 5:1; 7:3-7).
• Leadership is stewardship; greater influence brings greater accountability (James 3:1).
summaryHosea 9:15 is a sober announcement of covenant judgment. A once-sacred place (Gilgal) now showcases Israel’s sin, drawing God’s holy hatred. Because wicked deeds persist, the Lord will expel His people from His “house,” withdraw covenant love, and expose the rebellion of their leaders. The verse stands as a timeless warning: privilege does not shield persistent sin, and leadership must model, not mock, fidelity to the Lord.
(15)
Gilgal.--On Gilgal as a seat of idolatrous worship, see
Hosea 4:15. "My house" here, and in
Hosea 8:1 ("Jehovah's house"), is interpreted by Wnsche and Nowack, with considerable show of reason, to mean the "holy land," Canaan. This interpretation is confirmed by the use of the Assyrian word
Bitu, corresponding to the Hebrew
beth "house." The term seems to have blended the conception of a people and the territory they occupied. (See Schrader,
Keilinschriften und das alte Testament, p. 540, where the examples are cited
Bit-Am-ma-na "Ammon,"
Bit-A-di-ni, "Beth-Eden.") Similarly, Egypt is called in
Exodus 20:2, "the house of slaves." We are reminded by the word "house" of the domestic episode (Hosea 1-3): Ephraim, like an adulterous wife, is turned out of house and home (comp.
Hosea 3:4), and is no longer Jehovah's people (
Hosea 1:9).
Verses 15-17. - After the interruption by the excited question of the prophet in ver. 14, the terrible storm of denunciation sweeps on to the end of the chapter.
All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them; or,
there I conceived hatred against them, the verb being used in an inchoative sense. Gilgal had been the scene of many mercies; there the rite of circumcision, the seal of the Abrahamic covenant, after its omission dining the sojourn in the wilderness, was renewed; there the Passover, also intermitted from its second observance at Sinai, was kept; there the twelve memorial stones had been set up; there the Captain of the host of the Lord had appeared to Joshua, reassuring him of Divine protection; there the tabernacle had stood before its removal to Shiloh; yet that very place - a place of such blessing and solemn covenanting-had become the scene of idolatry and iniquity. The wickedness of Israel had been concentrated there as in a focus; there Israel's rejection of the theocracy in its spiritual form had taken place; there that first-plague's pot of ruin had been contracted; there the calf-worship had been developed; there the form of civil government had been shaped according to their own erring fancy, and their mode of religious worship had been corrupted. Thus Gilgal had become the center of all their sin; but the scene of mercy became the source of wrath, for there God's fatherly love was turned by Israel's wickedness into hatred.
For the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house, I will love them no more. They were driven out like Hagar out of the house of the patriarch, that Ishmael might not inherit with Isaac; like an unfaithful wife divorced and driven out of the house of the husband whom she has dishonored; or like an undutiful and disobedient son whom his father has disinherited. Further, God disowns the rebellious son, and acknowledges the paternal relationship no longer. The princes of Israel had become rebellions and stubborn: by an impressive Hebrew paronomasia, their
sarim, rulers, had become
sorerim, revolters.
Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit. Ephraim is a pleasant plant, but a worm has smitten the root and it has withered; Ephraim is a goodly tree, but the lightning of heaven has scorched and dried it up; there may be leafage for a time, but no fruitage ever.
Yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb. The desires - margin,
dear delights, or,
darlings - perish, and so the figure is now dropped, and the fact is seen in all its severe and stern reality, while the dread denunciation of vers. 11 and 12 is repeated and emphasized.
My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations. The prophet submits his will to the Divine will, and acquiesces in the disposals of his providence, and in his own proper person predicts Israel's coming doom. He fills up the outline of the dark picture by stating the cause of their rejection. He specifies at the same time the character of rejection, namely, dispersion among the nations, like birds driven from their nest, for so the term
nodedim denotes.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Allכָּל־(kāl-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everytheir evilרָעָתָ֤ם(rā·‘ā·ṯām)Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7451:Bad, evilappears at Gilgal,בַּגִּלְגָּל֙(bag·gil·gāl)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1537:Gilgal -- 'circle (of stones)', the name of several places in Palestineforכִּֽי־(kî-)Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunctionthereשָׁ֣ם(šām)Adverb
Strong's 8033:There, then, thitherI hated them.שְׂנֵאתִ֔ים(śə·nê·ṯîm)Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8130:To hateI will drive themאֲגָרְשֵׁ֑ם(’ă·ḡā·rə·šêm)Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1644:To drive out from a, possession, to expatriate, divorcefrom My houseמִבֵּיתִ֖י(mib·bê·ṯî)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1004:A houseforעַ֚ל(‘al)Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againstthe wickednessרֹ֣עַ(rō·a‘)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7455:Badness, evilof their deeds.מַֽעַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם(ma·‘al·lê·hem)Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4611:A deed, practiceI will noלֹ֤א(lō)Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, nolongerאוֹסֵף֙(’ō·w·sêp̄)Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - first person common singular
Strong's 3254:To add, augmentlove them;אַהֲבָתָ֔ם(’a·hă·ḇā·ṯām)Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 160:Love (noun)allכָּל־(kāl-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everytheir leadersשָׂרֵיהֶ֖ם(śā·rê·hem)Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8269:Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, princeare rebellious.סֹרְרִֽים׃(sō·rə·rîm)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5637:To turn away, be refractory
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OT Prophets: Hosea 9:15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal (Ho Hs Hos.) 
