Hos 5:1 | NETfull | STEP | Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen closely, O king! For judgment is about to overtake you! For you were like a trap to Mizpah, like a net spread out to catch Tabor.

Hosea 5:1

1 Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, you Israelites! ^{▼▼ Heb “O house of Israel” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV); NLT “all of Israel’s leaders.”}
Listen closely, ^{▼▼ Heb “Use the ear”; ASV “give ear.”} O king! ^{▼▼ Heb “O house of the king” (so KJV); NIV “O royal house.”}
For judgment is about to overtake you! ^{▼▼ Heb “for the judgment is to you”; or “For this accusation is against you.” Cf. NIV “This judgment is against you.”}
For you were like a trap ^{▼▼ The noun פַּח (pakh, “trap”) is used (1) literally of a bird-trap, used in similes and metaphors (Amos 3:5; Prov 7:23; Eccl 9:12), and (2) figuratively to refer to (a) calamities and plots (Job 18:9; 22:10; Pss 91:3; 119:110; 124:7; 140:6; 141:9; 142:4; Prov 22:5; Isa 24:17–18; Jer 18:22; 48:43–44; Hos 9:8) and (b) a source of calamity (Josh 23:13; Pss 11:6; 69:23; Isa 8:14; Hos 5:1; BDB 809 s.v. פַּח).} to Mizpah, ^{▼▼ Heb “you were a trap to Mizpah.”}
like a net ^{▼▼ The noun רֶשֶׁת (reshet, “net”) is used (1) literally of a net used to catch birds (Prov 1:17) and (2) in figurative descriptions of the wicked plotting to ensnare their victims (Prov 29:5; Pss 9:16; 10:9; 25:15; 31:5; 35:7; 57:7; 140:6; Job 18:8; BDB 440 s.v. רֶשֶׁת).} spread out to catch Tabor. ^{▼▼ Heb “and a net spread out over Tabor.”}