Lexical Summary mastemah: Hostility, enmity, animosity Original Word: מַשְׂטֵמָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hatred From the same as shotet; enmity -- hatred. see HEBREW shotet NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom satam Definition animosity NASB Translation hostility (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַשְׂטֵמָה noun feminine animosity; — Hosea 9:7 + Hosea 9:8 (strike out We, compare Now). שׂטן (√ of following). Topical Lexicon Overview מַשְׂטֵמָה appears twice in the Hebrew Scriptures, both in Hosea 9, and denotes the settled, active hatred that erupts against God’s prophetic word and His messengers. While several Hebrew terms convey anger or animosity, this noun highlights a deep-seated enmity that has matured into open persecution. Occurrences in Hosea • Hosea 9:7: “The prophet is a fool; the inspired man is insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and great hostility.” Both verses place the term on Israel’s side of the ledger, not God’s. The nation’s own moral collapse produces hostility toward prophetic correction. This reversal—God sends truth, but His people respond with hatred—forms the immediate context for impending judgment (“the days of punishment,” Hosea 9:7). Historical Context Hosea ministered in the eighth century BC during the terminal decline of the Northern Kingdom. Political instability, idolatry, and alliances with pagan powers marked the era (2 Kings 15–17). The prophets, commissioned to expose sin and call for covenant faithfulness, met fierce resistance. מַשְׂטֵמָה captures that resistance at its peak. Instead of heeding the “watchman,” the people viewed him as a public enemy, thereby proving their spiritual blindness and sealing their fate at the hands of Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). Theological Significance 1. Sin’s Hostility toward Revelation: Hosea shows that habitual rebellion naturally progresses into hatred for the messenger of truth (compare Proverbs 29:27; John 3:19–20). Intertextual Echoes While מַשְׂטֵמָה itself is rare, its thematic thread runs throughout Scripture: Christological Fulfillment Jesus embodies the ultimate “watchman” (Ezekiel 33:7; Mark 13:34). Like Hosea, He faced escalating hostility culminating in the Cross (Luke 23:18–23). Yet His resurrection demonstrates that human enmity cannot thwart God’s redemptive plan (Acts 2:23–24). Thus מַשְׂטֵמָה foreshadows the clash between divine truth and human rebellion ultimately resolved in Christ. Ministry Application 1. Expect Opposition: Faithful proclamation may attract the same hostility Hosea endured (2 Timothy 3:12). Summary מַשְׂטֵמָה crystallizes the aggressive hatred that blossoms when persistent sin collides with prophetic light. Its brief Old Testament footprint belies a profound lesson: where truth confronts unrepentant hearts, hostility arises; yet God remains faithful to His word, sustaining His messengers and completing His redemptive purposes. Forms and Transliterations מַשְׂטֵמָ֖ה מַשְׂטֵמָֽה׃ משטמה משטמה׃ maś·ṭê·māh masteMah maśṭêmāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Hosea 9:7 HEB: עֲוֹנְךָ֔ וְרַבָּ֖ה מַשְׂטֵמָֽה׃ NAS: of your iniquity, And [because] your hostility is [so] great. KJV: and the great hatred. INT: of your iniquity is great and your hostility Hosea 9:8 2 Occurrences |
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