Hosea 6:6

Hebrew Bible

4 What am I going to do with you, O Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, O Judah? For your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist; it disappears as quickly as dawn’s dew. 5 Therefore, I will certainly cut you into pieces at the hands of the prophets; I will certainly kill you in fulfillment of my oracles of judgment, for my judgment will come forth like the light of the dawn. 6 For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings. 7 At Adam they broke the covenant; Oh how they were unfaithful to me!

Matthew 9:13

New Testament

11 When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. 13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. 14 Then John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”

 Notes and References

"... In both instances, Jesus introduces the quotation of Hosea 6:6 with a typical rabbinical formula πορευθέντες δὲ µάθετε τί ἐστιν (Go and learn what this is) (Matt 9:13a) and εἰ δὲ ἐγνώκειτε τί ἐστιν (But if you had known what this is) (Matt 12:7a). The irony of the Pharisees pointing out to Jesus' lack of knowledge or practice of the Law resides in this formula, as Jesus reverses their accusations, suggesting the teachers of the Law's inability to interpret Hosea 6:6 ..."

Soquier, Irene E. Jesus' Midrash of Hosea 6:6a "I Desire Hesed, Not Sacrifice" in the Gospel of Matthew (pp. 1-35) Alliance Theological Seminary, 2017

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