Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Ood's Judgments n(/ainsi Israel. HOSEA V. An Exhortation to Judah to Repent,
Though Israel's ten tribes Indulge in spiritual harlotry, at least thou, Judah, who hast the legal priesthood, andthe temple rites, and Jerusalem, do not follow her bad example. Gllgal—situated between Jordan and Jericho on the confines of Samaria; once a holy place to Jehovah (Joshua 5. 10-15; 1 Samuel 10.8; 15.21); afterwards desecrated by idolworship (ch. 9. 15; 12.11; Amos 4. 4; 5.5; cf. Judges 3. 19, Margin). Bctli-aven i. e., the house of vanity or idols: a name substituted In contempt for Beth-el, i/te house of God; once sacred to Jehovah (Genesis 28. 17, 19;
Not regularly constituted, but still bearing the name, whilst eonfouiniiiig the worship of Jehovah and of the calvt's'in Beth-el (1 Kings 12. 29, 81). I will . . . forget thy children—not only those wlio then were alive should be deprived of tlie priestliood, but their children who, In the ordinarjcourse, would have succeeded them, should be set aside. 7. As they were increased— in numbers »Dd power. Cf. r. 6, " thy cliildren," to which their "increase" in nitmhera j-efers. so they sinned—(Cf. ch. 10. 1 and 13. 6.) will I change their glory into shame i.e., I will strip them of all they uow ylory in (their numbers and power), and give them s/iame instead. A just retribution: as Ihey changed their glory into shame, by idolatry (Psalm 106. 20; Jeremiah 2. U ; Romans 1.23; Philippians
35. 7), but made by Jeroboam the seat of the worship of the calves (1 Kings 12. 28-33; 13. 1; Jeremiah 48. 13; Amos
3. 14; 7. 13). " Go up " refers to the fact that Bet!i-el was on a hill (Joshua 16. 1). nor swear, The Lord llveth This formula of oath was appointed by God Himself (Deuteronomy 6. 13; 10. 20; Jeremiah 4. 2); it is therefore here forbidden not absolutely, but in conjunction with idolatry and falsehood (Isaiah 48.1; Ezekiel 20. 39 ; Zephaniali 1.5). 16. backsliding—ZmniJate, "Israel Is refractory, as a refractory heifer," viz., one that throws the yoke oflT her neck. Israel had represented God under the form of "calves" (1 Kings 12. 28); but it Is she herself who is one. lamb in a large place—not in a good sense, as Isaiah 30.
3. Ij). 8. eat . . . sin of niy people i. e., the sin offerings (Leviticus 6. 26; 111. 17). The priests greedily devoured them, set their heart on tltelr Iniquity — lit., lift up the animal soul io, i. e., lust after, or strongly desire. Cf. Margin, Deuteronomy 21.15; Psalm 21. 4 ; Jeremiah 22.
27. The priests set their own hearts on the iniquity of the people, instead of trying to suppress it. For the more the people sinned I he more sacrltlcial victims In atonement for sin tlie priests gained. 9. like people, like priests—they are one in guilt, therefore they shall be one in punishment (Isaiah 21. 2). reward them
23. Here there is irony : lambs like a large pasture; but it is not so safe for them as a small one, duly fenced from wild beasts. God will " feed " them, but it shall be with the " rod " (Micah 7. 14). It shall be no longer in the narrow territory of Israel, but " in a large place," viz., they shall be scattered in exile over the wide realm of Assyria, a prey to their foes, as lambs, which are timid, gregarious, and not solitary, are a prey when scattered asunder to wild beasts. 17. Gphraim—the ten tribes. Judah was at this time not so given to Idolatry as afterwards. Joined to itlols—closely and voluntarily ; identifying themselves with them as a whoremonger becomes one flesh with the harlot (Numbers 25. 3; 1 Corinthians 6. 16, tlielr doings—in homely phrase, "pay them back In their own coin" (Proverbs 1. 31). 10. eat, and not have enough—just reti ibution on those who "eat up (greedily) the sin of my people" (v.S; Micah 6.14; Haggai 1.6). whoredom, and . . . not increase lit., break forth: used of giving birth to children {(Jrenesis 2tJ. 11, Margin; cf. Genesis 38. 2!)). Not oulj' their wives, but their concubines, shall be barren. To be childless was considered a great calamitj' among the Jews. 11. A moral truth applicable to all times. The special reference here is to the licentious orgies connected with the Syrian worship, which lured Israel away from the pure worship of God (Isaiah
17). Idols—the Hebrew means also sorrows, pains, implying the pain which idolatry brings on its votaries, let hira alone—leave him to himself. Let him reap the fruits of his own perverse choice: his case is desperate: have ymn nothing to say to him (cf. Jeremiah 7. 16). Here v. 15 shows the address is to Judah, to avoid the contagion of Israel's bad example. He is bent on his own ruin ; leave him to his fate, lest, instead of saving him, thou fall thyself (Isaiah 48. 20; Jeremiah 50. 8; 51. 6, 45; 2 Corinthians
2S. 1,7; Amos 4. 1). take away the heart i.e., the understanding; make men blind to their own true good (Ecclesiastes 7. 7). 13. Instances of their understanding ("heart") being "taken away." stocks-wooden idols (Jercmiali 2.27; Habakkuk 2. 19). staff—alluding to divination by rods (Notes, Ezekiel 21. 21, 22). The diviner. Bays RosEXMULLER, threw a rod from him, which was stripped of its bark on one side, not on the other: if the bare side turned uppermost, it was a good omen; if the side with the bark, it was a bad omen. The Arabs used two rods, tlie one marked God bids, the other, God forbids; whichever came out first, in drawing them out of a case, gave the omen for, or against, an undertaking, declareth —i. e., is consulted to infoi'm them of future events, spirit of whoredoms—a general disposition on the part of all totvards idolatry (ch. 5. 4). en--go astray from the true God. from under tlteir God—they have gone away from God under whom they were, as a wife is under the dominion of her husband. 13. upon . . . mountains—high places Were selected by idolaters on which to sacrifice, because of their greater nearness to the heavenly hosts which they worshipped (Deuteronomy 12. 2). elms— rather, "terebinths." [Maureb.] sliadow . . . good— screening the lascivious worshippers from the heat of the sun. daughters . . . commit whoredom . . . spouses
6. 17). 18. Their drink is sour—metaphor for utteidegeneracy of principle (Isaiah 1. 22). Or, unbridled licentiousness; not mere ordinary sin, but as abandoned as drunkards who vomit and smell sour with wine potations. [Calvin.] Maubeb not so well translates, "When their drinking is over, they commit whoredoms," otz., in honour of Astarte (V. 13, 14). her rulers—Israel's ; lit., shields (cf. Psalm 47. 9). with shame . . . love. Give ye—(Proverbs
30. 15.) No remedy could be effectual against their corruptions, since the very rulers sold justice for gifts. [Calvin.] Maubeb translates, " The rulers are marvellously enamoured of shame." English Version is better. 19. Israel shall be swept away from her land (v. 16) suddenly and violently as if by " the wings of the wind " (Psalm 18. 10; 104. 3; Jeremiah 4. 11, 12). ashamed . . . of their sacrifices—disappointed to their shame in their hope of help through their sacrifices to Idols.
. . . adultery—in the polluted worship of Astarte, the Phcsnician goddess of love. 14. I will not punish . . . daughters1 will visit with the heaviest punishments " not " the unchaste " daughters and spouses," but the fathers and husbands; for it is these who "themselves" have set the bad example, so that as compared with the punishment of the latter, that of the former shall seem as nothing. [Munster.] separated with whores—withdrawn from the assembly of worshippers to some receptacle of impurity for carnal connection with whores, sacrifice with harlots—they commit lewdness With women who devote their persons to be violated in honour of Astarte. (.So the Hebrew for "harlots" means, as distinguished from "whores.") Cf. Numbers 25. 1-3; and the prohibition, Deuteronomy 23. 18. not understand— ^Isaiah 44. 18; 45. 20.) shall fall—shall be cast down. 15.
CHAPTEK V.
Ver. 1-5. God's Judgments on the Priests, People, AND Princes of Israel fob their Sins. Judah too being guilty shall be punished; nor shall Assyria, whose aid they both sought, save them ; judgments shall at last lead them to repentance. 1. the king—probably Pekah; the contemporary of Ahaz, king of Judah, under whom first Idolatry was carried so far in Judah a.s to call for the judgment of thejoint Syrian and Israelite Invasion, as also that of Assyria. Judgment is towards you—t. p., threatens you from God. yehavebeenasnareon Itllzpah . . . net. . . upon Tabor—As hunters spread tlielr net and snares on the hills Mizpah and Tabor, so ye have snared the people into Idolatry, and made them your prey by injustice.
GotTs Judgments on the Priests, HOSEA V. the People, and the Princes of Israel.
half tribe of Manasseh. portions—f. e., possessions. Their resources and garrisons will notavail tosavethem. Hendekson explains from Isaiah 57. 6, " portions" as their idols;
As Mizpah and Tabor mean a watch-tower, and a lofty place, a fit scene for hunters, playing on the words, the prophet Implies, in the lofly place in which I have set you, whereas ye ought to have been the watchers of the people, guarding them from evil, ye have been as hunters entrapping them into it. [Jekomk.] These twoplaces are specifled, Mizpah In the east and Tabor in tlie west, to include the /ligh places throughout the whole kingdom. In which Israel's rulers set up idolatrous altars, ti. revolterg—apostates, profound—rfeepi'-rooted [Calvin] and sunk to the lowest depths, excessive in their idolatry (ch. 9.9; Isaiah 31.6). [Henderson.] From the antithesis (v. 3), "not hid from me," I prefer explaining, profoundly cunning in their idolatry. Jeroboam thought it a profound piece of policy to set up golden calves to represent God in Dan and Beth-el, in order to prevent Israel's heart from turning again to David's line by going up to Jerusalem to wortlie context favours this, " the Lord" the true " portion of His people" (Deuteronomy 32. 9), being in antithesis to "their portions," the idols. 8. The arrival of the enemy is announced in theformof an injunction to blow an alarm. cornet . . . trumpet—the "cornet" was made of the curved horn of animals, and was used by shepherds, nie trumpet was of brass or silver, straight, and used in wars and on solemn occasions. The Hebrew Is hatzotzeruh, the sound imitating the trumpet note (ch. 8. 1 ; Numbers 10. 2; Jeremiah 4.5; Joel 2. 1). Gibeah . . . Raniah—both in Benjamin (Isaiah 10. 29). Beth-avcn—in Benjamin ; not as in ch. 4. 15, Beth-el, but a town east of it (Joshua 7. 2). "Cry aloud," viz., to raise the alarm. "Benjamin" is i>ut for the whole southern kingdom of Judah (cf. v. 5), being the first part of it which would meet the foe advancing from the north. "After thee, 0 Benjamin," implies the position of Beth-aven, behind Benjamin, at the borders of Ephraim. When the foe is at Beth-aven, he is at Benjamin's rear, close upon thee, O Benjamin (Judges 5. 14). 9, 10. Israel is referred to in v. 9, Judah In v. 10. the day of rebuke—The day when I shall chastise him. among the tribes of Israel have I made known—proving that the scene of Hosea's labours was among the ten tribes, that which gliall surely be viz., the coming judgment here foretold. It is no longer a conditional deci'ee, leaving a hope of pardon on repentance; it Is absolute, for Ephraim sliip. So Israel's subsequent idolati-y was grounded by their leaders on various pleas of state expediency (cf. Isaiah 2i). 15). to . . . slaughter—lie does not say " to sacrifice," for their so-called sacrifices were butcheries rather than sacrifices; there was nothing sacred about them, being to idols instead of to the holy God. though Wauueh translates, "and [in spite of their hope of safety through their slaughter of victims to idols] I will be a chastisement to them all." English Version is good sense
They liave deeply revolted, notw Wistanding all my prophetical warnings. 3. Ephralm—the tribe so called, as distinguished from "Israel" here, the other nine tribes. It was always foremost of the tribes of the northern kingdom. For 4U0 years in early history, it, with Manasseh and Benjamin, its two dependent tribes, held the pre-eminence in the whole nation. Ephraim is here addressed as foremost in idolatry. I know . . . not hirt from me notwithstanding tlieir supposed profound cunning (r. 2; Revelation 2. 2, 9, 13, 19). now—" though I have been a rebuker of all them" {v. 2) who commit such spiritual whoredoms, thou art now continuing in them. 4. They turning from a direct address to Ephraim, he uses the third person piitmi to characterize the people in general. The Hebrew is against the Margin, "their doings will not Buffer i?iem," the omission of " them" in the Hebrew after the verb being unusual. The sense is, they are incurable, for they will not permit (as the Hebrew lit. means) their doings to be framed so as to turn unto God. Implying that they resist the spirit of God, not suffering Him to renew them; and give themselves up to "the spirit of whoredoms" (in antithesis to " the Spirit of God" implied in "suffer" or "permit") (ch. 4. 12; Isaiah 63. 10; Ezekiel is hopelessly impenitent, remove the bound—(Deuteronomy 19. 14; 27. 17; Job 24. 2; Proverbs 22. 28 ; 23. 10.) Proverbial for the rash setting aside of the ancestral laws by whicli men are kept to their duty. Ahaz and his courtiers (" the princes of Judah"), setting aside the ancient ordinances of God, removed the borders of the bases and the laver and the sea, and introduced an idolatrous altar from Damascus (2 Kings 10. 10-18) ; also he burnt liLs children in the valley of Hinnom, after the abominations of the heathen (2 Chronicles 28. 3). 11. broken In judgment —viz., the "judgment" of God on him (v. 1). walked after the commandment—Jeroboam's, to worship the calves
(2 Kings 10. 28-33). Cf. Micah 6. 16, "the statutes of Omrl," viz., idolatrous statutes. We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5. 29). Jerome reads " flit hiness." LXX. gives the sense, not the lit. translation : "after vanities." la. as a moth—consuming a garment (Job 13. 28; Psalm
39. 11; Isaiah 50. 9). Judah . . . rottenness—Ephraim, or the ten tribes, are as a garment eaten by the moth ; Judah as the body Itself consumed by rottenness (Proverbs 12. 4). Perhaps alluding to the superiority of the latter in having the house of David, and the temple, the religious centra of the nation. [Grotius.] As in v. 13, 14, the violence of the calamity is prefigured by the " wound" which "a lion"
16. 43; Acts 7. 51). 5. the pride of Israel—wlierewith thej' reject the warnings of God's prophets (v. 2), and prefer their idols to God (ch. 7. 10; Jeremiah 13. 17). testify to his face—openly to his fo Lce he shall be convicted of the pride whicli is so palpable in him. Or, "in his face," as Isaiah 3. 9. Judah . . . shall fall with them—This prophecy is later than ch.4. 15, when Judah had not gone inflicts, so here its long protracted duration, and the certainty and completeness of the destruction from small unforeseen beginnings, by the images of a slowly but surely consum i ug moth and rottenness. 13. wound lit., bandage ; hence a bandaged wound (Isaiah 1. 6; Jeremiah 30. 12). "Saw," ?'. p., felt its weakened state politically, and the dangers that threatened it. It aggravates their perversity,
BO far in idolatry; now her imitation of Israel's bad example provokes the threat of her being doomed to share in Israel's punishment. 6. with . . . flocks— to propitiate Jehovah (Isaiah 1. 11-15). seek . . . not tinti—because it that, though sensible of their unsound and calamitous is slavish fear leads them to seek Him; and because it then shall be too late (Proverbs 1. 28; John 7. 34). 7. treacherously—as to the marriage covenant (Jeremiah 3.
state, they did not inquire into the cause, or seek a right remed,y. went ... to the Assyrian—first, Menahem (2 Kings 15. 19) applied to Pul ; again, Hoshea to Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17.3). sent to King Jareb—Understand Judah as the nominative to " sent." Thus as "Ephraim saw his sickness" (the first clause) answers in the parallelism to "Ephraim went to the Assyrian" (the third
20). strange children—alluding to "children of whoredoms" (ch. 1.2; 2.4). "Strange" or foreign implies, that their idolatry was imported from abroad. [Hendekson.] Or rather, "regarded by God as strangers, not His,"' as being reared in idolatry. The case is desperate, when not only the existing, but also the rising generation is reared in apostasy, a month—a very brief sjxice of time shall clause), so "Judah saw his wound" (the second clause) answers to (Judah) "sent to King Jareb" (the fourth elapse, and then punishment shall overtake them (Zechariah 11. 8). The allusion seems to be to money loans, which were by the month, not as with us by the year. You cannot put it off; tlie time of your destruction is immediately and suddenly coming on you; just as the debtor must meet tlie creditor's demand at the expiration of the month. The prediction is of the Invasion of Tiglathclause). Jareb ought rather to be translated, "thfir defender," irt., avenger. [Jerome.] The Assyrian "king," ever ready, for Ills own aggrandizement, to mix himself up with the affairs of neighbouring states, professed to undertake Israel's and Judah's cause; In Judges 6. 82, Jerub, in Jerub-baal, is so used, viz., "plead one's cause." Judah, under Ahaz, applied to TIglatli-pileser for aid against Syria and Israel (2 Kings 16.7,8; 2 Chronicles 38.
pilescr, who carried away Keuben, Gad, Naphtali, and the m
hraelites' Exhortation HOSEA VI. to each other to Seek the Lord, was accounted the greatest calamity, "the latter rain" which falls in the latter half of February, and during Jiarcli and April, just before the harvest wlience it takes its name, from a root meaning "to gather;" and "the former rain," lit., the darting rain, from the middle of October to the middle of December. As the rain fertilizes the otherwise barren land, so God's favour will restore Israel long nationally lifeless. 4. what shall I do unto thee—to bring thee back to piety. "What more could be done that I have not done, both in mercies and chastenings (Isaiah 5.4)7 At this verse a new discourse begins, resuming the threats (ch. 5. 14). See opening remarks on this chapter, goodness—godliness, morning cloud soon dispersed by the sun (ch. 13. 3). There is a tacit contrast here to the promise of God's grace to Israel hereafter, in V. 3. His going forth Is " as the morning," shining more and more unto the perfect day; your goodness is "as a morning cloud," soon vanishing. His coming to His people is "as the (fertilizing) latter and former rains ;" your coming to Him "as the early dew goeth away." 5. I hewed them by the prophets i.e., I announced by the prophets that they should be hewn asunder, like trees of the forest. God Identifies His act with that of his prophets; the word being His Instrument for executing His will (Jeremiah 1. 10; Ezekiel 43. 3). by . . . words of my mouth—(Isaiah 11. 4; Jeremiah 23. 29 ; Hebrews 4. 12.) thy judgments—the judgments which I will inflict on thee, Ephraim and Judah {v. 4). So "ttj/ judgments," i. e., those inflicted on thee (Zephanlab 3. 15). are as the light, &c.—like the light, palpable to the eyes of all, as coming from God, the punisher of sin. Henderson translates, "lightning" (cf. jVfarj/m, Job 37. 3, 15). 6. mercy—put for piety in general, of which mercy or charity is a branch, not sacriflce i. e., " rather than sacrifice." So not is merely comparative (Exodus 16.8; Joel 2.13; John 6. 27; 1 Timothy 2. 14). As God Himself instituted sacrifices, it cannot mean that He desired them not absolutely, but that even in the Old Testament, He valued moral obedience as the only end for which positive ordinances, such as sacrifices, were instituted—as of more importance than a mere external ritual obedience (1 Samuel 15.22; PsalmoO. 8, 9; 51.
16-21); the Assyrian "distressed him, but strengthened him not," fulfilliug the prophecy here, "he could not heal you, nor cure you of your wound." 14. lion—the black Hon and the young lion are emblems of strength and ferocity (Psalni 91. 13). 1, even I—emphatic ; when I, even
1, the Irresistible God, tear in pieces (Psalm 50. 22), no Assyrian power can rescue, go away—as a lion stalks leis-- urely back with his prey to his lair. 15. return to my place—I. e., wi tlidraw my favour. tUl tliey acknowledge their offence—tlie Hebrew is, " till they suffer the penalty Of their guilt." Probably "accepting the punishment of their guilt" (cf. Zechariah 11. 5) is included in the idea, as English Version translates. Cf. Leviticus 26. 40, 41; Jeremiah 29. 12, 13; Ezekiel 6. 9; 20. 43 ; 36. 31. aeek my face— t. e.,«eek my favour (Proverbs 29. 26, Margin). In . . . affliction . . . seek me early—t. e., diligently; rising up before dawn to seek me (Psalm 119. 147; cf. Psalm 78. 34).
CHAPTEE VI.
Ver. 3-11. The Israelites' Exhortation to One Another to seek the Lord. At v. 4 a new discourse, complaining of them, begins ; fort). 1-3 evidently belongs to
V. 15, of ch 5., and forms the happy termination of Israel's punishment: primarily, the return from Babylon; ultimately, the return from their present long dispersion. The eighth verse perhaps refers to the murder of Pekahiah; the discourse cannot be later than Pekah's reign, for it was under it that Gilead was carried Into captivity
(2 Kings 15. 29). 1. let ns return—in order that God who has "returned to His place" may return to us (ch. 5. 15). torn, and . . . heal—(Deuteronomy 32. 39; Jeremiah 30.
17.) They ascribe tlieir punishment not to fortune, or man, but to God, and acknowledge that none (not the Assyrian, as tliey once vainly thought, ch. 5. 13) but God can heal their wound. They are at the same time persuaded of tlie mercy of God, which persuasion Is the startingpoint of true repentance, and without which men would not seek, but hate and flee from God. Though our wound be severe, it is not past hope of recovery; there Is room for grace, and a hope of pardon. He hath smitten us, but not so badly that he cannot heal us (Psalm 130. 4). H. Primarily, In type, Israel's national revival, in a short period ("two or three" being used to denote a few days, Isaiah 17.
16; Isaiah 1. 11, 12; Micah 6. 6-8; Matthew 9. 13; 12. 7). knowledge of God — experimental and practical, not merely theoretical (v. 3; Jeremiah 22. 16; 1 John 2.3, 4). "Mercy" refers to the second table of the law, our duty to our fellow-man ; " the knowledge of God" to the first table our duty to God, Including Inward spiritual worship. The second table Is put first, not as superior in dignity, for It
6; Luke 13. 32, 33); antitypically the language is so framed as to refer in its/uU accuracy only to Messiah, the ideal Israel (Isaiah 49. 3; cf. Matthew 2. 15, with ch. 11. 1), raised on the third day (John 2. 19; 1 Corinthians 15.4; cf. Isaiah
53. 10). " He shall prolong His days." Cf. the similar use of Israel's political resurrection as the type of the general resurrection of which "Christ Is the first-fruits" (Isaiah 26.19; Ezekiel 37. 1-14; Daniel 12.2). Uve in his sightenjoy his favour and tlie light of his countenance shining on us, as of olcj; in' contrast to ch. 5. 6, 15, "'Withdrawn himself from them." 3. know, ifwe follow on to know the liord—The result of his recovered favour (v. 2) will be onward growth in saving knowledge of God, as the result of perseverance in following after him (Psalm 63.8; Isaiah is secondary, but In the order of our understanding. 7. like men—the common sort of men (Psalm 82. 7). Kot as Margin, " like Adam," Job 31. 33. For the expression " covenant" is not found elsewhere applied to Adam's relation to God; though the thing seems implied (Romans 5. 12-19). Israel "transgressed the covenant" of God as lightly as men break every-day compacts with their fellow-men. there—In the northern kingdom, Israel. 8. Gilead . . . city—Probably Ramoth-gllead, metropolis of the hilly region bej'ond Jordan, south of the Jabbok, known as " Gilead" (1 Kings 4. 13; cf. Genesis 31. 21-25). work iniquity—(ch. 12. 11.) polluted with blood— "marked with blood traces." [Maurer.] Referring to Gilead's complicity in the regicidal conspiracy of Pekah against PekahiaU
54. 13). "Then" implies the consequence of the revival in i>. 2. The "if" is not so much conditional, as expressive of the means which God's grace will sanctify to the full enlightenment of Israel In the knowledge of Him. As want of "knowledge of God" has been the source of all evils (ch. 4. 1; 5. 4), so the knowledge of Him will bring with it all blessings, yea. It is "life" (John 17.3). This knowledge is practice, not mere theory (Jeremiah 22. 1.5,
(2 Kings 15. 25). See Note, on v. 1. Many homicides were there, for there were beyond Jordan more cities of refuge, la proportion to the extent ofterritory, than on this side of Jordan (Numbers 35. 14; Deuteronomy 4. 41^3; Joshua 20.
8). Ramoth-gilead was one. 9. company association or guild of priests, murder . . . by consent lit., with one shoulder (cf. Zephanlab 3. 9, Margin). The image is from oxen putting their shoulders together to pull the same yoke. [Rivetus.] Maw.sii translates, " in the way towards Shechem." It was a city of refuge between Ebal and Gerizim; on Mount Ephraim (Joshua 20.7; 21.21), long the civil capital of Ephraim, as Shiloh was the religious capital; now called Naploos; for a time the residence of Jeroboam (1 Kings 12. 25). The priests there became so corrupted that they waylaid and murdered persons fleeing to the asylum for refuge [Henderson]; the sanollly
16). Theology is life, not science; realities, not words. This onward progress is illustrated by the light of " morning" increasing more and more "unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4.18). prepared—w «ure, ii<.,/Ja;eci, ordered In His everlasting purposes of love to his covenant people.
Cf. "prepared of God" (Margin, Genesis 41.32; Revelation
12. 6). Jehovah shall surely come to the relief of His people after their dark night of calamity, as the morning —(2 .Samuel 23.4.) as tlie rain . . . latter . . . former— (Job 29. 2S; Joel 2. 23.) First, " the rain" generally is mentioned ; then the two rains (Deuteronomy 11. 14) which caused the fertility of Palestine, and the absence of which
A Reproof of Manifold Sins, HOSEA VII. Go<f« Wraih, against Bypocruy of the place enhanced the guilt of the priests who abused burns as a flaming Are, so they brood mischief il their hearts, whilst conscience is lulled asleep, and their* icked designs wait only for a fair occasion to break forth. [HorsIjEY.] Their heart is the oven, their baker the ringleader of the plot. In v.7 their plots appear, viz., the intestine disturbances and murders of one king after another, after Jeroboam II. 7. all hot—all burn with eagerness to cause universal disturbance (2 Kings 15). devoured their judges—magistrates ; as the fire of the oven devours the fuel, all their kings . . . fallen—see Kotes at the beginning of this chapter, none . . . calleth uuto mosuch is their perversity that amidst all these national calamities, none seeks help from me (Isaiah 9. 13; 64.7), 8. mixed . . . among the people—by leagues with idolaters, and the adoption of their idolatrous practices {v. 9, their priestly privileges, and the right of asylum to perpetrate murders themselves, or to screen those committed by others. |Mauiier.] commit lewdness—deJifrerate crime, presumptuous wickedness, from an Arabic root, to form a deliberate purpose. 10. liorrible tiling— (Jeremiah 5. 30; 18. 13; 23. It), whoredom—idolatrj-. 11. an lian-est Uiz., ofjudgments, as in Jeremiah 51. 33 ; Joel
3. 13; Revelation 14. lo. Called a "harvest," because it is the fruit of the seed which Jud.ih herself hath sown (ch. 8.
7; 10.12; Job4. S; Proverbs 22.8). Judah, under Ahaz, lost 120,000 "slain in one day (by Israel under Pekah), because they had forsaken tlie Lord God of their lathers." when I returned the captivity of my people—when I, by Oded my prophet, caused 200,000 women, sons, and daughters, of Judah to be restored fi-om captivity by
11 ; Psalm 106. 85). Ephraim . . . cake not turned—
Israel (2 Clironick-s 28. 6-15). This prophecy was delivered under Pekah. rLunoviccrs DE DiEcr.] Maurek excake burnt on one side and unbaked on the other, and so uneatable; an image of the worthlessness of Ephraim. The Easterns bake their bread on the ground, covering it with embers (1 Kings 19. 6), and turning it every ten minutes, to bake it thoroughly without burning it. 9. Strangers—Foreigners : the Syrians and Assyrians (2 Kings 13.
plains, Wlien Israel shall have been exiled for Its sins, and has been subsequently restored by me, thou, Judahi also Shalt be exiled for thine. But as Judah's punishment was not at the timety7im God restored Israel, LUDOVicus DE DiEU's explan.ation must be taken. Grotius
7; 15.19,20; 17.3-6). gray hairs-1. e., symptoms of approaching national dissolution, are here and there npon lit., are sprinkled on him. yet he knoweth not though old age ought to bring with it wisdom, he neither knows of his senile decay, nor has the true knowledge which leads to reformation. 10. Repetition of ch. 5. 5. not return to . . . Lord , . . for all this—notwithstanding all their calamities (Isaiah 9. 13). 11. like a silly dove —a bird proverbial for simplicity: easily deceived, without heart i.e., understanding, eall to Egypt— Israel lying between the two great rival empires Egypt and Assyria, sought each by turns to help her against the other. As this prophecy was written in the reign of Hoshea, the allusion is probably to the alliance with So or Sabacho II. (of which a record has been found on the clay cylindrical seals in Koyunjik), which ended in the overthrow of Hoshea and the deportation of Israel (2 Kings 17. 3-6). As the dove betrays its silliness by fleeing in alarm from its nest only to fall into the net of the fowler, so Israel, though warned that foreign alliances would be their ruin, rushed into them. 12. When they shall go—to seek aid from this or that foreign state, spread my net upon them—as on birds taken on the ground (Ezekiel 1'2. 13), as contrasted with " bringing them down as the fowls of the heavens, viz., by the use of missiles, as their congregation hath heard viz., by my prophets through whom I tlireatened "chastisement" (ch. 5. 9; 2 Kings 17. 13-18). 13. fled —as birds from their nest (Proverbs 27.8; Isaiah 16.2). me—who both could and would have healed them (v. 1), had they applied to me. redeemed them—from Egypt and their other enemies (Mieah 6. 4). lies—{Psalm 78. 36; Jeremiah 3.10.) Pretending to be my worshippers, when they all the while worshipped Idols (v. 14 ; ch. 12. 1) ; also defrauding me of the glory of their deliverance, and ascribing it and their other blessings to idols. [Calvin.] I4t. not cried unto me—but unto other gods [Maurer] (Job translates, " When I n/iall have returned to make captive {i. e., when I shall have again made captive) my people." The first captivity of Israel under Tiglath-pileser was followed by a seconS under Shalmaneser. Then came the siege of Jerusalem, and tlie captui'e of the fenced cities of Judah, by Sennacherib, tlie forerunner of other attacks, ending in Judah's captivity. But the Hebrew \s elsewhere used of restoration, not renewed punisliment {Deuteronomy 30. 3; Psalm U. 7).
CHAPTER VII.
Ver. 1-16. Reproof of Israel. Probably del ered in the interreign and civil war at Pekah's death for v. 7, "all their kings . . . fallen," refers to the marder of Zechariah, Sliallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, and Pekah: in V. 8 the reference seems to be to Menahem's payment of tribute to Pul, in order to secure himself in the usurped tlrrone, also to Pekali's league with Rezin of Syria, and to Hoshea's connection with Assyria during the interreign at Pekali's death. [Maurer.] 1. I wotUd have healed Israel—Israel's restoration of the 200,000 Jewish captives at God's command (2 Chronicles 28. 8-15) gave hope of Israel's reformation. [Henderson.] Political, as well as moral, healing is meant. When I would have healed Israel in its calamitous state, then their Iniquity was discovered to be so great as to preclude hope of recovery. Then he enumerates their wickedness: "The thief eomoth in (doors stealthily), and the troop of robbers Bpoileth without'' (out of doors with open violence), a. consider not in tlieir hearts lit., say not to, &c. (Psalm
11. 1). that I remember-and will punish, their own doings have beset tiiem about—as SO many witnesses against tliem (Psalm 9.16; Proverbs 5.22). before my face—(Psalm 90. 8.) 3. Their princes, instead of checking, "have pleasure in them that do" such crimes (Romans 1.
32). 4. who ceaseth from raising—rather, heating it, from an Arabic root, to be hot. So LXX. Their adulterous and idolatrous lust is inflamed as the oven of a baker who has it at such a heat, that he ceaseth from heating It only from the time that he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened ; he only requires to omit feeding it during the short period of the fermentation of the bread. Cf. 2 Peter
35. 9, 10). Or, they did indeed cry unto me, but not " with their heart:" answering to " lies," v. 13 (see Note), when they howled npoik their beds—sleepless with anxiety. Image of deep affliction. Their cry is termed howling, as it is the cry of anguish, not the cry of repentance and faith, assemble . . . for corn, Ac. viz., in the temples of their
2. 14, " that cannot cease from sin." [Henderson.] 5. the dny of our king—his birth-day, or day of Inauguration, have made him sicktiiz., the king. Maurer translates, " make themselves sick." with bottles of wine—drinking not merely glasses, but bottles. Maurer translates, " owing to the heat of wine." he stretched ont his hand with scorncrs—the gesture of revellers In holding out the cup and in drinking to one another's health. Scoffers were the king's boon companions. 6. they have made ready—rather, " they make their heart approach," viz., their king, in going to drink with him. like an ovenfollowing out the image In v. 4. As it conceals the lighted idols, to obtain from them a good harvest and vintage, instead of coming to me, the true Giver of these (ch. 2. 5, 8,
12), proving that their cry to God was "not with their heart." rebel against me — lit., "vnthdraw tliemselves against me," i.e., not only wl thd ra\v /rom me, but also rebel against me. 15. I . . . bound — wnen I saw their arms as it were relaxed with various disasters, I bound them so as to strengthen their sinews; image from surgery. [Calvin.] Maurer translates, " I instructed them" to war (Psalm 18. 34 ; 144. 1), viz., under Jeroboam II. (2 Kings 14. 25). Grotius explains, "'Whether I chastised them (Margin) oi strengthened their arms, they imagine mischief against me." .^(/{uA Vernon is best. 16. return fire all night, whilst the bakei sleeps, bat In the morning
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