Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
fsraeCs Distress and Captivity. HOSEA X. Reproofs and Tltrealenings for Idolatry,
3. retiini to Egypt—(iVo<e, ch. 8. 13.) As In ch. 11.5 It Is time of their first conception. 13. Even though they should rear their children, yet will I bereave them (the Ephraimites) of them (Job27. 14). woe . . . to them when said, "He sliall not return into . . . Egypt." Fairbairn
Miiiilcs it is not tlie exact country that is meant, but the bonddffe stole with wliicli, from past experience, Egypt was identitled in their minds. Assyria was to be a second Egypt to them. Deuteronomy 28. 68, though threatening a return to Egypt, spealis (v. 36) of tlieir being brouglit to a nation wliicli neither they nor their fathers had known, sliowing that it is not tlie literal Egypt, but a second Egypt-lilte bondage tliat is threatened, eat unclean tilings In Assyria—reduced by necessity to eat meats pronounced unclean by tlie Mosaic law (Ezekiel 4. 13). See
1 depart—yet the ungodly in their madness desire God to depart from them (Job 21.14; 22.17; Matthew 8. 34j. At last they know to their cost how awful it is when God ha« departed (Deuteronomy 31.17; 1 Samuel 28.15, 16; cf. v. 11, and 1 Samuel 4.21). 13. Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus . . . in a pleasant plae«—i.e., in looking towards Tyrus (on whose borders Ephraim lay) I saw Ephraim beautiful In situation like her (Ezekiel 26. and 27. and 28). is planted —as a fruitful tree; image suggested by the meaning of "Ephraim" (u. 11). bring forth his children to the murderer {v. 16; ch. 13.16.) With all his fruitfuluess. Ills children shall only be brought up to be slain. 14. what wilt thou give 1—as if overwhelmed by feeling, he deliberates with God what is most desirable. Give ... a miscarrying womb—of two evils he cliooses the least. So great will be the calamity, that barrenness will be a blessing, though usually counted a great misfortune (Job 3. 3; Jeremiah 20. 14; Luke 23.29). 15. Gilgal—(see Note, ch. 4.
2 Kings 17. 6. 4. offer wine offerings—Jii., pour as a libation (Exodus 30.9; Leviticus 23.13). neltlier sitall tliey be pleasing nnto him—as being offered on a profane soil, saci'iflces . . . as tlie bread of mourners—wliich was unclean (Deuteronomy 26. U ; .Teremiah 16.7; Ezekiel 21.17). tlieir bread for tlieir soul—their otfering for the expiation of tlieir soul [Calvin] (Leviticus 17. 11). Rather, "their bread for their sustenance ('soul ' being often used for the animal life, Genesis 14. 21, Margin) shall not come into the Lord's house;" it shall only subserve their own uses, not my worship. H. (Ch. 2.11.) 6. because of destruction—to escape from the devastation of their coun-
15.) This was the scene of their first contumacy in rejecting God and choosing a king (1 Samuel 11. 14, 15; cf. 1 Samuel 8. 7), and of their subsequent idolatry. All tlieir wickedness—t. e., their chief guilt, there I hated them —not with the human passion, but holy hatred of their sin, which required punishment to be inflicted on themselves (cf. Malachi 1.3). out of mine house—as in ch. 8, 1: out of the land holy unto me. Or, as "love" is mentioned immediately after, the reference may be to the Hebrew mode of divorce, the husband (God) putting the wife (Israel) out of the house, princes—revolters "Harim . . . Sorerim" (Hebrew), a play on similar sounds. 16. The figures "root," "fruit," are suggested by tlie word " Ephraim," i. e., fruitful (Notes, v. 11, 1'2). " Smitten," viz., with a blight (Psalm 102.4). 17. My God—"My," in contrast to " them," i. e., the people, whose God Jehovah no longer is. Also Hosea appeals to God as supporting his authority against the whole people, wanderers among try. Egypt shall gatlier them up i. e., into its sepulchres (Jeremiah 8.2; Ezekiel 29. 5). Instead of returning
10 Palestine, they should die in Egypt. Alemplxls—famed as a necropolis, the pleasant places for their silver i. e., their desired treasuries for their money. Or, " whatever precious thing they have of silver." [Madrer.J nettles —the sign of desolation (Isaiah 34.13). 7. visitation vengeance : punishment (Isaiah 10. 3). Israel shall know It—to her cost experimentally (Isaiah 9. 9). the propliet is a fool—the false prophet who foretold prosperity to the nation shall be convicted of folly by the event, the spiritual man—the man pretending to inspiration (Lamentalions 2.14; Ezekiel 13.3; Micah 3.11; Zephauiah 3.4). for the multitude of tliine iniquity, &c.—connect these words with, " the days of visitation, &c., are come ;" " the prophet, &c., is mad," being parenthetical, the great hatred—or, "the great provocation" [HendersonJ; or,. . . nations—(2 Kings 15.29; 1 Chronicles 5. 26.)
(tliy) "greatapostasy." [Maurer.] English Version means
CHAPTER X.
Israel's " hatred" of God's prophets and the law. 8. The watchman . . . was witli my God—The spiritual watchmen, the true prophets, formerly consulted my God (Jeremiah 31. 6; Habakkuk 2. 1); but their so-called prop/ie« is a snare, entrapping Israel into idolatry, hatred—rather,
Ver. 1-15. Israel's Idolatry, the Source of Perjuries and Unlawful Leagues, soon destined to be THF, Ruin OF the State, their Kino and their Images being about to be carried off ; A JU.ST Chastisement, THE Reaping corresponding to the Sowing. The prophecy was uttered between Shalmaneser's first and second Invasions of Israel. Cf. v. 14; also d. 6, referring to Hoshea's calling So of Egypt to his aid; also v. 4, 13. 1. empty—stript of its fruits [Calvin] (Nahum 2.2); compelled to pay tribute to Pul (2 Kings 15. 20). Maurer translates, "A widespreading vine;" so LXX. Cf. Genesis
(a cause of) " apostasy'' (see v. 7). [Maureb.] house of his God i. e., the state of Ephraim, as in ch. 8. 1. [Maurer.] Or, " the house of his(false)god," the calves. [Calvin.] Jehovah, "my God," seems contrasted with "/lis God." Calvin'.s view is therefore preferable. 9. as in tlie days of Glbeah—as in the day of the perpetration of the atrocity of Gibeah, narrated In Judges 19. 16-22, &c. 10. As the traveller in a wilderness is delighted at finding grapes to quench his thirst, or the early fig (esteemed a great delicacy in the East, Isaiah 28.4; Jeremiah 24.2; Micah 7. 1); so it was my delight to choose your fathers as my peculiar people in Egypt (ch. 2. 15). at her flrst time —when the first-fruits of tlie tree become ripe, went to Baal-peor—(Numbers 25.3): the Moabite idol, in whose worship young females prostituted themselves; the very
49. 22; Psalm 80. 9-11 ; Ezekiel 17.6. brlngeth forth fruit unto himself—not unto Me. according to . . . multitude of . . . fruit . . . Increased . . . altars—in proportion to the abundance of their prosperity, which called for fruit unto God (cf. Romans 6. 22), was the abundance of their idolatry (ch. 8. 4, 11). a. heart . . . divided—(1 Kings 18. 21 ; Matthew 6. 24 ; James 4. 8.) now—i. e., soon, he—Jehovah, break down—"cut off," viz., the heads of the victims. Those altars, which were the scene of cutting fiin Israel latterly was guilty of. separated themselves —consecrated themselves, unto that shame— to that sh.imeful or foul idol (Jeremiah 11. 13). their abomlna- ;ttous were according as they loved—rather, as Vulgate, off the victims' heads, shall be themselves cut off. 3. now, &c.—soon they, deprived of their king, shall be reduired to say, We have no king (v. 7, 15), for Jehovah deprived us of him, because of our not fearing God. What then (seeing God is against us) should a king be able to do for us, if we had one? As they rejected the heavenly King, they were deprived of their earthly king. 4. word» —mere empty words, swearing falsely In making covenant—breaking their engagement to Shalmaneser
" they became abominable like the object of their love" (Deuteronomy 7.26; Psalm 115.8). English Version gives good sense, "their abominable idols they followed after, a(;c(>rdiiig as their lusts prompted them" (Margin, Amos
4. 5). 11. tlicir glory shall fly away—fit retribution to those who " separated themselves unto that shame" (v. 10). Cliildren were accounted the glory of parents; sterility, a reproach. " Ephraim" means fru Ufulness (Genesis 41. 52); this its name ehall cease to be Its characteristic, from
(2 Kings 17. 4), and making a covenant with So, though covenants with foreigners were forbidden. Judgment ... as hemlock i.e.. Divine Judgment shall spring up as rank, and as deadly, as hemlock In the furrows (Deuteronomy 29. 18; Amos 5.7; 6. 12). GeseniuS translatea, "poppy.'' Grotius, "darnel." 5. fear because of tlM tlie birth . . . womb . . . conception-Ephraim's children shall perish in a threefold gradation; (1.) From the birth. (2.) From the time of pregnancy. (3.) From the 658