Commentary on Hosea John Calvin (continued)
HOSEA
nothing to do with the Prophets. It is indeed a proof of extreme wickedness, when instruction itself is a weariness, and ministers cannot be endured; and no doubt the Prophet meant to set forth this sin of the people.
He afterwards says, that they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burnt incense to graven images In the former clause, he shows the contumacy of the Israelites, that they deigned not to give ear to God's servants. He now adds, that they made incense to graven images, and also offered worship to their idols. By Baalim, as it has been already stated, the Prophet means the inferior gods. For no such stupidity prevailed among the people as not to think that there is some chief deity; nay, even profane
Gentiles confessed that there is some supreme God. But they called their advocates (patronos) Baalim, as we see to be the case at this day under the Papacy, this same ofÏce is transferred to the dead; they are to procure for men the favour of God.
The Papists then have no grounds for seeking an evasion by words; for the very same superstition prevails at this time among them, as prevailed formerly among
Gentiles and the people of Israel. Here the Prophet enhances the wickedness of the people; for they not only contemptuously neglected every instruction in religion, but also openly perverted the whole worship of God, and abandoned themselves to all abominations, so as to burn incense to their own idols. Let us go on ---
Hosea 11:3
3. I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
3. Et ego ad pedes deduxi eum (vel, ad pedes deducto mea) ad Ephraim attollendum (vel, sustulit) supra brachia sua, 75 et non cognoverunt quod sanaverim eos.
Here again God amplifies the sin of the people, by saying, that by no kindness, even for a long time, could they be allured, or turned, or reformed, or reduced to a sound mind. It was surely enough that the people of Israeli who had been brought by the hand of God from the grave to the light of life, should have repudiated every instruction; it was a great and an atrocious sin; but now God goes on farther, and says, that he had not ceased to show his love to them, and yet had attained nothing by his perseverance; for the wickedness and depravity of the people were incurable.
Hence he says, I have led Ephraim on foot 76 Some are of opinion that it is a noun, from {,}רגלregel, foot, and it seems the most suitable. For otherwise there will be a change of a letter, which grammarians do not allow in the beginning of a word; for {,}תtau, in this case would be put instead of {,}הhe; and put so as if it was of frequent occurrence in Hebrew; but no such instance can be adduced. So they who are skilful in the language think that for this reason it is a noun, and with them I agree. They, however, who regard it as a verb, give this view, --- ``I have led him on foot, {,}תרגלתיteregelti; that is, as a child who cannot yet walk with a firm foot, is by 75One MS. and the earlier versions have "my arms," and this reading is adopted by Newcome. — Ed.
76The word occurs no where in Scripture but here. Gesenius in his Lexicon gives it as a quadriliteral verb, and says that it means "to teach to go," or, "to guide the steps." But Parkhurst is of the same opinion with Calvin, and renders it "a footing," or, "going on foot," and translates this passage thus: — "And as for me, my footing was for Ephraim;" q.d., "I footed after him, I attended him pn foot, as a nurse does a child." Buxtorf considers that {{תis put for ,{}הand regards it as a Hiphil of the verb ,{`` }רגלI have footed,'' or, ``taught Ephraim how to foot or walk.'' Newcome is of the same opinion. --- Ed.