1 When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4 They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7 They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
16 They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
1 When I would have healed H7495 Israel, H3478 then the iniquity H5771 of Ephraim H669 was discovered, H1540 and the wickedness H7451 of Samaria: H8111 for they commit H6466 falsehood; H8267 and the thief H1590 cometh in, H935 and the troop H1416 of robbers spoileth H6584 without. H2351
2 And they consider H559 not in their hearts H3824 that I remember H2142 all their wickedness: H7451 now their own doings H4611 have beset them about; H5437 they are before my face. H6440
3 They make the king H4428 glad H8055 with their wickedness, H7451 and the princes H8269 with their lies. H3585
4 They are all adulterers, H5003 as an oven H8574 heated H1197 by the baker, H644 who ceaseth H7673 from raising H5782 after he hath kneaded H3888 the dough, H1217 until it be leavened. H2556
5 In the day H3117 of our king H4428 the princes H8269 have made him sick H2470 with bottles H2534 of wine; H3196 he stretched out H4900 his hand H3027 with scorners. H3945
6 For they have made ready H7126 their heart H3820 like an oven, H8574 whiles they lie in wait: H693 their baker H644 sleepeth H3463 all the night; H3915 in the morning H1242 it burneth H1197 as a flaming H3852 fire. H784
7 They are all hot H2552 as an oven, H8574 and have devoured H398 their judges; H8199 all their kings H4428 are fallen: H5307 there is none among them that calleth H7121 unto me.
8 Ephraim, H669 he hath mixed H1101 himself among the people; H5971 Ephraim H669 is a cake H5692 not turned. H2015
9 Strangers H2114 have devoured H398 his strength, H3581 and he knoweth H3045 it not: yea, gray hairs H7872 are here and there H2236 upon him, yet he knoweth H3045 not.
10 And the pride H1347 of Israel H3478 testifieth H6030 to his face: H6440 and they do not return H7725 to the LORD H3068 their God, H430 nor seek H1245 him for all this.
11 Ephraim H669 also is like a silly H6601 dove H3123 without heart: H3820 they call H7121 to Egypt, H4714 they go H1980 to Assyria. H804
12 When they shall go, H3212 I will spread H6566 my net H7568 upon them; I will bring them down H3381 as the fowls H5775 of the heaven; H8064 I will chastise H3256 them, as their congregation H5712 hath heard. H8088
13 Woe H188 unto them! for they have fled H5074 from me: destruction H7701 unto them! because they have transgressed H6586 against me: though I have redeemed H6299 them, yet they have spoken H1696 lies H3577 against me.
14 And they have not cried H2199 unto me with their heart, H3820 when they howled H3213 upon their beds: H4904 they assemble H1481 themselves for corn H1715 and wine, H8492 and they rebel H5493 against me.
15 Though I have bound H3256 and strengthened H2388 their arms, H2220 yet do they imagine H2803 mischief H7451 against me.
16 They return, H7725 but not to the most High: H5920 they are like a deceitful H7423 bow: H7198 their princes H8269 shall fall H5307 by the sword H2719 for the rage H2195 of their tongue: H3956 this H2097 shall be their derision H3933 in the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
1 When I would heal Israel, then is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief entereth in, and the troop of robbers ravageth without.
2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now have their own doings beset them about; they are before my face.
3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4 They are all adulterers; they are as an oven heated by the baker; he ceaseth to stir `the fire', from the kneading of the dough, until it be leavened.
5 On the day of our king the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with scoffers.
6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7 They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8 Ephraim, he mixeth himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth `it' not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth `it' not.
10 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: yet they have not returned unto Jehovah their God, nor sought him, for all this.
11 And Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding: they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the birds of the heavens; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
13 Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! for they have trespassed against me: though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14 And they have not cried unto me with their heart, but they howl upon their beds: they assemble themselves for grain and new wine; they rebel against me.
15 Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet do they devise mischief against me.
16 They return, but not to `him that is' on high; they are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
1 `When I give healing to Israel, Then revealed is the iniquity of Ephraim, And the wickedness of Samaria, For they have wrought falsehood, And a thief doth come in, Stript off hath a troop in the street,
2 And they do not say to their heart, `That' all their evil I have remembered, Now compassed them have their doings, Over-against My face they have been.
3 With their wickedness they make glad a king, And with their lies -- princes.
4 All of them `are' adulterers, Like a burning oven of a baker, He ceaseth from stirring up after kneading the dough, till its leavening.
5 A day of our king! Princes have polluted themselves `with' the poison of wine, He hath drawn out his hand with scorners.
6 For they have drawn near, As an oven `is' their heart, In their lying in wait all the night sleep doth their baker, Morning! he is burning as a flaming fire.
7 All of them are warm as an oven, And they have devoured their judges, All their kings have fallen, There is none calling unto Me among them.
8 Ephraim! among peoples he mixeth himself, Ephraim hath been a cake unturned.
9 Devoured have strangers his power, And he hath not known, Also old age hath sprinkled `itself' on him, And he hath not known.
10 And humbled hath been the excellency of Israel to his face, And they have not turned back unto Jehovah their God, Nor have they sought Him for all this.
11 And Ephraim is as a simple dove without heart, Egypt they called on -- `to' Asshur they have gone.
12 When they go I spread over them My net, As the fowl of the heavens I bring them down, I chastise them as their company hath heard.
13 Wo to them, for they wandered from Me, Destruction to them, for they transgressed against Me, And I -- I ransom them, and they have spoken lies against Me,
14 And have not cried unto Me with their heart, but howl on their beds, For corn and new wine they assemble themselves, They turn aside against Me.
15 And I instructed -- I strengthened their arms, And concerning Me they think evil!
16 They turn back -- not to the Most High, They have been as a deceitful bow, Fall by sword do their princes, From the insolence of their tongue, This `is' their derision in the land of Egypt!
1 When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they practise falsehood; and the thief entereth in, [and] the troop of robbers assaileth without.
2 And they say not in their hearts [that] I remember all their wickedness: now do their own doings encompass them; they are before my face.
3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4 They all practise adultery, as an oven heated by the baker: he ceaseth from stirring [the fire] after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
5 In the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine: he stretched out his hand to scorners.
6 For they have applied their heart like an oven to their lying in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth like a flaming fire.
7 They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8 Ephraim, he mixeth himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth [it] not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth [it] not.
10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face; and they do not return to Jehovah their God, nor seek him for all this.
11 And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12 When they go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowl of the heavens; I will chastise them, according as their assembly hath heard.
13 Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! for they have transgressed against me. And I would redeem them; but they speak lies against me.
14 And they cried not unto me in their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and new wine; they have turned aside from me.
15 I have indeed trained, I have strengthened their arms, but they imagine mischief against me.
16 They return, [but] not to the [Most] High: they are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
1 When I would heal Israel, Then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, Also the wickedness of Samaria; For they commit falsehood, And the thief enters in, And the gang of robbers ravages outside.
2 They don't consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own deeds have engulfed them. They are before my face.
3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, And the princes with their lies.
4 They are all adulterers. They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring, From the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.
5 On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He joined his hand with mockers.
6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, While they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.
7 They are all hot as an oven, And devour their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to me.
8 Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations. Ephraim is a pancake not turned over.
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, And he doesn't realize it. Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him, And he doesn't realize it.
10 The pride of Israel testifies to his face; Yet they haven't returned to Yahweh their God, Nor sought him, for all this.
11 "Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.
12 When they go, I will spread my net on them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.
13 Woe to them! For they have wandered from me. Destruction to them! For they have trespassed against me. Though I would redeem them, Yet they have spoken lies against me.
14 They haven't cried to me with their heart, But they howl on their beds. They assemble themselves for grain and new wine. They turn away from me.
15 Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, Yet they plot evil against me.
16 They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.
1 When my desire was for the fate of my people to be changed and to make Israel well, then the sin of Ephraim was made clear, and the evil-doing of Samaria; for their ways are false, and the thief comes into the house, while the band of outlaws takes property by force in the streets.
2 And they do not say to themselves that I keep in mind all their sin; now their evil acts come round them on every side; they are before my face.
3 In their sin they make a king for themselves, and rulers in their deceit.
4 They are all untrue; they are like a burning oven; the bread-maker does not make up the fire from the time when the paste is mixed till it is leavened.
5 On the day of our king, the rulers made him ill with the heat of wine; his hand was stretched out with the men of pride.
6 For they have made their hearts ready like an oven, while they are waiting secretly; their wrath is sleeping all night; in the morning it is burning like a flaming fire.
7 They are all heated like an oven, and they put an end to their judges; all their kings have been made low; not one among them makes prayer to me.
8 Ephraim is mixed with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9 Men from other lands have made waste his strength, and he is not conscious of it; grey hairs have come on him here and there, and he has no knowledge of it.
10 And the pride of Israel gives an answer to his face; but for all this, they have not gone back to the Lord their God, or made search for him.
11 And Ephraim is like a foolish dove, without wisdom; they send out their cry to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12 When they go, my net will be stretched out over them; I will take them like the birds of heaven, I will give them punishment, I will take them away in the net for their sin.
13 May trouble be theirs! for they have gone far away from me; and destruction, for they have been sinning against me; I was ready to be their saviour, but they said false words against me.
14 And they have not made prayer to me in their hearts, but they make loud cries on their beds; they are cutting themselves for food and wine, they are turned against me.
15 Though I have given training and strength to their arms, they have evil designs against me.
16 They have gone to what is of no value; they are like a false bow; their captains will come to destruction by the sword, and their ruler by my wrath; for this, the land of Egypt will make sport of them.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Hosea 7
Commentary on Hosea 7 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
In the first strophe (Hosea 7:1-7) the exposure of the moral depravity of Israel is continued. Hosea 7:1. “When I heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim, reveals itself, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they practise deceit; and the thief cometh, the troop of robbers plundereth without. Hosea 7:2. And they say not in their heart, I should remember all their wickedness. Now their deeds have surrounded them, they have occurred before my face. Hosea 7:3. They delight the king with their wickedness, and princes with their lies.” As the dangerous nature of a wound is often first brought out by the attempt to heal it, so was the corruption of Israel only brought truly to light by the effort to stem it. The first hemistich of Hosea 7:1 is not to be referred to the future, nor is the healing to be understood as signifying punishment, as Hitzig supposes; but the allusion is to the attempts made by God to put a stop to the corruption, partly by the preaching of repentance and the reproofs of the prophets, and partly by chastisements designed to promote reformation. The words contain no threatening of punishment, but a picture of the moral corruption that had become incurable. Here again Ephraim is not the particular tribe, but is synonymous with Israel, the people or kingdom of the ten tribes; and Samaria is especially mentioned in connection with it, as the capital and principal seat of the corruption of morals, just as Judah and Jerusalem are frequently classed together by the prophets. The lamentation concerning the incurability of the kingdom is followed by an explanatory notice of the sins and crimes that are openly committed. Sheqer , lying, i.e., deception both in word and deed towards God and man, theft and highway robbery and not fear of the vengeance of God. “ Accedit ad haec facinora securitas eorum ineffabilis ” (Marck). They do not consider that God will remember their evil deeds, and punish them; they are surrounded by them on all sides, and perform them without shame or fear before the face of God Himself. These sins delight both king and prince. To such a depth have even the rulers of the nation, who ought to practise justice and righteousness, fallen, that they not only fail to punish the sins, but take pleasure in their being committed.
To this there is added the passion with which the people make themselves slave to idolatry, and their rulers give themselves up to debauchery (Hosea 7:4-7). Hosea 7:4. “They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by the baker, who leaves off stirring from the kneading of the dough until its leavening. Hosea 7:5. In the day of our king the princes are made sick with the heat of wine: he has stretched out his hand with the scorners. Hosea 7:6. For they have brought their heart into their ambush, as into the oven; the whole night their baker sleeps; in the morning it burns like flaming fire. Hosea 7:7. They are all red-hot like the oven, and consume their judges: all their kings have fallen; none among them calls to me.” “All” ( kullâm : Hosea 7:4) does not refer to the king and princes, but to the whole nation. נאף is spiritual adultery, apostasy from the Lord; and literal adultery is only so far to be thought of, that the worship of Baal promoted licentiousness. In this passionate career the nation resembles a furnace which a baker heats in the evening, and leaves burning all night while the dough is leavening, and then causes to turn with a still brighter flame in the morning, when the dough is ready for baking. בּערה מאפה , burning from the baker, i.e., heated by the baker. בּערה is accentuated as milel , either because the Masoretes took offence at תּנּוּר being construed as a feminine (Ges. Lehrgeb . p. 546; Ewald, Gramm . p. 449, note 1), or because tiphchah could not occupy any other place in the short space between zakeph and athnach (Hitzig). העיר , excitare, here in the sense of stirring. On the use of the participle in the place of the infinitive, with verbs of beginning and ending, see Ewald, §298, b .
Hosea 7:5-7
Both king and princes are addicted to debauchery (Hosea 7:5). “The day of our king” is either the king's birthday, or the day when he ascended the throne, on either of which he probably gave a feast to his nobles. יום is taken most simply as an adverbial accus. loci. On this particular day the princes drink to such an extent, that they become ill with the heat of the wine. החלוּ , generally to make ill, here to make one's self ill. Hitzig follows the ancient versions, in deriving it from חלל , and taking it as equivalent to החלּוּ ot , “they begin,” which gives a very insipid meaning. The difficult expression משׁך ידו את־ל , “he draws his hand with the scoffers,” can hardly be understood in any other way than that suggested by Gesenius ( Lex .), “the king goes about with scoffers,” i.e., makes himself familiar with them, so that we may compare שׁוּת ידו עם (Exodus 23:1). The scoffers are drunkards, just as in Proverbs 20:1 wine is directly called a scoffer. In Hosea 7:6, Hosea 7:7, the thought of the fourth verse is carried out still further. כּי introduces the explanation and ground of the simile of the furnace; for Hosea 7:5 is subordinate to the main thought, and to be taken as a parenthetical remark. The words from כּי קרבוּ to בּארבּם ot כּי קרבוּ form one sentence. קרב is construed with ב loci , as in Judges 19:13; Psalms 91:10 : they have brought their heart near, brought them into their craftiness. “Like a furnace” ( כּתנּוּר ) contains an abridged simile. But it is not their heart itself which is here compared to a furnace (their heart = themselves), in the sense of “burning like a flaming furnace with base desires,” as Gesenius supposes; for the idea of bringing a furnace into an 'ōrebh would be unsuitable and unintelligible. “The furnace is rather 'orbâm (their ambush), that which they have in common, that which keeps them together; whilst the fuel is libbâm , their own disposition” (Hitzig). Their baker is the machinator doli , who kindles the fire in them, i.e., in actual fact, not some person or other who instigates a conspiracy, but the passion of idolatry. This sleeps through the night, i.e., it only rests till the opportunity and time have arrived for carrying out the evil thoughts of their heart, or until the evil thoughts of the heart have become ripe for execution. This time is described in harmony with the figure, as the morning, in which the furnace burns up into bright flames ( הוּא points to the more remote tannūr as the subject). In Hosea 7:7 the figure is carried back to the literal fact. With the words, “they are all hot as a furnace,” the expression in Hosea 7:4, “adulterous like a furnace,” is resumed; and now the fruit of this conduct is mentioned, viz., “they devour their judges, cast down their kings.” By the judges we are not to understand the sârı̄m of Hosea 7:5, who are mentioned along with the king as the supreme guardians of the law; but the kings themselves are intended, as the administrators of justice, as in Hosea 13:10, where shōph e tı̄m is also used as synonymous with מלך , and embraces both king and princes. The clause, “all their kings are fallen,” adds no new feature to what precedes, and does not affirm that kings have also fallen in addition to or along with the judges; but it sums up what has been stated already, for the purpose of linking on the remark, that no one calls to the Lord concerning the fall of the kings. The suffix בּהם does not refer to the fallen kings, but to the nation in its entirety, i.e., to those who have devoured their judges. The thought is this: in the passion with which all are inflamed for idolatry, and with which the princes revel with the kings, they give no such heed to the inevitable consequences of their ungodly conduct, as that any one reflects upon the fall of the kings, or perceives that Israel has forsaken the way which leads to salvation, and is plunging headlong into the abyss of destruction, so as to return to the Lord, who alone can help and save. The prophet has here the times after Jeroboam II in his mind, when Zechariah was overthrown by Shallum, Shallum by Menahem, and Menahem the son of Pekahiah by Pekah, and that in the most rapid succession (2 Kings 15:10, 2 Kings 15:14, 2 Kings 15:25), together with the eleven years' anarchy between Zechariah and Shallum (see at 2 Kings 15:8-12). At the same time, the expression, “all their kings have fallen,” shows clearly, not only that the words are not to be limited to these events, but embrace all the earlier revolutions, but also and still more clearly, that there is no foundation whatever for the widespread historical interpretation of these verses, as relating to a conspiracy against the then reigning king Zechariah, or Shallum, or Pakahiah, according to which the baker is either Menahem (Hitzig) or Pekah (Schmidt).
In the next strophe (Hosea 7:8-16) the prophecy passes from the internal corruption of the kingdom of the ten tribes to its worthless foreign policy, and the injurious attitude which it had assumed towards the heathen nations, and unfolds the disastrous consequences of such connections. Hosea 7:8. “Ephraim, it mixes itself among the nations; Ephraim has become a cake not turned. Hosea 7:9. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not; grey hair is also sprinkled upon him, and he knoweth it not.” יתבּולל , from בּלל , to mix or commingle, is not a future in the sense of “it will be dispersed among the Gentiles;” for, according to the context, the reference is not to the punishment of the dispersion of Israel among the nations, but to the state in which Israel then was. The Lord had separated Israel from the nations, that it might be holy to Him (Leviticus 20:24, Leviticus 20:26). As Balaam said of it, it was to be a people dwelling alone (Numbers 23:9). But in opposition to this object of its divine calling, the ten tribes had mingled with the nations, i.e., with the heathen, learned their works, and served their idols (cf. Psalms 106:35-36). The mingling with the nations consisted in the adoption of heathen ways, not in the penetration of the heathen into Israelitish possessions (Hitzig), nor merely in the alliances which it formed with heathen nations. For these were simply the consequence of inward apostasy from its God, of that inward mixing with the nature of heathenism which had already taken place. Israel had thereby become a cake not turned. עגּה , a cake baked upon hot ashes or red-hot stones, which, if it be not turned, is burned at the bottom, and not baked at all above. The meaning of this figure is explained by Hosea 7:9. As the fire will burn an ash-cake when it is left unturned, so have foreigners consumed the strength of Israel, partly by devastating wars, and partly by the heathenish nature which has penetrated into Israel in their train. “Greyness is also sprinkled upon it;” i.e., the body politic, represented as one person, is already covered with traces of hoary old age, and is ripening for destruction. The object to לא ידע may easily be supplied from the previous clauses, namely, that strangers devour its strength, and it is growing old. The rendering non sapit is precluded by the emphatic והוּא , and he knoweth it not, i.e., does not perceive the decay of his strength.
“And the pride of Israel beareth witness to his face, and they are not converted to Jehovah their God, and for all this they seek Him not.” The first clause is repeated from Hosea 5:5. The testimony which the pride of Israel, i.e., Jehovah, bore to its face, consisted in the weakening and wasting away of the kingdom as described in Hosea 7:9. But with all this, they do not turn to the Lord who could save them, but seek help from their natural foes.
“And Ephraim has become like a simple dove without understanding; they have called Egypt, they are gone to Asshur. Hosea 7:12. As they go, I spread my net over them; I bring them down like fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, according to the tidings to their assembly.” The perfects in Hosea 7:1 describe the conduct of Israel as an accomplished fact, and this is represented by ויהי as the necessary consequence of its obstinate impenitence. The point of comparison between Israel and the simple dove, is not that the dove misses its proper dwelling and resting-place, and therefore goes fluttering about (Ewald); nor that, in trying to escape from the hawk, it flies into the net of the bird-catcher (Hitzig); but that when flying about in search of food, it does not observe the net that is spread for it (Rosenmüller). אין לב is to be taken as a predicate to Ephraim in spite of the accents, and not to yōnâh phōthâh (a simple dove), since phōthâh does not require either strengthening or explaining. Thus does Ephraim seek help from Egypt and Assyria. These words do not refer to the fact that there were two parties in the nation - an Assyrian and an Egyptian. Nor do they mean that the whole nation applied at one time to Egypt to get rid of Asshur, and at another time to Asshur to escape from Egypt. “The situation is rather this: the people being sorely pressed by Asshur, at one time seek help from Egypt against Asshur; whilst at another they try to secure the friendship of the latter” (Hengstenberg, Christology , i. p. 164 transl.). For what threatened Israel was the burden of the “king of princes” (Hosea 8:10), i.e., the king of Asshur. And this they tried to avert partly by their coquettish arts (Hosea 8:9), and partly by appealing to the help of Egypt; and while doing so, they did not observe that they had fallen into the net of destruction, viz., the power of Assyria. In this net will the Lord entangle them as a punishment. As they go thither, God will spread His net over them like a bird-catcher, and bring them down to the earth like flying birds, i.e., bring them down from the open air, that is to say, from freedom, into the net of captivity, or exile. איסירם , a rare hiphil formation with Yod mobile , as in Proverbs 4:25 (see Ewald, §131, c). “According to the tidings (announcement) to their assembly:” i.e., in accordance with the threatening already contained in the law (Leviticus 26:14.; Deuteronomy 28:15.), and repeatedly uttered to the congregation by the prophets, of the judgments that should fall upon the rebellious, which threatening would now be fulfilled upon Ephraim.
“Woe to them! for they have flown from me; devastation to them! for they have fallen away from me. I would redeem them, but they speak lies concerning me. Hosea 7:14. They did not cry to me in their heart, but howl upon their beds; they crowd together for corn and new wine, and depart against me.” The Lord, thinking of the chastisement, exclaims, Woe to them, because they have fled from Him! Nâdad , which is applied to the flying of birds, points back to the figures employed in Hosea 7:11, Hosea 7:12. Shōd , used as an exclamation, gives the literal explanation of 'ōi (woe). The imperfect 'ephdēm cannot be taken as referring to the redemption out of Egypt, because it does not stand for the preterite. It is rather voluntative or optative. “I would (should like to) redeem them (still); but they say I cannot and will not do it.” These are the lies which they utter concerning Jehovah, partly with their mouths and partly by their actions, namely, in the fact that they do not seek help from Him, as is explained in Hosea 7:14. They cry to the Lord; yet it does not come from the heart, but ( כּי after לא ) they howl ( יילילוּ , cf. Ges. §70, 2, note) upon their beds, in unbelieving despair at the distress that has come upon them. What follows points to this. Hithgōrēr , to assemble, to crowd together (Psalms 56:7; Psalms 59:4; Isaiah 54:15); here to gather in troops or crowd together for corn and new wine, because their only desire is to fill their belly. Thus they depart from God. The construction of סוּר with ב , instead of with מן or מאחרי , is a pregnant one: to depart and turn against God.
Yet Jehovah has done still more for Israel. Hosea 7:15. “And I have instructed, have strengthened their arms, and they think evil against me. Hosea 7:16. They turn, but not upwards: they have become like a false bow. Their princes will fall by the sword, for the defiance of their tongue: this is their derision in the land of Egypt.” יסּר here is not to chastise, but to instruct, so that זרועתם (their arms) is to be taken as the object to both verbs. Instructing the arms, according to the analogy of Psalms 18:35, is equivalent to showing where and how strength is to be acquired. And the Lord has not contented Himself with merely instructing. He has also strengthened their arms, and given them power to fight, and victory over their foes (cf. 2 Kings 14:25-26). And yet they think evil of Him; not by speaking lies (Hosea 7:13), but by falling away from Him, by their idolatrous calf-worship, by which they rob the Lord of the glory due to Him alone, practically denying His true divinity. This attitude towards the Lord is summed up in two allegorical sentences in Hosea 7:16, and the ruin of their princes is foretold. They turn, or turn round, but not upwards ( על , an adverb, or a substantive signifying height, as in Hosea 11:7; 2 Samuel 23:1, not “the Most High,” i.e., God, although turning upwards is actually turning to God). From the fact that with all their turning about they do not turn upwards, they have become like a treacherous bow, the string of which has lost its elasticity, so that the arrows do not hit the mark (cf. Psalms 78:57). And thus Israel also fails to reach its destination. Therefore its princes shall fall. The princes are mentioned as the originators of the enmity against God, and all the misery into which they have plunged the people and kingdom. זעם , fury, here defiance or rage. Defiance of tongue the princes showed in the lies which they uttered concerning Jehovah (Hosea 7:13), and with which they blasphemed in a daring manner the omnipotence and faithfulness of the Lord. זו stands, according to a dialectical difference in the mode of pronunciation, for זה , not for זאת (Ewald, §183, a ). This, namely their falling by the sword, will be for a derision to them in the land of Egypt: not because they will fall in Egypt, or perish by the sword of the Egyptians; but because they put their trust in Egypt, the derision of Egypt will come upon them when they are overthrown (cf. Isaiah 30:3, Isaiah 30:5).