9 O Israel, H3478 thou hast sinned H2398 from the days H3117 of Gibeah: H1390 there they stood: H5975 the battle H4421 in Gibeah H1390 against the children H1121 of iniquity H5932 did not overtake H5381 them.
Now as they were making their hearts H3820 merry, H3190 behold, the men H582 of the city, H5892 certain H582 sons H1121 of Belial, H1100 beset H5437 the house H1004 round about, H5437 and beat H1849 at the door, H1817 and spake H559 to the master H1167 of the house, H1004 the old H2205 man, H376 saying, H559 Bring forth H3318 the man H376 that came H935 into thine house, H1004 that we may know H3045 him. And the man, H376 the master H1167 of the house, H1004 went out H3318 unto them, and said H559 unto them, Nay, H408 my brethren, H251 nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; H7489 seeing H310 that this man H376 is come H935 into mine house, H1004 do H6213 not this folly. H5039 Behold, here is my daughter H1323 a maiden, H1330 and his concubine; H6370 them I will bring out H3318 now, and humble H6031 ye them, and do H6213 with them what seemeth H5869 good H2896 unto you: but unto this man H376 do H6213 not so H2063 vile H5039 a thing. H1697 But the men H582 would H14 not hearken H8085 to him: so the man H376 took H2388 his concubine, H6370 and brought H3318 her forth H2351 unto them; and they knew H3045 her, and abused H5953 her all the night H3915 until the morning: H1242 and when the day H7837 began to spring, H5927 they let her go. H7971 Then came H935 the woman H802 in the dawning H6437 of the day, H1242 and fell down H5307 at the door H6607 of the man's H376 house H1004 where her lord H113 was, till it was light. H216 And her lord H113 rose up H6965 in the morning, H1242 and opened H6605 the doors H1817 of the house, H1004 and went out H3318 to go H3212 his way: H1870 and, behold, the woman H802 his concubine H6370 was fallen down H5307 at the door H6607 of the house, H1004 and her hands H3027 were upon the threshold. H5592 And he said H559 unto her, Up, H6965 and let us be going. H3212 But none answered. H6030 Then the man H376 took H3947 her up upon an ass, H2543 and the man H376 rose up, H6965 and gat H3212 him unto his place. H4725 And when he was come H935 into his house, H1004 he took H3947 a knife, H3979 and laid hold H2388 on his concubine, H6370 and divided H5408 her, together with her bones, H6106 into twelve H8147 H6240 pieces, H5409 and sent H7971 her into all the coasts H1366 of Israel. H3478 And it was so, H1961 that all that saw H7200 it said, H559 There was no such deed H2063 done nor seen H7200 from the day H3117 that the children H1121 of Israel H3478 came up H5927 out of the land H776 of Egypt H4714 unto this day: H3117 consider H7760 of it, take advice, H5779 and speak H1696 your minds.
Now therefore deliver H5414 us the men, H582 the children H1121 of Belial, H1100 which are in Gibeah, H1390 that we may put them to death, H4191 and put away H1197 evil H7451 from Israel. H3478 But the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 would H14 not hearken H8085 to the voice H6963 of their brethren H251 the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 But the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 gathered themselves together H622 out of the cities H5892 unto Gibeah, H1390 to go out H3318 to battle H4421 against the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
And the men H376 of Israel, H3478 beside Benjamin, H1144 were numbered H6485 four H702 hundred H3967 thousand H505 men H376 that drew H8025 sword: H2719 all these were men H376 of war. H4421 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 arose, H6965 and went up H5927 to the house H1004 of God, H430 H1008 and asked H7592 counsel of God, H430 and said, H559 Which H4310 of us shall go up H5927 first H8462 to the battle H4421 against the children H1121 of Benjamin? H1144 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 Judah H3063 shall go up first. H8462 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 rose up H6965 in the morning, H1242 and encamped H2583 against Gibeah. H1390 And the men H376 of Israel H3478 went out H3318 to battle H4421 against Benjamin; H1144 and the men H376 of Israel H3478 put themselves in array H6186 to fight H4421 against them at Gibeah. H1390 And the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 came forth H3318 out of Gibeah, H1390 and destroyed down H7843 to the ground H776 of the Israelites H3478 that day H3117 twenty H6242 and two H8147 thousand H505 men. H376 And the people H5971 the men H376 of Israel H3478 encouraged H2388 themselves, and set their battle H4421 again H3254 in array H6186 in the place H4725 where they put themselves in array H6186 the first H7223 day. H3117 (And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went up H5927 and wept H1058 before H6440 the LORD H3068 until even, H6153 and asked H7592 counsel of the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Shall I go up H5066 again H3254 to battle H4421 against the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 my brother? H251 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 Go up H5927 against him.) And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 came near H7126 against the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 the second H8145 day. H3117 And Benjamin H1144 went forth H3318 against H7125 them out of Gibeah H1390 the second H8145 day, H3117 and destroyed down H7843 to the ground H776 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 again eighteen H8083 H6240 thousand H505 men; H376 all these drew H8025 the sword. H2719 Then all the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and all the people, H5971 went up, H5927 and came H935 unto the house H1004 of God, H430 H1008 and wept, H1058 and sat H3427 there before H6440 the LORD, H3068 and fasted H6684 that day H3117 until even, H6153 and offered H5927 burnt offerings H5930 and peace offerings H8002 before H6440 the LORD. H3068 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 enquired H7592 of the LORD, H3068 (for the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of God H430 was there in those days, H3117 And Phinehas, H6372 the son H1121 of Eleazar, H499 the son H1121 of Aaron, H175 stood H5975 before H6440 it in those days,) H3117 saying, H559 Shall I yet again H3254 go out H3318 to battle H4421 against the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 my brother, H251 or shall I cease? H2308 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 Go up; H5927 for to morrow H4279 I will deliver H5414 them into thine hand. H3027 And Israel H3478 set H7760 liers in wait H693 round about H5439 Gibeah. H1390 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went up H5927 against the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 on the third H7992 day, H3117 and put themselves in array H6186 against Gibeah, H1390 as at other times. H6471 And the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 went out H3318 against H7125 the people, H5971 and were drawn away H5423 from the city; H5892 and they began H2490 to smite H5221 of the people, H5971 and kill, H2491 as at other times, H6471 in the highways, H4546 of which one H259 goeth up H5927 to the house H1004 of God, H430 H1008 and the other H259 to Gibeah H1390 in the field, H7704 about thirty H7970 men H376 of Israel. H3478 And the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 said, H559 They are smitten down H5062 before H6440 us, as at the first. H7223 But the children H1121 of Israel H3478 said, H559 Let us flee, H5127 and draw H5423 them from the city H5892 unto the highways. H4546 And all the men H376 of Israel H3478 rose up H6965 out of their place, H4725 and put themselves in array H6186 at Baaltamar: H1193 and the liers in wait H693 of Israel H3478 came forth H1518 out of their places, H4725 even out of the meadows H4629 of Gibeah. H1387 And there came H935 against H5048 Gibeah H1390 ten H6235 thousand H505 chosen H977 men H376 out of all Israel, H3478 and the battle H4421 was sore: H3513 but they knew H3045 not that evil H7451 was near H5060 them. And the LORD H3068 smote H5062 Benjamin H1144 before H6440 Israel: H3478 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 destroyed H7843 of the Benjamites H1145 that day H3117 twenty H6242 and five H2568 thousand H505 and an hundred H3967 men: H376 all these drew H8025 the sword. H2719 So the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 saw H7200 that they were smitten: H5062 for the men H376 of Israel H3478 gave H5414 place H4725 to the Benjamites, H1145 because they trusted H982 unto the liers in wait H693 which they had set H7760 beside Gibeah. H1390 And the liers in wait H693 hasted, H2363 and rushed H6584 upon Gibeah; H1390 and the liers in wait H693 drew themselves along, H4900 and smote H5221 all the city H5892 with the edge H6310 of the sword. H2719 Now there was an appointed sign H4150 between the men H376 of Israel H3478 and H5973 the liers in wait, H693 that they should make a great H7235 flame H4864 with smoke H6227 rise up H5927 out of the city. H5892 And when the men H376 of Israel H3478 retired H2015 in the battle, H4421 Benjamin H1144 began H2490 to smite H5221 and kill H2491 of the men H376 of Israel H3478 about thirty H7970 persons: H376 for they said, H559 Surely H5062 they are smitten down H5062 before H6440 us, as in the first H7223 battle. H4421 But when the flame H4864 began H2490 to arise up H5927 out of the city H5892 with a pillar H5982 of smoke, H6227 the Benjamites H1145 looked H6437 behind H310 them, and, behold, the flame H3632 of the city H5892 ascended up H5927 to heaven. H8064 And when the men H376 of Israel H3478 turned again, H2015 the men H376 of Benjamin H1144 were amazed: H926 for they saw H7200 that evil H7451 was come H5060 upon them. Therefore they turned H6437 their backs before H6440 the men H376 of Israel H3478 unto the way H1870 of the wilderness; H4057 but the battle H4421 overtook H1692 them; and them which came out of the cities H5892 they destroyed H7843 in the midst H8432 of them. Thus they inclosed H3803 the Benjamites H1145 round about, H3803 and chased H7291 them, and trode them down H1869 with ease H4496 over against H5227 Gibeah H1390 toward the sunrising. H4217 H8121 And there fell H5307 of Benjamin H1144 eighteen H8083 H6240 thousand H505 men; H376 all these were men H582 of valour. H2428 And they turned H6437 and fled H5127 toward the wilderness H4057 unto the rock H5553 of Rimmon: H7417 and they gleaned H5953 of them in the highways H4546 five H2568 thousand H505 men; H376 and pursued H1692 hard after H310 them unto Gidom, H1440 and slew H5221 two thousand H505 men H376 of them. So that all which fell H5307 that day H3117 of Benjamin H1144 were twenty H6242 and five H2568 thousand H505 men H376 that drew H8025 the sword; H2719 all these were men H582 of valour. H2428 But six H8337 hundred H3967 men H376 turned H6437 and fled H5127 to the wilderness H4057 unto the rock H5553 Rimmon, H7417 and abode H3427 in the rock H5553 Rimmon H7417 four H702 months. H2320 And the men H376 of Israel H3478 turned again H7725 upon the children H1121 of Benjamin, H1144 and smote H5221 them with the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 as well the men H4974 of every city, H5892 as H5704 the beast, H929 and all that came to hand: H4672 also they set H7971 on fire H784 all the cities H5892 that they came to. H4672
I have cut off H3772 the nations: H1471 their towers H6438 are desolate; H8074 I made their streets H2351 waste, H2717 that none passeth by: H5674 their cities H5892 are destroyed, H6658 so that there is no man, H376 that there is none inhabitant. H3427 I said, H559 Surely thou wilt fear H3372 me, thou wilt receive H3947 instruction; H4148 so their dwelling H4583 should not be cut off, H3772 howsoever H834 H3605 I punished H6485 them: but H403 they rose early, H7925 and corrupted H7843 all their doings. H5949
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Hosea 10
Commentary on Hosea 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Ho 10:1-15. Israel's Idolatry, the Source of Perjuries and Unlawful Leagues, Soon Destined to Be the Ruin of the State, Their King and Their Images Being About to Be Carried Off; a Just Chastisement, the Reaping Corresponding to the Sowing.
The prophecy was uttered between Shalmaneser's first and second invasions of Israel. Compare Ho 10:14; also Ho 10:6, referring to Hoshea's calling So of Egypt to his aid; also Ho 10:4, 13.
1. empty—stripped of its fruits [Calvin], (Na 2:2); compelled to pay tribute to Pul (2Ki 15:20). Maurer translates, "A widespreading vine"; so the Septuagint. Compare Ge 49:22; Ps 80:9-11; Eze 17:6.
bringeth 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 (compare Ro 6:22), was the abundance of their idolatry (Ho 8:4, 11).
2. heart … divided—(1Ki 18:21; Mt 6:24; Jas 4:8).
now—that is, soon.
he—Jehovah.
break down—"cut off," namely the heads of the victims. Those altars, which were the scene of cutting off the victims' heads, shall be themselves cut off.
3. now, &c.—Soon they, deprived of their king, shall be reduced to say, We have no king (Ho 10:7, 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. words—mere empty words.
swearing falsely in making a covenant—breaking their engagement to Shalmaneser (2Ki 17:4), and making a covenant with So, though covenants with foreigners were forbidden.
judgment … as hemlock—that is, divine judgment shall spring up as rank, and as deadly, as hemlock in the furrows (De 29:18; Am 5:7; 6:12). Gesenius translates, "poppy." Grotius, "darnel."
5. fear because of the calves—that is, shall fear for them.
Beth-aven—substituted for Beth-el in contempt (Ho 4:15).
it—singular, the one in Beth-el; after the pattern of which the other "calves" (plural) were made. "Calves" in the Hebrew is feminine, to express contempt.
priests—The Hebrew is only used of idolatrous priests (2Ki 23:5; Zep 1:4), from a root meaning either "the black garment" in which they were attired; or, "to resound," referring to their howling cries in their sacred rites [Calvin].
that rejoiced on it—because it was a source of gain to them. Maurer translates, "Shall leap in trepidation on account of it"; as Baal's priests did (1Ki 18:26).
the glory thereof—the magnificence of its ornaments and its worship.
6. It … also—The calf, so far from saving its worshippers from deportation, itself shall be carried off; hence "Israel shall be ashamed" of it.
Jareb—(See on Ho 5:13). "A present to the king (whom they looked to as) their defender," or else avenger, whose wrath they wished to appease, namely, Shalmaneser. The minor states applied this title to the Great King, as the avenging Protector.
his own counsel—the calves, which Jeroboam set up as a stroke of policy to detach Israel from Judah. Their severance from Judah and Jehovah proved now to be not politic, but fatal to them.
7. (Ho 10:3, 15).
foam—denoting short-lived existence and speedy dissolution. As the foam, though seeming to be eminent raised on the top of the water, yet has no solidity, such is the throne of Samaria. Maurer translates, "a chip" or broken branch that cannot resist the current.
8. Aven—that is, Beth-aven.
the sin—that is, the occasion of sin (De 9:21; 1Ki 12:30).
they shall say to … mountains, Cover us—So terrible shall be the calamity, that men shall prefer death to life (Lu 23:30; Re 6:16; 9:6). Those very hills on which were their idolatrous altars (one source of their confidence, as their "king," Ho 10:7, was the other), so far from helping them, shall be called on by them to overwhelm them.
9. Gibeah—(Ho 9:9; Jud 19:1-20:48). They are singled out as a specimen of the whole nation.
there they stood—The Israelites have, as there and then, so ever since, persisted in their sin [Calvin]. Or, better, "they stood their ground," that is, did not perish then [Maurer].
the battle … did not overtake them—Though God spared you then, He will not do so now; nay, the battle whereby God punished the Gibeonite "children of iniquity," shall the more heavily visit you for your continued impenitence. Though "they stood" then, it shall not be so now. The change from "thou" to "they" marks God's alienation from them; they are, by the use of the third person, put to a greater distance from God.
10. my desire … chastise—expressing God's strong inclination to vindicate His justice against sin, as being the infinitely holy God (De 28:63).
the people—Foreign invaders "shall be gathered against them."
when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows—image from two oxen ploughing together side by side, in two contiguous furrows: so the Israelites shall join themselves, to unite their powers against all dangers, but it will not save them from My destroying them [Calvin]. Their "two furrows" may refer to their two places of setting up the calves, their ground of confidence, Dan and Beth-el; or, the two divisions of the nation, Israel and Judah, "in their two furrows," that is, in their respective two places of habitation; Ho 10:11, which specifies the two, favors this view. Henderson prefers the Keri (Hebrew Margin) "for their two iniquities"; and translates, "when they are bound" in captivity. English Version is best, as the image is carried out in Ho 10:11; only it is perhaps better to translate, "the people (the invaders) binding them," that is, making them captives; and so Ho 10:11 alludes to the yoke being put on the neck of Ephraim and Judah.
11. taught—that is, accustomed.
loveth to tread out … corn—a far easier and more self-indulgent work than ploughing. In treading corn, cattle were not bound together under a yoke, but either trod it singly with their feet, or drew a threshing sledge over it (Isa 28:27, 28): they were free to eat some of the corn from time to time, as the law required they should be unmuzzled (De 25:4), so that they grew fat in this work. An image of Israel's freedom, prosperity, and self-indulgence heretofore. But now God will put the Assyrian yoke upon her, instead of freedom, putting her to servile work.
I passed over upon—I put the yoke upon.
make … to ride—as in Job 30:22; that is, hurry Ephraim away to a distant region [Calvin]. Lyra translates, "I will make (the Assyrian) to ride upon Ephraim." Maurer, "I will make Ephraim to carry," namely, a charioteer.
his clods—"the clods before him."
12. Continuation of the image in Ho 10:11 (Pr 11:18). Act righteously and ye shall reap the reward; a reward not of debt, but of grace.
in mercy—according to the measure of the divine "mercy," which over and above repays the goodness or "mercy" which we show to our fellow man (Lu 6:38).
break … fallow ground—Remove your superstitions and vices, and be renewed.
seek … Lord, fill he come—Though not answered immediately, persevere unceasingly "till He come."
rain—send down as a copious shower.
righteousness—the reward of righteousness, that is, salvation, temporal and spiritual (1Sa 26:23; compare Joe 2:23 ).
13. reaped iniquity—that is, the fruit of iniquity; as "righteousness" (Ho 10:12) is "the fruit of righteousness" (Job 4:8; Pr 22:8; Ga 6:7, 8).
lies—false and spurious worship.
trust in thy way—thy perverse way (Isa 57:10; Jer 2:23), thy worship of false gods. This was their internal safeguard, as their external was "the multitude of their mighty men."
14. tumult—a tumultuous war.
among thy people—literally, "peoples": the war shall extend to the whole people of Israel, through all the tribes, and the peoples allied to her.
Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel—that is, Shalmaneser, a compound name, in which the part common to it and the names of three other Assyrian kings, is omitted; Tiglath-pileser, Esar-haddon, Shar-ezer. So Jeconiah is abbreviated to Coniah. Arbel was situated in Naphtali in Galilee, on the border nearest Assyria. Against it Shalmaneser, at his first invasion of Israel (2Ki 17:3), vented his chief rage. God threatens Israel's fortresses with the same fate as Arbel suffered "in the day (on the occasion) of the battle" then well-known, though not mentioned elsewhere (compare 2Ki 18:34). This event, close on the reign of Hezekiah, shows the inscription of Hosea (Ho 1:1) to be correct.
15. So shall Beth-el do unto you—that is, Your idolatrous calf at Beth-el shall be the cause of a like calamity befalling you.
your great wickedness—literally, "the wickedness of your wickedness."
in a morning—that is, speedily, as quickly as the dawn is put to flight by the rising sun (Ho 6:4; 13:3; Ps 30:5).
king—Hoshea.