3 I know H3045 Ephraim, H669 and Israel H3478 is not hid H3582 from me: for now, O Ephraim, H669 thou committest whoredom, H2181 and Israel H3478 is defiled. H2930
And his father H1 refused, H3985 and said, H559 I know H3045 it, my son, H1121 I know H3045 it: he also shall become a people, H5971 and he also shall be great: H1431 but truly H199 his younger H6996 brother H251 shall be greater H1431 than he, and his seed H2233 shall become a multitude H4393 of nations. H1471 And he blessed H1288 them that day, H3117 saying, H559 In thee shall Israel H3478 bless, H1288 saying, H559 God H430 make H7760 thee as Ephraim H669 and as Manasseh: H4519 and he set H7760 Ephraim H669 before H6440 Manasseh. H4519
Ephraim H669 is joined H2266 to idols: H6091 let him alone. H3240 Their drink H5435 is sour: H5493 they have committed whoredom H2181 continually: H2181 her rulers H4043 with shame H7036 do love, H157 Give H3051 ye.
And Aholah H170 played the harlot H2181 when she was mine; H8478 and she doted H5689 on her lovers, H157 on the Assyrians H804 her neighbours, H7138 Which were clothed H3847 with blue, H8504 captains H6346 and rulers, H5461 all of them desirable H2531 young men, H970 horsemen H6571 riding H7392 upon horses. H5483 Thus she committed H5414 her whoredoms H8457 with them, with all them that were the chosen H4005 men H1121 of Assyria, H804 and with all on whom she doted: H5689 with all their idols H1544 she defiled H2930 herself. Neither left H5800 she her whoredoms H8457 brought from Egypt: H4714 for in her youth H5271 they lay H7901 with her, and they bruised H6213 the breasts H1717 of her virginity, H1331 and poured H8210 their whoredom H8457 upon her. Wherefore I have delivered H5414 her into the hand H3027 of her lovers, H157 into the hand H3027 of the Assyrians, H1121 H804 upon whom she doted. H5689 These discovered H1540 her nakedness: H6172 they took H3947 her sons H1121 and her daughters, H1323 and slew H2026 her with the sword: H2719 and she became famous H8034 among women; H802 for they had executed H6213 judgment H8196 upon her. And when her sister H269 Aholibah H172 saw H7200 this, she was more corrupt H7843 in her inordinate love H5691 than she, and in her whoredoms H8457 more than her sister H269 in her whoredoms. H2183 She doted H5689 upon the Assyrians H1121 H804 her neighbours, H7138 captains H6346 and rulers H5461 clothed H3847 most gorgeously, H4358 horsemen H6571 riding H7392 upon horses, H5483 all of them desirable H2531 young men. H970 Then I saw H7200 that she was defiled, H2930 that they took both H8147 one H259 way, H1870 And that she increased H3254 her whoredoms: H8457 for when she saw H7200 men H582 pourtrayed H2707 upon the wall, H7023 the images H6754 of the Chaldeans H3778 pourtrayed H2710 with vermilion, H8350 Girded H2289 with girdles H232 upon their loins, H4975 exceeding H5628 in dyed attire H2871 upon their heads, H7218 all of them princes H7991 to look to, H4758 after the manner H1823 of the Babylonians H1121 H894 of Chaldea, H3778 the land H776 of their nativity: H4138 And as soon as she saw H4758 them with her eyes, H5869 she doted H5689 upon them, and sent H7971 messengers H4397 unto them into Chaldea. H3778 And the Babylonians H1121 H894 came H935 to her into the bed H4904 of love, H1730 and they defiled H2930 her with their whoredom, H8457 and she was polluted H2930 with them, and her mind H5315 was alienated H3363 from them. So she discovered H1540 her whoredoms, H8457 and discovered H1540 her nakedness: H6172 then my mind H5315 was alienated H3363 from her, like as my mind H5315 was alienated H5361 from her sister. H269 Yet she multiplied H7235 her whoredoms, H8457 in calling to remembrance H2142 the days H3117 of her youth, H5271 wherein she had played the harlot H2181 in the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 For she doted H5689 upon their paramours, H6370 whose flesh H1320 is as the flesh H1320 of asses, H2543 and whose issue H2231 is like the issue H2231 of horses. H5483 Thus thou calledst to remembrance H6485 the lewdness H2154 of thy youth, H5271 in bruising H6213 thy teats H1717 by the Egyptians H4714 for the paps H7699 of thy youth. H5271
For the head H7218 of Syria H758 is Damascus, H1834 and the head H7218 of Damascus H1834 is Rezin; H7526 and within threescore H8346 and five H2568 years H8141 shall Ephraim H669 be broken, H2865 that it be not a people. H5971 And the head H7218 of Ephraim H669 is Samaria, H8111 and the head H7218 of Samaria H8111 is Remaliah's H7425 son. H1121 If ye will not believe, H539 surely ye shall not be established. H539
Moreover the LORD H3068 shall raise him up H6965 a king H4428 over Israel, H3478 who shall cut off H3772 the house H1004 of Jeroboam H3379 that day: H3117 but what? even now. For the LORD H3068 shall smite H5221 Israel, H3478 as a reed H7070 is shaken H5110 in the water, H4325 and he shall root up H5428 Israel H3478 out of this good H2896 land, H127 which he gave H5414 to their fathers, H1 and shall scatter H2219 them beyond H5676 the river, H5104 because they have made H6213 their groves, H842 provoking the LORD H3068 to anger. H3707 And he shall give H5414 Israel H3478 up H5414 because H1558 of the sins H2403 of Jeroboam, H3379 who did sin, H2398 and who made Israel H3478 to sin. H2398
And Jeroboam H3379 said H559 in his heart, H3820 Now shall the kingdom H4467 return H7725 to the house H1004 of David: H1732 If this people H5971 go up H5927 to do H6213 sacrifice H2077 in the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 at Jerusalem, H3389 then shall the heart H3820 of this people H5971 turn again H7725 unto their lord, H113 even unto Rehoboam H7346 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and they shall kill H2026 me, and go again H7725 to Rehoboam H7346 king H4428 of Judah. H3063 Whereupon the king H4428 took counsel, H3289 and made H6213 two H8147 calves H5695 of gold, H2091 and said H559 unto them, It is too much H7227 for you to go up H5927 to Jerusalem: H3389 behold thy gods, H430 O Israel, H3478 which brought thee up H5927 out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 And he set H7760 the one H259 in Bethel, H1008 and the other H259 put H5414 he in Dan. H1835 And this thing H1697 became a sin: H2403 for the people H5971 went H3212 to worship before H6440 the one, H259 even unto Dan. H1835 And he made H6213 an house H1004 of high places, H1116 and made H6213 priests H3548 of the lowest H7098 of the people, H5971 which were not of the sons H1121 of Levi. H3878 And Jeroboam H3379 ordained H6213 a feast H2282 in the eighth H8066 month, H2320 on the fifteenth H2568 H6240 day H3117 of the month, H2320 like unto the feast H2282 that is in Judah, H3063 and he offered H5927 upon the altar. H4196 So did H6213 he in Bethel, H1008 sacrificing H2076 unto the calves H5695 that he had made: H6213 and he placed H5975 in Bethel H1008 the priests H3548 of the high places H1116 which he had made. H6213 So he offered H5927 upon the altar H4196 which he had made H6213 in Bethel H1008 the fifteenth H2568 H6240 day H3117 of the eighth H8066 month, H2320 even in the month H2320 which he had devised H908 of his own heart; H3820 and ordained H6213 a feast H2282 unto the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 and he offered H5927 upon the altar, H4196 and burnt incense. H6999
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Hosea 5
Commentary on Hosea 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
Ho 5:1-5. God's Judgments on the Priests, People, and Princes of Israel for 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 idolatry was first carried so far in Judah as to call for the judgment of the joint Syrian and Israelite invasion, as also that of Assyria.
judgment is towards you—that is, threatens you from God.
ye have been a snare on Mizpah … net … upon Tabor—As hunters spread their net and snares on the hills, Mizpah and Tabor, so ye have snared the people into idolatry and made them your prey by injustice. 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 lofty 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 [Jerome]. These two places are specified, Mizpah in the east and Tabor in the west, to include the high places throughout the whole kingdom, in which Israel's rulers set up idolatrous altars.
2. revolters—apostates.
profound—deeply rooted [Calvin] and sunk to the lowest depths, excessive in their idolatry (Ho 9:9; Isa 31:6) [Henderson]. From the antithesis (Ho 5:3), "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 worship. So Israel's subsequent idolatry was grounded by their leaders on various pleas of state expediency (compare Isa 29:15).
to … slaughter—He 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—Maurer 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 have deeply revolted, notwithstanding all my prophetical warnings.
3. Ephraim—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 four hundred 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 how … not hid from me—notwithstanding their supposed profound cunning (Ho 5:2; Re 2:2, 9, 13, 19).
now—"though I have been a rebuker of all them" (Ho 5:2) 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 plural to characterize the people in general. The Hebrew is against the Margin, their doings will not suffer them" 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 literally 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") (Ho 4:12; Isa 63:10; Eze 16:43; Ac 7:51).
5. the pride of Israel—wherewith they reject the warnings of God's prophets (Ho 5:2), and prefer their idols to God (Ho 7:10; Jer 13:17).
testify to his face—openly to his face he shall be convicted of the pride which is so palpable in him. Or, "in his face," as in Isa 3:9.
Judah … shall fall with them—This prophecy is later than Ho 4:15, when Judah had not gone so 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 (Isa 1:11-15).
seek … not find—because it is slavish fear that leads them to seek Him; and because it then shall be too late (Pr 1:28; Joh 7:34).
7. treacherously—as to the marriage covenant (Jer 3:20).
strange children—alluding to "children of whoredoms" (Ho 1:2; 2:4). "Strange" or foreign implies that their idolatry was imported from abroad [Henderson]. 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 space of time shall elapse, and then punishment shall overtake them (Zec 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; the time of your destruction is immediately and suddenly coming on you; just as the debtor must meet the creditor's demand at the expiration of the month. The prediction is of the invasion of Tiglath-pileser, who carried away Reuben, Gad, Naphtali, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
portions—that is, possessions. Their resources and garrisons will not avail to save them. Henderson explains from Isa 57:6, "portions" as their idols; the context favors this, "the Lord" the true "portion of His people" (De 32:9), being in antithesis to "their portions," the idols.
8. The arrival of the enemy is announced in the form of an injunction to blow an alarm.
cornet … trumpet—The "cornet" was made of the curved horn of animals and was used by shepherds. The "trumpet" was of brass or silver, straight, and used in wars and on solemn occasions. The Hebrew is hatzotzerah, the sound imitating the trumpet note (Ho 8:1; Nu 10:2; Jer 4:5; Joe 2:1).
Gibeah … Ramah—both in Benjamin (Isa 10:29).
Beth-aven—in Benjamin; not as in Ho 4:15; Beth-el, but a town east of it (Jos 7:2). "Cry aloud," namely, to raise the alarm. "Benjamin" is put for the whole southern kingdom of Judah (compare Ho 5:5), being the first part of it which would meet the foe advancing from the north. "After thee, O 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 (Jud 5:14).
9, 10. Israel is referred to in Ho 5:9, Judah in Ho 5:10.
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 labor was among the ten tribes.
that which shall surely be—namely, the coming judgment here foretold. It is no longer a conditional decree, leaving a hope of pardon on repentance; it is absolute, for Ephraim is hopelessly impenitent.
10. remove the bound—(De 19:14; 27:17; Job 24:2; Pr 22:28; 23:10). Proverbial for the rash setting aside of the ancestral laws by which 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 layer and the sea and introduced an idolatrous altar from Damascus (2Ki 16:10-18); also he burnt his children in the valley of Hinnom, after the abominations of the heathen (2Ch 28:3).
11. broken in judgment—namely, the "judgment" of God on him (Ho 5:1).
walked after the commandment—Jeroboam's, to worship the calves (2Ki 10:28-33). Compare Mic 6:16, "the statutes of Omri," namely, idolatrous statutes. We ought to obey God rather than men (Ac 5:29). Jerome reads "filthiness." The Septuagint gives the sense, not the literal translation: "after vanities."
12. as a moth—consuming a garment (Job 13:28; Ps 39:11; Isa 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 (Pr 12:4). Perhaps alluding to the superiority of the latter in having the house of David, and the temple, the religious center of the nation [Grotius]. As in Ho 5:13, 14, the violence of the calamity is prefigured by the "wound" which "a lion" 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 consuming moth and rottenness.
13. wound—literally, "bandage"; hence a bandaged wound (Isa 1:6; Jer 30:12). "Saw," that is, felt its weakened state politically, and the dangers that threatened it. It aggravates their perversity, that, though aware of their unsound and calamitous state, they did not inquire into the cause or seek a right remedy.
went … to the Assyrian—First, Menahem (2Ki 15:19) applied to Pul; again, Hoshea to Shalmaneser (2Ki 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 clause), so "Judah saw his wound" (the second clause) answers to (Judah) "sent to King Jareb" (the fourth clause). Jareb ought rather to be translated, "their defender," literally, "avenger" [Jerome]. The Assyrian "king," ever ready, for his own aggrandizement, to mix himself up with the affairs of neighboring states, professed to undertake Israel's and Judah's cause; in Jud 6:32, Jerub, in Jerub-baal is so used, namely, "plead one's cause." Judah, under Ahaz, applied to Tiglath-pileser for aid against Syria and Israel (2Ki 16:7, 8; 2Ch 28:16-21); the Assyrian "distressed him, but strengthened him not," fulfiling the prophecy here, "he could not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
14. lion—The black lion and the young lion are emblems of strength and ferocity (Ps 91:13).
I, even I—emphatic; when I, even I, the irresistible God, tear in pieces (Ps 50:22), no Assyrian power can rescue.
go away—as a lion stalks leisurely back with his prey to his lair.
15. return to my place—that is, withdraw My favor.
till they acknowledge their offence—The Hebrew is, "till they suffer the penalty of their guilt." Probably "accepting the punishment of their guilt" (compare Zec 11:5) is included in the idea, as English Version translates. Compare Le 26:40, 41; Jer 29:12, 13; Eze 6:9; 20:43; 36:31.
seek my face—that is, seek My favor (Pr 29:26, Margin).
in … affliction … seek me early—that is, diligently; rising up before dawn to seek Me (Ps 119:147; compare Ps 78:34).