10 I found H4672 Israel H3478 like grapes H6025 in the wilderness; H4057 I saw H7200 your fathers H1 as the firstripe H1063 in the fig tree H8384 at her first time: H7225 but they went H935 to Baalpeor, H1187 and separated H5144 themselves unto that shame; H1322 and their abominations H8251 were according as they loved. H157
Go H1980 and cry H7121 in the ears H241 of Jerusalem, H3389 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 I remember H2142 thee, the kindness H2617 of thy youth, H5271 the love H160 of thine espousals, H3623 when thou wentest H3212 after H310 me in the wilderness, H4057 in a land H776 that was not sown. H2232 Israel H3478 was holiness H6944 unto the LORD, H3068 and the firstfruits H7225 of his increase: H8393 all that devour H398 him shall offend; H816 evil H7451 shall come H935 upon them, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
They joined H6775 themselves also unto Baalpeor, H1187 and ate H398 the sacrifices H2077 of the dead. H4191 Thus they provoked him to anger H3707 with their inventions: H4611 and the plague H4046 brake in H6555 upon them.
And Israel H3478 abode H3427 in Shittim, H7851 and the people H5971 began H2490 to commit whoredom H2181 with the daughters H1323 of Moab. H4124 And they called H7121 the people H5971 unto the sacrifices H2077 of their gods: H430 and the people H5971 did eat, H398 and bowed down H7812 to their gods. H430 And Israel H3478 joined H6775 himself unto Baalpeor: H1187 and the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 was kindled H2734 against Israel. H3478 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Take H3947 all the heads H7218 of the people, H5971 and hang them up H3363 before H5048 the LORD H3068 against the sun, H8121 that the fierce H2740 anger H639 of the LORD H3068 may be turned away H7725 from Israel. H3478 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the judges H8199 of Israel, H3478 Slay H2026 ye every H376 one H376 his men H582 that were joined H6775 unto Baalpeor. H1187 And, behold, one H376 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 came H935 and brought H7126 unto his brethren H251 a Midianitish woman H4084 in the sight H5869 of Moses, H4872 and in the sight H5869 of all the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 who were weeping H1058 before the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And when Phinehas, H6372 the son H1121 of Eleazar, H499 the son H1121 of Aaron H175 the priest, H3548 saw H7200 it, he rose up H6965 from among H8432 the congregation, H5712 and took H3947 a javelin H7420 in his hand; H3027 And he went H935 after H310 the man H376 of Israel H3478 into the tent, H6898 and thrust H1856 both H8147 of them through, the man H376 of Israel, H3478 and the woman H802 through H413 her belly. H6897 So the plague H4046 was stayed H6113 from the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And those that died H4191 in the plague H4046 were twenty H6242 and four H702 thousand. H505 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Phinehas, H6372 the son H1121 of Eleazar, H499 the son H1121 of Aaron H175 the priest, H3548 hath turned H7725 my wrath H2534 away H7725 from the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 while he was zealous H7065 for my sake H7068 among H8432 them, that I consumed H3615 not the children H1121 of Israel H3478 in my jealousy. H7068 Wherefore say, H559 Behold, I give H5414 unto him my covenant H1285 of peace: H7965 And he shall have it, and his seed H2233 after H310 him, even the covenant H1285 of an everlasting H5769 priesthood; H3550 because H834 he was zealous H7065 for his God, H430 and made an atonement H3722 for the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 Now the name H8034 of the Israelite H376 that was slain, H5221 even that was slain H5221 with the Midianitish woman, H4084 was Zimri, H2174 the son H1121 of Salu, H5543 a prince H5387 of a chief H1 house H1004 among the Simeonites. H8099 And the name H8034 of the Midianitish H4084 woman H802 that was slain H5221 was Cozbi, H3579 the daughter H1323 of Zur; H6698 he was head H7218 over a people, H523 and of a chief H1 house H1004 in Midian. H4080 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Vex H6887 the Midianites, H4084 and smite H5221 them: For they vex H6887 you with their wiles, H5231 wherewith they have beguiled H5230 you in the matter H1697 of Peor, H6465 and in the matter H1697 of Cozbi, H3579 the daughter H1323 of a prince H5387 of Midian, H4080 their sister, H269 which was slain H5221 in the day H3117 of the plague H4046 for Peor's H6465 sake. H1697
Ye have seen H7200 what I did H6213 unto the Egyptians, H4714 and how I bare H5375 you on eagles' H5404 wings, H3671 and brought H935 you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey H8085 my voice H6963 indeed, H8085 and keep H8104 my covenant, H1285 then ye shall be a peculiar treasure H5459 unto me above all people: H5971 for all the earth H776 is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom H4467 of priests, H3548 and an holy H6918 nation. H1471 These are the words H1697 which thou shalt speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
And they came H935 unto the brook H5158 of Eshcol, H812 and cut down H3772 from thence a branch H2156 with one H259 cluster H811 of grapes, H6025 and they bare H5375 it between two H8147 upon a staff; H4132 and they brought of the pomegranates, H7416 and of the figs. H8384 The place H4725 was called H7121 the brook H5158 Eshcol, H812 because of H182 the cluster of grapes H811 which the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cut down H3772 from thence.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Hosea 9
Commentary on Hosea 9 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 9
Ho 9:1-17. Warning against Israel's Joy at Partial Relief from Their Troubles: Their Crops Shall Fail, and the People Leave the Lord's Land for Egypt and Assyria, Where They Cannot, If So Inclined, Serve God According to the Ancient Ritual: Folly of Their False Prophets.
1. Rejoice not … for joy—literally, "to exultation." Thy exultation at the league with Pul, by which peace seems secured, is out of place: since thy idolatry will bring ruin on thee.
as other people—the Assyrians for instance, who, unlike thee, are in the height of prosperity.
loved a reward upon every corn floor—Thou hast desired, in reward for thy homage to idols, abundance of corn on every threshing-floor (Ho 2:12).
2. (Ho 2:9, 12).
fail—disappoint her expectation.
3. return to Egypt—(See on Ho 8:13). As in Ho 11:5 it is said, "He shall not return into … Egypt." Fairbairn thinks it is not the exact country that is meant, but the bondage state with which, from past experience, Egypt was identified in their minds. Assyria was to be a second Egypt to them. De 28:68, though threatening a return to Egypt, speaks (De 28:36) of their being brought to a nation which neither they nor their fathers had known, showing that it is not the literal Egypt, but a second Egypt-like bondage that is threatened.
eat unclean things in Assyria—reduced by necessity to eat meats pronounced unclean by the Mosaic law (Eze 4:13). See 2Ki 17:6.
4. offer wine offerings—literally, "pour as a libation (Ex 30:9; Le 23:13).
neither shall they be pleasing unto him—as being offered on a profane soil.
sacrifices … as the bread of mourners—which was unclean (De 26:14; Jer 16:7; Eze 24:17).
their bread for their soul—their offering for the expiation of their soul [Calvin], (Le 17:11). Rather, "their bread for their sustenance ('soul' being often used for the animal life, Ge 14:21, Margin) shall not come into the Lord's house"; it shall only subserve their own uses, not My worship.
5. (Ho 2:11).
6. because of destruction—to escape from the devastation of their country.
Egypt shall gather them up—that is, into its sepulchres (Jer 8:2; Eze 29:5). Instead of returning to Palestine, they should die in Egypt.
Memphis—famed as a necropolis.
the pleasant places for their silver—that is, their desired treasuries for their money. Or, "whatever precious thing they have of silver" [Maurer].
nettles—the sign of desolation (Isa 34:13).
7. visitation—vengeance: punishment (Isa 10:3).
Israel shall know it—to her cost experimentally (Isa 9:9).
the prophet 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 (La 2:14; Eze 13:3; Mic 3:11; Zep 3:4).
for the multitude of thine iniquity, &c.—Connect these words with, "the days of visitation … are come"; "the prophet … is mad," being parenthetical.
the great hatred—or, "the great provocation" [Henderson]; or, "(thy) great apostasy" [Maurer]. English Version means Israel's "hatred" of God's prophets and the law.
8. The watchman … was with my God—The spiritual watchmen, the true prophets, formerly consulted my God (Jer 31:6; Hab 2:1); but their so-called prophet is a snare, entrapping Israel into idolatry.
hatred—rather, "(a cause of) apostasy" (see Ho 9:7) [Maurer].
house of his God—that is, the state of Ephraim, as in Ho 8:1 [Maurer]. Or, "the house of his (false) god," the calves [Calvin]. Jehovah, "my God," seems contrasted with "his God." Calvin's view is therefore preferable.
9. as in the days of Gibeah—as in the day of the perpetration of the atrocity of Gibeah, narrated in Jud 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, Isa 28:4; Jer 24:2; Mic 7:1); so it was My delight to choose your fathers as My peculiar people in Egypt (Ho 2:15).
at her first time—when the first-fruits of the tree become ripe.
went to Baal-peor—(Nu 25:3): the Moabite idol, in whose worship young women prostituted themselves; the very sin Israel latterly was guilty of.
separated themselves—consecrated themselves.
unto that shame—to that shameful or foul idol (Jer 11:13).
their abominations were according as they loved—rather, as Vulgate, "they became abominable like the object of their love" (De 7:26; Ps 115:8). English Version gives good sense, "their abominable idols they followed after, according as their lusts prompted them" (Am 4:5, Margin).
11. their glory shall fly away—fit retribution to those who "separated themselves unto that shame" (Ho 9:10). Children were accounted the glory of parents; sterility, a reproach. "Ephraim" means "fruitfulness" (Ge 41:52); this its name shall cease to be its characteristic.
from the birth … womb … conception—Ephraim's children shall perish in a threefold gradation; (1) From the time of birth. (2) From the time of pregnancy. (3) From the time of their first conception.
12. Even though they should rear their children, yet will I bereave them (the Ephraimites) of them (Job 27:14).
woe … to them when I depart—Yet the ungodly in their madness desire God to depart from them (Job 21:14; 22:17; Mt 8:34). At last they know to their cost how awful it is when God has departed (De 31:17; 1Sa 28:15, 16; compare Ho 9:11; 1Sa 4:21).
13. Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus … in a pleasant place—that is, in looking towards Tyrus (on whose borders Ephraim lay) I saw Ephraim beautiful in situation like her (Eze 26:1-28:26).
is planted—as a fruitful tree; image suggested by the meaning of "Ephraim" (Ho 9:11).
bring forth his children to the murderer—(Ho 9:16; Ho 13:16). With all his fruitfulness, his children shall only be brought up to be slain.
14. what wilt thou give?—As if overwhelmed by feeling, he deliberates with God what is most desirable.
give … a miscarrying womb—Of two evils he chooses the least. So great will be the calamity, that barrenness will be a blessing, though usually counted a great misfortune (Job 3:3; Jer 20:14; Lu 23:29).
15. All their wickedness—that is, their chief guilt.
Gilgal—(see on Ho 4:15). This was the scene of their first contumacy in rejecting God and choosing a king (1Sa 11:14, 15; compare 1Sa 8:7), and of their subsequent idolatry.
there I hated them—not with the human passion, but holy hatred of their sin, which required punishment to be inflicted on themselves (compare Mal 1:3).
out of mine house—as in Ho 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—"Sarim … Sorerim" (Hebrew), a play on similar sounds.
16. The figures "root," "fruit," are suggested by the word "Ephraim," that is, fruitful (see on Ho 9:11, 12). "Smitten," namely, with a blight (Ps 102:4).
17. My God—"My," in contrast to "them," that is, the people, whose God Jehovah no longer is. Also Hosea appeals to God as supporting his authority against the whole people.
wanderers among … nations—(2Ki 15:29; 1Ch 5:26).