13 Ephraim, H669 as I saw H7200 Tyrus, H6865 is planted H8362 in a pleasant place: H5116 but Ephraim H669 shall bring forth H3318 his children H1121 to the murderer. H2026
And it came to pass in the eleventh H6249 H6240 year, H8141 in the first H259 day of the month, H2320 that the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto me, saying, H559 Son H1121 of man, H120 because that Tyrus H6865 hath said H559 against Jerusalem, H3389 Aha, H1889 she is broken H7665 that was the gates H1817 of the people: H5971 she is turned H5437 unto me: I shall be replenished, H4390 now she is laid waste: H2717 Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, H6865 and will cause many H7227 nations H1471 to come up H5927 against thee, as the sea H3220 causeth his waves H1530 to come up. H5927 And they shall destroy H7843 the walls H2346 of Tyrus, H6865 and break down H2040 her towers: H4026 I will also scrape H5500 her dust H6083 from her, and make H5414 her like the top H6706 of a rock. H5553 It shall be a place for the spreading H4894 of nets H2764 in the midst H8432 of the sea: H3220 for I have spoken H1696 it, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD: H3069 and it shall become a spoil H957 to the nations. H1471 And her daughters H1323 which are in the field H7704 shall be slain H2026 by the sword; H2719 and they shall know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068 For thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I will bring H935 upon Tyrus H6865 Nebuchadrezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon, H894 a king H4428 of kings, H4428 from the north, H6828 with horses, H5483 and with chariots, H7393 and with horsemen, H6571 and companies, H6951 and much H7227 people. H5971 He shall slay H2026 with the sword H2719 thy daughters H1323 in the field: H7704 and he shall make H5414 a fort H1785 against thee, and cast H8210 a mount H5550 against thee, and lift up H6965 the buckler H6793 against thee. And he shall set H5414 engines H4239 of war H6904 against thy walls, H2346 and with his axes H2719 he shall break down H5422 thy towers. H4026 By reason of the abundance H8229 of his horses H5483 their dust H80 shall cover H3680 thee: thy walls H2346 shall shake H7493 at the noise H6963 of the horsemen, H6571 and of the wheels, H1534 and of the chariots, H7393 when he shall enter H935 into thy gates, H8179 as men enter H3996 into a city H5892 wherein is made a breach. H1234 With the hoofs H6541 of his horses H5483 shall he tread down H7429 all thy streets: H2351 he shall slay H2026 thy people H5971 by the sword, H2719 and thy strong H5797 garrisons H4676 shall go down H3381 to the ground. H776 And they shall make a spoil H7997 of thy riches, H2428 and make a prey H962 of thy merchandise: H7404 and they shall break down H2040 thy walls, H2346 and destroy H5422 thy pleasant H2532 houses: H1004 and they shall lay H7760 thy stones H68 and thy timber H6086 and thy dust H6083 in the midst H8432 of the water. H4325 And I will cause the noise H1995 of thy songs H7892 to cease; H7673 and the sound H6963 of thy harps H3658 shall be no more heard. H8085 And I will make H5414 thee like the top H6706 of a rock: H5553 thou shalt be a place to spread H4894 nets H2764 upon; H4894 thou shalt be built H1129 no more: for I the LORD H3068 have spoken H1696 it, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069 Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 to Tyrus; H6865 Shall not the isles H339 shake H7493 at the sound H6963 of thy fall, H4658 when the wounded H2491 cry, H602 when the slaughter H2027 is made H2026 in the midst H8432 of thee? Then all the princes H5387 of the sea H3220 shall come down H3381 from their thrones, H3678 and lay away H5493 their robes, H4598 and put off H6584 their broidered H7553 garments: H899 they shall clothe H3847 themselves with trembling; H2731 they shall sit H3427 upon the ground, H776 and shall tremble H2729 at every moment, H7281 and be astonished H8074 at thee. And they shall take up H5375 a lamentation H7015 for thee, and say H559 to thee, How art thou destroyed, H6 that wast inhabited H3427 of seafaring men, H3220 the renowned H1984 city, H5892 which wast strong H2389 in the sea, H3220 she and her inhabitants, H3427 which cause H5414 their terror H2851 to be on all that haunt H3427 it! Now shall the isles H339 tremble H2729 in the day H3117 of thy fall; H4658 yea, the isles H339 that are in the sea H3220 shall be troubled H926 at thy departure. H3318 For thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 When I shall make H5414 thee a desolate H2717 city, H5892 like the cities H5892 that are not inhabited; H3427 when I shall bring up H5927 the deep H8415 upon thee, and great H7227 waters H4325 shall cover H3680 thee; When I shall bring thee down H3381 with them that descend H3381 into the pit, H953 with the people H5971 of old time, H5769 and shall set H3427 thee in the low parts H8482 of the earth, H776 in places desolate H2723 of old, H5769 with them that go down H3381 to the pit, H953 that thou be not inhabited; H3427 and I shall set H5414 glory H6643 in the land H776 of the living; H2416 I will make H5414 thee a terror, H1091 and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, H1245 yet shalt thou never H5769 be found H4672 again, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069
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).