Hosea 9 commentary

Israel gave rewards to their idols, in the offerings presented to them. It is common for those who are niggardly in religion, to be prodigal upon their lusts. Those are reckoned as idolaters, who love a reward in the corn-floor better than a reward in the favour of God and in eternal life. They are full of the joy of harvest, and have no disposition to mourn for sin. When we make the world, and the things of it, our idol and our portion, it is just with God to show us our folly, and correct us. None may expect to dwell in the Lord's land, who will not be subject to the Lord's laws, or be influenced by his love. When we enjoy the means of grace, we ought to consider what we shall do, if they should be taken from us. While the pleasures of communion with God are out of the reach of change, the pleasant places purchased with silver, or in which men deposit silver, are liable to be laid in ruins. No famine is so dreadful as that of the soul.

Time had been when the spiritual watchmen of Israel were with the Lord, but now they were like the snare of a fowler to entangle persons to their ruin. The people were become as corrupt as those of Gibeah, Judg. 19; and their crimes should be visited in like manner. At first God had found Israel pleasing to Him, as grapes to the traveller in the wilderness. He saw them with pleasure as the first ripe figs. This shows the delight God took in them; yet they followed after idolatry.

God departs from a people, or from a person, when he withdraws his goodness and mercy from them; and when the Lord is departed, what can the creature do? Even though, for the present, good things seem to remain, yet the blessing is gone if God is gone. Even the children should perish with the parents. The Divine wrath dries up the root, and withers the fruit of all comforts; and the scattered Jews daily warn us to beware, lest we neglect or abuse the gospel. Yet every smiting is not a drying up of the root. It may be that God intends only to smite so that the sap may be turned to the root, that there may be more of root graces, more humility, patience, faith, and self-denial. It is very just that God should bring judgments on those who slight his offered mercy.

It is not known at what time the Prophet delivered this discourse, but it is enough to know that it is directed against the obstinate wickedness of the people, because they could by no means be turned to repentance, though their defection was, at the same time, manifest. He now declares that God was so angry, that no success could be hoped for. And this warning ought to be carefully noticed; for we see that hypocrites as long as God spares or indulges them, take occasion to be secure: they think that they have sure peace with God, when he bears with them even for a short time; and further, except the drawn sword appears, they are never afraid. Since, then, men sleep so securely in their vices, especially when the Lord treats them with forbearance and kindness, the Prophet here declares, that the Israelites had no reason to rejoice for their prosperity, or to flatter themselves under this cover, that the Lord had not immediately taken vengeance on them; for he says, that though all people under heaven were prosperous, yet Israel would be miserable, because he had committed fornication against his God.

We now perceive the meaning of the Prophet. Israel, he says, rejoice not thou with exultations like the people; that is, “Whatever prosperity may happen to thee, though God may seem propitious by not afflicting thee, but kindly bearing with thee, — nay, though he may bountifully nourish thee, and may seem to give thee many proofs of paternal favor, yet there is no reason for thee to felicitate thyself, for vain will be this joy, because an unhappy end awaits thee.” Thou hast committed fornication, he says, against thy God This warning was very necessary. This vice, we know, has ever prevailed among men, that they are blind to their sins as long as the Lord spares them; and experience, at the present day, most fully proves, that the same disease still cleaves to our marrow. As it is so, let this passage of the Prophet awaken us, so that we may not rejoice, though great prosperity may smile on us; but let us rather inquire, whether God has a just cause of anger against us. Though he may not openly put forth his hand, though he may not pursue us, we ought yet to anticipate his wrath; for it is the proper office of faith, not only to find out from present punishment that God is angry, but also to fear, on account of any prevailing vices, the punishment that is far distant. Let us then learn to examine ourselves, and to make a severe scrutiny, even when the Lord conceals his displeasure, and visits us not for our sins. If, then, we have committed fornication against God, all our prosperity ought to be suspected by us; for this contempt, in abusing God’s blessings, will have to be dearly bought by us.

The comparison here made is also of great weight. As other people, says the Prophet. He means, that though God might pardon heathen nations, yet he would punish Israel, for less excusable was his apostasy and rebellion in having committed fornication against his God. That other nations wandered in their errors, was no wonder; but that Israel should have thus cast off the yoke, and then denied his God, that he should have broken and violated the fidelity of sacred marriage, — all this was quite monstrous. It is then no wonder that God here declares, by the mouth of his Prophet, that though he spared other people, he would yet inflict just punishment on Israel.

He then adds, Thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor He pursues the same metaphor, that Israel had committed fornication like an unchaste and perfidious woman. Hence he says, that they were like harlots, who are so enticed by gain, that they are not ashamed of their lewdness. He said yesterday, that the people had hired lovers; but now he says, that they were led astray by the hope of reward. These things are apparently contradictory; but their different aspect is to be noticed. Israel hired for himself lovers, when he purchased, with a large sum of money, a confederacy with the Assyrians; but, at the same time, when he worshipped false gods with the hope of gain, he was like strumpets, who prostitute their body to all kinds of filthiness, when any rewards entice them.

But a question may be here moved, Why does the Prophet say that the reward is meretricious, when a plenty of corn is sought for? for he reproaches the Israelites for no other thing, but that they wished their floors to be filled with wheat. This seems not indeed to be in itself worthy of reproof, for who of us does not desire a fruitful increase of corn and wine? Nay, since the Lord, among other blessings, promises to give abundance of provision, it is certainly lawful to ask by supplications and prayers what he promises. But the Prophet calls it a wicked reward, when what God has promised to give is sought from idols. When therefore we depart from the one true God, and devise for ourselves new gods to nourish us and supply our food and raiment, we are like strumpets, who choose by lewdness to gain support, rather than to receive it from their own husbands. This is then to be like a woman whom her husband treats bountifully, and she casts her eyes on others, and seeks a filthy reward from adulterers. Such are idolaters. For God offers himself freely to us, and testifies that he will perform the part of a father and preserver; but the greater part, despising the blessing of God, flee elsewhere, and invent for themselves false gods, as we see to be done under the Papacy: for who are the patrons (nutricios — nourishers) they implore, when either drought or any other adverse season threatens sterility and want? They have an innumerable multitude of gods to whom they flee. They are then strumpets who hunt for gain from adulterers; while, at the same time, God freely promises to be a husband to them, and to take care that nothing should be wanting. Since, then, they are not satisfied with the blessing of God alone, it is a meretricious lust, which is insatiable, and in itself filthy and disgraceful.

We now then see what the Prophet repudiates in the people of Israel, and that is, They hoped for a larger abundance of corn from their idols than from the true God, as was the case with the idolaters mentioned by Jeremiah,

‘when we served,’ they said, ‘the queen of heaven, we abounded in wine and corn,’ (Jeremiah 44:17.)

They compared God with idols, and denied that they were so well and so sumptuously provided for when they worshipped God alone. Since, then, idolaters give honour to fictitious gods, so as to think them to be more liberal to them than the true God, this is the reason that the Prophet now so severely blames Israel, when he says that they loved a meretricious reward on all the floors of wheat. It then follows —

Hosea 9:2

2. The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her. ‘And the choice wine shall deceive them.’ — Newcome. The true reading no doubt is בם, ‘them,’ and not בה, ‘her,’ confirmed by all the early versions and by several of the best MSS., and is adopted by Horsley as well as Newcome. And so does Calvin in his exposition take the word. — Ed.

2. Area et torcular non pascet eos, et mustum mentietur in ea.

God now denounces such a punishment as the Israelites deserved. They had been drawn away, as we have said, from the pure worship of God by allurements; they hoped for more profit from superstitions. Hence God shows, that he would on this account punish them by taking away from them their wine and corn, as we have already noticed in Hosea 2: for it is the only way by which the Lord restores men to a sane mind, or at least renders them inexcusable, to deprive them of his blessings. The harlot, as long as gain is to be had, as long as she surpasses all honest and chaste matrons in her dress and mode of living, is pleased with herself and blinded by her own splendour; but when she is reduced to extreme want, when she sees herself to be the laughing-stock of all, and when she drags a miserable life in poverty, she then sighs and owns how infatuated she had been in leaving her husband. So the Lord now declares by his Prophet, that he would thus deal with the Israelites, that they might no longer please themselves with such delusions.

Hence he says, The floor and the wine-press shall not feed them, and the new wine shall disappoint them, (mentietur illis — shall lie to them;) — that is, the vineyards shall not answer their expectation. It is the same as though he said, “As these men regard only their stomach, as they deem nothing of any moment but provision, therefore the floor and the wine-press shall not feed them; I will deprive them of their support, that they may understand that they in vain worship false gods.” Let us take a common similitude: We see some boys so disingenuous as not to be moved either by disgrace or even by stripes; but as they are subject to the cravings of appetite, when the father deprives them of bread, they nearly lose all hope. Stripes do no good, all warnings are slighted; but when the boy who loves excess sees that bread is denied him, he finds out that his father’s displeasure ought to be feared. Thus God corrects men addicted to excessive indulgence; for they are so insensible, that no other remedy can do them any good.

We now, then, apprehend the meaning of the Prophet. He first reproaches the Israelites for loving a reward, for hastening after fictitious gods, that they might glut themselves with great abundance of things: but when the Lord saw that they had become stupefied in their fatness, he said, “I will deprive them of all their provisions; neither wine nor wheat shall be given them; this want will at length drive them to repentance.” We hence see how the Lord deals with men according to their disposition. And his manner of speaking ought to be noticed; he says, that neither the floor nor the wine-press shall feed them. He does not say, that the fields shall be barren; he does not say, that he would send hail or storm; but he says, that neither the floor nor the wine-press shall feed them; and further, that the new wine shall disappoint them; that is, when they shall think themselves to be blessed with all plenty, when the harvest shall appear abundant, and when they shall have already, by anticipation, swallowed up the large produce of their vineyards, all this shall come to nothing; for neither the floor nor the wine-press shall feed them; nay, the very wine which they thought to have been prepared shall disappoint them. It follows —

Hosea 9:3

3. They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

3. Non habitabunt in terra Jehovae, et revertetur Ephraim in Aegyptum, et in Assyria immundum comedent.

The Prophet proclaims here a heavier punishment — that the Lord would drive them into exile. It was indeed a dreadful repudiation, when they were deprived of the land of Canaan, which was the Lord’s rest, as it is called in the Psalms, (Psalm 132:14.) While they dwelt in the land of Canaan, they lived as it were in the habitations of God, and could have a sure hope that he would be a father to them: but when they were thence expelled, the Lord testified that he regarded them as aliens; it was the same as when a father disinherits his son. The Prophet now threatens them not only with the want of food, but also with repudiation, which was far more grievous — They shall not dwell, he says, in the Lord’s land

There is an elegant play on words in the verbs here used; ישבו, ishebu, and ושב, usheb; the one is from ישב, isheb, and the other from שוב, shub. ‘They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land; but Ephraim shall return into Egypt:’ and the other circumstance is still more dreadful. In Assyria they shall eat what is unclean; for it was the same as if the Lord intended to blend that holy people with the profane Gentiles, so that there should be afterwards no difference; for the uncleanness of which the Prophet speaks would have the effect of destroying the distinction which the adoption of God made between that people and the profane nations. It was indeed by badges that the Lord retained the people of Israel, when he ordered them to abstain from unclean meats: but when they differed nothing, as to common food, from the Gentiles, it was evident that they were rejected by God, and that the holiness which belonged to them through the free covenant of God was obliterated. They shall eat, then, what is unclean in Assyria; that is, “They shall not now be under my care and protection; they shall live according to their own will, as the other nations. I have hitherto preserved them under some restraint; but now, as they will not bear to live under my law, they shall have their own liberty, and shall be profane like the rest of the world, so that they shall become involved in all the defilements and pollutions of the Gentiles.” This is the meaning.

And now we ought to consider, whether it be right, when we are among idolaters, to conform to the rites approved by them. This place, no doubt, as other places, most clearly shows, that nothing more grievous can happen to us than the doing away of all difference between us and the profane despisers of God, even in the outward manner of living. Had the Prophet said, “The Israelites shall now be hungry in a far country; — the Lord has hitherto fed them with plenty, for he has performed what he had formerly promised by Moses; this land has in every way been blessed, and has supplied us with great abundance of wine, wheat, and oil; yea, honey has flowed like water; but they shall now be constrained to pine away with want among their enemies:” — Had the Prophet said this, it would have been a grievous and severe denunciation; but now he fills them, as it has been already said, with much greater horror, for he says, ‘They shall eat what is unclean.’ There seemed to be some great importance belonging to the external rite: but the outward profession was the badge of divine adoption. When therefore the people loosened the reins and ate indiscriminately any meat, and made no choice according to the directions of the law, then the distinction was removed, so that they ceased to be the people of God. It is the same also, at this day, with those who turn aside from a sincere profession of their faith and associate with the Papists; they renounce, as far as they can, the favour of God, and abandon themselves to the will of Satan.

Let us then know that it is a dreadful judgement of God, when we are not allowed to profess our faith by outward worship; and when the ungodly so rule, as to put us under the necessity of which the Prophet here speaks, even of eating unclean things, that is, of being implicated in their profane superstitions. It is then a favour, to be highly valued, when we are permitted to abstain from all defilements and to worship God purely, so that no one may contaminate himself by dissimulation: but when we are compelled, under the tyranny of the ungodly, to conform to impure superstitions, it is a sign of the dreadful judgement of God; and there is nothing by which any one can excuse himself in this respect or extenuate his fault, as many do, whom yet conscience bites within, though they deem it sufficient to spread forth their own excuses before the eyes of men. But there is nothing by which such men can either flatter themselves, or dazzle the eyes of the simple; for it is an extreme reproach, when people, who ought to be sacred to God and to profess outwardly his pure worship, suffer themselves to be polluted with unclean food. It follows —

Hosea 9:4

4. They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord

4. Non libabunt Jehovae vinum, et non dulcia erunt illi libamina (vel, ipsi non erunt grati et suaves Domino) sacrificia ipsorum sicut panis lugentium ipsis: quicunque comederint polluentur; quia panis ipsorum pro anima ipsorum, non veniet in domum Jehovae.

It is uncertain whether the Prophet testifies here, that they should lose their labour and their oil (as they say) when they sacrificed to God; or whether he declares what would be the case when they had been driven into exile. Both views seem probable. Now, if we refer the words of the Prophet to the time of exile, they seem not unsuitable, They shall not then pour out wine to Jehovah, and their sacrifices shall not be acceptable to him; no oblation shall come any more to the temple of Jehovah.” And thus many understand the passage; yet the former sense is the most appropriate, as it may be easily gathered from the context. The Prophet says, that they shall not pour out wine to Jehovah, and that their sacrifices shall not be acceptable to him; and then he adds, All that eat shall be polluted It seems not by any means applicable to exiles, that they should vainly endeavour to pour out wine to God; for their religion forbade them to do such a thing. Further, when he says, Their sacrifices shall be to them as the bread of mourners, — this must also be understood of sacrifices, which they were wont daily to offer to God; for in exile (as it has been said) it was not lawful for them to make any offering, nor had they there an altar or a sanctuary.

What, then, is the meaning of the Prophet, when he says, “All that eat of their sacrifices shall be polluted”? We must know that the Prophet speaks here of the intermediate time, as though he said, “What the Israelites now sacrifice is without any advantage, and God is not pacified with these trifles for they bring polluted hands, they change not their minds, they obtrude their sacrifices on God, but they themselves first pollute them.” Of this same doctrine we have already often treated; I shall not then dwell on it now; but it is enough to point out the design of the Prophet, which was to show that the Israelites were seeking in vain to pacify God by their ceremonies, for they were vain expiations which God did not regard, but deemed as worthless.

They shall not then pour out wine to God. There is an important meaning in this sentence; for it is certain that as long as the Israelites lived in their country, they were sedulous enough in the performance of outward worship, and that drink-offerings were not neglected by them. Since, then, this custom prevailed among them, the Prophet must be speaking here only of the effect, and says, that they exercised themselves in vain in their frivolous worship, for they poured not out wine to Jehovah, that is, their libation did not come to Jehovah; and he explains himself afterwards, when he says, Their drink-offerings shall not be pleasant to him However much, then, the Israelites might labour, the Prophet says that their labour would be fruitless, for the Lord would reject whatever they did. He then adds what is to the same purpose, Their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat shall be polluted; that is, all their sacrifices are polluted. The Prophet now shows more clearly, not that there would be no sacrifices, but that they would be in vain, because the Lord would abominate them, and would repudiate all the masks which they would put on in his presence, and under the cover of which they withdrew themselves from their allegiance to him. The reason is, because when any one unclean touches pure flesh, he pollutes it by his uncleanness. God then must necessarily abominate whatever impure men offer, unless they seek to purify their minds. And this principle has ever prevailed among the very blind, —

An impious right hand does not rightly worship the celestials. (Non bene coelestes impia dextra colit.)

These words, which spread everywhere, have been witnesses of the common feeling; for the Lord intended to draw out men, as it were, from their converts, when he forced them to make such a confession. It is no wonder that the Prophet now says (as this truth is also often taught in Scripture) that the sacrifices of the people, who continued in their own perfidy, would be like the bread of mourners; as Isaiah says,

‘When one kills an ox, it is the same as if he slew a man; when one sacrifices a lamb, it is the same as if he killed a dog,’ (Isaiah 66:3.)

He compares sacrifices to murders; nor is it to be wondered at, for it is a more atrocious crime to abuse the sacred name of God than to kill a man, and this is what ungodly men do.

Then he says, “If any one eats, he will be polluted.” He enlarges on what he said before, and says that if any one clean should come, he would be polluted by being only in company with them. We now see how sharply the Prophet here arouses hypocrites, that they might now cease to promise to themselves what they were wont to do, and that is, that God would be propitious to them while they pacified him with their vain things. “By no means,” he says; “nay, there is so much defilement in your sacrifices, that they even contaminate others who come, being themselves clean.”

But it may be asked, Can the impiety of others pollute us, when we afford no proof of companionship, nor by dissimulation manifest any consent? when we then abstain from all superstition, does society alone contaminate us? The answer is easy: The Prophet does not avowedly discuss here how another’s impiety may contaminate men who are clean; but his object was to show in strong language how much God abhors the ungodly, and that not only he is not pacified with their sacrifices, but also holds them as the greatest abominations. But with regard to this question, it is certain that we become polluted as soon as we content to profane superstitions: yet when ungodly men administer either holy baptism or the holy supper, we are not polluted by fellowship with them, for the deed itself has nothing vicious in it. Then the act only does not pollute us, nor the hidden and inward impiety of men. This is true: but we are to understand for what purpose the Prophet said, that all who eat of their sacrifices shall be polluted.

He proceeds with the same subject, Their bread for their souls etc. This clause, “for their soul,” may be explained in two ways. In saying, Bread for their soul, the Prophet spake by way of contempt; as though he said, “Let them serve themselves and their stomach with bread, and no more offer it to God; let them then satiate themselves with bread, for they cannot consecrate to God their bread, when they themselves are unclean.” But I am inclined to follow what has been more approved, that bread for their soul shall not come to the house of the Lord; for men, we know, are then wont to offer their sacrifices to God to reconcile themselves to him, or at least to present emblems of their expiation: hence the Prophet says, that bread is offered for the soul according to the directions of the law; but that the ungodly could not bring bread into the house of Jehovah, because the Lord excludes them, as it were, by an interdict. Not that hypocrites keep away, for we see how boldly they thrust themselves into the temple; nay, they would occupy the first place; but the Lord yet forbids them to come to his presence. This is the reason why he says, that the bread of the ungodly shall not come before God, though in appearance their oblations glitter before men. It follows —

Hosea 9:5

5. What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord?

5. Quid facietis in die solenni? in die festivitatis Jehovae?

The Prophet here alludes again to their exile, and shows how deplorable the condition of the people would be, when deprived of all their sacrifices. It is indeed true that the Israelites, when they changed the place of the temple, and when new and spurious rites were introduced by Jeroboam, became wholly rejected, so that from that time no sacrifice pleased God, for they sacrificed to idols and demons and not to God, as it is elsewhere stated, (Deuteronomy 32:17;) but yet, as they had some kind of divine worship, as circumcision remained, and sacrifices were offered, as it were, by Moses’ command, and they boasted themselves to be the children of Abraham and lived in the holy land, they were satisfied with their condition. But when in exile they saw no sign of God’s favour, when they were deprived of the temple and altar and all sacrifices, when on every side mere solitude and waste met their eyes, when God thus manifested that he was far removed from them, great sorrow must have entered their hearts. Hence the Prophet says, What will ye do in the solemn day?

And he expressly mentions solemn and festal-days. “If the morning and the evening oblation, which is wont to be made, will not be remembered, and if the other sacrifices will not occur to your minds, what will you do when the festal days will come? for the Lord will then show that he has nothing to do with you.” For the trumpets sounded on the festivals, that the people might come from the whole land into the temple; and it was, as it were, the voice of God, sounding from heaven: but when the feast-days were forgotten, when there were no holy assemblies, it was the same as if the Lord, by commanding silence, had proved that he no longer cared for the people. That the Israelites then might not think that exile only was threatened to them, the Prophet here shows that something worse was connected with it, and that was, that the Lord would wholly forsake them, and that there would exist no token of his presence, as though they were cut off from the Church. What then will ye do on the solemn day, on the day of Jehovah’s festivity? That is, “Do you think that something of an ordinary kind is denounced on you when I speak of exile? The Lord will indeed take away the whole of your worship, and will deprive you of all the evidences of his presence. What then will you do? But if a brutish stupor should so occupy your minds, that this should not recur to your thoughts daily, the solemn and festal-days will at least constrain you to think how dreadful it is, that you have nothing remaining among you, which may afford a hope of God’s favour.” We now apprehend the meaning of the Prophet.

We hence learn what I have said before, that nothing worse can happen to us in this world, than to be scattered without any order, when no outward evidence appears by which the Lord collects us to himself. It would therefore be better for us to be deprived of meat and drink, and to go naked, and to perish at last through want, than that the exercises of religion, (exercita pietatis — exercises of religion) by which the Lord holds us, as it were, in his own bosom, should be taken away from us. When therefore we are deprived of these aids, and God thus hides his face from us, and mournful waste discovers to us dread on every side, it is an extreme calamity, an evidence of the dreadful judgement of God. Let us then learn, when our flesh is touched, when sterility or some other evil impends over us — let us learn to dread this deprivation still more, and to fear lest the Lord should deprive us of our festal-days; that is, take away all the aids of religion by which he holds us together in his house, and shows us to be a part of his Church. This then, in the last place, ought to be noticed: what remains we shall consider in our next lecture.

Prayer

Grant, Almighty God, that inasmuch as thou drawest us at this time to thyself by so many chastisements, While we are yet insensible, through the slothfulness and the indolence of our flesh, — O grant, that Satan may not thus perpetually harden and fascinate us; but that we, being at length awakened, may feel our evils, and be not merely affected by outward punishments, but rouse ourselves, and feel how grievously we have in various ways offended thee, so that we may return to thee with real sorrow, and so abhor ourselves, that we may seek in thee every delight, until we at length offer to thee a pleasing and acceptable sacrifice, by dedicating ourselves and all we have to thee, in sincerity and truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lecture Twenty-fourth

Hosea 9:6

6. For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

6. Quia ecce abierunt a vastatione (vel, propter vastationem;) Aegyptus colliget eso, Memphis sepeliet eos: desiderabile argenti eorum haereditabit urtica; spina in tabernaculis eorum.

The Prophet confirms here what is contained in the last verse, that is, that the Israelites would at length find that the Prophets had not in vain threatened them, though they at the time heedlessly despised the judgement of God. Lo, he says, they have departed: he speaks of the exile as if it had already taken place, when it was only nigh at hand. The Israelites were then dwelling in their own country, he yet speaks of them as having already gone away. But he sets forth the certainty of the prediction by this manner of speaking, that profane men might cease to promise themselves impunity when God summons them to his tribunal: yea, he shows that he was already armed to take vengeance: “They have gone away,” he says, “on account of desolation.” Then he adds, Egypt shall gather them To gather here is to be taken in a bad sense; for it means the same as trousser (to pack up, to bundle) in our language; and it is often taken in this sense by the Prophets, when mention is made of destruction: and this appears still clearer from the word, burying, which the Prophet immediately subjoins. Egypt shall gather them: He certainly speaks not of a kind retreat, but declares that Egypt would be a sepulchre to them, in which they should remain shut up: and thus he takes away from them any hope of deliverance. The Israelites expected that they should find shelter for a season in Egypt, when they bent their course there for fear of their enemies. The Prophet now shows that they would be disappointed in dreaming of a return, for they would remain there gathered up; that is, a free return, as they imagined, would not be allowed them, but a perpetual habitation, yea, a grave.

‘Egypt will gather them, Memphis will bury them.’ There is a striking correspondence between the words here used, קבר, kober, and קבף, kobets,. By the first the Prophet signifies that they should be shut up, so as to be, as it were, bound and fixed to a place; and then he adds that they should be buried.

He then says, The desirable place of their silver the nettle shall possess, as by hereditary right, and the thorn, etc.; some render it paliurus; but I follow what is more received, the thorn then shall be in their tabernacles The meaning is, that the Israelites would be exiles and sojourners, not for a short time, but that their exile would be so long that their land would become waste and uncultivated; for neither nettles nor thorns grow in an inhabited place. Hosea then declares that their land would be deserted and without inhabitants, for nettles and thorns would occupy it instead of men. Now it tended greatly to increase the sorrow of exile, that the hope of return was cut off from them; and God had also declared that Egypt, where they had promised a refuge for themselves, would be to them like a grave. And thus it happens for the most part to the ungodly, who retake themselves to vain solaces, that they may escape the vengeance of God; for they throw themselves into deep labyrinths; where they think to find a harbour of rest for a time, and a commodious habitation; but there they find either a gulf or a grave. This is the meaning. Let us proceed —

Hosea 9:7

7. The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

7. Venerunt dies visitationis, venerunt dies retributionis; agnoscet Israel; stultus Propheta (vel, uno contextu, sicuti alii legunt, cognoscet Israel stultum Prophetam,) insanum virum spiritus, propter multitudinem iniquitatis tuae, et multum odium (vel, stultus Prophets, vaesanus vir spiritus propter multitudinem iniquitatis tuae et multum odium: et propter accentun melior est distinctio, quam secundo loco posui, cognoscet Israel, stultus est Propheta: et que sequuntur poterunt legi separatim, sed tamen ego utrunque exponam, ut libera deinde sit electio. The following is offered as the literal rendering of the original: —

‘The days of visitation have come, The days of retribution have come; Israel shall know him a fool, the Prophet, And mad, the man of the spirit: For the greatness of thine iniquity, Great also has been the abomination.’

The ‘abomination,’ or detestation, was the false Prophet, who had been a fool and a madman. The following verse confirms this view, where the Prophet is represented as ‘an abomination in the house of his God;’ for it is the same word. And this is the view substantially taken in this comment. It is singular that interpreters have overlooked the postfix, ו, ‘him,’ to the verb, ‘know’ — ידעו. — Ed. )

The Prophet, by saying that the days of visitation had come, intended to shake off from hypocrites that supine torpor of which we have often spoken; for as they were agitated by their own lusts, and were in a state of continual fervour, so they hardened themselves against God’s judgement, and, as it were, covered themselves over with hardness. It was then necessary to deal roughly with them in order to break down such stubbornness. This is the reason that the Prophet repeats so often and in so many forms what might be expressed in this one sentence — That God would be a just avenger. Hence he cries out here, that the days of visitation had come. For when the Lord spared them, as sacred history relates, and as we said at the beginning, (and under the king Jeroboam the second, the son of Joash, their affairs were prosperous,) their pride and contempt of God the more increased. Since then they thought themselves to be now beyond the reach of harm, the Prophet declares that the days had come. And there is here an implied contrast in reference to the time during which the Lord had borne with them; for as the Lord had not immediately visited their sins, they thought that they had escaped. But the Prophet here distinguishes between time and time: “You have hitherto thought,” he says, “that you are at peace with God; as if he, by conniving at the sins of men, denied himself, so as not to discharge any more the office of a judge: nay, there is another thing to be here considered, and that is, that God has certain days of visitation, which he has fixed for himself; and these days are now come.”

And he again teaches the same thing, The days of retribution have come He uses another word, that they might know that they could not go unpunished for having in so many ways provoked God. For as the Lord disappoints not the hope of his people, who honour him; so also there is a reward laid up for the ungodly, who regard as nothing his judgement. “God will then repay you what you have deserved, though for a time it may please him to suspend his judgement.”

Then he says, Israel shall know This is the wisdom of fools, as it is said even in an old proverb; and Homer has also said, παθων δε τε νήπιος εγνω, (Even the foolish knows when he suffers.) The foolish is not wise, except when he suffers. Hence the Prophet says, that Israel, when afflicted, would then perceive that instruction had been despised, and that all warnings had been trifled with, at least had not been regarded. Israel then shall know; that is, he shall at length, when too late, understand that he had to do with God, even when the time of repentance shall be no more. The meaning then is that as the ungodly reject the word of God, and obey not wise admonitions and counsels, they shall at length be taken to another school, where God teaches not by the mouth but by the hand. Whosoever then does not now willingly submit to his teaching, shall find God to be a judge, and shall not escape his hand.

They who join what follows elicit this meaning, Israel shall know the Prophet to be foolish, the man of the spirit to be mad; that is, Israel shall then understand that he was deluded by flatteries, when the false Prophets promised that all things would be prosperous. We indeed know that they catched at those prophecies which pleased their ears; for which Micah also reproves them; hence he calls those who gave hope of a better state of things, the Prophets of wine and oil and wheat, (Micah 2:11.) The world wishes to be ever thus deceived. Since then there were many in Israel, who by their impositions deceived the miserable, he says, Israel shall at last know that he has been deluded by his own teachers. If we receive this sense, there is then here a reproof to Israel for thinking that the vengeance of God was in some way restrained, when the false Prophets said that he was pacified, and that there was no danger to be feared. For do not men in this way stultify themselves? And how gross is their stupidity, when they think that God’s hands are tied, when men are silent, or when they perfidiously turn the truth into a lie? And yet even at this day this disease prevails in the world, as it has prevailed almost in all ages. For what do the ungodly seek, but to be let alone in their sins? When mouths are closed, they think that they have gained much. This madness the Prophet derides, intimating that those profane men, who have such delicate ears, that they can bear no words of reproof, shall at last know what they had gained by hiring prophets to flatter them. We hence see, in short, that the adulations, by which the ungodly harden themselves against God, will be to them the occasion of a twofold destruction; for such fallacies dementate them, so that they much more boldly provoke against themselves the wrath of God.

But if we read the two clauses apart, the rendering will be this, “The Prophet is a fool, the man of the spirit is mad.” And as to the matter itself, there is not much difference. I will not then dwell on the subject; for when we are agreed as to the design of the Prophet and the truth remains the same, it is vain, at least it is of no benefit, to labour very anxiously about the form of the sentence. If then we begin a sentence with these words, אויל הנביא, avil enebia, the sense will be this, “I know that the Prophets promise impunity to you; but they who thus hide your sins, and cover them over as with plasters, are insane men, yea, they are wholly infatuated. There is then no reason why their flatteries should delight you; for the event will show that they are mere absurdities and idle ravings.” We now see that there is no great difference in the sense: for this remains still unaltered, that there were many flatterers among the people, who made it their business to lie, that they might thus procure the favour of the people; and this ambition has prevailed in all ages: and sometimes also cupidity or avarice takes such hold on men, that they use a meretricious tongue, and excuse all vices however grievous, and elude all threatening. This is what the Prophet shows in the first place; and then he shows, that men without any advantage indulge their vices, when there is no one severely to reprove them, or boldly to exhort them to repent; and that though all the Prophets should give them hope of safety they should yet perish: for men cannot by their silence restrain God from executing at last his judgement. Nay, we must remember this, that God spares men when he does not spare them; that is, when he chastises them, when he reproves their sins, and when he constrains them by terror, he then would spare them. And again, when God spares, he does not spare; that is, when he connives at their sins, and leaves men to their own will, to grow wanton at their pleasure, without any yoke or bridle, he then by no means spares them, for he destines them for destruction.

“The man of the spirit,” some render “the man of the wind;” and some “the fanatical man;” but they are in my judgement mistaken; for the Prophet, I doubt not, uses a respectful term, but yet by way of concession. He then calls those the men of the spirit who were by their office prophets, but who abused that title, as those who at this day call themselves pastors when they are really rapacious wolves. The Prophets, as we know, always declared that they did not speak from their own minds but what the Spirit of God dictated to them. Hence they were men of the Spirit, that is, spiritual men: for the genitive case, we know, was used by the Hebrews to express what we designate by an adjective. The Prophets then were the men of the Spirit. He concedes this name, in itself illustrious and honourable, to impostors; but in the same sense as when I speak generally of teachers; I then include the false as well as the true. This then is the real meaning of the expression, as we may gather from the context: for he says the same thing twice, אויל הנביא, avil enebia, Fool is the Prophet, and then, משגע איש הרוח, moshigo aish eruch, Mad is the man of the spirit As he spoke of a Prophet, so he now mentions the same by calling him a man of the spirit, or a spiritual man.

At the end of the verse he adds, For the multitude of thine iniquity, for great hatred, or, much hatred; for it may be rendered in these two ways. Here the Prophet shows, that though the false Prophets stultified by their fallacies the people, yet this could by no means avail for an excuse or for extenuating the fault of the people. How so? Because they suffered the punishment of their own impiety. For whence comes it, that the Lord takes away his light from us, that after having once shown to us the way of salvation, he turns suddenly his back on us, and suffers us to go astray to our perdition? How does this happen? Doubtless, because we are unworthy of that light, which was a witness to us of God’s favour. For as much then as men through their own fault procure such a judgement to themselves, the Lord neither blinds them nor gives to Satan the power of deluding them, except when they deserve such a treatment. Hence the Prophet says, For the multitude of thine iniquity, and for thy crimes, by which thou hast excited against thyself the wrath and hatred of God. We hence see how frivolous are the pretences by which men clear themselves, when they object and say that they have been deceived and that if their teachers had been faithful and honest, they would have willingly obeyed God. When therefore men make these objections, the ready answer is this, that they had been deprived of true and faithful teachers, because they had refused the favour offered to them, and extinguished the light, and as Paul says, preferred a lie to the truth; and that they had been deceived by false Prophets, because they willingly hastened to ruin when the Lord called them to salvation. We now then understand the import of what is here taught.

The Prophet says, in the first place, that the day of vengeance was now at hand, because the Lord by forbearance could prevail nothing with the obstinate. He then adds, that as all threatenings were despised by the people, and as they were deaf to every instruction, they would at length know that God had not spoken in vain but would perceive that their were justly treated; for the Lord would not now teach them by his word, but by scourges. He adds, in the third place, that the Prophet was foolish and delirious, and also, that they who boasted themselves to be the men of the spirit were mad: by which expressions he meant that the flatteries, by which the people were lulled asleep were foolish; for God would not fail at last, when the time came, to execute his office. And, lastly he reminds them that this would happen through the fault of the people, that there was no reason for them to trace or to ascribe the cause of the evil to any thing else; for this blindness was their just punishment. The Lord would have never permitted Satan thus to prevail in his own inheritance, had not the people, by the immense filth of their sins, provoked God for a long time, and as it were with a determined purpose. It now follows —

Hosea 9:8

8. The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. Bishop Horsley gives the following rendering of this verse: —

‘The watchman of Ephraim is with his God. The Prophet! the snare of the fowler is Over all his ways. Vengeance against the household of my God.’

For ‘his,’ instead of ‘my’ God in the first clause, there is the authority of many MSS: but for turning ‘his’ into ‘my,’ in the last clause there is no satisfactory authority: and there is nothing to justify the introducing of ‘vengeance’ for the word here used. The verb from which it is derived means to hate: and the noun as here formed signifies, no doubt, either the act or feeling of hating, or what is hated or is hateful. Calvin gives nearly its meaning — ‘res execrabilis’ — an execrable thing. I offer the following translation: —

‘The watchman of Ephraim, Before his God a Prophet, Is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, An abomination in the house of his God.’

The first two lines designate his office — a watchman and a Prophet before God; and the two last, his wicked conduct and base character. — Ed.

8. Speculator Ephraim cum Deo meo, Propheta laqueus aucupis super omnes vias ejus, odium (hoc est, res execrabilis: est idem nomen quo usus est in proximo versu: res igitur execrabilis) in domo Dei sui.

Interpreters obscure this verse by their various opinions. Almost all suppose a verb to be understood that Ephraim “had set” a watchman. But I see no need to make any change in the words of the Prophet: I therefore take them simply as they are. Now some think that there is here a comparison between the old Prophets who had not turned aside from God’s command, and those flatterers who pretended the name of God, while they were the ministers of Satan to deceive. They therefore thus distinguish them, The watchman of Ephraim was with my God; that is, there was a time formerly when the watchmen of Ephraim were connected with God, and declared no strange doctrine, when they drew from the true fountain all that they taught; there was then a connection between God and the Prophets, for they depended on the mouth of God, and the Prophets delivered to the people, as from hand to hand, whatever God commanded; there was then nothing corrupt, or impure, or adventitious in their words. But now the Prophet is a snare of a fowler; that is, the dice is turned, a deplorable change has taken place; for now the Prophets lay snares to draw people by their disciples into destruction; and this abomination bears rule, that is, this monstrous wickedness prevails in the temple of God: these Prophets live not in caves nor traverse public roads, but they occupy a place in the temple of God; so that of the sacred temple of God they make a brothel for the impostures of Satan. Such is their view.

But I read the verse as connected together, The watchman of Ephraim, who ought to have been with God, even the Prophet, is a snare of a fowler on all his ways The former view would have indeed met my approbations did not the words appear to be forced; and I do not love strained meanings. This is the reason which prevents me from subscribing to an exposition which in itself I approve, as it embraces a useful doctrine. But this simple view is more correct, that the watchman of Ephraim, a Prophet, is a snare of a fowler: and he adds, with God; for it is the duty of teachers to have nothing unconnected with God. Hosea then shows what Prophets ought to do, not what they may do. A Prophet then is he who is a watchman of Israel; for this command, we know, is given in common to all Prophets — to be as it were on their watch-tower, and to be vigilant over the people of God. It is therefore no wonder that the Prophet dignifies with his own title all those who were then teachers among God’s people. But he thus doubles their crime, by saying that they were only keen and sharp-sighted to snare the people. Then the watchmen of Israel, the Prophet, who was placed on the watch-tower to watch or to exercise vigilance over the safety of the whole people — this Prophet was a snare of a fowler! But he triplicates the crime when he says, With my God: for as we have already observed, teachers could not faithfully discharge their office, except they were connected with God, and were able truly to testify that they brought forth nothing that was invented, but what the Lord himself had spoken, and that they were his organs. We now then apprehend the real meaning of the Prophet; and according to this view there is nothing strained in the words.

The Prophet also thus confirms what he had said before, that the Prophets were fools, that is, that their prophecies would at length appear empty and vain; for they could not prevent God from inflicting punishment on the wicked by their fallacious flatteries; he confirms this truth when he says, The watchmen of Ephraim is a snare of a fowler on all his ways: that is, he ought to have guided the people, and to have kept them safe from intrigues. But now the people could not move a foot without meeting with a snare; and whence came this snare but from false doctrine and impostures? What then was to be at last? Could the snares avail to make them cautious? By no means; but Satan thus hunts his prey, when he soothes the people by his false teachers, and keeps them, as it were, asleep, that they may not regard the hand of God. There was then no reason for the Israelites to think well of the fowlers by whom they were drawn into ruin.

This indignity is more emphatically expressed, when he says, that there was a detestable thing in the temple of God There was not, indeed, a temple of God in Bethel, as we have often said; but as the people were wont to pretend the name of God, the Prophet, conceding this point, says, that these abominations were covered over by this pretence. There is then no need anxiously to inquire here, whether it was the temple at Samaria or at Bethel, or the house and sanctuary of God; for a concession proves not a thing to be so, but it is to speak according to the general opinion. So then the Prophet does not without reason complain, that the place, on which was inscribed the name of God, was profaned, and that, instead of the teaching of salvation, there was fowling everywhere, which drew the people into apostasy, and finally into utter ruin. It follows —

Hosea 9:9

9. They have deeply corrupted themselves, Our translators, contrary to their usual practice, have paraphrased this clause, without any notice in the margin. — Ed. as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

9. Profundaverunt (ad verbum, alii vertunt, Multiplicaverunt, sed male; alii, Astute cogitaverunt, quod mihi etiam non placet: sed quia verbum quod posui neque Latinum est et esset ambiguum, ideo vertamus, Profunde vel alte defixi sunt) corruperunt sicuti in diebus Gabaa; recoradabitur iniquitatis eorum, visitabit scelera eorum.

Hosea declares here, that the people were so sunk in their vices, that they could not be drawn out of them. He who has fallen can raise up himself when one extends a hand to him; and he who strives to emerge from the mire, finding a helper to assist him, can plant his foot again on solid ground: but when he is cast into a gulf, he has no hope of a recovery. I extend my hand in vain, when one sinks in a shipwreck, and is fallen into the deep. So now the Prophet says, that the people were unhealable, because they were deeply fixed; and further, because they were infected with corruptions. He therefore intimates that their diseases were incurable, that they had struck roots so deeply, that they could by no means be cleansed. They were then deeply fixed, and were corrupt as in the days of Gibeah

The Gibeonites, we know, were so fallen, that their city differed nothing from Sodom; for unbridled licentiousness in all kinds of vices prevailed there, and lusts so monstrous reigned among them, that there was no distinction between good and evil, no shame whatever. Hence it was, that they ravished the Levite’s wife, and killed her by their filthy obscenities: and this was the cause of that memorable slaughter which nearly demolished the whole tribe of Benjamin. The history is related in the Book of Judges 19, 20, 21; and it deserved to be recorded, that people might know what it is not to walk with care and fear in obedience to the Lord. Who could indeed have believed that a people taught in the law of God could have fallen into such a state of madness as this city did, which was nigh to Jerusalem, the destined place of the temple, though not yet built? and, not to mention the temple, who could have thought that this city, which was in the midst of the people, could have been so demented, that, like brute beasts, they should abandon themselves to the filthiest lusts? nay, that they should have been more filthy than the beasts? For monstrous lusts, as I have said, were there left unpunished, as at Sodom and in the neighbouring cities.

The Prophet says now, that the whole of Israel had become as corrupt as formerly the citizens of Gibeah. Deeply sunk, then, were the Israelites in their vices, and were as addicted as the inhabitants of Gibeah to their corruptions. What, then, is to follow? God, he says, will remember their iniquities, and will visit their sins The Prophet means two things first, that as the Israelites were wholly disobedient, and would receive no instruction, God would in no other way deal with them, as though he said, “The Lord will no longer spend labour in vain in teaching you, but he will seize the sword and execute his vengeance; for ye are not worthy of being taught by him any longer; for his teaching is counted a mockery by you.” This is one thing; and the other is, that though God had hitherto spared the people of Israel, he had not yet forgotten the filth of sins which prevailed among them. Hence God, he says, will at length remember and, as he had said before, will visit your sins.

We now then perceive the simple meaning of the Prophet. But let us hence also learn to rouse ourselves; and let us, in the first place, notice what the Prophet says of the Israelites, that they were deeply fixed; for men must be filled with contempt to God, when they thus descend, as Solomon says, (Proverbs 18:4,) to the deep. Lets then each of us stir up himself to repentance and carefully beware lest he should descend into this deep gulf. But since he says, “the Lord will remember and will visit”, let us know that they are greatly deceived who indulge themselves as long as the Lord mercifully bears with their sins; for though he may for a time conceal his displeasure yet an oblivion will never possess him: but at a fit time he will remember, and prove that he does so by executing a just punishment.

Prayer

Grant, Almighty God, that as thou shinest on us by thy word, we may not be blind at mid-day, nor wilfully seek darkness, and thus lull our minds asleep: but that exercising ourselves in thy word, we may stir up ourselves more and more to fear thy name, and thus present ourselves, and all our pursuits, as a sacrifice to thee, that thou mayest peaceably rule, and perpetually dwell in us, until thou gatherest us to thy celestial habitation, where there is reserved for us eternal rest and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lecture Twenty-Fifth

Hosea 9:10

10. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

10. Tanquam uvas in deserto inveni Israel, sicut primum fructum ficulneae in suo exordio vidi patres eorum: ipsi ingressi sunt ad Baalpeor, et segregati sunt in opprobrium, et fuerunt abominationes secundum amores suos. ‘As grapes in the desert have I found Israel, As the first fruit on the fig-tree in its first season Have I seen your fathers: They went to Baal-peor, And dedicated themselves to shame, And became filthy like what they loved.’ Or, literally, ‘like their love.’

— Ed.

In this verse God reproves the Israelites for having preferred to prostitute themselves to idols, rather than to continue under his protection, though he had from the beginning showed his favour to them; as though he had said that they having been previously favoured with his free love, had transferred their affections to others; for he says, that he had found them as grapes in the wilderness. The word wilderness, ought to be joined with grapes, as if he had said, that they had been as sweet and acceptable to him as a grape when found in a desert. When a traveller finds, by chance, a grape in a barren and desolate place, he not only admires it, but takes great delight in a fruit so unlooked for. And thus the Lord, by this comparison, shows his great love towards the Israelites. He adds, — As the first fruit of the figtree; for the fig-tree, we know, produces fruit twice every year. Therefore, God says, — As figs at the beginning (or, as they say, the first fruits) are delightful, so have I taken delight in this people. The Prophet does not however mean, that the people were worthy of being so much loved. But the Hebrews use the word, to find, in the same sense as we do, when we say in French, — Je treuve cela a mon gout, (I find this to my taste.) I have therefore regarded Israel as grapes in the wilderness And this remark is needful, lest some one should subtilely infer, that the Israelites were loved by God, because they had something savoury in them. For the Prophet relates not here what God found in the people, but he only reproves their ingratitude, as we shall presently see.

The first part then shows that God had great delight in this people. It is the same or similar sentence to that in Hosea 11, where he says, ‘When Ephraim was yet a child, I loved him,’ except that there is not there so much fervour and warmth of love expressed; but the same argument is there handled, and the object is the same, and it is to prove, that God anticipated his people by his love. There remained, in this case, less excuse, when men rejected God calling them, and responded not to his love. A perverseness like this would be hardly endured among men. Were any one to love me freely, and I to slight him, it would be an evidence of pride and rudeness: but when God himself gratuitously treats us with kindness, and when, not content with common love, he regards us as delectable fruit, does not the rejection of this love, does not the contempt of this favour, betray, on our part, the basest depravity? We now then understand the design of the Prophet. In the first clause, he says, in the person of God, “I have loved Israel, as a traveller does grapes, when he finds them in the desert, and as the first ripe figs are wont to be loved: since then, I so much delighted in them, ought they not to have honoured me in return? Ought not my gratuitous love to have inflamed their hearts, so as to induce them to devote themselves wholly to me?”

But they went in unto Baal-peor. So I interpret the verb באו, bau; and it is taken in this sense in many other places. For the Hebrews say, “they went in,” to express in a delicate way the intercourse between husbands and wives. And the Prophet does not, without reason, compare the sacrifices which the people offered to Baal-peor to adultery, as being like the intercourse which an adulterer has with an harlot. They then went in unto Baal-peor; and he adds, that they “separated themselves”. Some interpret the word נזר, nesar, as referring to worship, and as meaning that they consecrated themselves to Baal-peor; and others derive it from זרה, sare, which they think is here in a passive sense, and means, “to be alienated.” But I take it in the same sense as when Ezekiel says, “They have separated themselves from after me,” מאחרי, macheri, Ezekiel 14; that is, that they may not follow me. God here expostulates with the people for following their fornication, and for thus repudiating that sacred marriage which God contracts with all his people. I therefore read the two sentences as forming one context, The Israelites went in unto Baal-peor, as an adulterer goes in unto a harlot; and they separated themselves; for they denied God, and violated the faith pledged to him; they discarded the spiritual marriage which God made with them.” For the Prophet, we know, whenever he refers to idolatries speaks allegorically or metaphorically, and mentions adultery.

They have separated themselves, he says, to reproach; that is, though their filthiness was shameful, they were yet wholly insensible: as when a wife disregards her character, or as when a husband cares not that he is pointed at by the finger, and that his baseness is to all a laughing-stock; so the Israelites, he says, had separated themselves to reproach, having cast away all shame, they abandoned themselves to wickedness. Some render the word בשת, beshet, obscenity, and others refer it to Baal-peor, and render the sentence thus, “They have separated themselves to that filthy idol.” For some think Priapus to have been Baal-peor; and this opinion has gained the consent of almost all. But I extend wider the meaning of the word “reproach,” as signifying that the people observed no difference between what was decent and what was shameful, but that they were senseless in their impiety. They were therefore abominable, or abominations according to their lovers The Prophet, I doubt not, connects here the Israelites with idols and with Baal-peor itself, that he might strip them of all that holiness which they had obtained through God’s favour. We now apprehend the meaning of the Prophet.

Now, what is here taught is worthy of being noticed and is useful. For, as we have said, inexcusable is our wickedness, if we despise the gratuitous love of God, bestowed unasked. When God then comes to us of his own accord, when he invites us, when he offers to us the privilege of children, an inestimable benefit, and when we reject his favour, is not this more than savage ferocity? It was to reprobate such conduct as this that the Prophet says, that God had loved Israel, as when one finds grapes in the desert, or as when one eats the first ripe figs. But it must, at the same time, be noticed why the Prophet so much extols the dealings of God with the people of Israel; it was for this reason, because their adoption, as it is well known, was not an ordinary privilege, nor what they enjoyed in common with other nations. Since, then, the people had been chosen to be God’s special possession, the Prophet here justly extols this love with peculiar commendation. And the like is our case at this day; for God vouchsafes not to all the favour which has been presented to us through the shining light of the gospel. Other people wander in darkness, the light of life dwells only among us: does not God thus show that he delights especially in us? But if we continue the same as we were, and if we reject him and transfer our love to others, or rather if lust leads us astray from him, is not this detestable wickedness and obstinacy?

But what the Prophet says, that they separated themselves to reproach, is also worthy of being noticed; for he exaggerates their crime by this consideration, that the Israelites were so blinded, that they perceived not their own turpitude, though it was quite manifest. The superstitions which then prevailed in the land of Moab were no doubt very gross; but Satan had so fascinated their minds that they gave themselves up to a conduct which was worse than shameful. Let us then know that our sin is worthy of a heavier punishment in such a case as this, that is, when every distinction is done away among us, and when we are hurried away by the spirit of giddiness into every impiety and when we no longer distinguish between light and darkness, between white and black; for it is a token of final reprobation. When, therefore, shame ought to have restrained them, he says, that the Israelites had yet “separated themselves to reproach, and became abominable like their lovers”; that is, As Baal-peor is the highest abomination to me, so the people became to me equally abominable. It now follows —

Hosea 9:11-12

11. As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

11. Ephraim, quasi avis avolavit gloria eorum, a partu et ab utero et a conceptione, (jungamus etiam sequentem versum:)

12. Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

12. Quia si extulerint filios suos, tunc exterminabo eos ab homine (hoc est, ne sint in numero hominum:) certe etiam vae illis quum recessero ab eis. I offer the following rendering of the original: —

11. ‘Ephraim as a bird flieth swiftly away; Their glory is from the birth, and from the womb, and from conception:

12. ‘But though they bring up their children, I will yet destroy them, that they shall not be men; Yes, even woe will be to them, when I turn aside from them.’

Fruitfulness of progeny was included in Jacob’s blessing on Joseph, the father of Ephraim, who especially represented him. “Blessings of the breasts and of the womb” are specifically mentioned, Genesis 49:25. The former of these two verses alludes to this circumstance. Ephraim is compared to a bird, soon fledged and flying away from the nest: and then it is added, that the glory of that people was their rapid increase. It is a declaration, not a denunciation, for this follows in the next verse. Besides, a denunciation comports not with what is said in that verse, nor with the contents of the fourteenth. If their glory had departed from the birth, etc., how was it that the threatening on the next verse is, that their children should not grow up to be men, and that the Prophet should pray God to give them, in verse 14, an abortive womb, etc.? — Ed.

The Hebrews, we know, have often abrupt sentences as in this place, Ephraim! their glory has fled Ephraim is to be placed by itself; and the speech seems striking, when the Lord thus breaks off the sentence, Ephraim! he does not continue the sense, but immediately adds, Like a bird their glory has fled. When he speaks of Ephraim, he no doubt refers especially to his offspring; and by mentioning a part for the whole, he includes whatever was then deemed to be wealth, or glory, or power. The Prophet, I say, speaks of offspring, for he immediately adds, from the birth, and the womb, and the conception But they are mistaken who confine this sentence to offspring only; for it is, as I have said, a mode of speaking, by which a part is taken for the whole. According to the letter, he mentions children or offspring; but yet he includes generally the whole condition of the people.

Then as a bird the glory of Ephraim fled away In what respect? From the birth, from the womb, from the conception. The Prophet, no doubt, sets forth here the gradations of God’s vengeance, which was yet in part near at hand to the Israelites, and which was in part already evident by clear proofs. He says, from the birth, then from the womb, and, lastly, from the conception If, then, the glory of Ephraim had vanished at the beginning, the Prophet would not have thus spoken; but as the Lord showed signs of his wrath by degrees, that vengeance at length might reach the highest point, the Prophets in the first place, mentions birth, then the womb; as though he said, “The glory of Israel shall vanish from the birth, but if they still continue proud, and seem not subdued by this punishment, I will slay them in the womb itself; nay, in the conception, if they repent not; they shall be suffocated as in the very womb.”

He then adds, Though they shall bring up children, I will yet exterminate them, so that they shall not be men, or, before they grow up, as some expound the words. The meaning is, that though Ephraim then flattered himself, yet a dreadful ruin was at hand, which would extinguish the whole seed, so that there would be nothing remaining. But lest they should think that all was over, when the Lord had inflicted on them one punishment, he lays down three gradations; that God would slay them first in the birth, then extinguish them in the womb, and, lastly, before conception; but if he spared them, so that they would raise up children, it would yet be without advantage, inasmuch as God would take away the youths in the flower of their age. Thus, then he threatens entire destruction to the kingdom of Israel.

And, lastly, he closes the verse in these words, And surely woe will be to them when I shall depart from them The Prophet means by these words, that men become miserable and accursed, when they alienate themselves from God, and when God takes away from them his favour. After having mentioned especially the vengeance of Godwhich was at hand, he says here that the cause and occasion of all evils would be, that God would depart from them, inasmuch as they had previously renounced their faith in him. But we must bear in mind the reason why the Prophet added this clause, and that is, because wicked men dream, that though God be displeased, things will yet go on prosperously with them: for they neither ascribe adversities to the wrath of God, nor acknowledge the fountain of all blessings to be God’s free and paternal favour. As then profane men do not understand this truth, however much God may proclaim that he is an enemy to them, that he is armed to destroy them, they care nothing, but promise to themselves a prosperous fortune: until they feel the hand of God and the signs of destruction appear, they continue still secure. This is the reason why the Prophet says, that there is woe to men when God departs from them. Forasmuch, then, as Scripture teaches everywhere that every desirable thing comes and flows to us from the mere grace of God and his paternal favour, so the Prophet declares in this place, that men are miserable and accursed when God is angry with them. But it follows —

Hosea 9:13

13. Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, Both Horsley and Newcome render ‘tyrus,’ ‘a rock,’ and are countenanced by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion; and the Septuagint give not the word ‘Tyrus.’ But there is a difficulty in this case to fix any meaning to the words rendered in our version, ‘as I saw;’ and all here have failed to give any satisfaction. Hence the rendering of our translators, and of Calvin, seems on the whole to be the best. And as to the idea of a tree put under cover, it comports well with the passage: only to suppose ‘tree’ understood seems not necessary: for the word rendered ‘planted’ is in my view a noun, and means a plant. The verse may be thus translated: —

‘Ephraim is, according to what I have seen at Tyrus, A plant in the house: Yet Ephraim is to bring forth to the slayer his children.’

— Ed. is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.

13. Ephraim, sicut vidi in Tyro plantatam (subaudi arborem) in habitaculo: Ephraim tamen ad educendum (hoc est, educet) ad excidium (vel, mactationem) filios suos.

Hosea here confirms his previous statements that the Israelites in vain trusted in their present condition, for the Lord could reverse their prosperity whenever it pleased him. Men, we know, harden themselves in their vices, when they enjoy their wishes and when they are sunk in pleasures; for prosperity is not without reason often compared to wine, because it inebriates men; nay, rather it dementates them. We see what happened to the Sodomites and to others; yea, the abuse of God’s forbearance has ever been the cause of destruction to almost all the reprobate, as Paul also says. Such pride reigned in the people of Israel, that they heedlessly despised all threatening, as it has been already often stated. To this then the Prophet refers when he says, Ephraim is like a tree planted in Tyrus: yet he shall bring forth his children to the slaughter The Prophet then points out here the indulgences of Israel, and then adds, that in a short time the Lord would draw them forth to judgement, though he had treated them as a precious tree, by fostering them gently and tenderly for a time.

Some render this place thus, “I have seen Ephraim planted like Tyrus;” and they render the next word, בנוה, benue, “in pleasantness.” But since it means a house or a habitation, I am disposed to retain its proper sense. Interpreters, however, vary in their opinion; for some say, “I have seen Ephraim like Tyrus;” because an event awaits this people similar to that which happened to Tyrus; for, as punishment was inflicted on Tyrus, so Ephraim shall not escape unpunished. This is the exposition of some, but in my view it is too refined. As, however, there is here a preposition, ל“lamed”, I am inclined to consider “a tree” or “plant,” or some such word, understood. Ephraim then was, as if one beheld a tree in Tyrus, literally to Tyrus, or in Tyrus. This letter, as a preposition, I allow, is redundant in many places; and yet it preserves some propriety, except when necessity interferes: and in this place what I have already stated is the most suitable rendering, “Ephraim is like a tree planted in Tyrus, in a dwelling” or shed. Tyrus, we know, was built on an island in the sea; it had gardens the most pleasant, but not formed without much expense and labour. It was washed on every side by the sea; and unless mounds were set up, the dwellings were confined. Since, then, it was difficult to raise trees there, much work and labour was doubtless necessary, as it is usually the case; for men often struggle with nature. And if we say that Ephraim was planted like Tyrus in a dwelling, what can it mean? We therefore say, that he was like a tree preserved as in a dwelling: for we see that there are some trees which cannot bear the cold air, and are kept during winter in a house that they may be preserved; and it is probable that the Syrians, who were rich and had a lucrative trade, employed much care in rearing their trees.

The meaning is, that Ephraim was like tender trees, preserved by men with great care and with much expense; but that they should hereafter bring forth their children for the slaughter. This bringing forth is set in opposition to the house or dwelling. They had been kept without danger from the cold and heat, like a tender tree under cover; but they would be constrained to draw forth their children to the slaughter; that is, there would be no longer any dwelling for them to protect them from the violence of their enemies, but that they would be drawn forth to the light.

We now see that the words harmonise well with the view, that the people of Israel in vain flattered themselves because they had hitherto been subject to no evils, and that God had preserved them free from calamity. There is no reason, the Prophet says, for the people to be proud, because they had been hitherto so indulgently treated; for though they had been like tender trees, they would yet be forced to draw forth their children to be killed. And this comparison, which he amplifies, is what often occurs in Scripture. ‘If Jehoiakim were as a ring on my right hand, saith the Lord, I would pluck him thence.’ Jeremiah 22:24. There is a mistake here. The text is, ‘Coniah the son of Jehoiakim.’ — Ed. Men are wont to abuse even the promises of God. As king Jehoiakim was of the posterity of David, he thought it impossible that hid enemies could ever deprive him of his kingdom; “But it shall not be so; for though he were as a ring on my hand, I would pluck him thence.” So also in this place; “Though the Israelites had been hitherto brought up in my bosom, and though I have kindly given them all kinds of blessings, and though they have been like tender trees, yet their condition hereafter shall be entirely different.” Then it follows —

Hosea 9:14

14. Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

14. Da illis, Jehova: quid dabis? Da illis valvam abortientem (vel, interficere facientem) et ubera arida.

Interpreters translate these words in a different way: “Give them what thou art about to give,” then they repeats “Give them;” but, as I think, they do not comprehend the design of the Prophet, and are wholly mistaken; for the Prophet appears here as one anxious and perplexed. He therefore presents himself here before God as a suppliant, as though he said, “Lord, I would gladly intercede for this people: what then is it that I should chiefly desire for them? Doubtless my chief wish for them in their miserable dispersion is, that thou wouldest give them a killing womb and dry breasts;” that is, that none may be born of them. Christ says, that when the last destruction of Jerusalem should come, the barren would be blessed (Luke 23:29;) and this he took from the common doctrine of Scripture, for many such passages may be observed in the Prophets. Among the blessings of God, this, we know, is not the least, the birth of a numerous offspring. It is, therefore, a token of dreadful judgement, when barrenness, which in itself is deemed a curse, is desired as an especial blessing. For what can be more miserable than for infants to be snatched from their mothers’ bosom? and for children to be killed before their eyes, or for pregnant women to be slain? or for cities and fields to be consumed by fire, so that children, not yet born, should perish together with their mothers? But all these things happen when there is an utter destruction.

We hence see what the prophet chiefly meant: the state of the people would be so deplorable that nothing could be more desirable than the barrenness of the women, that no offspring might be afterwards born, but that the name and memory of the people might by degrees be blotted out.

He has, indeed, already denounced punishments sufficiently grievous and dreadful; but we know that the contumacy and hardness of those are very great on whom religion has no hold. Hence all threatening were derided by that obstinate people. This is the reason why the Prophet now takes the part of an intercessor. “O Lord,”, he adds “give them;” that is, “O Lord, forgive them at least in some measure, and grant them yet something.” And “what wilt thou give?” Here he reasons with himself, being as it were in suspense and perplexity; and he also reasons with God as to what would be the most desirable thing. “I am indeed a suppliant for my own nation, whom I pity; but what shall I ask? I would wish thee, Lord, to pardon this people; but what shall be the way, what can give me comfort, or what sort of remedy yet remains? Certainly I see nothing better than that they should be barren, that none hereafter should be born of them; but that thou shouldest suffer them to consume and die away; for this will be their chief happiness in a condition so deplorable.” It was then the Prophet’s design here, to strike hypocrites and profane men with terror, that they might understand that God’s vengeance, which was at hand, could by no means be fully expressed; for it would be the best thing for them to be deprived of the blessing of an offspring, that their infants might not perish with them, that they might not see women with child cruelly slain by their enemies, or their children led away as a spoil. That such things as these might not take place, the Prophet says, that barrenness ought to be desired by them as the chief blessing. The Prophet, I doubt not, meant this. It now follows —

Hosea 9:15

15. All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

15. Omne malum eorum in Gilgal, quia illic odium concepi contra eos: super malitia (vel, propter malitiam) operum ipsorum, e domo mea ejiciam eos: non pergam amare eos: omnes principes eorum sunt defectores (perfidi.) Est autem elegans paranomasia in verbo שרים et שוררים, qua etiam utitur Isaias primo capite.

He says first, that all their evil was in Gilgal; though they thought that they had the best pretence for offering there their sacrifices to God’s honour, because it had been from old times a sacred place. He had said before that they had multiplied to themselves altars to sin, and by these to give way to sins; he now repeats the same in other words, All their evil, he says, is in Gilgal; as though he said, “They indeed obtrude on me their sacrifices, which they offer in Gilgal, and think that they avail to excuse all their wickedness. I might, perhaps, forgive them, if they were given to plunder and cruelty, and were perfidious and fraudulent, provided pure worship had continued among them, and religion had not been so entirely adulterated; but as they have changed whatever I commanded in my law, and turned this celebrated place to be the seat of the basest impiety, so that it is become, as it were, a brothel, where religion is prostituted, it is hence evident, that the whole of their wickedness is in Gilgal.”

It is certain that the people were also addicted to other crimes; but the word כל, cal, all, is to be taken for what is chief or principal. The Prophet speaks comparatively, not simply; as though he had said, that this corruption of offering sacrifices at Gilgal was more abominable in the sight of God than adulteries, or plunder, or frauds, or unjust violence, or any crime that prevailed among them. Their whole evil then was at Gilgal. But why the Prophet speaks thus, I have lately explained; and that is because superstitious men put forth their own devices, when God reproves them, “O! we have still many exercises of religion.” They bring forward these by way of compensation. But the Lord shows that he is far more grievously offended with these superstitions, with which hypocrites cover themselves as with a shield, than with a life void of every appearance of religion: for “these,” he says, “I conceived a hatred against them, on account of the wickedness of their works.”

Here again the Prophet condemns what men think to be their special holiness. Who indeed can persuade hypocrites that their fictitious modes of worship are the greatest abominations? Nay, they even extol and imagine themselves to be like angels, and, as it were, cover all their wickedness with these disguises; as we see to be the case with the Papists who think, that when they obtrude on God their many masses and other devised forms, every sort of wickedness is redeemed. Since then hypocrites are thus wont to put on a disguise before God, and at the same time flatter themselves, the Prophet here declares that they are the more hated by God for this very wickedness, of daring to corrupt and adulterate his pure worship.

He then adds, I will eject them from my house When God threatens to eject Israel from his house, it is the same as though he said, “I will wholly cast you away;” as when one cuts off a withered branch from a tree, or a diseased member from the body. It is indeed certain that the Israelites were then like bastards; for they were not worthy of any account or station in the Church, inasmuch as they had a strange temple and profane sacrifices; but as circumcision, and the priesthood in name, still remained among them, they boasted themselves to be the children of Abraham, and a holy people; hence the Prophet denounces here such a destruction, that it might appear that they in vain gloried in these superior distinctions, for God would expunge them from his catalogue. We now understand the design of the Prophet: but we shall, to-morrow, notice the remaining portion.

Prayer

Grant, Almighty God, that inasmuch as thou hast freely embraced us in thy only-begotten Son, and made us, from being the sons and race of Adam, a holy and blessed seed, and as we have not hitherto ceased to alienate ourselves from the grace thou hast offered to us, — O grant, that we may hereafter so return to a sound mind, as to cleave faithfully and with sincere affection of heart to thy Son, and so retain by this bond thy love, and be also retained in the grace of adoption, that thy name may be glorified by us as long as we sojourn in this world, until thou at length gatherest us into thy celestial kingdom, which has been purchased for us by the blood of thy Son. Amen.

Lecture Twenty-sixth

We stated yesterday how God expels from his house those who ought to have been deemed to be already among such as are without: for hypocrites always invent coverings for themselves until the Lord himself openly shows to them their baseness. It is therefore necessary that what they seem to have, as Christ also declares respecting hypocrites, should be taken away from them, (Matthew 13:12.)

It then follows, — I will not proceed on to love them A question may be moved here — why does God speak thus of his love? for he had already ceased to love that people, as it maybe fully gathered from facts. — Though this saying may not be strictly correct, yet it is not unsuitable. Profane men, and those who are in love with worldly things estimate the love of God by present appearances. When the Lord feeds them well and plentifully, when they enjoy their pleasures, when they have no troubles to bear, they think themselves to be most acceptable to God. Such was the case with this people, as it has been already often stated, as long as the Lord suspended his vengeance; and this was especially the case under king Jeroboam the second, for we know that the Lord then spared and greatly favoured them. It was then a certain kind of love, when the Lord thus cherished them, God allured them to repentance by the sweetness of his goodness. But now, as he sees them to be growing harder and harder, he says, “I will not continue my love towards them; for I will now really show that I am angry with them, as I see that I have done nothing by my forbearance, which they do in a manner laugh to scorn.” Thus we see that men are rejected by God nearly in the same way, when he exterminates them from his Church, as when he withdraws his blessing, which is, as it were, the pledge and symbol of his love.

The reason afterwards follows, Because their princes are perfidious: and this is expressly mentioned, for it was needful that the origin of the evil should be stated. The Prophet then shows here that corruptions originated not with the common people, but with the princes. Now we know for what end God would have rank and dignity to exist among men, and that is, that there might be something like a bridle to restrain the waywardness of the multitude. When, therefore, princes become leaders to every wickedness, all things must then go on in the worst manner; for what ought to be a remedy becomes the cause of ruin. This, then, is what the Prophet meant in the first place. But by accusing the princes he does not absolve the people; but, as it has been said in another place, he insinuates that they must have been very blind, when they suffered themselves to be drawn into the ditch by the blind: for the people doubtless went astray of their own accord and willingly, though they had erring leaders; and though, as it has appeared elsewhere, they anxiously sought excuses for their errors. But we may hence learn how frivolous is the excuse of those who at this day exculpate themselves by the pretext of obeying princes and bishops; for the Lord here denounces punishment on the whole people, because the princes were perfidious. If it be so, we see that the whole body is involved, when wicked leaders rule and draw the people from the right way; yea, when they precipitate them into the same transgressions, and carry them along with them. When, therefore, there is such a confusion, universal punishment, which consumes all together, must follow. Let us proceed —

Hosea 9:16

16. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.

16. Percussus est Ephraim, radix eorum exaruit, fructum non facient: etiamsi genuerint, tunc interficiam desiderabilia uteri ipsorum.

The Prophet again threatens extreme vengeance to the Israelites. It is no wonder that the same sentence is so often repeated; for hypocrites, we know, too much flatter themselves, and are not frightened even by the most grievous threatening. As then hypocrites are so stupid, they must be often, nay, frequently pricked, and most sharply, that they may at length be awakened out of their torpor. Hence the Prophet repeats the threatening which he had often before announced, and says, that Israel had been so smitten, that their root had dried up The comparison is taken from a tree, which not only has had its branches cut off, but has also been torn from the roots. The meaning is, that God would take such vengeance on this miserable people, as wholly to destroy them, without any hope of recovery. The root then is dried up, they will produce fruit no more.

He then leaves this similitude or metaphor, and says, If they generate, I will slay the desirable fruit of their womb; that is, though some seed be begotten, I will yet destroy it.

We now then apprehend the design of the Prophet, which was to show, that the Lord would no more be content with some moderate punishment, for he had often found that this abandoned people were in vain chastised by paternal love; but that extreme vengeance awaited them, which would consume not only the men, but also their children so that no residue should remain. The reason is afterwards added —

Hosea 9:17

17. My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

17. Abjiciet eos meus Deus, quia non audierunt eum (vel, non obedierunt ei, ut sit clarius,) et erunt vagi inter gentes.

The Prophet, as I have lately hinted, assigns a reason why God had resolved to deal so severely with this people, namely because he saw their unnameable perverseness. For the Prophets always defend the justice of God against the impious complaints of those men who murmur whenever God severely punishes them, and cry out that he is cruel, and exceeds moderation. The Prophets do therefore shut up the mouth of the ungodly, that they may not vomit out their blasphemies against God; and the Prophet is now on this subject. Hence he says, that destruction was nigh the Israelites, because God had rejected them; for the verb מאס, mas, means to reject, to cast away, to despise. As long then as the Lord vouchsafed to care for this people, they possessed at least some eminence; but the Prophet says that now they were wholly cast away. What then remained for them but entire ruin?

And he says, My God will cast them away By this expression he claims authority to himself, and thunders against the whole people; for though the whole worship of God was shamefully corrupted in the kingdom of Israel, they yet boasted that they were the holy seed of Abraham, and the name of God was as yet ready in every mouth, as we know that the ungodly take to themselves the liberty of profaning the name of God without any hesitation or shame. Since then this false glorying prevailed as yet among the Israelites, the Prophet says, “He is no more your God, mine he is.” Thus he placed himself on one side, and set himself alone in opposition to the whole people. But at the same time he proves that he has more authority than they all; for he brings forward God as the supporter and defender of his doctrine. ‘My God,’ he says, ‘will cast them away.’ So also Isaiah says, when reproving Ahab,

‘Is it not enough that ye be troublesome to men, except ye be also troublesome to my God?’ (Isaiah 7:13.)

And yet Isaiah was not the only one who worshipped God purely. This is true; but he had respect to the king and his company; and therefore he connected himself with God, and separated them all from himself, inasmuch as they had already by their perfidy separated themselves from him.

Then he says, ‘My God will cast them away.’ So at this day we may safely take the name of God in opposition to the Papists; for they have nothing in common with the true God, since they have polluted themselves with so many abominations: and though they may be proud against us, trusting in their vast multitude, and because we are few; yet we may boldly oppose them, since God, we know, can never be separated nor drawn away from his word, and his word, we know, stands on our side. We may then lawfully reprove the Papists, and say that God is opposed to them, for we fight under his banner.

Because, he says, they have not obeyed me We see that the cause of extreme vengeance is perverseness; that is, when men designedly harden their hearts against God. The Gentiles also perish, indeed, without any instruction; but vengeance is doubled, when the Lord extends his hand to the erring, and seeks to recall them to the way of salvation, and when they obstinately refuse to obey; yea, when they show their heart to be perverse in their wickedness. When, then, such perverseness is added to errors and vicious affections, God must necessarily come forth with his extreme vengeance, as he threatens here by his Prophet.

As, then, they obeyed not, the Lord will cast them away, and they shall be fugitives among the nations This seems to be a lighter punishment than what he had previously stated respecting their seed being destroyed. But we must remember the contrast between the rest given them by God, and this vagrant wandering, of which the Prophet now speaks. The land of Canaan was to them a quiet habitation, where they rested as though God cherished them under his wings; and hence it is even called the rest of God in Psalm 95. Psalm 95:11. — fj. But now, when the Israelites wandered as fugitives, and sought rest here and there, and could not find it, it was more evidently a rejection of them; for the Lord proved, every day and every moment, that they were repudiated by him, inasmuch as they were deprived of that rest which he had promised them. Let us proceed —

Chapter 10

Hosea 10:1

1. Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.

1. Vites spoliata Israel, fructum ponet sibi: secundum multitudinem fructus sui multiplicavit altaria (in altaribus multiplicavit;) secundum bonitatem (hoc est, proventum fertilem) terrae suae benefecerunt in statuis (alii, bonas fecerunt statuas; sed prior versio mihi magis probatur.)

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; Jr 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 (Jr 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 (Is 34:13).

7. visitation--vengeance: punishment (Is 10:3).

Israel shall know it--to her cost experimentally (Is 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; Mi 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 (Jr 31:6; Ha 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, Is 28:4; Jr 24:2; Mi 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 (Jr 11:13).

their abominations were according as they loved--rather, as Vulgate, "they became abominable like the object of their love" (De 7:26; Psa 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; Jr 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 (Psa 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).

Rejoice not - Do not imitate the heathens, nor serve their idols. Do not prostitute thy soul and body in practicing their impurities. Hitherto thou hast acted as a common harlot, who goes even to the common threshing places; connects herself with the meanest, in order to get a hire even of the grain there threshed out.

But Ephraim shall return to Egypt - See on Hos 8:12 (note).

As the bread of mourners - By the law, a dead body, and every thing that related to it, the house where it lay, and the persons who touched it, were all polluted and unclean, and whatever they touched was considered as defiled. See Deu 26:14; Num 19:11, Num 19:13, Num 19:14.

For their bread for their soul - The bread for the common support of life shall not be sanctified to them by having the first-fruits presented at the temple.

What will ye do in the solemn day - When ye shall be despoiled of every thing by the Assyrians; for the Israelites who remained in the land after its subjection to the Assyrians did worship the true God, and offer unto him the sacrifices appointed by the law, though in an imperfect and schismatic manner; and it was a great mortification to them to be deprived of their religious festivals in a land of strangers. See Calmet.

For, lo, they are gone - Many of them fled to Egypt to avoid the destruction; but they went there only to die.

Memphis - Now Cairo, or Kahira, found them graves.

The pleasant places for their silver - The fine estates or villas which they had purchased by their money, being now neglected and uninhabited, are covered with nettles; and even in their tabernacles, thorns and brambles of different kinds grow. These are the fullest marks of utter desolation.

The days of visitation - Of punishment are come.

The prophet is a fool - Who has pretended to foretell, on Divine authority, peace and plenty; for behold all is desolation.

The spiritual man - איש הרוח ish haruach, the man of spirit, who was ever pretending to be under a Divine afflatus.

Is mad - He is now enraged to see every thing falling out contrary to his prediction.

The watchman of Ephraim - The true prophet, was with - faithful to, God.

The prophet - The false prophet is the snare of a fowler; is continually deceiving the people, and leading them into snares, and infusing into their hearts deep hatred against God and his worship.

They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah - This relates to that shocking rape and murder of the Levite's wife, mentioned Jdg 19:16, etc.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness - While they were faithful, they were as acceptable to me as ripe grapes would be to a thirsty traveler in the desert.

I saw your fathers - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Samuel, etc.

As the first ripe - Those grapes, whose bud having come first, and being exposed most to the sun, have been the first ripe upon the tree; which tree was now in the vigor of youth, and bore fruit for the first time. A metaphor of the rising prosperity of the Jewish state.

But they went to Baal-Peor - The same as the Roman Priapus, and worshipped with the most impure rites.

And their abominations were according as they loved - Or, "they became as abominable as the object of their love." So Bp. Newcome. And this was superlatively abominable.

Their glory shall fly away - It shall suddenly spring away from them, and return no more.

From the birth - "So that there shall be no birth, no carrying in the womb, no conception." - Newcome. They shall cease to glory in their numbers; for no children shall be born, no woman shall be pregnant, for none shall conceive. Here judgment blasts the very germs of population.

Though they bring up their children - And were they even to have children, I would bereave them of them; for, when I depart from them, they shall have all manner of wretchedness and wo.

Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus - Tyre was strongly situated on a rock in the sea; Samaria was on a mountain, both strong and pleasant. But the strength and beauty of those cities shall not save them from destruction.

Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer - The people shall be destroyed, or led into captivity by the Assyrians. Of the grandeur, wealth, power, etc., of Tyre, see the notes on Ezekiel 27 (note) and Ezekiel 28 (note).

Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give? - There is an uncommon beauty in these words. The prophet, seeing the evils that were likely to fall upon his countrymen, begins to make intercession for them; but when he had formed the first part of his petition, "Give them, O Lord!" the prophetic light discovered to him that the petition would not be answered and that God was about to give them something widely different. Then changing his petition, which the Divine Spirit had interrupted, by signifying that he must not proceed in his request, he asks the question, then, "What wilt thou give them?" and the answer is, "Give them a miscarrying womb, and dry breasts." And this he is commanded to announce. It is probable that the Israelites had prided themselves in the fruitfulness of their families, and the numerous population of their country. God now tells them that this shall be no more; their wives shall be barren, and their land cursed.

All their wickedness is in Gilgal - Though we are not directly informed of the fact, yet we have reason to believe they had been guilty of some scandalous practices of idolatry in Gilgal See Hos 4:15.

For there I hated them - And therefore he determined, "for the wickedness of their doings, to drive them out of his house," so that they should cease to be a part of the heavenly family, either as sons or servants; for he would "love them no more," and bear with them no longer.

Ephraim is smitten - The thing being determined, it is considered as already done.

Their root is dried up - They shall never more be a kingdom. And they never had any political form from their captivity by the Assyrians to the present day.

Yea, though they bring forth - See the note on Hos 9:11-12 (note).

My God will cast them away - Here the prophet seems to apologize for the severity of these denunciations; and to vindicate the Divine justice, from which they proceeded. It is: -

Because they did not hearken unto him - That "my God," the fountain of mercy and kindness, "will cast them away."

And they shall be wanderers among the nations - And where they have wandered to, who can tell? and in what nations to be found, no man knows. Wanderers they are; and perhaps even now unknown to themselves. Some have thought they have found them in one country; some, in another; and a very pious writer, in a book entitled, The Star in the West, thinks he has found their descendants in the American Indians; among whom he has discovered many customs, apparently the same with those of the ancient Jews, and commanded in the Law. He even thinks that the word Je-ho-vah is found in their solemn festal cry, Ye-ho-wa-he. If they be this long lost people, they are utterly unknown to themselves; their origin being lost in a very remote antiquity.

As other people - With feastings, triumphs, and sacrifices of thanksgiving. A reward - Such as is given by adulterers to lewd women; thou hast loved to see thy floor full, and hast said thy idols gave thee this plenty.

The floor - The corn which is gathered into the floor. The wine - press - The wine that is prest out in it. Shall not feed - Shall not nourish and strengthen the idolaters. Shall fail - Samaria and all Israel expect a full vintage, but they expect it from their idols, and therefore shall be disappointed.

Ephraim - Many of Ephraim shall fly into Egypt. And they - The residue shall be carried captive into Assyria.

Wine - offerings - These were appointed to be offered with the morning and evening sacrifice, the sacrifice representing Christ, and pardon by him; the wine - offering, the spirit of grace: the sacrifice repeated, daily continued their peace and pardon. All this shall be withheld from these captives. Pleasing - If any should venture to offer. As the bread of mourners - It shall as much pollute them and displease God as if one mourning for the dead, and forbidden to sacrifice, should venture to do it. Their bread - Their bread which they were bound to offer with their sacrifices, they will now have no opportunity of bringing to the Lord's house.

What will ye do - You will not then be suffered to observe any of them.

They are gone - Some are already withdrawn from the desolation that cometh. Egypt - In Egypt they hope to be quiet and survive these desolations, but they shall die in Egypt. The pleasant places - Their beautiful houses built for keeping their wealth in. Nettles - Shall be ruined, and lie in rubbish, 'till nettles grow in them.

The prophet - The false prophet. The spiritual man - That pretends to be full of the spirit of prophecy. For thine iniquity - God began his punishments in giving them over to believe their false prophets. The great hatred - Which God had against your sins.

The watchman - The old true prophets indeed were with God. My God - The God of Hosea. The prophet - The false prophets have, as well as the people, left God. Is a snare - Their pretended predictions are but a snare, such as fowlers lay. And hatred - Such prophets are full of hatred and malice: yea, they are hatred itself.

I found Israel - The Lord speaks of himself in the person of a traveller, who unexpectedly in the wilderness finds a vine loaded with grapes; such love did God bear to Israel. Your fathers - Whom I brought out of Egypt. As the first - ripe - As the earliest ripe fruit of the fig - tree, which is most valued and desired. Separated themselves - Consecrated themselves to that shameful idol. Their abominations - Their idols, and way of worshipping them. As they loved - As they fancied.

Their glory - Their children or posterity, which was the glory of Israel. Shall fly - It is proverbial, and speaks a sudden loss of children. From the birth - As soon as born. From the womb - Their mothers shall not bring their fruit alive into the world. The conception - Their wives shall not conceive.

Not a man left - There shall be a total extirpation of them. When I depart - To compleat their misery, I will depart from them. It is sad to lose our children, but sadder to lose our God.

To the murderer - He will send them forth in mighty armies; but it will be sending them out to the slaughter.

Give then - It is an abrupt but pathetic speech of one that shews his trouble for a sinking, undone nation. A miscarrying womb - It is less misery to have none, than to have all our children murdered.

All their wickedness - The chief or beginning. There I hated them - As there they began to sin so notoriously, there I began to shew that I hated them.

1 REjoice not , O Israel , for joy , as other people : for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God , thou hast loved a reward on every corn-floor .

This might seem a morose humour of a discontented sullen Preacher; what, forbid a people to rejoyce when things prosper with them? when should a people rejoyce if not then? the Prophet who had a deeper reach, and took a larger prospect of things, had good cause to advise, or warn, or forbid as he doth, for he saw more cause to grieve then to rejoyce and to mourn than to be merry, the reason you will have presently.

You of the ten tribes.

For any thing that is counted just matter of Joy, though at present you prosper either under Ieroboam 2d. his victorious Arms, or under Menahem and the safety he hath procured by a Confederacy with Assyria, though at other times these might be matter of rejoycing, now in thy circumstances, O Israel, 'tis not meet thou shouldst shew any gladness.

With Feastings, publick Games, and Triumphs, or with solemn Sacrifices of thanksgiving, or with erecting Statues to the memory of your great and brave Commanders, or for continuing the remembrance of their atchievements.

With thee, O Israel, 'tis as unseemly as 'tis for an Adulteress wife to rejoyce and be jovial, whilest the guilt of her Adulteries, and the shame of her lewdnesses and the displeasure of her Husband fly in her face and whisper reproofs in her ear.

Such as is given by Adulterers to lewd women.

Thou hast loved to see thy floor full and hast thought and said thy Idols had so furnished thee, and therefore thou didst love them. Though mirth might become an honest woman, it doth not so well suit with a dishonest Adulteress; the very place, the company and occasion do upbraid such an one rejoycing with her lewd Adulterers: beside, this Adulteresses joys will be short, and end in sorrows and shame, so will thine, O Israel.

Marginal references: Jer. 44.17.; Or, in, &c.

2 The floor and the wine-press shall not feed them , and the new wine shall fail in her .

The Corn which is gathered into the floor and that is threshed there, that plenty which these sottish Idolaters have, and think they have it from their Idols, the bread they eat. For here is the floor put for the Corn, and the bread made of it.

By the same figure, put for the Wine that is prest out in it, though there is great plenty, and the fats overflow as well as the press full.

All this plenty shall not nourish and strengthen them. Since they think their Idols give them their Corn and Wine, let them give also, what I will not give, a blessing on these that they may support, and refresh them; they shall be lean and half-starved in their plenty unless their Idols can do this for them, i. e. bless their food.

Who seek to Idols for Corn and Wine, and praise their Idols as givers of it. These I will b[illegible: 1 letter]ast, their provision shall be as theirs, Hag. 1.6.

Or lie unto her, or fail her expectation. Samaria and all Israel expect a fair and full vintage, but they expect it from their Idols which are a Doctrine of Lies, and in this as in all other will Lie.

Marginal references: Or, wine-fat.

3 They shall not dwell in the LORDs land : but Ephraim shall return to Egypt , and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria .

Who worship Idols, and give my glory to them, depending on them, and ascribing to them what I alone give them.

Though they have been in possession many years, and though now they seem out of fear of losing it, being great at home and in peace with neighbours abroad, yet in midst of this prosperity and security, let them note it, they shall not much longer dwell in the Lords Land, which God gave them according to promise, with express condition that they should obey him and fear him, and him onely, Deut. 6.2, 3. and with express menace of Exile and ruine if they forgat God, Deut. 8.19, 20. This land which is the Lords propriety, and theirs onely on condition, and this condition broken, shall be their possession no longer.

Many of Ephraim, for 'tis not meant of all or the most part, but of the more timorous, wary, and who consult their safety before-hand many shall fly into Egypt, and shift out of the Enemies reach. So again ver. 6.

The residue who fly not into Egypt, shall be carried captives, and in Assyria be forced to eat forbidden meats, called here unclean, such polluted the eater.

Marginal references: chap. [illegible: 2 letters]; Eze[illegible: 1 letter] ▪ Dan. 1.[illegible: 1 letter]

4 They shall not offer wine-offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him : their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners : all that eat thereof shall be polluted : for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.

Captived for their Idolatry and other sins.

These were by the Law appointed to be offered with the morning and evening sacrifice, the sacrifice representing Christ, and pardon by him, the Wine offering represented the spirit of Grace, the sacrifice repeated daily continued their peace and pardon. The Spirit of Grace supported, guided, comforted and refreshed, all which shall be withheld from these Captives, the Law of God forbidding on one account, the Law of their Conquerors forbiding on other account.

Or if any should venture to do it and think thereby to appease Gods anger, they shall miss their aim, 'twill not please God.

Their Eucharistical sacrifices in which they were use to feast with joy shall be to them as the bread of Mourners, as if they had buried a father or mother, and to comfort or support their sadned spirits did force themselves to some larger allowance and choicer meats, so great should be their greif in midst of their Joys. Or else thus their sacrifices should as much pollute them and displease God as if one mourning for the dead, and forbidden to sacrifice in Tears and mourning should yet venture to do it, and against Law, sacrifice to his God, when polluted by the dead, Num. 19.11, 12, 13, 14. and Deut. 26.14.

So far shall these mens sacrifices be from expiating and purifying that they should increase their guilt and danger, and incur the penalty threatned against the polluted, Deut. 26.13. and Num. 19.13.

Or surely the particle is not here causal but assertive, as in many other places 'tis.

Their Mincha or bread, which they alwayes offer'd and were bound to offer with their sacrifices. Or else the first fruits of their Corn, which were to be brought to the Lord, and which being rightly offered did sanctifie and ensure the rest to them, with a blessing. This should not be done, they should be at that distance from the Temple, and under the confinement of Captives, so that they should not be able to do it if they were willing.

Be brought in to the Priest in the Temple, Deut. 26.2, 3. &c.

5 What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?

Think with yourselves what you are likely to do then, on those dayes you were wont to cease from your labours, to offer sacrifices to God (as you thought and said) to feast with one another, all was full of seeming Religion, and real Feasting and jollity on those dayes in your own Countrey, but will your hard Masters that love their own profit, that hate your persons, and despise your Religion, will they lose your labour, indulge your ease, incourage your Religion, and suffer you to exercise it? Is this imaginable?

6 For lo, they are gone, because of destruction : Egypt shall gather them up , Memphis shall bury them , the pleasant places for their silver , nettles shall possess them : thornes shall be in their tabernacles.

Mark it well, and observe the event.

Some of the wary and timerous are already withdrawn from the desolation that cometh on their Countrey, and more will fly from the Assyrian invader, and 'tis very near, and very certain, exprest therefore in the perfect Tense.

In Egypt they hope to be quiet, and survive these Desolations, and to return into their own Land, but they shall die in Egypt, and Egyptians shall lay them out, and prepare them to their Grave. So this phrase, Ier. 8.2. and Ezek. 29.5.

Which elsewhere is called Noph, Isa. 19.13. a very greatly traded City in those dayes, and at this day also known by the name which speaks its greatness, Grand Cairo:

Many of the Ten Tribes flying their own wasted Country, did no doubt remove so far as Memphis, partly for safety, that they may be out of the Assyrians reach, but more principally for conveniency of a Trade, that they might at least get a livelyhood, if not grow rich on their Trade; there many of these Fugitives dyed, and perhaps by the Pestilence (which is a disease that frequently sweeps that City) multitudes of them might be swept away into their Graves in and about that City.

Their beautiful and strong Houses built for keeping their Wealth in.

They shall be ruin'd, and lie long in Rubbish, till Nettles grow up in them.

Or Briars, or whatever (one kind for all) worthless, and hurtful shrubs use to grow in perpetuated desolations.

in their dwelling places, their houses which here retain the Name of their antient Habitations when they dwelt in Tents.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 letter]eb. spell.; [illegible: 1 word], their [illegible: 1 span],; Heb. the [illegible: 1 word]; Isa. 32.13. [illegible: 1 word] 34.13. [illegible: 1 word]. 10.8.

7 The dayes of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come , Israel shall know it : the prophet is a fool , the spiritual man is mad , for the multitude of thine iniquity ; and the great hatred .

The Prophet doubleth the same thing both to confirm the certainty of it, and to awaken the stupid Israelites, the days of God's just displeasure, in which he will punish, and render to these incorrigible Idolaters, and abominable debauchees as their wickedness deserveth, are come, they are very near, within four years at most.

Israel will not believe it, though God hath often told them of it, but when 'tis come, and they feel it, they shall then know indeed as Fools know when they smart for their folly.

That their false Prophets were all, to a man of them Fools and rash, judging by present greatness or alliances of Israel, not observing what were their sins and Gods wrath; Now when Hosea preacht what was contained in this ninth chap. Israel had made a League with So King of Egypt, cast off the Assyrian and not sought to God, but vainly trusted to the Egyptian Succours; now any wise man might imagin that likely which the Prophet Hosea did foretel as certain, that the Assyrian with all his Power would fall upon the Revolters; none but Fools would promise such a people a time of safety when the War was falling upon their heads.

Whom we thought a true Prophet, but now find by sad experience that we believed a mad man, one much out of his wits, yet were we more to believe what he promised.

God was highly displeased with the multitude of their iniquities, and began his punishments in giving them over to believe the lies of their false Prophets, and to expect what peace those Prophets did promise.

Which God had against your sins and wayes: You would walk in wayes which God hated, yet would have Prophets to foretel peace and plenty; such you have had as described Mic. 2.11. and you believed them and God, out of his just dislike, suffered this to be, left you to your choice.

That pretends to be full of the Spirit of prophecy, and foretels good to them.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] of [illegible: 1 word] Spirit.; [illegible: 1 letter]oph. 3.4.

8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my God : but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his wayes , and hatred in the house of his God .

The old true Prophets indeed were with God, heard what he spake, and told it to the people; they were for God, for his Honour, Law, Worship, and Temple; and so should Prophets now be. Ephraim once had such Prophets, such were Elijah and Elisha, but none such now, or Ephraim cares not for them.

The Prophet speaks of God the true God, as his God, in opposition to Idols on which Ephraim doted now, whose pretended Oracles they believed.

The Prophets now adays, who call themselves Prophets, and are so accounted by the people have, as the people, left God, and do no more consult with God.

Their pretended predictions and promises are but a snare, such as Fowlers lay to take Fowl in, and these Impostors are conscious to themselves that they are deceivers; at least they cannot but know that the true God never gave them answer at any of their Images, yet they pre [illegible: 1 letter]end he hath done it, and that he will prosper them; so they ensnare the people first in [illegible: 1 letter]in, next in punishment.

And all they design and endeavour by all means is to keep the people in this opinion and hope.

So is hatred in the sight of God, he doth hate such Deceivers, and he is hatred; i. e. e're long will be hatred in the sight of the people he deceived, they shall hate their false Prophets, who from the house of their God, by answers from the Idols in their Temples confirm d the people in their Rebellion, and hardned them against returning to God, which ends in their ruin, or else hatred, &c. i. e. cause of the peoples hatred against God, and one another.

Marginal references: Or, against.

9 They have deeply corrupted themselves , as in the dayes of Gibeah : therefore he will remember e their iniquity, he will visit their sins .

The People of the Ten Tribes, Prophets, Priests, Princes and People

have strangely, and horribly debauched one another; beside all their Idolatry there is more than brutish filthiness among them.

The story whereof you have Iudg. 19.18.

God who hateth such workers of Iniquity. He will not pardon their iniquity, but charge it upon them; when God saith he will not remember, 'tis a promise of pardon, when he threatens he will remember, 'tis a threat of not pardoning.

He will punish, see ver. 7. let. l.

Marginal references: chap. 10.9.

10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness : I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig-tree at her first time : but they went to Baal-Peor , and separated themselves to that shame ; and their abominations were according as they loved .

The Lord speaks of himself

in the person of a Traveller, who unexpectedly in the wilderness findeth a Vine loaded with Grapes, which are most delightful and welcom to him; such Love did God bear to Israel, i. e. a very strong and hearty love; the simile expresseth the greatness, not the cause of the Divine Love.

Not Abraham or Isaac, and Iacob, but your Fathers whom I brought out of Egypt.

As the earliest ripe Fruit, either of the Fig-tree as our Version, or the First-ripe of any sweet and delicious Fruit-Tree as the word will bear, which are most valued and desired; so was Israel dear and valued.

This evinceth that the Prophet speaketh not of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, but of those who were brought out of Egypt, as appears in the story of their deportment in Shittim, Numb. 25.1, 2, 3. where they committed Idolatry with Baal-peor, of whose rites Authors do variously discourse, some reporting them to have been practised with shameless looseness, as the rites of Bacchus, Venu[illegible: 2 letters] or Priapus among the Romans; others say, this Idol of Moa[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] his Name from a Mountain in Moab where he was worshipped, and had a stately and famous Temple; this Mountain is mentioned Numb. 22.41. with 23.28. and this is the more likely opinion.

They did consecrate, and dedicate themselves;

Possibly some turn'd Priests to the Idol, however, they addicted themselves to, and worshipt the Idol, and brought their Sacrifices.

By way of contempt and detestation the Prophet speaks of this Idol, and gives it the name of shame in the abstract to express the greatest degree of detestation of it, and of that they did.

Their Idols and way of worshipping them.

Either as they fancied, or as the Idolatress Women whom they loved were multiplyed; so their Idols were, for they took the Idols with them.

Marginal references: Psa. 106.28.

11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird ; from the birth , and from the womb , and from the conception .

Their Children or posterity, which was as much the glory of Israel, as their multiplying was above the common rate of other Nations multiplying; it was to them a singular blessing, and performing of promise, and they did greatly rejoice, and glory in this blessing, Psal. 128. tot. Prov. 17.6.

'Tis proverbial, and speaks a sudden and unexpected loss of Children, which vanish, and are gone as a Bird. Prov. 23.5. where suddain loss of riches is exprest in the same Proverb.

Shall die so soon as born.

Prove abortive, their Mothers shall not bring the Fruit of the womb to perfection, or alive into the World.

Through barrenness their Wives shall not conceive.

12 Though they bring up their children , yet will I bereave them z, that there shall not be a man left : yea, wo also to them when I depart from them .

Or suppose neither of these but that their Children live, grow up, and come to some maturity, yet God provoked by their sins, will deprive them of their Children by Famine, or by Civil Wars which were long and bloody on each other; or by Pestilence, or by Captivity, and dispersing them among Enemies, to whom they shall be Slaves; and as Slaves beget Children not to themselves, but to their Masters.

There shall be a total extirpation of them, and their memory, or else I will cut them off from among men as the phrase will bear.

To compleat their misery, I will leave them, I will depart from them. It is sad to lose Children, it is sadder to lose their God.

13 Ephraim , as I saw Tyrus , is planted in a pleasant place : but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murtherer .

Kingdom of Israel.

of which see Ezek. 26, 27. and 2[illegible: 1 letter]. cap. a very rich, well fortified, and pleasant City, and secure too, that afterward held out thirteen years siege against all the Power of the Babylonian Empire in Nebuchadnezzars time.

Is now well provided seems invincible, is as secure, as Tyr[illegible: 1 letter]s was in her prosperity; perhaps reckons either strength shall break the Enemies, or money buy friends; or the magnificence and beauty of their places, and dwellings shall be some safety to them; but all this shall avail nothing.

Though multitude of Children to send forth in mighty Armies against the Enemy, yet twill be but a sending them out to the slaughter; God is departed from them, and will not go out with their Armies, so they shall fall by the sword of the Enemy, as they needs must, whom God doth not befriend in a War.

14 Give them O LORD : what wilt thou give ? give them a miscarrying womb , and dry breasts ·

It is an abrupt but very pathetical speech of one that shews his trouble for the state of a sinking, undon Nation, it is an intercession for them.

As if he should say he knew not what to ask, or how to pray for them; he knew God had peremptorily determin'd to punish them with a total extermination, and in most dreadful manner, as describ'd ver. 11, 12, 13. Now give some mercy;

the dayes are coming when the barren womb will be a blessing; give this O Lord! 'tis less misery to have none, than to have all our Children murther'd by a barbarous Enemy. Luk. 23.29.

Not to starve the Children born, but 'tis further explication of the former; dry Breasts are Symtoms of a barren womb, whether by Abortion, or non-Conception; by one or other: Prevent these woful Effects of our Enemies unjust rage, and of thy most righteous displeasure against us, O Lord.

Marginal references: Heb. a womb that casteth the fruit.

15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal : for there I hated them : for the wickedness of their doings , I will drive them out of mine house , I will love them no more : all their princes are revolters.

The chief, or summ, or beginning, it is not to be understood exclusive to other places, for every City was full, there was all kind of sin elsewhere.

In rejecting God and his Government; here Saul was made King, and Samuel was rejected. Here they begun to turn the remarkable Blessings God gave them in this place into a Superstitious and Hyp[illegible: 4 letters]tical Veneration of the place, and began their Will Wors[illegible: 3 letters] ▪ and Idolatries: If all the Impiety of Ephraim may be reduced to their horrible degeneracy and Corruption in State and Church, here it began, and so all was here.

Where Israel first pitched their Tents after they passed over Iordan, &c. Vid. cap. 15. let, [illegible: 1 letter].

As there they began to sin so notoriously, there also I began to shew that I hated them

for the continued wickedness which from their first beginning there they have propagated to other places, and increased dayly, and with obstinacy.

As men thrust out of their houses one that is altogether unworthy to dwell longer with them.

By a Synechdoche, the House for Land, or out of their House, which tho' theirs for use, was yet Gods propriety, and when God casts Ephraim out of his House, he sends him into Captivity.

I will cease to express any more love to thee, it is a Meiosis, I will add no more to love them, i. e. I will add to hate them, and punish them, I will leave them in the hand, and under the fury of their Enemies in a strange Land.

Their Kings, Rulers both Civil and Ecclesiastical.

Are and have been Idolaters ever since the Division in Ieroboam Son of Nebat, not one of their Kings but were Idolaters, and obstinate, and perverse in it also.

Marginal references: chap. 4.15. and 12.11.; Isa. 1.23.

16 Ephraim is smitten , their root is dried up , they shall bear no fruit : yea, though they bring forth , yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb .

This gives us some ghess at the time of this prophecie, which was after Ieroboam's Death, in whose Life, and Reign, Ephraim was as a very flourishing Tree, whose roots were full of Sap and Life; but after the Death of this King they were as here 'tis exprest a Tree smitten, as if scorcht with Lightning, or burnt up with a vehement and continued heat and drought by day; blasted they were, what ever was the means; or possibly it may refer to those Seditions, Civil Wars, and Rebellio[illegible: 1 letter]s Conspiracies which (say some) did for some years afflict the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes, which unnatural Wars were as an Ax to the Root of this Tree, and gave Pul King of Assyria opportunity and courage to set upon them, of whom they were forced to buy their peace at a dear rate, viz. a thousand Talents of silver; or to the captivating of Napthali, and taking many fortified Towns out of Pekah's hand by Tiglath Pileser, who came up to the rescue of Ahaz. 2 Kings cap. 15.

This hath dryed up the very Roots of this Tree; this blast from Heaven hath not only scorcht the top [illegible: 1 letter]oughs, but rended the very body of this Israeliti[illegible: 1 letter]h Tree, and hath spoiled its Roots; or Civil Wars first, and Foreign Wars next have cut up the Roots of this Tree, the strong and valiant young men, who were to perpetuate the life and beauty of this people.

As such a dead root cannot spring out; so these Ephraimites never shall spring forth, they shall ever be barren.

Suppose they should yet bring forth, (such a supposition you meet with ver. 12. which see) they shall not grow to maturity and greatness.

Either by Diseases which are legibly from God's hand, or by the sword of one another, or of a Forreign Invader, if you do not enumerate all the wayes God will take; we are sure he will [illegible: 1 letter]ake wayes enough to make good his own word, and slay their Beloved Children, those Children that were the more beloved, for that their Parents had either few, or else had lost some they had before.

Marginal references: Heb. desires.

17 My God will cast them away , because they did not hearken unto him : and they shall be wanderers among the nations .

No more thy God, O Ephraim, thou canst no more have hope on that account, but my God, saith the Prophet, my God who hath revealed his purpose to me, and who will accomplish it, who will make good the word I have spoken against you.

Your sins have been a weariness, a loathing to my God, and now as a vile, loathed, and wearisom thing is cast off by a man, so shall you be cast off from your God.

Neither did hearken to God to prevent Apostacy, nor would ever after hearken to God at first to repent and turn to him like a wilful Adulteress, they would not keep faithful to their Husband, nor return to him when once departed from him.

Have no City of their own, no setled dwelling place, as much suspected, hated, ill used, and punished as Vagabonds are in well-order'd Commonwealths, all which is fully come upon them.

Gentiles were such the proud Circumcision did despise and hate; but now the sins of the circumcised shall bring them under as much contempt with the Nations; nay these proud Apostates from God, when cast off; and wanderers shall account it a favour to be admitted to incorporate with, and so to grow up Heathens among Heathens, as after long time they did.

Hos 9:1-2

Warning against false security. The earthly prosperity of the people and kingdom was no security against destruction. Because Israel had fallen away from its God, it should not enjoy the blessing of its field-produce, but should be carried away to Assyria, where it would be unable to keep any joyful feasts at all. Hos 9:1. “Rejoice not, O Israel, to exult like the nations: for thou hast committed whoredom against thy God: hast loved the wages of whoredom upon all corn-floors. Hos 9:2. The threshing-floor and press will not feed them, and the new wine will deceive it.” The rejoicing to which Israel was not to give itself up was, according to Hos 9:2, rejoicing at a plentiful harvest. All nations rejoiced, and still rejoice, at this (cf. Isa 9:2), because they regard the blessing of harvest as a sign and pledge of the favour and grace of God, which summon them to gratitude towards the giver. Now, when the heathen nations ascribed their fights to their gods, and in their way thanked them for them, they did this in the ignorance of their heart, without being specially guilty on that account, since they lived in the world without the light of divine revelation. But when Israel rejoiced in a heathenish way at the blessing of its harvest, and attributed this blessing to the Baals (see Hos 2:7), the Lord could not leave this denial of His gracious benefits unpunished. אל־גּיל belongs to תּשׂמח, heightening the idea of joy, as in Job 3:22. כּי זנית does not give the object of the joy (“that thou hast committed whoredom:” Ewald and others), but the reason why Israel was not to rejoice over its harvests, namely, because it had become unfaithful to its God, and had fallen into idolatry. זנה מעל, to commit whoredom out beyond God (by going away from Him). The words, “thou lovest the wages of whoredom upon all corn-floors,” are to be understood, according to Hos 2:7, Hos 2:14, as signifying that Israel would not regard the harvest-blessing upon its corn-floors as gifts of the goodness of its God, but as presents from the Baals, for which it had to serve them with still greater zeal. There is no ground for thinking of any peculiar form of idolatry connected with the corn-floors. Because of this the Lord would take away from them the produce of the floor and press, namely, according to Hos 9:3, by banishing the people out of the land. Floor and press will not feed them, i.e., will not nourish or satisfy them. The floor and press are mentioned in the place of their contents, or what they yield, viz., for corn and oil, as in 2Ki 6:27. By the press we must understand the oil-presses (cf. Joe 2:24), because the new wine is afterwards specially mentioned, and corn, new wine, and oil are connected together in Hos 2:10, 24. The suffix בּהּ refers to the people regarded as a community.

Hos 9:3-4 “They will not remain in the land of Jehovah: Ephraim returns to Egypt, and they will eat unclean things in the land of Asshur. Hos 9:4. They will not pour out wine to Jehovah, and their slain-offerings will not please Him: like bread of mourning are they to Him; all who eat it become unclean: for their bread is for themselves, it does not come into the house of Jehovah.” Because they have fallen away from Jehovah, He will drive them out of His land. The driving away is described as a return to Egypt, as in Hos 8:13; but Asshur is mentioned immediately afterwards as the actual land of banishment. That this threat is not to be understood as implying that they will be carried away to Egypt as well as to Assyria, but that Egypt is referred to here and in Hos 9:6, just as in Hos 8:13, simply as a type of the land of captivity, so that Assyria is represented as a new Egypt, may be clearly seen from the words themselves, in which eating unclean bread in Assyria is mentioned as the direct consequence of their return to Egypt; whereas neither here nor in Hos 9:6 is their being carried away to Assyria mentioned at all; but, on the contrary, in Hos 9:6, Egypt only is introduced as the place where they are to find their grave. This is still more evident from the fact that Hosea throughout speaks of Asshur alone, as the rod of the wrath of God for His rebellious people. The king of Asshur is king Jareb (striver), to whom Ephraim goes for help, and by whom it will be put to shame (Hos 5:13; Hos 10:6); and it is from the Assyrian king Salman that devastation and destruction proceed (Hos 10:14). And, lastly, it is expressly stated in Hos 11:5, that Israel will not return to Egypt, but to Asshur, who will be its king. By the allusion to Egypt, therefore, the carrying away to Assyria is simply represented as a state of bondage and oppression, resembling the sojourn of Israel in Egypt in the olden time, or else the threat contained in Deu 28:68 is simply transferred to Ephraim. They will eat unclean things in Assyria, not only inasmuch as when, under the oppression of their heathen rulers, they will not be able to observe the laws of food laid down in the law, or will be obliged to eat unclean things from simple want and misery; but also inasmuch as all food, which was not sanctified to the Lord by the presentation of the first-fruits, was unclean food to Israel (Hengstenberg). In Assyria these offerings would cease with the whole of the sacrificial ritual; and the food which was clean in itself would thereby become unclean outside the land of Jehovah (cf. Eze 4:13). This explanation of טמא is required by Hos 9:4, in which a further reason is assigned for the threat. For what we have there is not a description of the present attitude of Israel towards Jehovah, but a picture of the miserable condition of the people in exile. The verbs are pure futures. In Assyria they will neither be able to offer wine to the Lord as a drink-offering, nor such slain-offerings as we well-pleasing to Him. For Israel could only offer sacrifices to its God at the place where He made known His name by revelation, and therefore not in exile, where He had withdrawn His gracious presence from it. The drink-offerings are mentioned, as pars pro toto, in the place of all the meat-offerings and drink-offerings, i.e., of the bloodless gifts, which were connected with the zebhâchı̄m, or burnt-offerings and thank-offerings (shelâmı̄m, Num 15:2-15, Num 15:28-29), and could never be omitted when the first-fruits were offered (Lev 23:13, Lev 23:18). “Their sacrifices:” zibhchēhem belongs to יערבוּ־לו (shall be pleasing to Him), notwithstanding the previous segholta, because otherwise the subject to יערבו would be wanting, and there is evidently quite as little ground for supplying נס'כיהם from the preceding clause, as Hitzig proposes, as for assuming that ערב here means to mix. Again, we must not infer from the words, “their slain-offerings will not please Him,” that the Israelites offered sacrifices when in exile. The meaning is simply that the sacrifices, which they might wish to offer to Jehovah there, would not be well-pleasing to Him. We must not repeat זבחיהם as the subject to the next clause להם ... כּלחם, in the sense of “their sacrifices will be to them like mourners’ bread,” which would give no suitable meaning; for though the sacrifices are called bread of God, they are never called the bread of men. The subject may be supplied very readily from kelechem (like bread) thus: their bread, or food, would be to them like mourners’ bread; and the correctness of this is proved by the explanatory clause, “for their bread,” etc. Lechem 'ōnı̄m, bread of affliction, i.e., of those who mourn for the dead (cf. Deu 26:14), in other words, the bread eaten at funeral meals. This was regarded as unclean, because the corpse defiled the house, and all who came in contact with it, for seven days (Num 19:14). Their bread would resemble bread of this kind, because it had not been sanctified by the offering of the first-fruits. “For their bread will not come into the house of Jehovah,” viz., to be sanctified, “for their souls,” i.e., to serve for the preservation of their life.

Hos 9:5-6

Their misery will be felt still more keenly on the feast-days. Hos 9:5. “What will ye do on the day of the festival, and on the day of the feast of Jehovah? Hos 9:6. For behold they have gone away because of the desolation: Egypt will gather them together, Memphis bury them: their valuables in silver, thistles will receive them; thorns in their tents.” As the temple and ritual will both be wanting in their exile, they will be unable to observe any of the feasts of the Lord. No such difference can be shown to exist between yōm mō‛ēd and yōm chag Yehōvâh, as would permit of our referring mō‛ēd to feasts of a different kind from chag. In Leviticus 23, all the feasts recurring at a fixed period, on which holy meetings were held, including the Sabbath, are called מועדי יהוהּ; and even though the three feasts at which Israel was to appear before the Lord, viz., the passover, pentecost, and the feast of tabernacles, are described as chaggı̄m in Exo 34:18., every other joyous festival is also called a chag (Exo 32:5; Jdg 21:19). It is therefore just as arbitrary on the part of Grotius and Rosenmüller to understand by mō‛ēd the three yearly pilgrim-festivals, and by chag Yehōvâh all the rest of the feasts, including the new moon, as it is on the part of Simson to restrict the last expression to the great harvest-feast, i.e., the feast of tabernacles (Lev 23:39, Lev 23:41). The two words are synonymous, but they are so arranged that by chag the idea of joy is brought into greater prominence, and the feast-day is thereby designated as a day of holy joy before Jehovah; whereas mō‛ēd simply expresses the idea of a feast established by the Lord, and sanctified to Him (see at Lev 23:2). By the addition of the chag Yehōvâh, therefore, greater emphasis is given to the thought, viz., that along with the feasts themselves all festal joy will also vanish. The perfect הלכוּ (Exo 34:6) may be explained from the fact, that the prophet saw in spirit the people already banished from the land of the Lord. הלך, to go away out of the land. Egypt is mentioned as the place of banishment, in the same sense as in Hos 9:3. There will they all find their graves. קבּץ in combination with קבּר is the gathering together of the dead for a common burial, like אסף in Eze 29:5; Jer 8:2; Jer 25:33. מף, or נף, as in Isa 19:13; Jer 2:16; Jer 44:1; Eze 30:13, Eze 30:16, probably contracted from מנף, answers rather to the Coptic Membe, Memphe, than to the old Egyptian Men-nefr, i.e., mansio bona, the profane name of the city of Memphis, the ancient capital of Lower Egypt, the ruins of which are to be seen on the western bank of the Nile, to the south of Old Cairo. The sacred name of this city was Ha-ka-ptah, i.e., house of the worship of Phtah (see Brugsch, Geogr. Inschriften, i. pp. 234-5). In their own land thorns and thistles would take the place of silver valuables. The suffix attached to יירשׁם refers, ad sensum, to the collective מחמד לכספּם, the valuables in silver. These are not “silver idols,” as Hitzig imagines, but houses ornamented and filled with the precious metal, as בּאהליהם in the parallel clause clearly shows. The growth of thorns and thistles presupposes the utter desolation of the abodes of men (Isa 34:13).

Hos 9:7-9 “The days of visitation are come, the days of retribution are come; Israel will learn: a fool the prophet, a madman the man of spirit, for the greatness of thy guilt, and the great enmity. Hos 9:8. A spy is Ephraim with my God: the prophet a snare of the bird-catcher in all his ways, enmity in the house of his God. Hos 9:9. They have acted most corruptly, as in the days of Gibeah: He remembers their iniquity, visits their sins.” The perfects in Hos 9:7 are prophetic. The time of visitation and retribution is approaching. Then will Israel learn that its prophets, who only predicted prosperity and good (Eze 13:10), were infatuated fools. אויל וגו introduces, without kı̄, what Israel will experience, as in Hos 7:2; Amo 5:12. It does not follow, from the use of the expression 'ı̄sh rūăch, that the reference is to true prophets. 'Ish rūăch (a man of spirit) is synonymous with the 'ı̄sh hōlēkh rūăch (a man walking in the spirit) mentioned in Mic 2:11 as prophesying lies, and may be explained from the fact, that even the false prophets stood under the influence of a superior demoniacal power, and were inspired by a rūăch sheqer (“a lying spirit,” 1Ki 22:22). The words which follow, viz., “a fool is the prophet,” etc., which cannot possibly mean, that men have treated, despised, and persecuted the prophets as fools and madmen, are a decisive proof that the expression does not refer to true prophets. על רב עונך is attached to the principal clauses, השּׁלּם ... בּאוּ. The punishment and retribution occur because of the greatness of the guilt of Israel. In ורבּה the preposition על continues in force, but as a conjunction: “and because the enmity is great” (cf. Ewald, §351, a). Mastēmâh, enmity, not merely against their fellow-men generally, but principally against God and His servants the true prophets. This is sustained by facts in Hos 9:8. The first clause, which is a difficult one and has been interpreted in very different ways, “spying is Ephraim עם אלהי” (with or by my God), cannot contain the thought that Ephraim, the tribe, is, according to its true vocation, a watchman for the rest of the people, whose duty it is to stand with the Lord upon the watch-tower and warn Israel when the Lord threatens punishment and judgment (Jerome, Schmidt); for the idea of a prophet standing with Jehovah upon a watch-tower is not only quite foreign to the Old Testament, but irreconcilable with the relation in which the prophets stood to Jehovah. The Lord did indeed appoint prophets as watchmen to His people (Eze 3:17); but He does take His own stand upon the watch-tower with them. Tsâphâh in this connection, where prophets are spoken of both before and after, can only denote the eager watching on the part of the prophets for divine revelations, as in Hab 2:1, and not their looking out for help; and עם אלהי cannot express their fellowship or agreement with God, if only on account of the suffix “my God,” in which Hosea contrasts the true God as His own, with the God of the people. The thought indicated would require אלהיו, a reading which is indeed met with in some codices, but is only a worthless conjecture. עם denotes outward fellowship here: “with” = by the side of. Israel looks out for prophecies or divine revelations with the God of the prophet, i.e., at the side of Jehovah; in other words, it does not follow or trust its own prophets, who are not inspired by Jehovah. These are like snares of a bird-catcher in its road, i.e., they cast the people headlong into destruction. נביא stands at the head, both collectively and absolutely. In all its ways there is the trap of the bird-catcher: i.e., all its projects and all that it does will only tend to ensnare the people. Hostility to Jehovah and His servants the true prophets, is in the house of the God of the Israelites, i.e., in the temple erected for the calf-worship; a fact of which Amos (Amo 7:10-17) furnishes a practical example. Israel has thereby fallen as deeply into abomination and sins as in the days of Gibeah, i.e., as at the time when the abominable conduct of the men of Gibeah in connection with the concubine of a Levite took place, as related in Judg. 19ff., in consequence of which the tribe of Benjamin was almost exterminated. The same depravity on the part of Israel will be equally punished by the Lord now (cf. Hos 8:13).

Hos 9:10

Hos 9:10. “I found Israel like grapes in the desert, I saw your fathers like early fruit on the fig-tree in the first shooting; but they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to shame, and became abominations like their lover.” Grapes in the desert and early figs are pleasant choice fruits to whoever finds them. This figure therefore indicates the peculiar pleasure which Jehovah found in the people of Israel when He led them out of Egypt, or the great worth which they had in His eyes when He chose them for the people of His possession, and concluded a covenant with them at Sinai (Theod., Cyr.). Bammidbâr (in the desert) belongs, so far as its position is concerned, to ‛ănâbhı̄m: grapes in the dry, barren desert, where you do not expect to find such refreshing fruit; but, so far as the fact is concerned, it also refers to the place in which Israel was thus found by God, since you can only find fruit in the desert when you are there yourself. The words, moreover, evidently refer to Deu 32:10 (“I found him Israel in the wilderness,” etc.), and point implicite to the helpless condition in which Israel was when God first adopted it. The suffix to berē'shı̄thâh (at her beginning) refers to תּאנה, the first-fruit, which the fig-tree bears in its first time, at the first shooting. But Israel no longer answered to the good pleasure of God. They came to Baal-peor. בּעל־פּעור without the preposition אל is not the idol of that name, but the place where it was worshipped, which was properly called Beth-peor or Peor (see at Num 23:28 and Num 25:3). ינּזרוּ is chosen instead of יצּמד (Num 23:3, Num 23:5), to show that Israel ought to have consecrated itself to Jehovah, to have been the nazir of Jehovah. Bōsheth (shame) is the name given to the idol of Baal-peor (cf. Jer 3:24), the worship of which was a shame to Israel. 'Ohabh, the paramour, is also Baal-peor. Of all the different rebellions on the part of Israel against Jehovah, the prophet singles out only the idolatry with Baal-peor, because the principal sin of the ten tribes was Baal-worship in its coarser or more refined forms.

Hos 9:11-12

It is very evident that this is what he has in his mind, and that he regards the apostasy of the ten tribes as merely a continuation of that particular idolatry, from the punishment which is announced in Hos 9:11, Hos 9:12, as about to fall upon Ephraim in consequence. Hos 9:11. “Ephraim, its glory will fly away like a bird; no birth, and no pregnancy, and no conception. Hos 9:12. Yea, though they bring up their sons, I make them bereft, without a man; for woe to them when I depart from them!” The glory which God gave to His people through great multiplication, shall vanish away. The licentious worship of luxury will be punished by the diminution of the numbers of the people, by childlessness, and the destruction of the youth that may have grown up. מלּדה, so that there shall be no bearing. בּטן, the womb, for pregnancy or the fruit of the womb. Even (kı̄ emphatic) if the sons (the children) grow up, God will make them bereft, מאדם, so that there shall be no men there. The grown-up sons shall be swept away by death, by the sword (cf. Deu 32:25). The last clause gives the reason for the punishment threatened. גּם adds force; it usually stands at the head of the sentence, and here belongs to להם: Yea, woe to them, if I depart from them, or withdraw my favour from them! שׂוּר stands for סוּר, according to the interchangeableness of שׂ and ס (Aquila and Vulg.). This view has more to support it than the supposition that שׂוּר is an error of the pen for שׁוּר (Ewald, Hitzig, etc.), since שׁוּר, to look, construed with מן, in the sense of to look away from a person, is never met with, although the meaning is just the same.

Hos 9:13-14

The vanishing of the glory of Ephraim is carried out still further in what follows. Hos 9:13. “Ephraim as I selected it for a Tyre planted in the valley; so shall Ephraim lead out its sons to the murderer. Hos 9:14. Give them, O Jehovah: what shalt Thou give him? Give them a childless womb and dry breasts.” In Hos 9:13 Ephraim is the object to ראיתי (I have seen), but on account of the emphasis it is placed first, as in Hos 9:11; and ראה with an accusative and ל dna evi signifies to select anything for a purpose, as in Gen 22:8. The Lord had selected Ephraim for Himself to be a Tyre planted in the meadow, i.e., in a soil adapted for growth and prosperity, had intended for it the bloom and glory of the rich and powerful Tyre; but now, for its apostasy, He would give it up to desolation, and dedicate its sons, i.e., its people, to death by the sword. The commentators, for the most part, like the lxx, have overlooked this meaning of ראה, and therefore have not only been unable to explain letsōr (for a Tyre), but have been driven either to resort to alterations of the text, like letsūrâh, “after the form” (Ewald), or to arbitrary assumptions, e.g., that tsōr signifies “palm” after the Arabic (Arnold, Hitzig), or that letsōr means “as far as Tyre” (ל = עד), in order to bring a more or less forced interpretation into the sentence. The Vav before 'Ephraim introduces the apodosis to כּאשׁר: “as I have selected Ephraim, so shall Ephraim lead out,” etc. On the construction להוציא, see Ewald, §237, c. In Hos 9:14 the threat rises into an appeal to God to execute the threatened punishment. The excited style of the language is indicated in the interpolated mah-titteen (what wilt Thou give?). The words do not contain an intercessory prayer on the part of the prophet, that God will not punish the people too severely but condemn them to barrenness rather than to the loss of the young men (Ewald), but are expressive of holy indignation at the deep corruption of the people.

Hos 9:15

The Lord thereupon replies in Hos 9:15 : “All their wickedness is at Gilgal; for there I took them into hatred: for the evil of their doings will I drive them out of my house, and not love them any more; all their princes are rebellions.” How far all the wickedness of Ephraim was concentrated at Gilgal it is impossible to determine more precisely, since we have no historical accounts of the idolatrous worship practised there (see at Hos 4:15). That Gilgal was the scene of horrible human sacrifices, as Hitzig observes at Hos 12:12, cannot be proved from Hos 13:2. שׂנא is used here in an inchoative sense, viz., to conceive hatred. On account of their wickedness they should be expelled from the house, i.e., the congregation of Jehovah (see at Hos 8:1). The expression “I will drive them out of my house” (mibbēthı̄ 'ăgâreshēm) may be explained from Gen 21:10, where Sarah requests Abraham to drive (gârash) Hagar her maid out of the house along with her son, that the son of the maid may not inherit with Isaac, and where God commands the patriarch to carry out Sarah’s will. The expulsion of Israel from the house of the Lord is separation from the fellowship of the covenant nation and its blessings, and is really equivalent to loving it no longer. There is a play upon words in the last clause שׂריהם סוררים.

Hos 9:16-17 “Ephraim is smitten: their root is dried up; they will bear no fruit: even if they beget, I slay the treasures of their womb. Hos 9:17. My God rejects them: for they have not hearkened to Him, and they shall be fugitives among the nations.” In Hos 9:16 Israel is compared to a plant, that is so injured by the heat of the sun (Psa 121:6; Psa 102:5), or by a worm (Jon 4:7), that it dries up and bears no more fruit. The perfects are a prophetic expression, indicating the certain execution of the threat. This is repeated in Hos 9:16 in figurative language; and the threatening in Hos 9:11, Hos 9:12, is thereby strengthened. Lastly, in Hos 9:17 the words of threatening are rounded off by a statement of the reason for the rejection of Israel; and this rejection is described as banishment among the nations, according to Deu 28:65.

Threatenings of Judgment. (b. c. 740.)

1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-floor. 2 The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her. 3 They shall not dwell in the Lord 's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria. 4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord , neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord . 5 What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord ? 6 For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

Here, I. The people of Israel are charged with spiritual adultery: O Israel! thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, v. 1. Their covenant with God was a marriage-covenant, by which they were joined to him as their God, renouncing all others. But when they set up idols and worshipped them, when they fled to creatures for succour and put a confidence in them, they went a whoring from God as their God, and honoured the pretenders and rivals with the affection, adoration, and confidence, which were due to God only. Other people were idolaters, but that sin was not, in them, going a whoring from God, as it was in Israel that had been married to him. Note, The sins of those who have made a profession of religion and relation to God are more provoking to him than the sins of others. As a proof of their going a whoring from God, it is charged upon them that they loved a reward upon every corn-floor. 1. They loved to give rewards to their idols, in the offerings and first-fruits they presented to them out of every corn-floor. They took a strange pleasure in serving their idols with that which they would have grudged to consecrate to God and employ in his service. Note, It is common for those that are niggardly in the expenses of their religion to be very prodigal in spending upon their lusts. Or, 2. They loved to receive rewards from their idols; and such they reckoned the fruits of the earth to be: These are my rewards, which my lovers have given me, ch. ii. 12. Note, Those are directly disposed to spiritual idolatry that love a reward in the corn-floor better than a reward in the favour of God and eternal life.

II. They are forbidden to rejoice as other people do: "Rejoice not, O Israel! for joy. Do not expect to rejoice. What peace, what joy, what hast thou to do with either, while thy whoredoms and witchcrafts are so many?" 2 Kings ix. 19-22. Be not disposed to rejoice, for it does not become thee, but rather to be afflicted, and mourn, and weep, Jam. iv. 9. Judah, that keeps close to the true God, nay, and other people that never knew him nor could ever be charged with revolting from him, may be allowed to rejoice, as not having so much cause to be ashamed as Israel has, that has gone a whoring from him. Some think that they had at this time particular occasions for joy, probably upon the account of some losses recovered, or some advantages gained, or some league made with a potent ally, for which they had public rejoicings, as other people used to have upon such occasions; but God sends to them not to rejoice. Note, Joy is forbidden fruit to wicked people. They must not rejoice, because they have gone a whoring from their God; and therefore, 1. Whatever it was that they rejoiced in, it would be no security nor advantage to them, so long as they were at a distance from God and at war with him. Note, We are likely to have small joy of any of our creature-comforts if we make not God our chief joy. 2. The sense of sin and dread of wrath ought to be a damp upon their joy and a strong alloy to all their comforts. Note, Those who by departing from God have made work for repentance have thereby marred their own mirth, till they return and make their peace with God.

III. They are threatened with destroying judgments for their spiritual whoredoms, according to what was said long before. Ps. lxxii. 27, Thou hast destroyed all those that go a whoring from thee. It is here threatened,

1. That their land shall not yield its wonted increase. Canaan, that fruitful land, shall be turned into barrenness for the wickedness of those that dwell therein. They love the reward in the corn-floor, and are so full of the joy of harvest that they have no disposition at all to mourn for their sins; and therefore God will, for their effectual humiliation, take away from them, not only their delights and dainties, but even their necessary food (v. 2): The floor and the wine-press shall not feed them, much less feast them; they shall either be blasted by the hand of God or plundered by the hand of man. The new wine with which they used to make merry shall fail in her. Note, When we make the world, and the things of it, our idol and portion, above what they were designed for, it is just with God to deny us even support and nourishment from them, according to that which they were designed for, to show us our folly and correct us for it. Let those miss of their food in the corn-floor that look for their reward in the corn-floor. We forfeit the good things of this world if we love them as the best things.

2. That their land shall not only cease to feed them, but cease to lodge them and to be a habitation for them; it shall spue them out, as it had done the Canaanites before them (v. 3): They shall not dwell any longer in the Lord's land. The land of Canaan was in a peculiar manner the Lord's land, the land of the Shechinah (so the Chaldee), the land of the Lord of the world (so the Arabic); he whose all the earth is (Ps. xxiv. 1) took that for his demesne. The land is mine, says God, Lev. xxv. 23. They had used it, or abused it rather, as if it had been their own, had not paid the rent, nor done the services, due to God as their landlord, and therefore God justly enters, and takes possession of it, they having forfeited their lease. "It is my land" (says God) "and I will make it appear, for they shall be turned off, as bad tenants, and be made to know that, though they thought themselves freeholders, they were but tenants at will." Note, It is for the honour of God's justice and holiness that those who go a whoring from God should not be suffered to dwell upon his land; and therefore, sooner or later, the wicked shall be chased out of the world. Or it is called the Lord's land because it was the holy land, Immanuel's land, the land that had peculiar tokens of God's favour to it, and presence in it, where God was known and his name was great, where God's prophets and oracles were; it was a kind of copy of the earthly paradise, and a type of the heavenly one. It was a great privilege to have a lot in such a land as this. It was a great sin and folly to rebel against God, and go a whoring from him, in such a land as this, to deal unjustly in a land of uprightness, Isa. xxvi. 10. And it was a sad and sore judgment to be driven out from such a land as this; it was like driving our first parents out of the garden of Eden, and almost amounted to an exclusion out of the heavenly Canaan. Note, Those cannot expect to dwell in the Lord's land that will not be subject to the Lord's laws, nor be influenced by his love. Those have forfeited the privileges of the church that conform not to the rules of it.

3. That, when they are turned out from the Lord's land, they shall have no rest nor satisfaction in any other land. When Cain was driven out from the presence of the Lord he was a fugitive and a vagabond ever after, and dwelt in the land of trembling. So Israel here. Some shall return into Egypt, the old house of bondage; thither they shall flee from the Assyrian (ch. viii. 13) and they shall lose and ruin themselves where they thought to hide and help themselves. Others shall be carried captives to Assyria and there shall be forced to eat unclean things, either (1.) Such things as were not fit for men to eat, that which is rotten and putrefied, intimating that they shall be reduced to the utmost poverty, as the prodigal that would fain have filled his belly with the husks. Or, (2.) Such things as were not fit for Jews to eat, being prohibited by their law. It is probable that while they were in their own land, however disobedient in other things, they kept up the distinction of meats, and prided themselves in that; but, since they would not keep the law of God in other things, they should not be suffered to keep it in that, and it was a just punishment of their sin in eating things offered to idols. Note, When at any time we suffer in our food, and either through want or for our health are forced to eat or drink that which is unpleasing, we must acknowledge that God is righteous, because we have sinned about our food, and have indulged ourselves too much in that which is pleasing.

4. That in the land of their enemies, to which they shall be driven, they shall have no opportunity either of giving honour to God or obtaining favour with God, by offering any acceptable sacrifice to him; they should not be in a capacity of keeping up any face or show of religion among them; "and so" (as Dr. Pocock expresses it) "should be as it were quite cut off from any expression of relation to him, from all signs of grace, and means of reconciliation with him, which would be to them a token of their being rejected of God, estranged from him, and no more owned by him as his people." (1.) They shall have no sacrifices to offer, nor any altar to offer them on, nor priests to offer them; they shall not so much as offer drink-offerings to the Lord, much less any other sacrifices. (2.) If they should offer them, neither they nor their sacrifices shall be pleasing to him, for they cannot have any legal offerings, nor are their hearts humbled. (3.) Instead of their sacrifices of joy and praise, they shall eat the bread of mourners; they shall live desolate, and disconsolate, mourning for the death of their relations and their own miseries, so that if they had opportunity of sacrificing they should never be themselves in a frame fit for it; for they were forbidden to eat of the holy things in their mourning, Deut. xxvi. 14 All that eat of the bread of mourners are polluted, and incapacitated to partake of the altar. (4.) Their bread for their soul, the bread which they must either eat or starve, the bread which they shall have for the support of their lives, shall not come into the house of the Lord; they shall have no house of the Lord to bring it to, or, if they had, it is such as is not fit to be brought, nor are they rightly disposed to bring it. (5.) The return of the days of their sacred and solemn feasts would therefore be very melancholy and uncomfortable to them (v. 5): What will you do in the solemn day, in the sabbath, the solemn day of every week, in the new moons, the solemn days of every month, at the return of the times for keeping the passover, pentecost, and feast of the tabernacles, the solemn days of every year, the days of the feasts of the Lord? Note, The feasts of the Lord are solemn days; and, when we are invited to those feasts, we ought to consider seriously what we shall do. But the question is here put to those who were to be deprived of the benefit and comfort of those solemn feasts, "What will you do then? You will then spend those days in sorrow and lamentation which, if it had not been your own fault, you might have been spending in joy and praise. You will then be made to know the worth of mercies by the want of them and to prize spiritual bread by being made to feel a famine of it." Note, When we enjoy the means of grace we ought to consider what we shall do if ever we should know the want of them, if either they should be taken from us or we be disabled to attend upon them.

5. That they should perish in the land of their dispersion (v. 6): For, lo, they have gone out of the Lord's land, where they might have spent both their sabbath days and other days with comfort, gone because of destruction, gone to Egypt because of the destruction of their own country by the Assyrians, flattering themselves with hopes that they shall return when the storm is over; but those hopes also shall fail them; they shall find there are graves in Egypt, as their murmuring ancestors said (Exod. xiv. 11), graves for them; for Egypt shall gather them up, as dead men are gathered up and carried forth to the grave, and Memphis (one of the chief cities of Egypt) shall bury them. Gathering and burying are put together, Jer. viii. 2; Job xxvii. 19. Note, Those that think presumptuously to flee from the judgments of God are likely enough to meet their death where they hoped to save their lives.

6. That their land, which they left behind and to which they hoped to return, should become a desolation: As for their tabernacles, where they formerly dwelt and where they kept their stores, the pleasant places for their silver, they shall be demolished and laid in ruins, to such a degree that they shall be overgrown with nettles; so that if they should survive the trouble, and return to their own land again, they would find it neither fruitful nor habitable; it would afford them neither food nor lodging. Note, Those that make their money their god reckon the places of their silver their pleasant places, as those that make the Lord their God reckon his tabernacles amiable and his ordinances their pleasant things, Isa. lxiv. 11. But, while the pleasures of communion with God are out of the reach of chance and change, the pleasant places of men's silver, which were purchased with silver, or in which they deposited their silver, or which were beautified and adorned with silver, are liable to be laid in ruins, in nettles, and therewith all the pleasure men took in them.

Threatenings of Judgment. (b. c. 740.)

7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred. 8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. 9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins. 10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

For their further awakening, it is here threatened,

I. That the destruction spoken of shall come speedily. They shall have no reason to hope for a long reprieve, for the judgment slumbers not; it is at the door (v. 7): The days of visitation have come, and there shall be no more delay; the days of recompence have come, which they have been so often warned to expect; their prophets have told them that destruction would come, and now it has come, and the time of the divine patience has expired. Note, 1. The day of God's judgments is both a day of visitation, in which men's sins are enquired into and brought to light, and a day of recompence, in which men's doom will be passed, and a reward given to every man according to his work; the strict visitation is in order to a just retribution. 2. This day of visitation and recompence is hastening on apace. It is sure; it is near; as if it had already come.

II. That hereby they shall be made ashamed of their sentiments concerning their prophets. When the day of visitation comes Israel shall know it, shall be made to know that by sad experience which they would not know by instruction. Israel shall know then what an evil and bitter thing it is to depart from God, and what a fearful thing it is to fall into his hands. When thy hand is lifted up they will not see, but they shall see. Israel shall know the difference between true prophets and false. 1. They shall know then that the pretenders to prophecy, who flattered them in their sins, and rocked them asleep in their security, and told them that they should have peace though they went on, however they pretended to be spiritual men (as Ahab's prophets did, 1 Kings xxii. 24) were fools and madmen, and not true prophets; they deceived themselves and those to whom they prophesied. But why would God suffer his people Israel to be imposed upon by those false prophets? He answers, "It is for the multitude of thy iniquity which, in contempt of the divine law, thou hast persisted in, and, for the great hatred of the true prophets, that reproved thee, in God's name, for it." Note, Because men receive not the love of the truth, but conceive a hatred of it, and by the multitude of their iniquities bid defiance to it, therefore God shall send them strong delusions, to believe a lie, so strong that they shall not be undeceived till the day of visitation and recompence comes, which will convince them of the folly and madness of those that seduced them and of their own folly and madness in suffering themselves to be seduced by them. 2. They shall know then whether the true prophets, that were really spiritual men, guided by the Spirit of God, were such as they called and counted them, fools and madmen; and they shall be convinced that they were so far from being so that they were the wise men of their times, and God's faithful ambassadors to them. When Israel saw that none of Samuel's words fell to the ground they knew he was established to be a prophet (1 Sam. iii. 20); and so here, when God fulfils the word of his messengers, by bringing the days of recompence they foretold, then those that despised and ridiculed them, and thought Bedlam the fittest place for them, will be ashamed of the multitude of their iniquities of that kind, and of their great hatred, for which God brings upon them this swift destruction. Mocking the messengers of the Lord was the sin they were punished for, and so made ashamed of.

III. That hereby the wickedness of the false prophets themselves shall be manifested to their shame (v. 8): "The watchman of Ephraim was with my God; he had been formerly. They had a set of worthy good ministers, that kept close to God and maintained communion with him; but now they have a race of corrupt, malignant, persecuting prophets, that are the ring-leaders of all mischief." Or, "The watchman of Ephraim now pretends to have been with my God, and prefaces his lies with, Thus saith the Lord; but he is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and is cunning to draw the simple into sin and the upright into trouble; and he is so full of hatred and enmity to goodness and good men that he has become hatred itself in the house of his God, or against the house of his God." Note, Wicked prophets are the worst of men; their sins against God are most heinous, and their plots against religion most dangerous. They may boast that they are watchmen, speculators, and, as far as speculation goes, they may be right, and with my God, may have their heads full of good notions; but look into their lives, and they are the snare of a fowler in all their ways, catching for themselves and making a prey of others; look into their hearts, and they are hatred in the house of my God, very malicious and spiteful against good ministers and good people. Woe unto thee, O land! unto thee, O church! that hast such watchmen, such prophets, that are seers, but not doers! Corruptio optimi est pessima—The best things, when corrupted, become the worst.

IV. That God will now reckon with them for the sins of their fathers, which they have trod in the steps of, v. 9, 10. 1. They were as bad as their fathers: They have deeply corrupted themselves; they are rooted and riveted in sin; they are far gone in the depths of Satan (Isa. xxxi. 6), so that it is next to impossible that they should be recovered; the stain of their corruption is deep, not to be got out; it is as scarlet and crimson, or as the spots of the leopard: and it is their own fault; they have corrupted themselves, have polluted and hardened their own hearts, as in the days of Gibeah, when the Levite's concubine was abused to death by the men of Gibeah and the whole tribe of Benjamin patronised the villany; that was a time of deep corruption indeed, and such were the present days. Lewdness and wickedness were as impudent and daring now as in the days of Gibeah; and therefore what can be expected but such a vengeance as was then taken on Gibeah? Every tribe is now as bad as the tribe of Benjamin then was, and therefore may expect to be brought as low as that tribe then was. 2. They shall therefore be reckoned with for their fathers' sins: He will remember their iniquity and visit their sins, the iniquity they have by kind and by entail, the sin that runs in the blood; the sin of the father shall now be visited upon the children. Hence God takes occasion to upbraid them with the degeneracy and apostasy of their ancestors, their perfidiousness and base ingratitude, v. 10. Here observe, (1.) The great honour God put upon Israel when he first formed them into a people: I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. He took as much delight and pleasure in them as a poor traveller would do if he found grapes in a wilderness, where he most needed them and least expected them. Or when they were in the wilderness he found them as grapes, not precious in themselves, but precious to him, and pleasant as the first-ripe grapes to the lord of the vineyard. They were precious in his sight, and honourable (Isa. xliii. 4); he planted them a choice vine, a right seed (Jer. ii. 21), and found them no better than he himself made them, good grapes at first. I saw them with pleasure, as the first-ripe in the fig-tree at the first time. Good people are compared to the good things that are first ripe, Jer. xxiv. 2. One then is worth more than many afterwards. This intimates the delight God took in them and in doing them good, not for their sakes, but because he loved their fathers. He preserved them carefully, as a man does the first and choicest fruits of his vineyard. Now when he put all this honour upon them, and they stood so fair for preferment, one would think they should have maintained their excellency; but, (2.) See the great disgrace they put upon themselves. God set them apart for himself as a peculiar people, but they went to Baal-peor, joined with the Moabites in sacrificing to that dirty dunghill deity (Num. xxv. 2, 3), and they separated themselves unto that shame, that shameful idol, so Baal-peor was in a particular manner, if (as should seem) the whoredom which the people committed with the daughters of Moab was a part of the service done to Baal-peor. Note, Whatever those separate themselves to that forsake God it will certainly be a shame to them, first or last. Their abominations are here said to be as they loved; their practices which were an abomination to God were as the best-beloved of their souls. Or when they had once forsaken God they multiplied their abominations, their idols and abominable idolatries, at their pleasure. This was the way of their fathers; God had done well for them, but they had acted ungratefully towards him, and in the same manner had the present generation deeply corrupted themselves.

Threatenings of Judgment. (b. c. 740.)

11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. 12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! 13 Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. 14 Give them, O Lord : what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. 15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters. 16 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. 17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

In the foregoing verses we saw the sin of Israel derived from their fathers; here we see the punishment of Israel derived to their children; for, as death entered by sin at first, so it is still entailed with it. We may observe, in these verses,

I. The sin of Ephraim. Some expressions are here which describe that. 1. They did not hearken to God (v. 17); they did not give attention to the voice either of his word or of his rod; they did not believe what he said, nor would they be ruled by him. He told them their duty, their interest, their danger, but they regarded him not; all he said to them by his words and by his prophets was to them as a tale that is told; and then no wonder that we hear, 2. Of the wickedness of their doings (v. 15), the downright malice that was in their sins; they were not infirmities, but daring presumptions. How can those but do wickedly who will not hearken to the word of God, that would teach and persuade them to do well? And no wonder that there were wicked doings among them when, 3. Their worship was corrupt (v. 15): All their wickedness is in Gilgal, which was a place infamous for idolatry, as appears, ch. iv. 15; xii. 11; Amos iv. 4; v. 5. It is probable that the idolaters chose that place for their head-quarters because it had been famous in other ages for solemn transactions between God and Israel, as Josh. v. 2, 10; 1 Sam. x. 8; xi. 15. There, where the source of idolatry was, whence it spread through the kingdom, there it might be said that all their wickedness was, for all other wickedness owed its origin to that. Corruptions in worship make way for corruptions in morals. The mother of harlots is the mother of all other abominations, Rev. xvii. 5. The learned Grotius conjectures that there is a mystical sense here. Golgotha in Syriac is the same with Gilgal in Hebrew, and therefore he thinks this may have reference to the putting of Christ to death at Golgotha, which was the greatest sin of the Jewish nation, and of which it might truly be said, All their wickedness was summed up in that. And no wonder that the people did wickedly, both in worship and conversation, when 4. All their princes were revolters; the whole succession of the kings of the ten tribes did evil in the sight of the Lord, or all the set of judges and magistrates at this time were wicked; they turned aside to sinful ways and persisted in those ways.

II. The displeasure of God against Ephraim for sin. This is variously expressed here, to show what a provocation sin is to the pure eyes of his glory, and how odious it makes the sinner to him. 1. He departs from them, v. 12. When they revolt from him, and withdraw from their allegiance to him, how can they expect but that he should depart from them and withdraw both his protection and his bounty? And well may his threatening be enforced as it is, and made terrible: Woe also unto them when I depart from them! Note, Those are in a woeful condition indeed whom God has forsaken. Our weal or woe depends upon the gracious presence of God with us; and, if he goes, all weal goes with him and all woes come upon us. God has forsaken him; persecute and take him. Saul knew this when he laid such an emphasis upon this part of his complaint, The Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me. Nay, he does not only depart from them, but, 2. He hates them. In Gilgal, where all their wickedness is, there I hated them. There, where the abominations of sin are committed, there God abominates the sinners. In Gilgal he had bestowed many tokens of his favour upon their ancestors, but now that is the place where he hates them for their base ingratitude. Nay, he not only hates them, but, 3. He will love them no more, will never take them into his favour again; the breach between God and Israel is wide as the sea, which cannot be healed. This agrees with what he had said, (ch. i. 6, 7), I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, the ten tribes. 4. He will discard them, and have no more to do with them: For the wickedness of their doings, I will drive them out of my house. He will no longer own them as his, or as belonging to his family in the world; he will turn them out of doors as unfaithful tenants that pay him no rent, as unprofitable servants that do him neither credit nor work. Note, Those that profane God's house can expect no other than to be expelled his house, and no longer suffered to be either lodgers in it or retainers to it. Nay, he will not only drive them out of his house, but, 5. He will drive them far enough (v. 17): My God will cast them away, not only out of his house, but out of his sight; he will quite abandon and reject them; they shall be cast-aways. God said that he would drive them out of his house, and here the prophet seconds it, as one that knew his Master's mind very well: My God will cast them away. See with what comfort and pleasure he calls God his God. Note, When others disown God, and are disowned by him, it is a very great satisfaction to good people that they can call God their God, can cheerfully own him and see themselves owned by him—all revolters, all ruined, yet God is my God.

III. The fruit of this displeasure, in the cutting off and abandoning of their posterity, which is the judgment here threatened again and again. Observe here,

1. How numerous Ephraim seemed likely to be. The name Ephraim is derived from fruitfulness, Gen. xli. 51. Joseph is a fruitful bough, Gen. xlix. 22. And Moses's blessing foretold the ten thousands of Ephraim, Deut. xxxiii. 17. This was his glory, v. 11. For this he seemed designed by him that appoints the bounds of men's habitation; for Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place, to encourage his increase, which one may expect as from a tree planted by the river's side. Ephraim is as strong and rich as ever Tyre was, and as proud and secure. The Chaldee paraphrase gives this sense of it, The congregation of Israel, while they observed the law, was like to Tyrus in prosperity and security.

2. How few Ephraim should be (v. 11): Their glory shall fly away like a bird; their children shall be taken away and the hopes of their families cut off. All their glory shall fly as an eagle towards heaven, swiftly and irrecoverably. Note, Worldly glory is glory that will fly away; but those that have their God their glory have in him an unfading everlasting glory. Ephraim has been as a fruitful tree. But now Ephraim is smitten, is blasted; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit, v. 16. If the root be dried, the branch must wither of course. Observe,

(1.) God's threatening this judgment of the destroying of their children. [1.] They shall perish of themselves by the immediate hand of God (v. 11): They shall fly away from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. Some of their children shall die as soon as they are born; the cradle shall be presently turned into a coffin. Others of them shall be still-born, or the womb shall be their grave, and their death there their mothers' death too. Of others their mothers shall miscarry almost as soon as they have conceived, and they shall be as untimely fruit. See how easily God can, and how justly we are sure he might, root out the whole race of mankind, that degenerate, guilty, obnoxious race, and blot out the name of it from under heaven; it is but doing as he does by Ephraim here, writing them all childless, making all their glory to fly away from the birth, the womb, and the conception, drying up their root, that they bear no fruit, and their business is done in a few years. [2.] They shall perish by the hand of their enemies; they shall die violent deaths (v. 12): "Though they bring up their children to some maturity, though they escape the diseases and deaths which the infant age is liable to, and are thought to be reared past danger, yet will I bereave them (v. 12), by one judgment or other, so that there shall not be a man left to build up their families and bear up their name." Again (v. 13), Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. The mothers shall travail with pain to bear their children, and a great deal of care, and pains, and cost shall be bestowed upon the nursing of them, and when a cruel enemy comes and puts all to the word, young and old, without mercy, then they seem but as lambs that were all this while fed for the slaughter. Note, It is a great alloy to the comfort parents have in their children that they know not what they have brought them forth and brought them up for, perhaps for the murderer, or, which is worse, to be themselves the plagues of their generation. It is threatened again (v. 16), Though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb, those children that they are most fond of. Note, The parents' love is no security to the children's lives; nay, sometimes death is commissioned to take the darlings of the family and leave the burdens of it. When sentence was passed upon Israel in the wilderness, that they should all perish there, this mercy was mixed with the wrath, that their children should nevertheless enter into that rest which they through unbelief could not enter into. But this is a total and final rejection; even their children shall be cut off, and the land shall escheat to the crown, ob defectum sanguinis—shall be lost for want of heirs. The Chaldee-paraphrase, and many of the rabbin, by the murderers to whom the children were brought forth, understand those that sacrificed their children to Moloch, a sin which was its own punishment, which showed the parents void of bowels and justly left them void of blessings. [3.] Those few that escape and remain shall be dispersed (v. 17): They shall be wanderers among the nations; so the remains of the Jews are at this day, and there is no place in the world where they are a distinct nation.

(2.) The prophet's prayer relating to it (v. 14): Give them, O Lord! what wilt thou give? What shall I ask for a people thus doomed to destruction? It is this; since the decree has gone forth, that they must either die from the womb or be brought forth for the murderer, of the two let them rather die from the womb. Rather let them have no children than have them to be made miserable; for the same reason, when a total ruin was coming on the Jewish nation, Christ said, Blessed is the womb that never bore and the paps that never gave suck, Luke xxiii. 29. "Give therefore a miscarrying womb and dry breasts; for it is better to fall into the hands of the Lord, whose mercies are great, than into the hands of man." Note, Those that are childless may with this reconcile themselves to the will of God herein, that the time may come when, if they were not so, they would wish they had been so.

CHAP. IX.

Verſ. 1. REjoyce not, O Iſrael, for joy as other people,] Not as good people, for they have reaſon to rejoyce, and are called to it in both Teſtaments: joy is the juſt mans portion, but thou art naught all over, thou haſt gone a whoring from thy God; who will ſhortly meet thee as a bear robbed of her whelpes, or as the jealous hu band doth his adultereſſe, Again, not as other bad people, for they may revel (rejoyce indeed they cannot) and be merry, after a ſort: rejoyce they may in the face, as the Apoſtle phraſeth it, and from the teeth outward: ſome kind of frothy and flaſhy mirth they may have (and let them make them merry with it, 'tis all they are like to have) but ſo mayeſt not thou; becauſe thou haſt had warning ſufficient, and haſt known thy maſters will, but not done it: yea, thou haſt done that abominable thing that other nations never yet did, Jer. 2.11.12. thou haſt changed thy God for thoſe that are no gods; thou haſt forſaken the fountain, and run to the ciſtern, &c. which is ſuch a prodigious wickedneſſe, as the very heavens are aſtoniſhed at, and are horribly afraid, [non-Latin text not transcribed] in Grac. [non-Latin text not transcribed], to dance a galliard. yea, deſolate; mourning, and as it were melting at this horrid act. Shall the heavens mourn, and wilt thou rejoyce? yea, fetch a frisk, or dance a galliard for joy, as the word ſignifies: what if other nations do ſo, when they have got the better of their enemies, or gathered in their harveſt, Eſ. 9.4. or otherwiſe have all things go well with them? yet revolted Iſrael had no ſuch cauſe, unleſſe they were upon better tearms with God. Say that this were the time when Joaſh beat Benhadad thrice over, and recovered the cities of Iſrael, 2 Kin. 13.15. Or ſay it was, when he took Amaziah, and brought all the ſpoyle of Jeruſalem to Samaria, Chap. 14.13.2 Chron. 28. or elſe when Pekah ſlew in Judah an hundred and twenty thouſand in one day, and carried captive two hundred thouſand, with much ſpoyle: theſe were times of great mirth and Jollity, 'tis confeſſed. But, are there not with you even with you ſins againſt the Lord your God (as the prophet Oded there beſpeaks them) and ſhould not thoſe ſins be bewailed? Beſides, are they not your brethren whom you have ſlaughtered and captivated? and can you have any joy of ſuch a conqueſt, of civil wars that are — nullos habitura triumphos, that are ſuch a miſery as all words (how wide ſoever) want compaſſe to expreſſe? Hear what the prophe[illegible: 1 letter]t mos (who was Hoſea's contemporary) ſaith to this, Ye which rejoyce in a thing of nought, (ſo he calleth their victories preſent proſperity, pomp and pride) which ſay, have we not taken to us horns by our own ſtrength? Behold, I will raiſe up againſt you a nation, O houſe of Iſrael, that ſhall tame you, and take you a link lower (as they ſay) ſo that your laughter ſhall be turned into mourning, and your joy into heavineſſe. There is ever a ſnare (or a cord) in the ſin of the wicked, Jam. 4.9. viz. to ſtrangle their joy with; but the righteous ſing and rejoyce, Prov. 29.6.

For thou haſt gone a whoring from thy God.] That's a foul buſineſſe, and may well damp thy joy. Sins are the ſnuffes that dimme our candleſtick, the leaven that ſowreth our paſſe overs, the Sanies of a plague-ſore that threatneth our very life. And, whereas the ſinnes of others are but rebellions againſt God, the ſins of his profeſſed people are treacheries: they go a whoring from their God, deſuper Deo ſuo, velomiſſo Deo ſuo, from under their God, or laying aſide their God; caſting him, as it were, into a by-corner. Hence thoſe pathetical compaints in Jeremy, Chap. 18.13. Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard ſuch things? the virgin of Iſrael hath done a very horrible thing; filthineſs in a ſtewes is nothing ſo odious as filthineſs in a Virgin. And again, Chap. 32.30. The children of Iſrael, and the children of Judah have onely done evil from their youth. God takes evil ſo hainouſly from them, as if they had never done him any good ſervice all their dayes; or as if they were the onely ſinners upon earth: they were ſo much worſe, becauſe they ought to have been better then other nations. Now God expects our ſorrows ſhould be proportionable to our ſins; Rejoyce not therefore, but (by a Liptote) weep and houl for the miſeries that ſhall come upon you.

Thou haſt loved a reward (or a harlots hire) upon every corn-floor,] i. e. Thou haſt proſtituted thy ſelf to a looſe Idolatry;Mercedem meretriciam. like to a common whore that goeth a whoring up and down the threſhing floors. Hence Boaz his fear leſt it ſhould be noiſed that Ruth had lain at his feet, and that a woman came into the floor, Ruth. 3.14. Or elſe he meaneth (ſaith Diodate) ſome particular kind of idolatry uſed in the time of harveſt and threſhing; as if they would have acknowledged their increaſe to come by their idols goodneſſe. Such was that of the Metapontines, of whom Strabo ſtorieth, that when they had had a good harveſt, and were grown rich thereby, they dedicated to Apollo at Delphos [non-Latin text not transcribed] an harveſt of gold. See more of this Chap. 2. with the Notes.

Verſe. 2. The floor and the winepreſſe ſhall not feed them,] Culpam poena premit comes, Puniſhment attendeth ſin at the heeles. They had abuſed their plenty, and aſcribed it to their idols: therefore ſhall they be cut ſhort either in their ſtore, as Hag. 3.6.10. and 2.16. or in their ſtrength, as Hoſ. 4.10. and 8.7. (See Chap. 2.8.9. with the Notes.) One way or other their hopes ſhall be fruſtrated, the creature ſhall lie to them, and not anſwer their expectation.

The new wine ſhall fail in her,] Muſtum mentietur ei, ſee the like phraſe, Hab. 3.17. Eſ. 58.11. Job. 41.6. they ſhall come to the corn-floors and wine-preſſes, as men come to a lottery with heads full of hopes; but depart diſappointed, with their hearts full of blanks. As they have lied to God (idolatry is nothing elſe but a large lie,) and dealt deceitfully with him in the covenant: ſo ſhall all things lie to them, and not anſwer their hopes. Look how a certain Prince paid a falſe traitour (who for a ſumme of money had betrayed his countrey to him) in falſe coyn; ſo ſhall it fare with ſuch as falſifie with God: he will blaſt their hopes, and curſe their bleſſings, cut them ſhort in the height of their expectancies, ſtrike them in the things that their hearts are moſt ſet upon, the new wine ſhall lie to them, and ſo ſet them a howling, Joel. 1.5.

Verſ. 3. They ſhall not dwell in the Lords land,] Becauſe they would not live by the Lords lawes; they ſhall therefore be turned out of his houſe (ſo this land was called Chap. 9.3.) as rebellious children, that are a diſturbance and a diſgrace to their fathers family: they ſhall hold no longer, as tenants of him the chief Landlord, becauſe ſo backward to ſend a lamb (as rent or an homage penny) to the ruler of the land, Eſay. 16.1. they were tenants at will, and held upon condition of obedience, Levit. 18.26. it was divided amongſt them by lot: Ioſhua divided it amongſt them, and left none to himſelf. The people gave him a portion, and he was content with it; though it were but a mean one in the barren mountains, as Hierome noteth. He had the promiſe that God would never leave him no[illegible: 1 letter] forſake him: and he well knew, that if he truſted in the Lord, and did good, he ſhould dwell in the land and be verily fed, Pſal. 37.3. He and Caleb were of another ſpirit, and fulfilled after God; therefore they onely of all that generation entred the promiſed land, the Lords land: which becauſe Moſes might not do, it was a great grief to him. Theſe Idolaters here are threatened to be caſhiered and caſt out of this good land, and to have their pleaſant land laid deſolate, to be ſpewed out, as the Canaanites had been before them, Levit. 18.28. and ſo conſequently to be deprived of Gods favour, help, and protection; and altogether diſpriviledged, yea, diſinherited. This was an heavy judgement to them, and muſt be a warning to us, that yet live in the boſome of the Church, and under the joyful ſound; that we forfeit not our preſent enjoyments, that we ſinne not away our precious priviledges, as the ſeven Churches and others have done. Alterius perditio tua ſit cautio. We ſtand upon our good behaviour, as they did; See Deut. 30.19.20.

But Ephraim ſhall return to Egypt,] which they ought to have been ſenſible of as a puniſhment long ſince threatned, Deut. 28. ult. (ſee Hoſ. 8.13. with the Note) though now, of their own accord, they returned to it, for fear of the Aſſyrian (whom by their falſe-dealing they had juſtly incenſed) yet that ſhould not ſhelter them, but Gods hand would find them out, and fetch them thence into captivity. Oft they had been warned not to go down to Egypt for help; and they muſt needs be hard beſtead that fled thither. True it is, that the Egyptians are renowned in hiſtories for a thankful people, and the Iſraelites are charged not to abhor an Egyptian, becauſe they were once ſtrangers in his land,Diod. Sic. l. 2. Dent. 23.7. and had taſted of his courteſies. But withall, they could not but know how hardly the Egyptians had dealt with their fore-fathers, and how treacherouſly alſo with them; and that they ought not de jure, to have returned thither upon any tearms. Sed Deus quem deſtruit dementat, and although here they were reſolved for Egypt, yet Chap. 11.5. God reſolveth otherwiſe; and voluntas Dei neceſſitas rei, his will ſhall ſtand, when all's done.

And they ſhall eat unclean things in Aſſyria,] Things forbidden by the law, as ſwines-fleſh, &c they ſhall be forced to eat or ſtarve: they muſt not look for liberty of conſcience in Aſſyria, nor have that favour to make a difference of meat as Daniel had, Chap. 1. but as Ezekiel baked his barley-cakes with mans-dung: Even ſo ſaid the Lord, ſhall the children of Iſrael eat their defiled bread among the heathen, whither I will drive them. So haughty they were grown, that their fathers houſe could not hold them; therefore they ſhall be giad of huskes with hogs, (as that prodigal) they ſhall eat as the heathens, ſith they would needs act as the heathens. They thought it was hard with them in their own land, when the floores and the winepreſſe would not feed them, verſ. 2. But now it is farre worſe, when forced by hard hunger, they are glad of any meat, be it clean or unclean: neither have they any more mind to be ſo merry with other nations, as verſ. 1. or cauſe ſo to be: their ſtomacks craving and themſelves (with Druſus in Tacitus) ready to eat the ſtuffings of their bed; or (with the Jewes in the laſt ſiege of Jeruſalem) not onely to feed upon dogs, rats, cats, &c. but the leather of their ſhooes, girdles, targets, bridles, yea,Pontanus Hegeſippus. oxe-dung was a precious diſh unto them, and the ſhreddings of pot-hearbs caſt out and trodden under foot, &c.

Verſ. 4. They ſhall not offer wine-offerings unto the Lord,] Non libabunt, multò minus litabunt, they ſhall not have wherewith to offer ſacrifice, when they are in their baniſhment, Chap. 3.4. much leſſe to ſerve God with cheerfulneſſe, to exhilarate his heart with their wine-offerings, Judg. 9.13. to chear up themſelves with the wine and oyle-offerings, Num. 15.5. which were ſymbols, and ſignes of the Merit and Spirit of Chriſt (for the Ceremonial Law was their Goſpel, it was Chriſt in figure) and the deprivation of them threatened the deprivation of grace and glory. Now therefore, ſith ſuch a ſad condition, and ſuch ſinking of ſpirits abided this people, what reaſon had they to rejoyce with joy as others.

Neither ſhall they be pleaſing to him,] Heb. they ſhal not be ſweet or mingled; for as ſweet and ſowre maketh the beſt ſawce, ſo the mixture of things of divers qualities maketh the ſweeteſt confections, and moſt pleaſing to the palat: but ſo ſhall not be theſe mens wine-offerings to God, if any they ſhould preſent; but ſowre and ſavourleſſe. He is now reſolved to take another courſe with them, to glorifie himſelf in their calamity, and to give unto them another while the cup of the wine of the fierceneſſe of his wrath, Rev. 16.19. that is, to delight as much in their miſery, as a man would do in drinking off a bowle of generous wine.

Their ſacrifices ſhal be unto them as the bread of mourners,] i. e. as funeral-feaſts (whereof read Jer. 16.7, 8. Ezech. 24.17.) made ad levandum luctum, [non-Latin text not transcribed] eaten in heavineſſe by thoſe that were polluted by the dead, and therefore altogether unfit for ſacrifice; ſith God loveth a cheerful ſervice, and will not have any of his come off heavily. See Levit. 10.19. Deut. 13.7. and 26.14. Mal. 2.13. where thoſe unkind husbands are blamed, for cauſing their wives, when they ſhould have been cheerful in Gods ſervice, to cover the Lords altar with tears, with weeping and with crying out, ſo that he regarded not the offering any more. So Ezr. 9.5. that holy man, though till then he ſat aſtonied at the ſins of the people, yet he aroſe from his heavineſſe at the evening ſacrifice; for he knew, that even ſorrow for ſin might be a ſinful ſorrow, if unſeaſonable and ſullen: for it ſowres a mans ſpirit, and makes his ſervices unacceptable to God.

For their bread, for their ſoul ſhal not come into the houſe of the Lord,] Their bread, That is, their meat-offering or other ſacrifices, (ſee Mal. 1.7. with the note) for their ſoul, that is, for themſelves (ſoul is oft put for the whole perſon) ſhal not come, rightly and in due manner unto divine acceptation, into the houſe of the Lord, it ſhould not have come into the Temple while it ſtood, and the Levitical ſervice was orderly performed: how much leſſe ſhall it be accepted now in a ſtrange land, being the bread of mourners. Others by the bread for their ſoules underſtand their natural and neceſſary ſuſtenance. He ſpeaks, ſay they, of that meat-offering, Levit. 2.5. appointed for a ſpiritual uſe, yet called here the bread for their life or livelihood, becauſe God eſteemed it no other then common meat. Tarnouius by the houſe of the Lord here underſtandeth the Church, as Chap. 8.1. and 9.5. and 2 Tim. 2.20. The door of this houſe, ſaith he, is Chriſt, Joh. 10.9. and door-keeper the holy ſpirit, ibid. verſ. 3. the foundation and corner-ſtone Chriſt, Eph. 2.20. the wall is God, Zach. 2.9. the ſtewards the miniſters,1 Cor. 4.1. Eph. 2.19. thoſe of the houſhold the Saints, &c.

What will ye do in the ſolemn day, &c.] q. d. How will ye do to laugh and leap then, as ye do now? verſ. 1. How will you be able to ſupport your ſelves, to keep your hearts from dying within you? when you call to mind and conſider your former ſolemnities and feſtivities, which now (alas!) in your captivity you are utterly deprived of? Time was when you went with the multitude to the houſe of God, with the voyce of joy and praiſe, with a multitude that kept holy-day, Pſal. 42.4. with dancing, eating, drinking and joy, Deut. 16.14, 15. Judg. 21.19.10. But now the ſcene is altered; your ſinging is turned into ſighing, your mirth into mourning, your joy into heavineſſe; and you muſt needs hold your ſelves ſo much the more miſerable, that you have been happy. The Epicures indeed held that a man might be chearful againſt the moſt exquiſite torments. 1. In conſideration of his honeſty and integrity,Ex praeteritc rum voluptatum recordatione. Cic. de finib. l. 2. Senec. de benef. l. 4. c. 22. 2. In conſideration of thoſe pleaſures and delights that formerly he had enjoyed; and now cheared up himſelf with the remembrance of. This laſt is a very ſlight and ſorry comfort indeed. The former hath much in it; for a good man keeps every day, holy day, ſaid Diogenes: and can be merry without muſick, ſaith another Philoſopher. He hath a merry heart, or good conſcience, which is a continual feaſt; and is bound to rejoyce evermore, 1 Theſ. 5.16. and to keep the feaſt in all countries, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. 1 Cor. 5.8. the Calender of his whole life is crowned with continual feſtivals; and he is the happieſt man, and may be the merrieſt if he but underſtand his own happineſſe. But this (alas) was not the caſe of theſe woful caytives and captives. They had ſinned away all their comforts; and what with the ſad remembrance of their former enjoyments, and with the ſenſe of their preſent ſervitude, they had little mind to keep holy-day. Hence this paſſionate exclamation, what will ye do, &c? God had threatned before, Chap. 2.11. to take away their feaſt-dayes, new-moons, ſabbaths and ſolemnities; but they heeded him not, tanquam monſtra marina Dei verba ſurda aure praeterierunt: therefore now God fulfilleth what he [illegible: 1 letter]ad forethreatned,Lam. 2.[illegible: 2 letters]. and calleth, as in a ſolemn day, his terrours round about them, what they were wont to do in their ſolemn dayes and feſtivals, may be ſeen, Num. 10.10. what we do or ſhould do at leaſt, upon our Lords day-ſabbaths, (the delight of every good ſoul) we need not be told. Let us take heed, leſt by profane violating or careleſſe obſerving that holy reſt, with all its ſolemnities, we deprive not our ſelves (as theſe Iſraclites did) of ſuch a precious priviledge: God gave us a good warning, in that the firſt blow given the German Churches was upon the ſabbath-day; which is there ſo ill ſanctified,Alſted. in Encyclop. Dike of Conſc. pag. 276. that if it ſhould be named according to their deſerving of it, Doemoniacus potius quam Dominicus, ſaith Alſted, it ſhould be called not the Lordsday, but the Prieſts-day rather. It is very remarkable, that upon that day was Prague loſt, and with it all opportunity of hearing, ſinging, publique praying, communicating on that high and honourable day, Eſay. 58.13.

Verſ. Abierunt, i.e. obierunt. 8.For lo they are gone, becauſe of deſtruction,] They are gone either into Egypt for refuge, or into the ſtate of the dead, they are gone out of the world. They ſhall periſh by deſtructiou, ſo ſome render it. When God had ſaid in the former verſe what will ye do, they ſhould have faln down before him and ſaid, What wilt thou have us to do, Lord? we know not what at all to do, but our eyes are toward thee. This had been right, and thus they might have diſarmed Gods indignation: but they had other carnal ſhifts, and thought they could tell well enough what to do, and whither to go: whereupon they were ſo fully bent, that the prophet here reports them gone already. For lo they are gone, and got to Egypt; as divers of them did doubtleſſe during the ſiege, and after the ſack of Samaria, when they were forced to ſhift for themſelves as they could: but did they ſo eſcape by iniquity? in thine anger caſt down the people, O God, ſaith David, and it is not more a prayer then a propheſie, Pſal. 56.7. and this people had the proof of it.

Egypt ſhall gather them,] either for puniſhment, or for burial, as Ezech. 29.5. Jer. 8.2. ſo that they fled but out of the ſmoak into the fire; and in running from death they ran to it: as the Hiſtorian ſaith of thoſe poor Scots at Muſcleborough field, who running for their lives,S. J. Heyw, in Edw. 6. p. 35. ſo ſtrained themſelves in their race, that they fell down breathleſſe and dead.

Memphis ſhall bury them,] Leſt they ſhould pleaſe themſelves with vain hopes of return to their countrey, he ſhews that that ſhall never be; but they ſhall lay their bones in a ſtrange land. Memphis (anciently called Noph, Iſay. 19.13. or, (as ſome will) No, Nahum. 3.8. at this day Grand Caire, famous for the Pyramides and the kings ſepulchres) Memphis, I ſay, a principal city of Egypt ſhall be a Kibrothhattaavah to you, a place of ſepulchres; eſpecially then, when Nebuchadnezzar, ſent by God (who giveth him Egypt as his pay for his paines at Tyre) ſhall come and ſmite that land, and deliver ſuch as are for death to death, and ſuch as are for the ſword to the ſword, &c. Jer. 43.11.

The pleaſant places for their ſelves, nettles ſhall poſſeſſe them,] Heb. ſhall poſſeſſe them as their inheritance; ſo that the Iſraelites nor their heirs ſhall ever repoſſeſſe theſe pleaſant places for their ſilver, i. e. where they either laid up their ſilver (their repoſitories or counting houſes) or where they laid out their ſilver, either in coſtly buildings and ſumptuous furniture, or elſe in idols and ſtatues placed therein to their no ſmal charge & delight. Theſe ſhal be ruined and over-run with nettles, thorns and thiſtles, a token of horrible deſolation, Eſa. 32.13. and 34.13. Note hence, that as God ſpareth a place for a few good men found therein, (as he would have done Sodom, which is now a place of nettles and ſalt[illegible: 1 letter]pits, Zeph. 2.9.) ſo a fruitful land bringeth he into barrenneſſe, (or ſaltneſſe) for the wickedneſſe of them that dwel therein, Pſal. 107.34. witneſſe Judaea that land of deſire, Ezek. 1. ult. that garden of Eden, Joel. 2.3. that glorious land, Dan. 11.16. yea, glory of all lands, Ezek. 20.15. now wofully waſte and deſolate: ſo is Grecia, formerly ſo farmous for armes and arts: ſo are ſome parts of Germany, and ſo may England ſoon be (without the greater mercy of God, by a miracle of whoſe mercy, and by a prop of whoſe extraordinary patience we have hitherto ſubſiſted) I ſay, England, whoſe vallies now are like Eden, whoſe hils are as Lebanon, whoſe ſprings are as Piſgah, whoſe rivers are as Jordan, whoſe walls is the Ocean, and whoſe defence is the Lord Jehovah.

Verſ. 7. The dayes of viſitation are come,] A viſitation that is like to prove a vexation; for every tranſgreſſion and diſobedience, that is, Omiſſion and commiſſion, ſhall receive a juſt recompence of reward from the God of Recompences (ſo he is called Jer. 51.56.) whoſe eyes behold, his eye-lids trie the children of men, Pſal 11.4. the former points out his knowledge, the latter his judgement, or his critical deſcant in his viſitation or inquiſition, the dayes whereof are ſet, Stat ſuae cuique dies, and Iſraels dayes are come, are come, it is repeated for more aſſurance, as Babylon is fallen, is fallen, certò, citò, penitus: and as Ezek. 7.5, 6, 7. the Prophet tells them, The end is come, is come, is come; and ſo ſome ten or twelve times, that he might beat it into them, and awaken them them out of the ſnare of the devil. The wickeds happineſſe will take its end ſurely and ſwiftly: but its hard perſwading them ſo: And the Jews, as they were ever noted for obſtinate, and overweening, ſo to this day they are light, aeriall, and Satanicall, apt to work themſelves into the fools paradiſe of a ſublime dotage. But they ſhall know it to be ſo as I have ſaid, by w[illegible: 3 letters]ll experience, that Miſtreſſe of fools.

Iſrael ſhall know it,] ſc. to his ſorrow, he ſhall pay for his learning, buy his wit,Oculos incipit aperire moriendo. Plin: open his eyes (as the mole doth) when death is upon him, roar and look upward, Eſay 8.21. as the hog doth when the knife is at his throat. O Lord (ſaith the ſame Prophet, Chap. 26.11.) when thy hand is lifted up (and thy hand is a mighty hand, Jam. 4.10. it falls heavy) they will not ſee, they wink wilfully, or ſeek ſtrawes to put out their eyes withall, as Bernard hath it: but they ſhall ſee, will they nill they,Feſtucam quarunt unde oculos ſibi eruant. and be aſhamed of their former oſcitancy, or rather obſtinacy, when that hand of God which was lifted up in threatning, ſhall fall down in puniſhing, and the fire of thine enemies ſhall dev[illegible: 1 letter]ur them: How much more at that laſt and great viſitation, that terrible day of Retribution, when they ſhall anſwer for all, with flames about their ears. Tunc ſentient magno ſuo malo, then ſhall they feel to their eternall wo, the truth of all the threatnings, which till then they heard, and read, as a man doth an Almanack-prognoſtications of winde or foul-weather, which he thinks may come to paſſe, and it may be not: And give nothing ſo much credit to them, as the Prior of S. Bartholomewes in London did to an idle and addle-headed Aſtrologer,Holinſhead in 1524. when he went and built him an houſe at Harrow on the hill to ſecure himſelf from a ſuppoſed flood, that that Aſtrologer foretold.

The Prophet is a fool, &c.] [non-Latin text not transcribed], a naughty man; the Hebrew word here is evil, and ſignifieth a raſh and unadviſed fellow, that is headſtrong and headlong: ſuch were their falſe prophets that promiſed peace when warre was at their gates, and made all fair weather before them, when the tempeſt of Gods wrath was even burſting out upon them; ſuch a tempeſt as ſhould neve[illegible: 1 letter] be blown over. Theſe ſhould now appear to be fools, or rather Impoſtours, that had brought the credulous people into a fools paradiſe.

the ſpiritual man is mad,] Heb. the man of the ſpirit, or ventoſus, the windy man, that uttereth vain and empty conceits, humani cerebelli Minervas, the brats of his own brain, light, aery Nothings, the diſeaſe of this age, full of flaſhes and figments, idle ſpeculations of men of corrupt mindes, and deſtitute of the truth. Theſe pretend altogether to the ſpirit, and would be thought the onely ſpirituall men; as the Swenkfeldians (whom for their ill ſavour, Luther called Stenckfeldians) who bewitched many with thoſe glorious words (which were ever in their mouthes) of Illumination, Revelation, the inward and ſpiritual man, &c. and entituled themſelves, the Confeſſours of the glory of Chriſt. So the Entuſiaſts and Anabaptiſts, what boaſt make they of the ſpirit: profeſſing that they will deliver nothing but what they have immediately revealed to them from heaven. Muncer (their ringleader) wrote a baſe book againſt Luther (which he dedicateth to king Jeſus) wherein Lutherum flagellat quod Enthuſiaſmorum ſpiritu careat & nil niſt carnalin ſapiat, he falls foul upon Luther, as wanting the ſpirit of revelation,Scultet Annal. pag. 239. and one that ſavoureth nothing but carnall things? All his followers look upon Luther as more peſtiferous then the Pope: and for Calvin they ſay, (and I have heard it) that it had been happy for the Church if he had never been born. It was their practiſe of old (as Leo Judae obſerved in his epiſtle before Bullingers book againſt the Catabaptiſts) and is ſtill, to diſcourage and diſparage Chriſts faithfull Miniſters all they can, as carnall, and not reliſhing the things of the ſpirit: the right off-ſpring they are of thoſe ancient Hereticks called Meſſalanii (the ſame with the Euchites, and Enthuſiaſts) who in the year of Chriſt 371. profeſſed to be wholly made up of the ſpirit: gave themſelves much to ſleep: and called their dreams and wild phantaſies, propheſies and revelations.

for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.] Heb. the great Satanical hatred, that thou haſt born againſt God and thy neighbour; but eſpecially Gods faithfull prophets, whom thou heartily hatedſt for their plain dealing; as Ahab did Michaiah, becauſe he never ſpake good to him. It is very probable that Michaiah was that diſguiſed Prophet who brought Ahab the fearfull meſſage of diſpleaſure and death, for diſmiſſing Benhadad; for the which he was ever ſince faſt in priſon, deep in diſgrace. Lo this is the worlds wages. Truth breeds hatred, great hatred, as the text hath it, devilliſh hatred, and this is through the multitude of mens iniquities, the overflow of ſinnes, which wretched men hold ſo dear to themſelves, that they cannot but rage againſt thoſe that declaime againſt them, and proclaim hellfire againſt their hatefull practiſes: they cannot ſtand ſtill to have their eyes pickt out; how ſhould they? ſay. Now for ſuch, what wonder is it if God in juſtice give them up to the efficacie of errour that they may beleeve a lie, ſith they would not receive the love of the truth,Auguſtin. in loc 2 Theſſ. 2.11? ut infatuati ſeducantur, & ſeductijudicentur, that being infatuated they may be ſeduced, and being ſeduced, periſh? what wonder alſo if he deliver them up, as to ſtrong deluſions, ſo to vile affections, and abominable actions, that they may receive in themſelves that recompenſe of their errour that is meet, Kom. 1.27? What marvell, if men that will not endure ſound doctrine be left to ſeducers? if thoſe that have itching ears meet with clawing Preachers?2 Tim. 4.3, 4. if ſuch as turn away their ears from the truth, be turned to fables and fopperies? It is for the multitude of mens iniquities, and eſpecially for their great hatred to the truth, that the Church is ſo peſtered with Impoſtours (2 Pet. 2.1, 2.) who bring in damnable hereſies, even denying the Lord that bought them. Do not our modern ſeducers ſo amongſt us, when (among other portentous opinions held by them) they ſtick not to affirm, that Chriſt is a carnall or fleſhly thing: That thoſe that are grown Chriſtians may go to God immediately without a Chriſt: that Chriſt did not riſe again, &c. Others contemn him by the notion of the man dying at Jeruſalem — O horrible!Dr. Homes his character of the preſent times. 200. Time was when the Popes were ſo notoriouſly naught, as to ſpeak thus baſely of Chriſt; to deny, or at leaſt doubt of the immortality of the ſoul, the reſurrection of the body, &c. and then a poor Popeling cried out, that the ſinnes of that Synagogue were ſo great, as that it deſerved not to be ruled by any other then Reprobates. Certain it is, that God plagues contempt of the truth (that great Goſpel-ſin) with an inundation of errours and enormities.

Verſe 8. The watch-man of Ephraim was with my God,] i. e. The falſe prophets above mentioned, pretend themſelves to be with God, and for him; ſpeak, look, and act as if they came out of Gods boſome, or were ſo many Angels newly dropt from heaven: take upon them glorious titles to that purpoſe, as Watch-men, Prophets, ſpiritual-men, &c. Theſe titles proved ſnares to many that enquired not narrowly into them: and eſpecially becauſe they preached placentia, ſoothed men up in their ſinnes, ſowed pillows under their elbowes, dawb'd with untempered morter, &c. Hence ſilly people lent both their ears to them (as birds do to the lure, or whiſtle of the fowler) and were ſoon enſnared.

the prophet is as a ſnare of a fowler, &c.] Seducers have their pithonologie, their art to perſwade before they teach, as the Valentinians had: they are cunning and inſinuate as Zanchy teſtifieth of Laelius Socinus, that, by propounding queſtions, he ſought to enſnare him,Zanch. de trib. Eloh. praefat. ſemper interrogans quaſi cuperet doceri, labouring to drop into him certain dangerous principles of the Samoſatenian hereſie. This ſlie trick they have learned of that old manſlayer the devil, who by theſe Emiſſaries of his catcheth ſimple people, as the fowler doth the bird, by caſting baits: or as the fiſher, by one fiſh catcheth another, that he may feed upon both.

And hatred in the houſe of his God.] Satanicall hatred (as in the former verſe) which theſe wicked watch-men do ſtir up againſt the true Prophets, and faithfull ſervants of God. Diodate carrieth it thus, Theſe wicked watch-men are the chief occaſion of Gods hatred, and of the rejection of his people, who are as it were his family. Luther, Wigandus, and others ſet this ſence upon the whole verſe. (taking the former part to be ſpoken of the good watch-men) Thoſe ancient watch-men of Ephraim were joyned with my God, and wholly for him: but thoſe at this day are a ſnare; &c. and if there be any yet left of the former ſtock, they have left off to do good, and are become hatefull, as Pſal. 36.2, 3. their iniquity is found to be hatefull. There are that render the words by way of exclamation thus, Orem odioſam & abominandam in domo Dei! Oh hideous and hatefull! oh how hath the devil beſtirred him, to ſtir up ſuch Seducers, to do ſo much miſchief among Gods people! There are that interpret theſe two Verſes, not of falſe Prophets, but of the true, who were looked upon as fools and mad men, by the mad world; ever beſide it ſelf in point of ſalvation, &c. It is not for nought that Rivet ſaith, Hi due verſus ſatis ſunt intricati. theſe two verſes are very intricate. And of this eight verſe Luther ſaith, that the brevity thereof hath cauſed obſcurity. Druſius alſo ſaith, Locus iſte difficilior eſt quam vulgus exiſtimat; This text is harder, then moſt men imagine.

Verſe 9. They have deeply corrupted themſelves, as in the dayes of Gibeah:] The people are as bad as poſſible, ſhameleſly, lawleſly wicked: nothing better then thoſe ſonnes of Belial the men of Gibeah, that were ſunk to ſins bottom:Judg. 19. totally transformed into ſinnes image, extreamly flagitious, ſo that a worſe people could hardly be found upon the face of the earth. As it was given in anſwer to a godly man who deſired to know of God, why Phocas was ſet up for Emperour?Cedren. becauſe there could not be a worſe man found, and that the ſinnes of Chriſtians required it. Lipſius maketh mention of one Tubulus (about Tullies time) who was ſo deſperately wicked, ut ejus nomen non hominis ſed vitij eſſe videretur, that his name ſeemed to be the name not of a man, but of wickedneſſe it ſelf.Lipſ antiq. lection. Lo ſuch were theſe men of Gibeah, Judg. 19. nothing behind Sodomites in ſinne: as Samaria now was nothing behinde them, and is therefore fitly coupled with her ſiſter Sodom, Ezek. 16.46. The reaſon of all which is here given, their wicked watch-men: according to that, Eſay 3.12. qui te ducunt, ſeducunt. They which lead thee, cauſe thee to erre: and again, Eſay 9.16. The leaders of this people cauſe them to erre; and they that are led of them are deſtroyed. It is thought that the Gibeah here mentioned, and to which this verſe relateth, was the ſame which Joſh. 21.17. is called Gebah; which was a city given to the Prieſts, who being lords and owners of the Town, were (probably) the ring-leaders of the reſt in that matchleſſe villany;Rom. 1.32. and ſo were of the number of thoſe worſt of ſinners, who knowing the judgement of God (that they which commit ſuch things are worthy of death) not onely do the ſame, but have pleaſure in them that do them.

Now will he remember their iniquities, and viſit their ſinnes.] Now that they had filled up the meaſure of their fathers ſinnes, Matth. 23.32. nay ſought to outſinne them, Et puduit non eſſe impudentes (as Auſtin ſaith ſomewhere) God would forbear them no longer. Let this b[illegible: 1 letter]hoted, by ſuch as being told of their vile and vicious practiſes, plead that they do but as their forefathers did. Certainly if the times be as ill as they were heretofore, they are even for that cauſe much the worſe; and God will the ſooner remember and viſit, pay wicked men for the new and the old. See chap. 8.13.

Verſe 10. I found Iſrael like grapes in the wilderneſſe,] Where any thing is good and ſweet, becauſe in a barren and ſolitary place. Hence they are ſaid to have ſucked honey out of the rock, Deut. 32.13. that is, water as ſweet as honey, becauſe in ſuch neceſſity. The Vine and Fig-tree are of ſo great account, as that Jotham in his parable brings in the trees, offering the ſoveraigne power to them, Judg. 9.10, 12. To theſe two noble and uſefull trees, and to their moſt ſeaſonable and comfortable fruit doth the Lord here compare Iſrael: to grapes in the wilderneſſe,Mic. 7.1[illegible: 2 letters] and to the firſt-ripe figs, quae delicatis in ſummo ſunt precio, which are counted great dainties. Our Saviour came with great deſire to the fig-tree. Matth. 21.19. his ſoul deſired the firſt ripe fruits: and though they had not been full ripe, he could have been glad of them, even of the firſt-fruits of the fig tree, at her firſt-time, as it is here, in primordio ejus, of thoſe untimely fruits which the fig-tree caſteth when ſhaken of a mighty winde, Rev. 6.12. By this expreſſion then is ſet forth Gods dear and free love to Iſrael, when he found him in a deſert land, in the waſt howling wilderneſſe: he compaſſed him about, he inſtructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye, Deut. 32.10. All this and more he did for them, ex m[illegible: 1 letter]ro motu, out of pure and unexcited love, according to his own heart, according to the good pleaſure of his will, he loved them becauſe he loved them, Deut. 7.7, 8. and 10.14. in the wilderneſſe eſpecially, where they grieved him fourty years together, and tempted him ten times, Num. 14.22. But God had ſaid of Iſrael, He is my ſonne, even my firſt-born, Exod. 4.22. and ſo, higher then the kings of the earth, Pſal. 89.27. He had choſen him for his love, and now loved him for his choice. This ſonne of his he called out of Egypt, to keep a feaſt to the Lord in the wilderneſſe, Exod. 5.1. that is to ſerve him, Exod. 4.23. to ſerve him acceptably, Heb. 12.28. to ſet up his pure worſhip according to his own preſcript in the Mount, Exod. 25.40. This was altogether as delightfull to God, as grapes in the wilderneſſe are to a wearied parched traveller. And this the rather, becauſe it was the kindneſſe of their youth, Ʋno anno ſepties fructus ſufficit. the love of their eſpouſals, which was as the firſt ripe of the figs, in the firſt time, at the firſt bearing: for the fig-tree bears twice a year: and the Egyptian fig-tree ſeven times a year, ſaith Solinus. Now the firſt-ripe-fruits are Ladies-meat, we ſay, or longing-meat. Gods ſoul doth even long after the firſt-ripe-fruits, Mich. 7.1. as we prize even Nettle-buds, when they bud out firſt. If the Vine do but flouriſh, the Pomgranates bud, the tender grapes appear, Cant. 6.11. & 7.12. he will pour his ſpirit upon the ſeed, and his bleſſing upon the buds, Eſay 44.3. Hee liketh not thoſe arbores autumnales, Jude 12. that bud at latter end of harveſt: he made choice of the Almond-tree, Ier. 1.11. becauſe it bloſſometh firſt. So he called for firſt-fruits of the trees, and of the earth, in the ſheaf, in the threſhing-floor, in the dough, in the loaves: yea for ears of corn dried by the fire, and wheat beaten out of the green ears, Lev. 2.14. to ſignifie how pleaſant unto him is the primroſe of our age.

but they went to Baal-peor,] See Num. 25.3. with the Note. Heb. they went in to him, which obſcoenum quid & turpe denotat, as Gen. 16.2. ſo Pſal. 106.28. They joyned themſelves alſo to Baal-peor, and ate the ſacrifices of the dead, that is, ſacrifices offered to the infernall Gods, or to Pluto the Devil (whom the Phoenicians called Moth, or Death) in the behalf of the dead.

and ſeparated themſelves,] Heb. Nazarited themſelves, ad religiosè colendum: they became Votaries, to that ſhame,] i.e. to that ſhamefull and abominable Idoll, that bluſhfull Priapus, Tarn[illegible: 2 letters]. qui referebat viri pudendi ſpeciem: and whoſe worſhippers are brought in ſaying, Nos, pudore pulſo, ſtamus ſub Iove, coleis apertis, &c. [non-Latin text not transcribed], we rake a dunghill (as Cyril ſpeaks in like caſe) in diſcourſing of ſuch dunghill-deities. Iſidor interpreteth Baal-peor, ſimulachrum ignominiae, an image of ignominy: and moſt ſure it is, that idolaters, left off their Idols in deepeſt dangers, ſhall be aſhamed of their expectation of help from them, Jer. 3.19. and 11.13.

and their abominations were according as th[illegible: 1 letter] loved.] Or, according as they liſted, ſo ſome interpret it: or, according as they loved the Moabitiſh women more or leſſe, ſo they worſhipped their Idols: Solomon did the ſame. Or, they became as deteſtable as their very Idols, which they loved and worſhipped. Or, I abominate them as much now as ever I loved them before: and how much that was he had ſhewed in the beginning of the Verſe. Now there is nothing that goeth more to Gods heart, then the loſſe of his love upon an unthankfull people. He had healed their back-ſlidings in Egypt (where they had worſhipped Idols, Ezek. 16.) hee had loved them freely, and immenſely. Now therefore that they ſhould ſo ſlight ſuch a love, to go after ſuch a ſhame, and ſo to undo themſelves for ever; this was monſtrous ingratitude, this was an unſufferable injury.

Verſe 11. As for Ephraim, their glory ſhall flee away as a bird,] Heb. Ephraim by a Nominative abſolute. Or, O Ephraim, as with a ſigh, or a ſhriek, for grief and horrour of their enſuing calamity, exilium, excidium, & exitium. The Lord afflicts not willingly, nor grieves the children of men, Lam. 3.33. It goes as much againſt the heart with him, as againſt the hair with us; witneſſe this patheticall expreſſion. See alſo chap. 11.8. Their glory, that is, their God, as in the next verſe. Or,Hier. Epiſt. 7. their children, as in the next words. They worſhipped Baal-peor for fruitfulneſſe; but it ſhall not do: For either they ſhall be puniſhed with barrenneſſe, or elſe with a luctuoſa foecunditas (as Hierom ſaith of Loeta, who buried many children) a dolefull fruitfulneſſe.

their glory ſhall flee away as a bird,] Suddenly, ſwiftly, irrecoverably, ſhall their numerous poſterity (which they looked upon as themſelves multiplied and eternized) be cut off, be ſnatcht away by the hand of death: ſo that (Rachel like) they ſhall refuſe to be comforted, becauſe her children were not: or as Cratiſiclea in Plutarch, Plut. in vi[illegible: 1 letter]. Cleom. who ſeeing her dear children ſlain before her, and her ſelf ready to be ſerved in like ſort, uttered onely this word, Quò pueri, eſtis profecti? Poor children, what's become of you?

From the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.] In all theſe ſtates ſhall the curſe follow them cloſe: Either they ſhall not conceive, or die in the womb, or be ſtifled in the birth: they ſhall all prove Icabods. It is God that gives ſtrength to conceive, as he did to Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth, &c. It is he that formeth us in the womb, and that by the book, Pſal. 139.15, 16. and preſerveth us there, Job 10.8. when neither we can ſhift for our ſelves, nor our parents provide for us. It is he that taketh us thence, Pſal. 22.9, 10. as a nurſe or midwife doth the new-born babe. It is he that keepeth us in the cradle, and in childhood, when we are ſubject to a thouſand deaths and dangers: for puerilitas eſt periculorum pelagus: it is a juſt wonder that any childe attains to maturity. But if wicked mens children do ſo, as oft they do, (for they are full of children, and leave the reſt of their ſubſtance to their babes, Pſal. 17.14.) yet it follows,

Verſe 12, Though they bring up children, yet will I bereave them,] If his children be multiplied, it is for the ſword, and his off-ſpring ſhall not be ſatisfied with bread, Iob 27.14. This was fulfilled in Ahabs ſeventy ſonnes, beheaded together, 2 King. 10.6. in whom he had vainly promiſed himſelf the eſtabliſhment of his houſe, which God had threatned to root out: In Iehu and his poſterity after the fourth generation: Thoſe Romans that went out againſt the enemy at the Porta ſcelerata (as it was thereupon called) and never returned again: and that Eckins Raſchachius a German Captain, at the ſiege of Buda, Anno 1541. whoſe ſonne a valiant young Gentleman, being got out of the army without his fathers knowledge, bare himſelf ſo gallantly in fight againſt the enemy, in the ſight of his father and the Army, that he was highly commended of all men, and eſpecially of his father, that knew him not at all. Yet before he could clear himſelf, he was compaſſed in by the enemy, and valiantly fighting, ſlain. Raſchachius exceedingly moved with the death of ſo brave a man, ignorant how near he touched himſelf, turning about to the other Captains ſaid, This worthy Gentleman, whatſoever he be, is worthy of eternall commendation, and to be moſt honourably buried by the whole Army. As the reſt of the Captains were with like compaſſion approving his ſpeech, the dead body of the unfortunate ſonne reſcued, was preſented to the moſt miſerable father; which cauſed all them that were there preſent to ſhed tears.Turk. hiſt. But ſuch a ſudden and inward grief ſurprized the aged father, and ſtruck ſo to his heart, that after he had ſtood a while ſpeechleſſe, with his eyes ſet in his head, he ſuddenly fell down dead.

Yea, wo alſo to them when I depart from them,] This is indeed worſe then all the reſt: this is that onely evil ſpoken of by Ezekiel: hell it ſelf is nothing elſe but a ſeparation from Gods preſence, with the ill conſequents thereof: and the tears of hell are not ſufficient to bewail the loſſe of that beatificall viſion. How miſerable was Cain, when caſt off by God? Saul, when forſaken of him? David, when deſerted though but for a few moneths? Iob for a few years, Suidas ſaith ſeven? While God was graciouſly with him, and proſpered him, he was Iobab, (that ſame mentioned Gen. 36, 34, as ſome think) but when under ſenſe of Gods abſence, contracted into Iob. See the like, Gen. 17.5. Ruth. 1.20. His deſertion was far more comfortable then Davids: it was probationall. onely, but Davids penall, for chaſtiſement of ſome way of wickedneſſe. O lay we hold upon God (as the ſpouſe doth upon her beloved) and cry as the Prophet did, Lord leave us not. Jer. 14.9. If he ſeem to be about, and his back be turned, cry aloud afrer him, as the blinde man in the Goſpel did, till Ieſus ſtood: ſet up thy note, as Micha did after his loſt idols, Iudg. 18.24. Ye have taken away my Gods, ſaith he, and what have I more? as if he ſhould have ſaid, I eſteem all that you have left me as nothing, now that my gods are gone. Jeruſalem the joy of the whole earth pleaſed not Abſalom, unleſſe hee might ſee Davids face. God was no ſooner gone from Miriam, but the leproſie appeared in her face. But of this before.

Verſe 13. Ephraim, as I ſaw Tyrus, is planted in a pleaſant place:] And therefore pleaſeth himſelf as not forſaken of God. But He maybe angry enough with thoſe that yet outwardly proſper: As he was with the old world buried in ſecurity:Herod. l. 1. Plin. l. 6. cap. 26. with ſodom, who had fulneſſe of bread, and abundance of idleneſſE: with the land of Shinar (where Babel was built, Gen. 11.) fruitfull beyond credulity, as Herodotus and Pliny teſtifie, with Tyrus a maritine and magnificent city, planted in a pleaſant place, in the very heart of the Sea; as Venice is at this day, mediâ inſuperabilis undâ, environed with her embracing Neptune, to whom (as the ceremony of her throwing a ring into the Sea implies) ſhe marrieth her ſelf with yearly Nuptials, and hath for her Motto, Nec fluctu, nec flatu movetur, Nor windes, nor waves can ſtir her. Of the pomp, pride, and populouſneſſe of Tyrus read Ezech. 26, 27, & 28. chapters. Lo ſuch a one was Ephraim, when ripe for ruine, near to an utter downfall. What can be more fair and flouriſhing then a corn-field, or vineyard, a little afore the harveſt, the vintage? Phyſicians ſay, that the uttermoſt degree of bodily health is next unto ſickneſſe. Glaſſe, or other metals caſt into the fire, ſhine moſt, when ready to melt and run. This was Tyrus caſe, this was Ephraims, pleaſantly planted, but marked out for deſtruction: as a Carpenter cometh to a Wood, and with his Ax marketh out the faireſt trees for felling. Ephraim is the worſe becauſe he ſeeth Tyrus yet proſper. But God will take that from heathen Tyrus, that he will not take from Ephraim: and the ſun-ſhine of proſperity doth but ripen the ſins of them both for divine vengeance.

They ſhall bring forth children to the murtherers.] As to Gods executioners: and ſo ſhew themſelves not parents, but parricides: becauſe they betray their children (as Babel did, by her idolatry, Pſal. 137.8. and Eſay 13.8.) into the hands of the enemy. Wherein they are more cruell then that falſe School-maſter in Italy (mentioned by Livy and Florus) that brought forth his ſcholars (the flower of the Nobility and Gentry there) to Hannibal: who if he had not been more mercifull then otherwiſe, they had all been murthered. But what ſhall we ſay of ſuch wretched parents, as bring forth children to that old man-ſlayer the devil? and how ſhall ſuch undone children curſe their careleſſe parents in hell, throughout all eternity? If the Lord alſo could ſay of thoſe poor children that were ſacrificed to Moloch (the Chaldee paraphraſe underſtands this Text of thoſe children) Thou haſt ſlain my children, and delivered them, to cauſe them to paſſe thorow the fire for them (namely for the images of the foreſaid idols) Ezek. 16.27. what will he ſay, or rather what will he not ſay, to thoſe bloody parents, that carry their children with them, to Satans ſlaughter-houſe?

Verſe 14. Give them O Lord: what wilt thou give?] This queſtion implieth abundance of affection in the Prophet, praying for this forlorn people devoted to deſtruction. It is the property of gracious ſpirits, to be more ſenſible of, and more deeply affected with the calamities that are coming upon the wicked, then thoſe wicked ones themſelves are: as Daniel was for Nebuchadnezzar, whoſe dream hee had interpreted,Dan. 4. and as Habakkuk was for the Chaldeans, whoſe deſtruction hee had fore-prophecied, Hab. 3.16. Hoſeah likewiſe (out of great commiſeration of Ephraims direfull and dreadfull condition) ſets himſelf to pray for them; though himſelf ſeems ſet at a ſtand, and in a manner non-pluſt, that he cannot well tell what to ask for them. God once made a fair offer to a foul ſinner, even to Ahaz, that ſturdy ſtigmatick, Eſay 7.11. Ask thee a ſigne of the Lord the God: ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz ſaid, (churiiſhly enough) I will not ask, neither will I try the Lord, ver. 12. he would none of Gods kindneſſe, which yet the Lord there heapeth upon him verſe 14. that where ſin abounded, grace might ſuperabound. Had our Prophet had but half ſuch an offer, or any the leaſt ſuch encouragement, oh how gladly would he have embraced it, how haſtily would he have catch at it, as thoſe Syrians did at Ahabs kind words, 1 King. 20.33? But he, conſidering the ſeverity and certainty of Gods judgments denounced againſt them, verſ. 12, 13. and being much amazed thereat, ſets himſelf to intercede and make requeſt for his deplored countreymen; as Samuel did for Saul rejected by God, 1 Sam. 16.1. as Paul did for the obdurate Jews, Rom. 9.3. And becauſe he ſaw that he could not obtain of the impartiall Judge of the world, to let go ſuch an impenitent people altogether unpuniſhed, he begs for them, that of two evils they may ſuffer the leaſt: and rather bring forth no children at all, or children that may die as ſoon as born (this had been threatned verſ. 11, 12.) then bring forth children to the murtherer: It being the greateſt miſery that can befall a tender hearted parent, to ſee his dear children butchered before his eyes, as Zedekiah and Mauricius the Emperour did: and before them both the king of Edom, whoſe eldeſt ſonne, was by the king of Moab ſacrificed upon the wall, in his fathers ſight, 2 King. 3.27. Amos 2.1. Thus Rabbi Kimchi giveth the ſenſe of this text: Give Lord, what thou wilt give? viz. that they may ſuffer in the womb, or at leaſt in their infancy, that which they ſhould otherwiſe ſuffer by the enemies ſword: Confer, Jer. 20.18. Luk. 23.23. Eccleſ. 4.2. Job. 3. The prophet knew well that God is never ſo bitterly bent againſt a people or perſon, but that ſomething he will yeeld to faithful and fervent prayer, Mat. 24.20.

Flectitur iratus voce rogante Deus.

Verſ. 15. All their wickedneſſe is in Gilgal,] We have had the prophets prayer: Followes now the Lords anſwer in this and the following verſe, where we have the former threats repeated, to ſhew that God was unchangeably reſolved upon their ruine; and that firſt for their Idolatry, ſecondly, for their other vile practiſes, thirdly, for the apoſtaſie of their Princes: All this here. Their Idolatry was the worſe, becauſe committed at Gilgal, where God had done much for their forefathers: See the Note above on Chap. 4.15. The quality of the place addes much to the greatneſſe of the ſinne, Eſay. 26. In the land of uprightneſſe they will deal unjuſtly, Eſay. 25.10. the faithfull city is become an harlot, Eſay. 1.21. Eſay. 5.7. he looked for judgement, but behold a ſcab, The devil deſireth to ſet up himſelf in ſuch places, as have been formerly eminent for Gods ſincere ſervice, as Gilgal once was, 1 Sam. 10.8. and 11.15. for the ark of the covenant was there, which theſe Idolaters had not. So in the holy land, (as they ſtill call it) which is poſſeſſed by Mahometans, and Papiſts: So Wittenberg, where Luther firſt began to reform, is now deformed by divers errours and hereſies, as Polanus obſerveth. Wilkinſon againſt the Familiſts reports the like of Colcheſter in Eſſex.

For there I hated them,] Angry I was with them before, and grieved for their other miſdoings: but their idolatry hath enraged me with an holy hatred of them, and that there, where I ſhewed greateſt love to their ſorefathers. God thinks the worſe of ſuch places wherein Idolaters reſt and rooſt: like as he thinks the better of the towns and houſes, where his faithful ſervants inhabit, as Eſay. 49.16. their wals are ever before him.

For the wickedneſſe of their doings I will drive them out,] Revenge and expulſion is the next effect of hatred. There is a great deal of other wicked doings, where idolatry (that wickedneſſe with a witneſſe as it is here ſtiled) is ſet up. Surely of this abominable thing we may well ſay as Saint James doth of diſcord; where envying and ſtrife is, there is confuſion and every evil work, Jam. 3.16. But God will not endure ſuch doings in his houſe: David would not in his, Pſal. 101. Solomon entertained Jeroboam into his houſe & ſervice, becauſe he ſaw the young man was meet for the work, 1 King. 11.28. but he proved a miſchief to and againſt his houſe. Many now adayes ſcruple not to entertain and harbour ſuch as are ſerviceable, though otherwiſe their religion be either a popiſh puppet and calf worſhip, or a flat irreligion. Theſe have little of God in them.

I will drive them out of mine houſe, ſaith he, I will love them no more,] A fearful ſentence, like that Jer. 16.13. I will ſhew them no favour: this was worſe to them, then their captivity there threatened. Ephraim had a great deal of outward peace and proſperity, but love they had none; becauſe none of thoſe graces that flow from election, and accompany ſalvation. Theſe are Gods love-tokens, that all muſt court: But oh I take heed (ſaith one) if thou add'ſt any more to thy wickedneſſes, leſt that this dreadful ſentence be pronounced in heaven againſt thee, I will love thee no more, Heb. I will adde no more to love thee.

All their Princes are revolters,] Col ſarehem ſorerim, an elegancy paſt engliſhing. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Dan. Hiſt. of Eng. fol. 207. the Princes were all rebellious and refractary, uncounſellable, unperſwadable (as the Seventy render it) like that king of Scotland that would ſeldom ask counſel, but never follow any: ſo wedded he was to his own will. Elati ſuperbiâ volebani ſuperiores eſſe verbo, ſaith Luther upon this text. Jeroboam-like they would ſtretch out their hand againſt a prophet, that ſhould crie againſt their altars,1 Kin. 13.4. and deal plainly with them, as Hoſea here doth: teſtifying to their faces that they were all Apoſtates, and made Iſrael ſin. Princes ſhould be the Lord-keepers of both tables of the Law; as it was written upon the ſword of Charles the Great:Decem praceptorum cuſtos Carolur. But when they are naught, as here, the people take after them. Principis vita cenſura eſt & cynoſura.

Verſ. 16. Ephraim is ſmitten,] As a tree that hath received a deadly wound, or that hath the bark pulled off it, ſo that the ſap cannot find the way to the branches: or that is blaſted, as the fig-tree in the Goſpel was by Chriſts curſe; and as a vine ſmitten by great hailſtones, and beaten down to the ground. The Lord ſhall ſmite Iſrael, ſaith another Prophet, as a reed is ſhaken in the water, and he ſhal root up Iſrael, &c. 1 King. 14.15. root and branch in one day.

The root is dried up, they ſhal bear no fruit,] The root of the righteous ſhall not be moved, Prov. 12, 3. The root of the matter is found in me, ſaith Job. Chap. 19.28. the holy ſeed ſhall be the ſubſtance thereof. Eſay. 6.13. as a teyl-tree, and as an oak, whoſe ſubſtance is in them, ib. The Duke of Florence gave for his enſigne a great tree with many ſpreading boughes, one of them being cut off with this poſie, Vno avulſo non deficit alter Aureus. Virg. But it is otherwiſe with the ungodly; as it was with Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4.14. nay, worſe; for not ſo much as a ſtump of their roots is left in the earth, Verſ. 15. but they are written in the earth, Jer. 17.13. written childleſſe, Jer. 22.30. their root is dried up, the parents ſhall periſh; they ſhall bear no fruit, beget no children, which are the fruit of the womb, Deut. 28.11, 18. Luk. 1.42. Doegs doom ſhall befall them, Pſal. 52.5. God ſhall deſtroy thee for ever; he ſhall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

Yea, though they bring forth,] as Ahab did ſeventy ſonnes, after that God had threatened his utter extirpation, following the work of generation ſo much the rather; ſee the note on verſe 13.

Yet I will ſlay,] for it is God that lets in, and ſets on the enemy; it is he that killeth and maketh alive, 1 Sam. 2.6.

Even the beloved fruit of their womb.] Heb. their deſires, or their deſireable ones,Valete mea deſideria, valete. Cic. ep. fam. l. 14. ep. 2. their deareſt children, called by Tully alſo his deſideria. The Latines ſeem to have their filius a ſon, from [non-Latin text not transcribed] beloved; there is an Ocean of love in a fathers heart:Tres vomicas tria carcinomata. Sueton. though the more he loveth, the leſſe he is loved ſometimes, (as David by Abſalom) and is ſure if he belong to God. to be croſſed in his earthly Idol. Children are certain cares but uncertain comforts: they may prove, as Auguſtus his three children did, whom he called his three ulcers or cankers, &c.

Verſ. 17. My God wil caſt them away,] My God, not their God, for they are caſt-awayes and Apoſtates: ſee the like, 1 Iohn. 5.17. and learn to ſtick to God the cloſer, when others ſtart from him; & to ſecure our own intereſt in a general defection, by ſiding with God, and ſubſcribing as here the prophet doth, to his perfect righteouſneſſe in the rejection and deſtruction of reprobates.

Wil caſt them away] with diſdain and deteſtation, as vile and execrable. He will do it, ſaith the prophet here, not without a great deal of grief, as finding that God was fully reſolved, and would not alter. The eternity of Iſrael will not he, nor repent;1 Sam. 15. for he is not a man, that he ſhould repent, ſaith Samuel to Saul, that caſtaway and it is very dreadful: as indeed it is for any wicked men to have ſuch as have intereſt in God, to declare againſt them; ſith the ſecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Pſal. 25.14. and their ſentence is not to be ſlighted. Gods meſſengers eſpecially, out of their acquaintance with their maſters proceedings, can foreſee and foretel a puniſhment.

Becauſe they did not hearken unto him,] Haec not abilis eſt ſententia, This is a notable ſentence, ſaith Luther upon the text; and worthy to be written upon all our walls and windows. Death came into the world by the ear, ſo muſt life: for it is, Hear and your ſoules ſhal live; and they that will not hear the inſtruction of life, are doomed to deſtruction, as were Eli's ſonnes, 1 Sam. 2.25. and Amaziah, 2 Chro. 25.16. A heavy ear is a ſingular judgement, Eſay. 6.10. an uncircumciled ear a forerunner of ruine, Jer. 6.10, 11. O pray God to pull off that filthy foreskin and to give us an hearing ear, (that way to wiſedom) an underſtanding heart, ſuch as Solomon begged, 1 King 3.9. Pray, that he would bore our ears, as Pſal. 40.6. and make the bore big enough, that we may not onely hear, but hearken; liſten as for life, hear and give ear, be not proud, for the Lord hath ſpoken it, Jer. 13.15. when God hath ſpoken once, let us bear it twice, as David did, Pſal. 62.11. he preacht over the Sermon again to himſelf at home. We muſt do with the words directions, as we do with oyl to a ſtiffe joynt; rub and chafe them on our hearts by deep and frequent meditation and prayer: leſt elſe we hear with theſe in the text.

Becauſe they did not hearken unto him, they ſhal be wanderers among the nations,]Gen. 4.12. Heb. Nodedim: Cains curſe ſhall befall them. A fugitive and a vagabond ſhal I be upon the earth, but could not wander ſo wide as to miſſe of hell; nor flie ſo far as from his own evil conſcience. Lo, this is the caſe of theſe wandering Jewes, a diſjected and deſpiſed nation exiled out of the world by a common conſent of all people, till God turn again their captivity as the ſtreams in the ſouth, till he gather the out-caſts of Iſrael.