Matthew Poole and continuators on Hosea 1:6

6 ¶ And she conceived again and bare a daughter ; and God said unto him , Call her name Lo-ruhamah : for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel : but I will utterly take them away .

Gomer, the Hieroglyphick Wife, who was to be a sign to Israel.

Whether Vi[illegible: 1 letter]ionally or really, it comes to one.

Which is to be a sign too, as was her Mother. It is too nice which Ribera observes, that the state grew weaker, as appear'd by the bringing forth of one of the weaker Sex. This Daughter was fit to be an Emblem, and therefore 'tis a daughter rather than a Son, though 'twill be next a Son and no Daughter. But Lo-ruhamah is Feminine, and in congruity of speech it must be a Female who bears this name.

As before God imposed, so now again he imposeth a name, signifying what he would do with Israel. Though God direct what it shall be, the Prophet is to give the name.

Not pitied. Israels name had been through many Ages Ruhamah, i. e. Pitied. God had with marvellous Patience forborn them, and with tender bowels pitied them, and saved them from Enemies, but now Israel should be no more pitied as formerly, God would throw them up to the Rage of Usurpers, and to the merciless hands of prosperous Conspirators, so Menahem merciless ript up women with child in Tiphsah, 2 King. 15.16. And God gave up this bloody Tyrant into the hand of Tiglath Pileser.

I was wont to add Mercy unto Mercy for Israel, I was never weary of shewing them Mercy, but I will do no more so for them; my pity saved them in Ieroboams time and raised them to a great height and glory, but now they shall, unpitied by me, sink lower and lower; Restraints of Divine Pity are sure fore-runners of destruction. Ier. 13.14.

This to me seems a qualifying of the former threat; though the house of Israel as a body politick, as a Kingdom, under this character, shall no more be as it hath been, pitied, yet many among them may obtain Mercy in the days of Gospel Grace, and many of them had mercy shew'd to them by the Lord, when they join'd with Iudah in the return from Babylons Captivity, but the whole house, the families of the ten Tribes, united in a Kingdom, shall no more be to God Ruhamah, but ever Lo-ruhamah, Thus it hath been through the long series of 2400 years and more.

Taking away, I will take away, till the whole Kingdom is utterly overthrown, and removed out of the land wherein it once had flourished. Thus some were taken away by the sword of Civil wars, some ruined by oppression of the prevailing Faction in those divided times, whole Cities and all the Land of Naphtha[illegible: 1 letter]i was taken away by Tiglath Pileser, 2 King. 15.29. and at last all swept away by Salmaneser, 2 King. 17.3, 4, 5.

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