Matthew Poole and continuators on Hosea 4:5

5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day , and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night , and I will destroy thy mother .

Because thy sins are so many and so great, and thou art incorrigible in them.

The Prophet turns his speech to the People, thou O Israel; he speaks to them as to one person, they were all of one piece in sin, and should be so one in punishment.

Stumble, and fa[illegible: 1 letter]l, and be broken.

Or this day, i. e. very suddenly your fall shall be presently effected by your enemies power, vigilance and successes; it shall be no longer delayed.

Who spake smooth things, who prophesied lies; the false Prophets of Baal and the groves, Ier. 14.13, 14, 15, 16. and 23.15.

[illegible: 1 letter]e in as sad calamitous condition as any.

Either the Prophet that is with thee, that lived with, and prophesied to this people. Or as we read it, when the people are ruin'd and captivated, with them the false Prophet shall be likewise ruin'd and captivated.

Either proverbially taken, people and prophet shall continually fall; or allusively, both shall fall as a man that falls in the Night. Or else the Prophet shall fall in the darkest Calamities, he shall be covered with thickest Cloud, who falsly foretold and promised light unto such people.

The Lord against whom thou hast sinned.

Cut off, or make to cease, or be silent for ever; Vid. chap. 1. ver. 4. let. n.

Both the State, or Kingdom; and the Synagogues, or mock Churches: The Publick is as Mother to private persons, so all shall be destroyed, which also came to pass before the Prophet H[illegible: 1 letter]s[illegible: 1 letter]a died, he lived to see his Threats fulfilled.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 span]