Matthew Poole and continuators on Hosea 9:8

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.