John Trapp on Hosea 9:10

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.