HOSEA CHAPTER 13 Ephraim's glory vanisheth by reason of idolatry, HOSEA 13:1. God's former care of his people: for their abuse of his benefits he will destroy them, HOSEA 13:4. A promise of mercy and redemption from the grave, HOSEA 13:9. The judgment of Samaria for rebellion, HOSEA 13:15,16. WHEN;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW, though they are admonished, threatened, and in part punished, yet now that Baal is taken in for a god and worshipped, THEY SIN MORE AND MORE; they go on to sin, and add new idolatries to the old, they increase the number of their sins; in some respect their new sins are greater than those c... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE; for these sins in multiplied idolatries and trusting to idols. THEY, Ephraim, his king, his captains, his fortresses, and aids, shall be, in the day of the Assyrian invasion, suddenly, easily, totally, and finally dispersed, expressed here by four similes, every one very apt and full, cle... [ Continue Reading ]
YET, though thou hast so revolted, and chosen other gods, it is not occasioned by any change in me, I AM what I was, THE LORD, the mighty God, the everlasting God, Jehovah. _Thy God from the land of Egypt_; thy God who alone brought thee out of Egypt, and who hath maintained thy lot; the calves and... [ Continue Reading ]
I DID KNOW, owned, took care of, guided, and supplied, thee, O Israel, in thy fathers, IN THE WILDERNESS; through which for forty years together thou wast moving, and foundest nothing for thy sustenance but what my miraculous goodness and power gave thee; through those many deserts thou never didst... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO THEIR PASTURE, SO WERE THEY FILLED; when they were come into Canaan, that land of springs, brooks, and rivers, that land of wheat, barley, vines, olives, and figs, as DEUTERONOMY 8:7; when they had abundance of all things for delight, as well as for necessary sustenance; when I had, lik... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE; since they have so abused my gifts by luxury, pride, and atheistical forgetfulness of me, of what I had done for them, what I deserved and expected from them, I will use them as is meet, and take my revenge upon them. I WILL BE UNTO THEM; unthankful, apostates, idolaters, sottish drunkard... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL MEET THEM; I know their haunts, their walks, I will not fail to meet them there. AS A BEAR BEREAVED OF HER WHELPS; robbed of her whelps, newly taken away, which makes her mad with rage; so great rage is proverbially expressed. PROVERBS 17:12. WILL REND THE CAUL OF THEIR HEART; first kill, nex... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST DESTROYED THYSELF; after these menaces it might seem I had destroyed thee, but thou thyself hast done it by thy sins. It is the rebel that destroys himself, though he fall by the sword of his provoked sovereign: thou art the cause and author of thine own ruin. BUT IN ME IS THY HELP; or, FO... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BE THY KING; I would have been thy King to govern and save thee, but thou refusedst me in both; yet I will he thy King to punish thee. I will not lose my right and honour by thy rebellious carriages against me, I will be a King and subdue such: or else it is a taunting question, Where is thy... [ Continue Reading ]
I GAVE THEE A KING IN MINE ANGER; such as Shallum, Menahem, Pekah, &c.; but in displeasure against you. I TOOK HIM AWAY; the Hebrew says not what; I think, their kings mentioned. IN MY WRATH: God was angry when he gave such kings to Israel, and he was no better pleased when he took them away; they w... [ Continue Reading ]
THE INIQUITY, in the singular, instead of the plural, all the iniquities and sins, OF EPHRAIM, the kingdom of the ten tribes, IS BOUND UP; as indictments drawn up and tied together against the day of trial; or as bills and bonds tied up that they may be ready against the day of account, when all mus... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SORROWS OF A TRAVAILING WOMAN: by this simile, well known in Scripture, the prophet assures Ephraim that the punishment of his sins will overtake him suddenly, with very great anguish, and with as great certainty, MICAH 5:3. SHALL COME UPON HIM; as suddenly, inevitably, and with as much danger t... [ Continue Reading ]
Some interpreters render this text not in the future absolute, but in the subjunctive and conditionally, I would have ransomed, I would have redeemed, &c., if Israel had been wise; so it will well cohere with the 13th and 15th verses. And if the words be considered as spoken of the whole body of Isr... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH HE, Ephraim, BE FRUITFUL, at present, as a flourishing tree seems to be fruitful; things in the state seem to be well settled; peace at home, under Hoshea, and peace abroad with Assyria and Egypt. AMONG HIS BRETHREN; and all his brethren surround him, either the rest of the tribes, or the nat... [ Continue Reading ]
SAMARIA, the chief or royal city of the kingdom of Israel, SHALL BECOME DESOLATE; besieged, taken, plundered, and sacked, probably it was razed to the foundation, by the Assyrians, provoked by the treachery first, and by the obstinacy next, of Hoshea, maintaining the siege against Shalmaneser three... [ Continue Reading ]