HOSEA CHAPTER 8 Destruction is threatened both to Israel and Judah for their impiety and idolatry. The Lord here commands the prophet to publish, as by sound of trumpet, that which God will bring upon apostate Israel, awaken them with the alarm of war. HE; the king of Assyria, Shalmaneser, who carri... [ Continue Reading ]
ISRAEL, the ten tribes, SHALL CRY in deep distress; when the Assyrian rangeth over their country, when Samaria is besieged, they will cry out aloud, but hypocritically; they will roar, but not pray. MY GOD; then they will look to the ancient alliance and league between their fathers and me. WE KNOW... [ Continue Reading ]
This seems to be the answer God by his prophet gives to Israel; in the first part of the verse he doth refute their pretence of a peculiar relation and interest in God, in the latter he tells them what they must expect. ISRAEL, the whole house of Israel, hath. east off, with an abhorrence, as an adu... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY; Israel, the prevailing faction among them in Hosea's time. HAVE SET UP KINGS; Shallum, Menahem, Pekah, and Hoshea, who usurped the throne. BUT NOT BY ME; not by my direction, or with my approbation; they neither prayed his blessing nor asked his leave. And this may be applied to the very first... [ Continue Reading ]
THY CALF; Jeroboam at first set up two calves, at Dan and Beth-el, but it is probable that in process of time there were more set up in other places, for when Israel forgot his God he built temples, HOSEA 8:14. The calf then here is the chief idol set up in Samaria, and worshipped there. The prophet... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR, or because, FROM ISRAEL, by their invention and authority, was it also, both the idol and the worship of it. THE WORKMAN, the founder, silversmith, or goldsmith, MADE IT; fashioned the calf. THEREFORE IT IS NOT GOD; you are sottish fools to think it is a god: if the making it will not convince... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR; since that; or, for so much as; or, verily; so the Hebrew particle is sometimes used, ISAIAH 7:9. THEY HAVE SOWN THE WIND; a proverbial speech, to denote either lost labour, or, which is much worse, labour that will undo and tear to pieces him that laboureth: both these are in the verse. Man's... [ Continue Reading ]
In the former verse the prophet foretells the lost labour of such pains and seed as Ephraim bestowed; now he addeth somewhat more dreadful, the harvest is ruin and destruction to the seedsman, he is swallowed up; and this is the effect of the whirlwind, HOSEA 8:7: ordinarily whirlwinds scatter the f... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet gives now an account why Israel was so impoverished, and why they should be so severely punished, why so punished of God, and why so slighted by man. THEY ARE GONE UP TO ASSYRIA; either gone, i.e. have sent ambassadors with rich presents to purchase assistance from Assyria, or gone with... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, THOUGH; or, Yea, because; they think this the way to prevent their calamities, but it shall appear this was the ready way to bring their calamities upon them; and forasmuch as they have hired the aid of the nations to secure them against their God and his judgments, therefore, &c. GATHER THEM;... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE: this refers to what follows. EPHRAIM HATH MADE MANY ALTARS; multiplied either to many idols, every one having his altar, or multiplied altars in several places to the same idol. They had many high places, and altars in all of them. TO SIN; both as acting against the law of God, which requir... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE WRITTEN: some read it in the future, and by way of question, Shall I write? but most read as we, in the perfect or past tense, I have written, by Moses first, by other prophets afterwards; the law was given to them, as well as to the two tribes. GREAT THINGS; for their importance, weighty; fo... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SACRIFICE; or, As for sacrifices, my gifts, so some, taking the words absolute and in apposition, read them, and perhaps they are plainer and closer connected with the former when so taken. I have written to them, and they count it a strange thing; and the sacrifices and gifts which they call m... [ Continue Reading ]
ISRAEL; the ten revolted idolatrous tribes. HATH FORGOTTEN; the same with HOSEA 2:5, which see; or HOSEA 4:1,6. Either remembers not at all, or it is without love, thankfulness, and consideration what becomes him towards God. _His Maker_; who made, who preserved, who advanced them, and gave them all... [ Continue Reading ]