Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Charles Box Commentaries

Hosea 4:16-19

A backsliding heifer -- Hosea 4:16-19: In their relationship with God Israel was nothing more than a stubborn cow. They had thrown off the yoke and refused submission to God. God would now deal with as a lamb turned out into a large field. Out in the field there would be much more danger of attack by wild beasts. God punished Israel by "turning her out" into exile in Assyria. There she faced sure and certain difficulty.

The name "Ephraim" refereed to the children of Israel or the 10 Northern Tribes. Israel had gone beyond the point of hope so the prophet was told to leave them alone or not to try any more to reform them. The rulers of Israel got drunk; went in to prostitutes, lived vulgar lives and practice covetousness and bribery. Israel was swept away for sacrificing to idols. They shall be so humbled by God that "they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices" to idols.

Continues after advertising

See also Hosea 4:16-19 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Hosea 4:16. _ISRAEL SLIDETH BACK_] They are untractable, like an unbroken heifer or steer, that _pulls back_, rather than _draw in the_ _yoke_. _WILL FEED THEM AS A LAMB IN A LARGE PLACE._] A...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    FOR ISRAEL SLIDETH BACK, AS A BACKSLIDING HEIFER - The calves which Israel worshiped were pictures of itself. They represented natural, untamed, strength, which, when put to service, started back and...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    II. THE MESSAGE OF EXPOSTULATION, JUDGMENT, AND MERCY CHAPTER 4 The Lord's Controversy with His People _ 1. The condition of the people (Hosea 4:1) _ 2. The loss of their priestly relation (Hosea 4...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE UTTER CORRUPTION OF THE NATION TRACED TO IRRELIGION. (The text of Hosea 4:15 is hopelessly corrupt. Marti regards Hosea 4:3 as an insertion and Hosea 4:5_ a_ as foreign to their present context.)...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SLIDETH BACK. hath been stubborn, restive, or intractable, refractory. A LAMB. a young ram of more than. year old. IN. LARGE PLACE. an uninclosed space: i. e. the lands of the heathen....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Judah is cautioned not to fall into the same ruin as Israel, of which a deterrent picture is given....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _slideth back as a backsliding heifer_ Rather, IS STUBBORN LIKE A STUBBORN HEIFER. A favourite figure of the prophets, Hosea 11:4; Jeremiah 31:18; comp. Deuteronomy 32:15. now the Lord will feed them...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 1147 THE EVIL AND DANGER OF BACKSLIDING Hosea 4:16. _Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer_. SUCH is the influence of bad example, that it is extremely difficult to withstand its att...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    FOR ISRAEL SLIDETH, &C.— Houbigant renders it, _As an untamed heifer, when the Lord would have fed them,_ &c. Dr. Chandler observes, that the word סררה _sorerah,_ rendered _backsliding,_ properly sign...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    ISRAEL'S INGRATITUDEJUDAH IS TO DEPART FROM HER TEXT: Hosea 4:15-19 15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place. FOR ISRAEL SLIDETH BACK AS A BACKSLIDING HEIFER - translate, 'Israel is refractory, as a ref...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CONDEMNATION OF THE PRIESTHOOD An arraignment against Israel as a whole, because of all manner of wickedness against God and man. Prophet and priest, who ought to have taught them better, are only to...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SLIDETH BACK.. HEIFER] RV 'hath behaved himself stubbornly like a stubborn heifer,' as yet not fully trained to bear the yoke, which jibs instead of going obediently forward. NOW THE LORD WILL FEED TH...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE MAN WHO NEVER STOPPED LOVING HOSEA _MARK KIRKPATRICK_ CHAPTER 4 THE *LORD ACCUSES ISRAEL V1 People of Israel, listen to the *Lord’s message! The *Lord will argue against the people that liv...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    SLIDETH BACK. — More correctly, _is stubborn as a stubborn cow._ WILL FEED THEM AS A LAMB IN A LARGE PLACE. — An expression of tender commiseration (so Ewald). But most commentators understand it in...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּ֚י כְּ פָרָ֣ה סֹֽרֵרָ֔ה סָרַ֖ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE THICK NIGHT OF ISRAEL Hosea 4:1; Hosea 5:1; Hosea 6:1; Hosea 7:1; Hosea 8:1

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “JOINED TO IDOLS” Hosea 4:11-19 The prophet does not mince his words in describing the morals of his time. We are reminded of Bunyan's words: “My original and inward pollution was my plague. It was a...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In any attempt to analyze and tabulate the teaching in this second division of the Book it must be remembered that the prophetic utterances cannot be treated as verbatim reports. As they here appear,...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a (u) lamb in a large place. (u) God will so disperse them, that they will not remain in any certain place....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Wanton. Septuagint, "stung," or rendered furious. Thus Israel gives way to ungovernable passions. The people shall be led into captivity, and have room to range about._...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I beg the Reader to observe, for I think it is very observable, and very blessed it is in the observance, what sweet minglings of grace is here amidst the solemn and awful account the Lord gives of hi...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The rest of the prophecy consists of the indignant appeals of the Holy Spirit to conscience because of the increasing evils of Israel not so much the judgment of God on a grand scale, and His grace at...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    The Futility of Sin I. INTRODUCTION A. As we continue the study of Hosea this morning - chapter 4 marks a turn that continues through the rest of the book. 1. Hosea 8:7 a (NASB) Give us a hint as t...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    The Prophet compares Israel here to an untamable heifer. Some render it, “A straying heifer”, and we may render it, “A wanton heifer.” But to others a defection seems to have been more especially inte...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 AND 5. In chapter 4 we see that the prophet addresses the whole people together. In Verse 15 (Hosea 4:15) he distinguishes Judah from Israel, warning the fo...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR ISRAEL SLIDETH BACK AS A BACKSLIDING HEIFER,.... A heifer or young cow Israel is compared unto; the rather, because of the object of their idolatrous worship, the calves at Dan and Bethel: the Sep...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place. Ver. 16. _For Israel slideth back, as a back sliding heifer_] _Iuvenea petulca,_ as an unruly...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _For Israel slideth back_, &c. As if the Lord had said, As for Israel, I give him up to a reprobate mind. And now the discourse passes naturally into the detail and amplification of Israel's guilt. Bi...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer, stubborn and unbroken; NOW THE LORD WILL FEED THEM AS A LAMB IN A LARGE PLACE, by removing them to a distant and large country, where they would be far...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE SECOND PART OF THE ACCUSATION...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-19 The people consulted images, and not the Divine word. This would lead to disorder and sin. Thus men prepare scourges for themselves, and vice is spread through a people. Let not Judah come near...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    There is just cause why Judah should not imitate Israel, and this cause is here assigned. ISRAEL; the ten tribes AS A BACKSLIDING HEIFER, grown lusty, fed and wanton, will neither endure the yoke to w...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Hosea 4:16 Israel H3478 stubborn H5637 (H8804) stubborn H5637 (H8802) calf H6510 LORD H3068 forage H7462 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘For Israel has behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer. Will YHWH then feed them as a lamb in a large place?' In vivid terms Hosea then points out that Israel was like a stubborn heifer wh...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    STRONG WINE AND ILLICIT SEX HAVE TURNED THE PEOPLE'S MINDS SO THAT THEY LOOK TO BITS OF WOOD CONCERNING THEIR FUTURE AND PLAY THE HARLOT ON THE TOPS OF MOUNTAINS AND UNDER SACRED TREES RATHER THAN LOO...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    GALATIANS; Epistle, Introduction, (_ See Scofield) - (Galatians 1:1). _ GARMENT; symbol of righteousness, (_ See Scofield) - (Revelation 19:8). _ GEHENNA; see Hell GENERATION; meaning of, in Matth...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Charges against Israel for their sinfulness, idolatry and ignorance. CHARACTERS: God, Hosea. CONCLUSION: It is a sad and sore judgment for men when God has to say, «let them alone» giving...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Hosea 4:1. _Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel._ Here a new sermon is built upon a new revelation. Hosea 4:2. _Blood toucheth blood,_ as explained in the words preseding, adultery upon a...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer._ THE EVIL AND DANGER OF BACKSLIDING I. When we may be said to resemble a backsliding heifer. 1. When we will not draw in God’s yoke at all. 2. When we...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— HOSEA 4:15. COME NOT] by pilgrimages to places of idolatrous worship. SWEAR NOT] in temples of idols. “The confession of Jehovah is hypocrisy in the mouth of an idolater; pretended p...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION HOSEA 4:1 A new and distinct division of the book commences with this fourth chapter and continues till the close. What had previously been presented in figure and symbol is now plainly an...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now we enter into the second part of the book of Hosea, where he declares: HEAR the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land (Hsa Hosea...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 15:11; Hosea 11:7; Isaiah 22:18; Isaiah 7:21; Jeremiah 14:7

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Israel — The ten tribes. As a back — sliding heifer — Which when grown lusty, and wanton, will neither endure the yoke nor be confined in her allowed pastures. In a large place — In a large place or w...

Continues after advertising