Hosea 2:11

her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths (The Hebrew has the singular, -her feast-day" &c.) These expressions are remarkable, for Hosea is a prophet of northern Israel. It would appear, then, that the separation of north and south did not involve a discontinuance of the festivals in the north (see Hosea 9:5). Amos had already predicted the ruin of the -feasts" in N. Israel (Amos 8:10). In addition to the -feasts" which are doubtless those mentioned in the earliest body of legislation (Exodus 23:14, &c., Exodus 34:18, &c.), Hosea specifies the new moon and the sabbath (comp. 2 Kings 4:23) as passing away together with the national independence. This was not strictly speaking the case with regard to the sabbath, which became one great bond of union among the Jews in exile. But the old, popular sabbath of unrestrained joy (comp. Hosea's -all her mirth") did pass away; the sabbath of Isaiah 58:13 was very different from that which was popularly observed in ancient Israel.

and all her solemn feasts Or, festal assemblies. The term is more comprehensive than -feast"; the Levitical legislation recognizes seven -festal assemblies", but only three -feasts" (comp. Lev. 33).