Hosea 9:7

are come Rather, come. The sense is that the days of punishment shall surely come (the tense is the prophetic perfect).

shall know it i.e. by experience; as Isaiah 9:9. Another view of these words (in connexion with the following clause) is, -Israel shall perceive (but too late) how it has been deceived by its prophets." But a false prophet would never be called a -man of the spirit", but rather -one that followeth his own spirit" (Ezekiel 13:3); and neither -a fool" nor -mad" suggests the idea of falsehood or hypocrisy.

the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad These words evidently convey a reproach, for though -mad" might be taken in a good sense (frenzied with sorrow, as Deuteronomy 28:34), -a fool" could hardly be. But if so, introductory words must have dropped out of the text, such as -who say in their pride." -The spiritual man" is, literally, -the man of the Spirit", i.e. -the inspired man", Sept. ἄνθρωπος ὁ πνευματοφόρος. -Mad", or -a madman", -a fanatic", is a term applied disparagingly to a prophet's disciple in 2 Kings 9:11, and to Jeremiah by an opponent in Jeremiah 29:26. The expression was doubtless received from those early times, in which the acts performed by prophets were often strange and startling.

for the multitude Rather, for the greatness of thine Iniquity, and because the enmity hath been great. These words are to be connected with the preceding. Israel spoke thus because its iniquity was great, and great also the enmity which certain classes (probably) felt towards the higher prophets. The priests and the lower class of prophets would be at one in their hostility to Hosea. More is said of this feud in the next verse.