INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 1 After the general inscription of the book, in which the author, penman, and time of this prophecy, are expressed, Hosea 1:1, the people of Israel are reproved for their idolatry, under the representation of a harlot the prophet is bid to marry, which he is said to do, Hosea... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD OF THE LORD THAT CAME UNTO HOSEA,.... Whose name is the same with Joshua and Jesus, and signifies a saviour; he was in some things a type of Christ the Saviour, and prophesied of him, and salvation by him; and was the instrument and means of saving men, as all true prophets were, and faithf... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BEGINNING OF THE WORD OF THE LORD BY HOSEA,.... Or "in Hosea" i; which was internally revealed to him, and was inspired into him, by the Holy Ghost, who first spoke in him, and then by him; not that Hosea was the first of the prophets to whom the word of the Lord came; for there were Moses, Samu... [ Continue Reading ]
SO HE WENT AND TOOK GOMER THE DAUGHTER OF DIBLAIM,.... In the course of prophesying he made mention of this person, who was a notorious common strumpet; and suggested hereby that they were just like her; or these were fictitious names he used to represent their case by Gomer signifies both "consumma... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM CALL HIS NAME JEZREEL,.... Which some interpret the "seed of God", as Jerom; or "arm of God", as others; and Kimchi applies it to Jeroboam the son of Joash, who was strong, and prospered in his kingdom; but it rather signifies "God will sow", or "scatter" n; denoting eithe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS AT THAT DAY,.... When the Lord shall take vengeance on the family of Jehu, and deprive them of the kingdom of Israel, and shall punish the idolatrous kings that succeed: THAT I WILL BREAK THE BOW OF ISRAEL IN THE VALLEY OF JEZREEL; of which valley see Joshua 17:16. It is n... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHE CONCEIVED AGAIN, AND BARE A DAUGHTER,.... One of the weaker sex; denoting the weaker state of the kingdom of Israel after Jeroboam, as Kimchi thinks; Zachariah his son reigning but six months, and Shallum the son of Jabesh, his successor, reigned but one month, 2 Kings 15:8: AND GOD SAID U... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL HAVE MERCY ON THE HOUSE OF JUDAH,.... The two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, which retained the true worship of God among them; see Hosea 11:12 and though they often sinned against the Lord, he showed them mercy, and spared them longer than the ten tribes; and though he suffered them to be... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN SHE HAD WEANED LORUHAMAH,.... That is, when Gomer had weaned her daughter of this name, Hosea 1:6. This some interpret of the people of Israel being deprived of the word and ordinances, compared to milk and breasts, having a famine of them; and so were like children weaned from the milk, an... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID GOD, CALL HIS NAME LOAMMI,.... Which Aben Ezra interprets of the children of the ten tribes horn in captivity, who never returned; but it rather signifies the ten tribes themselves, who were carried captive and had this name given them for the reason following: FOR YE ARE NOT MY PEOPLE; t... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THE NUMBER OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL BE AS THE SAND OF THE SEA, WHICH CANNOT BE MEASURED NOR NUMBERED,.... Though called Loammi, and rejected from being the people of God; yet there is a time when their number, according to the promise made to Abraham, shall be as the sand of the sea, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THE CHILDREN OF JUDAH AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BE GATHERED TOGETHER,.... Not at the return from the Babylonish captivity; for, though some of the ten tribes might be mixed with the Jews when they went into captivity, and came out with them, and others might join them from the various na... [ Continue Reading ]