INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 7 This chapter either begins a new sermon, discourse, or prophecy, or it is a continuation of the former; at least it seems to be of the same argument with the latter part of it, only it is directed to Israel alone; and consists of complaints against them because of their mani... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I WOULD HAVE HEALED ISRAEL,.... Or rather, "when I healed Israel" k; for this is not to be understood of a velleity, wish, or desire of healing and saving them, as Jarchi; nor of a bare attempt to do it by the admonitions of the prophets, and by corrections in Providence; but of actual healing... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CONSIDER NOT IN THEIR HEARTS [THAT] I REMEMBER ALL THEIR WICKEDNESS,.... That is, the people of the ten tribes, and the inhabitants of Samaria, whose iniquity and wickedness are said to be discovered, and to be very notorious: and yet "they said not to their hearts" m, as in the original te... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY MAKE THE KING GLAD WITH THEIR WICKEDNESS,.... Not any particular king; not Jeroboam the first, as Kimchi; nor Jehu, as Grotius; if any particular king, rather Jeroboam the second; but their kings in general, as the Septuagint render it, in succession, one after another; who were highly delighte... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY [ARE] ALL ADULTERERS,.... King, princes, priests, and people, both in a spiritual and corporeal sense; they were all idolaters, given to idols try, eager of it, and constant in it, as the following metaphors show; and they were addicted to corporeal adultery; this was a prevailing vice among al... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE DAY OF OUR KING,.... Either his birthday, or his coronation day, when he was inaugurated into his kingly office, as the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi; or the day on which Jeroboam set up the calves, which might be kept as an anniversary: or, "it is the day of our king" o; and may be the words of... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY HAVE MADE READY THEIR HEART LIKE AN OVEN, WHILES THEY LIE IN WAIT,.... The prince, people, and scorners before mentioned, being heated with wine, and their lust enraged, they were ready for any wickedness; for the commission of adultery, lying in wait for their neighbours' wives to debauch... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE ALL HOT AS AN OVEN,.... Eager upon their idolatry, or burning in their unclean desires after other men's wives; or rather raging and furious, hot with anger and wrath against their rulers and governors, breathing out slaughter and death unto them: AND HAVE DEVOURED THEIR JUDGES; that stood... [ Continue Reading ]
EPHRAIM, HE HATH MIXED HIMSELF AMONG THE PEOPLE,.... Either locally, by dwelling among them, as some of them at least might do among the Syrians; or carnally, by intermarrying with them, contrary to the command of God; or civilly, by entering into alliances and confederacies with them, as Pekah the... [ Continue Reading ]
STRANGERS HAVE DEVOURED HIS STRENGTH,.... Or his substance, as the Targum; his wealth and riches, fortresses and strong holds: these strangers were either the Syrians, who, in the times of Jehoahaz, destroyed Ephraim or the Israelites, and so weakened them, as to make them like the dust by threshing... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PRIDE OF ISRAEL TESTIFIETH TO HIS FACE,.... Hosea 5:5; notwithstanding their weak and declining state, they were proud and haughty; entertained a high conceit of themselves, and of their good and safe condition; and behaved insolently towards God, and were not humbled before him for their s... [ Continue Reading ]
EPHRAIM ALSO IS LIKE A SILLY DOVE, WITHOUT HEART,.... Or understanding; which comes and picks up the corns of grain, which lie scattered about, and does not know that the net is spread for it; and when its young are taken away, it is unconcerned, and continues its nest in the same place still; and,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY SHALL GO,.... That is, to Egypt or Assyria: I WILL SPREAD MY NET UPON THEM; bring them into great straits and difficulties; perhaps the Assyrian army is meant, which was the Lord's net, guided, and directed, and spread by his providence, and according to his will, to take this silly dove... [ Continue Reading ]
WOE UNTO THEM, FOR THEY HAVE FLED FROM ME,.... From the Lord, from his worship, and the place of it; from obedience to him, and the service of him; as birds fly from their nests, and leave their young, and wander about; so they had deserted the temple at Jerusalem, and forsaken the service of the sa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY HAVE NOT CRIED UNTO ME WITH THEIR HEART,.... In their distress, indeed, they cried unto the Lord, and said they repented of their sins, and promised reformation, and made a show of worshipping God; as invocation is sometimes put for the whole worship of God; but then this was not heartily,... [ Continue Reading ]
THOUGH I HAVE BOUND [AND] STRENGTHENED THEIR ARMS,.... As a surgeon sets a broken arm and swathes and binds it, and so restores it to its former strength, or at least to a good degree of strength again, so the Lord dealt with Israel; their arms were broken, and their strength weakened, and they grea... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY RETURN, [BUT] NOT TO THE MOST HIGH,.... To Egypt, and not to Jerusalem, and the temple there, and the worship of it; to their idols, and not to him whose name alone is Jehovah, and is the most High all the earth, the God of gods, and Lord of lords, and King of kings; though they made some feint... [ Continue Reading ]