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Hosea Chapter
Five
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 5
The
design of this chapter is to expose the sins of Israel and of Judah
and to
declare the judgment of God upon them for them. Men of all ranks in Israel are
summoned to attend to the charge brought against then
and the sentence on them
Hosea 5:1. The
charge exhibited is
that they were guilty of in
hating men to the slaughter
of idolatrous sacrifices
though they had been sufficiently rebuked and
corrected
Hosea 5:1; of both
corporeal and spiritual adultery
whereby they were defiled
and which was well
known to the Lord
Hosea 5:3; of
obstinate persistence in impenitence
owing to the efficacy of an unclean
spirit in them
and their want of the knowledge of God
Hosea 5:4; of open
pride
which stared them in the face
and for which they fell into calamities
and Judah with them
and should not be able with all their sacrifices to find
favour with God
who had withdrawn himself from them
Hosea 5:5; also of
treacherous dealing with the Lord by their spiritual adultery
and begetting
strange children
Hosea 5:7; next
their punishment is denounced
of which notice was to be given them by the
sound of the trumpet
as an alarm of war
or as calling for mourning
Hosea 5:8; since
Ephraim would become desolate
of which notification had been made among the
tribes
Hosea 5:9; and
wrath would be poured out in great abundance on the princes of Judah
who were
very wicked men
Hosea 5:10; and
Ephraim would be oppressed and broken by the judgment of God
who would be as a
moth unto them
and also rottenness to Judah
because they followed the
commandments of men
Hosea 5:11; and
what was still more provoking
when they were sensible of their calamities and
distresses
they sought not help from the Lord
but from men that could do them
no good; and therefore he threatens to be as a devouring lion to them
Hosea 5:13; and yet
the chapter concludes with a promise of the conversion of these people
after
the Lord had dealt with them in an angry manner
Hosea 5:15.
Hosea 5:1 “Hear this
O
priests! Take heed
O house of Israel! Give ear
O house of the king! For yours
is the judgment
Because you have been a snare to Mizpah
And a net spread on Tabor.
YLT 1`Hear this
O priests
and
attend
O house of Israel
And
O house of the king
give ear
For the judgment
[is] for you
For
a snare ye have been on Mizpah
And a net spread out on
Tabor.
Hear ye this
O priests
.... Though idolatrous
ones
who called themselves priests
and were reckoned so by others
though not
of the tribe of Levi
but such as Jeroboam had made priests
or were their
successors; and there might be some of the family of Aaron and tribe of Levi
that might continue in the cities of Israel
and who gave in to the idolatrous
worship of those times. Some render it "princes"F3הכהנים "significat sacerdotes et principes"
vid.
2 Sam. viii. 18. "Sacerdotes ac domum regis"
i.e. "regem cum
principibus et aulicis"
Liveleus. and the word signifies both:
and hearken
ye house of Israel; not the kingdom of
Judah
as Kimchi
for this is manifestly distinguished from Israel in this
chapter; nor the sanhedrim
to which sense Aben Ezra seems to incline; but the
ten tribes
the whole kingdom of Israel
the common people in it:
and give ye ear
O house of the king; of the king
of Israel
who
at this time
is thought to be Menahem; the royal family
the
princes of the blood
and all that belonged to the king's court; all of every
office
priestly or kingly
of every rank
high and low
are called upon to
hearken to what is about to be said
both concerning their sin and punishment:
for judgment is toward you: either to know and do
that which is just and right; it belonged to the priests to know and teeth
divine judgment
to instruct the people in the knowledge of the judgments
statutes
and laws of God; and it belonged to
the king to execute human
judgment
to do justice and judgment according to the laws of God
and of the
realm; and it belonged to the people to attend to both: so the Targum
"does
it not "belong" to you to know judgments?'
or
rather this is to be understood of punitive justice and judgment
of the
sentence of condemnation
or denunciation of punishment for sin: the reasons of
which follow
because ye have been a snare on Mizpah
and a net spread upon
Tabor; these were two high mountains in the land of Israel; the former
was near Hermon and Lebanon
and the same with Gilead
Joshua 11:3; the
latter was a mountain in Galilee
between Issachar and Zebulun
six miles from
Nazareth: it was
according to Joseph ben GorionF4Hist. Heb. l. 4.
c. 25. p. 635. almost four miles high
had on the top of it a plain of almost
three miles; the true JosephusF5De Bello Jud. l. 4. c. 1. sect. 9.
says is was three and a quarter miles; See Gill on Jeremiah 46:18; the
JewsF6Jarchi ex Tanehuma
Abendana ex Midrash. have a tradition
that Jeroboam set spies upon these mountains at the time of the solemn feasts
to watch who went to them out of Israel
and to inform against them; but these
could not command all the roads leading to Jerusalem. It may be these mountains
were much infested with hawkers and hunters
to which there may be an allusion;
and the sense be
ye priests
people
and king
are like to those that set
snares and nets on those hills
as they to ensnare and catch creatures
so ye
to ensnare and draw men into idolatrous practices; or rather
since there is no
note of comparison
the meaning is
that they set up altars
and offered
sacrifices on these hills
and thereby ensnared not only those of their own
tribes
but drew and enticed many of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to fall
in with the same idolatrous practices.
Hosea 5:2 2 The
revolters are deeply involved in slaughter
Though I rebuke them all.
YLT 2And to slaughter sinners
have gone deep
And I [am] a fetter to them all.
And the revolters are profound to make slaughter
.... The
revolters are the king
priests
and people
who had revolted from the true
worship and ways of God unto idolatry. These formed deep laid schemes
and took
crafty methods
like hawkers; who lay themselves flat upon the ground to manage
their snares and nets
and observe the creatures that fall into them
and take
them
and whom they artfully decoy
to which the allusion is; and that either
to slay those who would not comply with their false worship; or rather to
multiply the sacrifices of slain beasts
and offer them with a great show of
devotion and religion
and thereby beguile
entice
and ensnare simple and
unwary souls; so the Targum
"they
sacrifice to idols abundantly;'
and
which
in the sight of God
was mere slaughter and butchery:
though I have been a rebuker of them all; king
priests
and prophets; those idolaters
revolters
or worshippers of Baal
as
Aben Ezra calls them: this is to be interpreted either of the prophet
who had
freely
faithfully
and openly reproved all orders of men for their departure
from God and his worship
and for their idolatrous practices; or of the Lord
himself
which comes to the same sense
who had rebuked them by his prophets
and corrected them by his judgments
but to no purpose: and therefore they
could not plead ignorance
or excuse themselves upon that account.
Hosea 5:3 3 I
know Ephraim
And Israel is not hidden from Me; For now
O Ephraim
you commit
harlotry; Israel is defiled.
YLT 3I have known Ephraim
And
Israel hath not been hid from me
For now thou hast gone a-whoring
Ephraim
Defiled is Israel.
I know Ephraim
and Israel is not hid from me
.... Though
they may cover their designs from men
and seek deep to hide their counsel from
the Lord
and make plausible pretences for what they do
and put on an
appearance of religion; yet God
who knows all men
and their hearts
cannot be
deceived; he judges not according to outward appearance; all things are naked
and open to him; nor can any hide themselves from him; he knows their persons
intentions
and designs
as well as actions. Kimchi interprets Ephraim of
Jeroboam
the son of Nebat
who was of that tribe; others
of the tribe itself
and Israel of the other nine tribes; others take Ephraim for the ten tribes
and Israel for the two tribes: but it is best to understand Ephraim and Israel
of the same
even of the ten tribes; whose works
as the Targum paraphrases it
the Lord knew
particularly what follows:
for now
O Ephraim
thou committest whoredom; both
corporeal and spiritual adultery
which frequently went together
as observed
in the preceding chapter: the Lord knew their corporeal whoredom
though ever
so secretly committed
and their spiritual adultery or idolatry
under all the
specious pretences of worshipping him; which was an abhorrence to him
as well
as a pollution to them:
and Israel is defiled; with the same
sins; for all sin is of a defiling nature
and especially those mentioned
which defile body and soul
and render men loathsome and abominable in the
sight of God.
Hosea 5:4 4 “They
do not direct their deeds Toward turning to their God
For the spirit of
harlotry is in their midst
And they do not know the Lord.
YLT 4They give not up their
habitual doings
To turn back unto their God
For a spirit of whoredoms [is] in
their midst
And Jehovah they have not known.
They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God
.... Either
their evil doings; they will not leave
as the Targum and JarchiF7So
R. Sol. Urbin. fol. 68. 2. ; their evil ways and worship
their adultery and
idolatry; which was necessary to repentance and true conversion to God
whom
they yet professed to be their God
though they had so sadly departed from him:
or their good works; they did not choose to do them
which were leading steps
to repentance and conversion
or fruits and evidences of it: they had no mind
to repent of their sins
and turn from them to the Lord; they had no thought
care
or concern
about these things
but obstinately persisted in their sins
and in their impenitence: their wills were wretchedly depraved and corrupted;
their hearts hard
perverse
and obstinate; they had no will to that which is
good:
for the spirit of whoredom is in the midst of them; an unclean
spirit
that prompts them to and pushes them on to commit corporeal and
spiritual whoredom; the bias and inclination of their minds were this way which
put them upon such evil practices; the spirit of error
which caused them to
err
as the Targum and Kimchi; the lying spirit in the false prophets which
encouraged them therein; and even himself
the spirit that works in the
children of disobedience:
and they have not known the Lord; ignorance of God
his
nature and perfections
his will
word
and worship
was the cause of their
idolatry
and other sins; see Hosea 4:1; and this
was wilful and affected ignorance; they knew not
nor would they understand:
they rejected the knowledge of God
and the means of it; so the Targum
"and
they sought not instruction (or doctrine) from the Lord.'
Hosea 5:5 5 The
pride of Israel testifies to his face; Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in
their iniquity; Judah also stumbles with them.
YLT 5And humbled hath been the
excellency of Israel to his face
And Israel and Ephraim stumble by their
iniquity
Stumbled also hath Judah with them.
And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face
.... Or
"does" or "shall answer to his face"F8ענה בפניו
"respondebit"
Montanus
Zanchius
Tarnovius
Rivet
Schmidt;
"respondit"
Cocceius. ; contradicts him
convicts him
and fills him
with shame; the pride of his heart
and of his countenance
and which appears
in all his actions
and which is open and manifest to all
shall stare him in
the face
and confound him; even all the sinful actions done by him in a proud
and haughty manner
in contempt of God and of his laws
shall fly in his face
and fill him with dread and horror. The Targum is
"the
glory of Israel shall be humbled
and they seeing it:'
instead
of greatness
glory
and honour
they formerly had
they shall be in a mean low
condition
even in their own land
before they go into captivity; and which
their eyes shall behold
as Kimchi explains the paraphrase; and to this sense
Jarchi and Aben Ezra incline; and so read the Septuagint
Syriac
and Arabic
versions. Some understand this of God himself
who
formerly
at least
was the
pride
glory
and excellency of Israel; of whom they were proud
and boasted
and gloried in; even he shall be a swift witness against them: and
therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; that is
the
ten tribes shall fall by and for their iniquities
such as before mentioned
into ruin and misery; it has respect to their final destruction and captivity
by the Assyrians; they first fell into sin
and then by it into ruin: see Hosea 14:1;
Judah also shall fall with them; the two tribes of Judah
and Benjamin
as they fell into idolatry
and were guilty of the same crimes
so should be involved in the same or like punishment
though not at the same
time; for the Babylonish captivity
in which Judah was carried captive
was
many years after Israel was carried captive by the Assyrians: unless this is to
be understood of the low
afflicted
and distressed condition of Judah
in the
times of Ahaz
by Tiglathpileser
king of Assyria
who had a little before carried
captive part of Israel
and by others; and in which times Judah fell into
idolatrous practices
and fell by them; see 2 Kings 15:29.
Hosea 5:6 6 “With
their flocks and herds They shall go to seek the Lord
But they will
not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.
YLT 6With their flock and with
their herd
They go to seek Jehovah
and do not find
He hath withdrawn from
them.
They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the
Lord
.... Not only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin
to whom
Kimchi
Aben Ezra
and Abarbinel
restrain the words; but the ten tribes of
Israel also
who
when in distress
and seeing ruin coming upon them
should
seek the Lord; seek help from him against their enemies
and the pardon of
their sins; seek his face and favour
and to appease his wrath
by bringing a
multitude of sacrifices out of their flocks and herds; such a number of them
as if they brought all their flocks and herds with them; but not with true
repentance for their sins
nor with faith in the great sacrifice
which legal
sacrifices
rightly performed
prefigured. Kimchi refers this to the times of
Josiah; but
as it respects Israel as well as Judah
it seems to design some
time a little before the ruin of them both:
but they shall not find him; shall not find grace and
mercy with him; he will not be favourable to them
will not afford them any
help
but give them up to utter ruin and destruction; as he did Israel at the
Assyrian captivity
and Judah at the Babylonish captivity:
he hath withdrawn himself from them; the glory of the Lord
departed from them; his Shechinah
or divine Majesty
as the Targum
removed
from them
because of their idolatry
and other sins; they sought him not where
and while he was to be found; and therefore
when they sought him
found him
not
because he had withdrawn his presence from among them
being provoked by
their iniquities.
Hosea 5:7 7 They
have dealt treacherously with the Lord
For they have begotten
pagan children. Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.
YLT 7Against Jehovah they dealt
treacherously
For strange sons they have begotten
Now consume them doth a
month [with] their portions.
They have dealt treacherously against the Lord
.... Which was
the reason of his departure from them; as a woman deals treacherously with her
husband when she is unfaithful to him
and commits adultery; so Israel and
Judah dealt treacherously with the Lord
who stood in the relation of a husband
to them in covenant
by committing idolatry;
for they have begotten strange children; either of
strange women
the daughters of idolatrous Heathens they married
so the
Targum
Jarchi
and Kimchi; or rather their natural children
though born of
Israelitish or Jewish parents
both such; yet being educated by them in an
idolatrous way
and brought up in the commission of the evils their parents
were guilty of
are said to be strange children to the Lord
alienated from him
and his worship
and as such to be begotten:
now shall a month devour them with their portions; the Jews
understand this literally of the month Ab
the time of Jerusalem's destruction
so Jarchi and R. Jeshuah in Aben Ezra and Ben Melech; or the month Tammuz
in
which the city was broke up
and the month Ab
in which it was destroyed
as
Kimchi; or rather
which is also a sense he mentions
it signifies a short
time
a very little while before the destruction should come; and compares it
with Zechariah 11:8;
though
according to the Targum
it is to be understood of every month; and so
denotes the continual desolation that should be made
until they were utterly
destroyed; but others seem better to interpret it of their new moon
or first
day of the month
which they observed in a religious way
by offering
sacrifice
&c. and on which they depended; but this should be so far from
being of any service to them
that it should turn against them; and
because of
the idolatry committed in them
the Lord would hate them
and destroy them on
account of them; even their farms
and fields
and vineyards
which were their
portions and inheritances; see Isaiah 1:13; unless
it is rather to be understood of the parts of the beasts slain in sacrifice on
those days
to appease the Lord; which would be so far from doing it
that they
would provoke him yet more to wrath
and slay them.
Hosea 5:8 8 “Blow
the ram’s horn in Gibeah
The trumpet in Ramah! Cry aloud at Beth Aven
‘Look
behind you
O Benjamin!’
YLT 8Blow ye a cornet in Gibeah
a trumpet in Ramah
Shout
O Beth-Aven
after thee
O Benjamin.
Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah
and the trumpet in Ramah
.... As an
alarm of war
to give notice that the enemy is at hand
just ready to invade
the kingdoms of Israel and Judah
and bring destruction upon them; according to
the Targum
the words are directed to the prophets
"O
ye prophets
lift up your voice like a trumpet;'
to
declare to the people of Judah their sins and transgressions
and the
punishment that would be inflicted on them for them; or it may be
this is a
call of the people to fasting
mounting
and lamentation
as in Joel 2:1. Gibeah is
the same which is called "Gibeah of Saul"
1 Samuel 11:4; it
being the birth place of that prince; and which JosephusF9De Bello
Jud. l. 5. c. 2. sect. 1. calls Gabathsaoule
and interprets it the hill of
Saul
and says it was distant from Jerusalem about four miles; though elsewhereF11Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 2. sect. 8. he represents it as but two and a half miles; perhaps in
the latter place there is a corruption in the number; for
according to Jerom
it was near Ramah
which was seven miles from Jerusalem; he says it is called
also "Gibeah of Benjamin"
1 Samuel 13:2;
because it was in that tribe
as was also Ramah; which
according to EusebiusF12Apud
Reland Palestina Illustrata
l. 3. tom. 2. p. 963.
was six miles from
Jerusalem; these were near to each other; see Judges 19:13; so
that the calamity threatened is what respects the two tribes:
cry aloud at Bethaven; the same with Bethel
or
a place near unto it
in the tribe of Benjamin
or on the borders of Ephraim;
see Hosea 4:15.
According to the above writerF13Apud Reland. ib. p. 637.
it lay
about twelve miles from Jerusalem; in the way to Sichem; and being upon the
borders both of Benjamin and Ephraim
it sometimes belonged to Israel
and
sometimes to Judah; see 2 Chronicles 13:19;
and seeing
as Jerom observes
that Benjamin was at the back of it (for where
the tribe of Benjamin ended
not far in the tribe of Ephraim
according to him
was this city built)
it therefore very beautifully follows
after thee
O Benjamin; that is
either the
enemy is after thee
O Benjamin
is just at hand
ready to fall upon thee
and
destroy thee
as Jarchi
Kimchi
and Ben Melech; or rather
after the trumpet
is blown in Gibeah and Ramah
cities which belonged to Benjamin
let it he
blown
either in Bethaven
on the borders of Benjamin and Ephraim; or let it be
blown in the tribe of Judah
so that all the twelve tribes may have notice
and
prepare for what is coming upon them.
Hosea 5:9 9 Ephraim
shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; Among the tribes of Israel I make known
what is sure.
YLT 9Ephraim is for a desolation
in a day of reproof
Among the tribes of Israel I have made known a sure thing.
Ephraim shall he desolate in the day of rebuke
.... The
country of the ten tribes shall be laid desolate
the inhabitants of them
destroyed either by the sword
or famine
or pestilence
and the rest carried
captive
as they were by Shalmaneser; and this was the day of the Lord's rebuke
and chastisement of them: or of the reward of their sins
as the Targum
when
the Lord punished them for them; and this is what the trumpet was to be blown
for
in order to give notice of
or to call for mourning on account of it:
among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall
surely be; this desolation was foretold by the prophets
and published in
all the tribes of Israel
as what should certainly come to pass; and therefore
they could not plead ignorance of it
or say they had no notice given them
or
they would have repented of their sins. The Targum is
"in
the tribes of Israel I have made known the law;'
so
Jarchi; which they transgressed
and therefore were made desolate; or the word
of truth
as Kimchi; the true and faithful word
that if they walked in his
ways
hearkened unto him
it would be well with them; but
if not
he would
destroy their land
and carry them captive.
Hosea 5:10 10 “The
princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark; I will pour out My wrath
on them like water.
YLT 10Princes of Judah have been
as those removing a border
On them I do pour out as water My wrath.
The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound
.... Or
landmark
which to do was contrary to the law
Deuteronomy 19:14;
and has always been reckoned a heinous sin among all nations
and is only done
by such who have no regard to right and wrong
and by them secretly; and such
were the kings
princes
and nobles of Judah; they secretly committed the
grossest iniquities
yea
were abandoned to their vile lusts
and could not be
contained within any bounds. The "caph" here used is
according to
Kimchi and Ben Melech
not a note of similitude
but of certainty; and then the
sense is
that the princes of Judah did remove the bound; either
in a literal
sense
by force and violence seized on the possessions and inheritances of
their neighbours which lay next to theirs; or
in a figurative sense
they
broke through all bounds and limits
and transgressed the laws of God and men
being not to be restrained by either:
therefore I will pour
out my wrath upon them like water; in great abundance
and
with such force and vehemence
as not to be stopped
but utterly destroy; like
a flood of water
which overflows the banks
or breaks them down
and carries
all before it; or like the flood of water that came upon the earth
and carried
off the world of the ungodly; in like manner should the wrath of God be poured
down from heaven upon these princes without measure
exceeding all bounds
in
just retaliation for their removing the bounds of their neighbours
or
transgressing the laws of God: this was fulfilled either in the times of Ahaz
when Rezin king of Syria
and Pekah king of Israel
as well as Tiglathpileser
king of Assyria
greatly afflicted Judah
2 Chronicles 28:1;
or at the time of the Babylonish captivity.
Hosea 5:11 11 Ephraim
is oppressed and broken in judgment
Because he willingly walked by human
precept.
YLT 11Oppressed is Ephraim
broken in judgment
When he pleased he went after the command.
Ephraim is oppressed
and broken in judgment
.... Here the
prophet again returns to the ten tribes
who were oppressed and broken
either
by their own judgments
as the Targum; by the tyranny of their kings
and the
injustice of their judges
who looked only for the mammon of unrighteousness;
or by the judgment of their enemies
the Assyrians
the taxes they laid upon
them
the devastations they made among them
and by whom
at last
they were
carried captive; or by the judgments of God upon them; for all the enemy did
was by his permission
and according to his will:
because he willingly walked after the commandment; not after the
commandment of God
but after the commandment of men
as Aben Ezra; or after
the commandment of the prophets of Baal
as Jarchi; or after the commandment of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat
as Kimchi
by worshipping the calves at Dan and
Bethel he set up there.
Hosea 5:12 12 Therefore
I will be to Ephraim like a moth
And to the house of Judah like
rottenness.
YLT 12And I [am] as a moth to
Ephraim
And as a rotten thing to the house of Judah.
Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth
.... Which
eats garments
penetrates into them
feeds on them privately
secretly
without
any noise
and gradually and slowly consumes them; but at last utterly
that
they are of no use and profit: this may signify the various things which befell
the ten tribes in the reigns of Zachariah
Shallum
Menahem
Pekahiah
and
Pekah
which secretly and gradually weakened them; and the utter consumption of
them in the times of Hoshea by Shalmaneser:
and to the house of Judah as rottenness; as rottenness
in the bones
Proverbs 12:4;
which can never be got out or cured; or as a worm that eats into wood
as
Jarchi interprets it; and gets into the very heart of a tree
and eats it out:
thus the Lord threatens the house of Judah
or the two tribes
with a gradual
yet thorough
ruin and destruction.
Hosea 5:13 13 “When
Ephraim saw his sickness
And Judah saw his wound
Then Ephraim went to
Assyria And sent to King Jareb; Yet he cannot cure you
Nor heal you of your
wound.
YLT 13And see doth Ephraim his
sickness
and Judah his wound
And Ephraim goeth unto Asshur
And sendeth unto
a warlike king
And he is not able to give healing to you
Nor doth he remove
from you a scar.
When Ephraim saw his sickness
and Judah saw his wound
.... That
their civil state were in a sickly condition
very languid
weak
feeble
and
tottering
just upon the brink of ruin; see Isaiah 1:6;
then went Ephraim to the Assyrian
and sent to King Jareb; that is
the
ten tribes
or the king of them
went and met the Assyrian king; and Judah the
two tribes
or the king of them
sent ambassadors to King Jareb; which sense
the order of the words
in connection with the preceding clause
seems to
require: by the Assyrian and King Jareb we are to understand one and the same
as appears from the following words
"yet could he not heal &c."
whereas
if they were different
it would have been expressed
"yet could
they not heal &c."
and the king of Assyria is meant
who: also is
called King Jareb
or rather king of JarebF14אל
מלך ירב "ad
regem"
Jarchi
Zanchius
Liveleus
Drusius; so Luther in Tarnovius. ; see
Hosea 10:6; for
this does not seem to be the name of the king of Assyria himself; though it may
be that Pul
or Tiglathpileser
or Shalmaneser
might have more names than one
whoever is meant; but rather it is the name of some place in Assyria
as Aben
Ezra
Kimchi
and Ben Melech
from which the country may be here denominated;
though the Targum takes it to be
not the proper name of a man or place
but an
appellative
paraphrasing it
"and
sent to the king that shall come to avenge them;'
and
so other interpretersF15ירב
"altorem"
V. L. "qui eum vindicaret"
Tigurine version;
"propugnaturum"
Junius & Tremellius; "qui litigaret"
Piscator. understand it
rendering it
either the king that should defend
as
Tremellius; or the king the adversary
or litigator
as Cocceius
HillerusF16Onomast.
Sacr. p. 219.
and GussetiusF17Ebr. Comment. p. 780. ; a court
adversary
that litigates a point
contends with one
and is an advocate for
another; or
as Hiller elsewhereF18Onomast. Sacr. p. 430. renders
it
the king that lies in wait: this was fulfilled with respect to Ephraim
when Menahem king of Israel
or the ten tribes
often meant by Ephraim
went
and met Pul king of Assyria
and gave him a thousand talents to depart out of
his land; perceiving his own weakness to withstand him
and in order to
strengthen and confirm the kingdom in his hand
2 Kings 15:19; or
when Hoshea king of Israel gave presents to Shalmaneser king of Assyria
and
became a servant to him
till he could get stronger
and shake off his yoke
2 Kings 17:3; and
with respect to Judah it had its accomplishment when Ahaz king of Judah sent
messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria to come and help him against the
kings of Syria and Israel
finding he was not strong enough to oppose them
himself
2 Kings 16:7; now
all this was highly provoking to the Lord
that when both Israel and Judah
found themselves in a weak condition
and unable to resist their enemies
instead of seeking to him for help they applied to a foreign prince
and which
proved unsuccessful to them:
yet could he not heal you
nor cure you of your wound; but
on the
contrary
afflicted them
hurt and destroyed them; there being a
"meiosis" in the words
which expresses less than is designed; for
though
with respect to Ephraim or Israel
Pul king of Assyria desisted from
doing any damage to Israel
yet a successor of his
TiglathPileser
came and
took several places of Israel
and carried the inhabitants captive; and at last
came Shalmaneser
and took Samaria
the metropolis of the land
and carried all
the ten tribes captive
2 Kings 15:29; and
so
with respect to Judah
Tiglathpileser
whom Ahaz sent unto for help
not
only did not help and strengthen him
but afflicted him
2 Chronicles 28:20;
thus when sensible sinners see their spiritual maladies
and feel the smart of
their wounds
and make a wrong application for relief
to their tears
repentance
and humiliation
and to works of: righteousness
or to anything or
person short of Christ the great Physician
they meet with no success
find no
relief until better directed.
Hosea 5:14 14 For
I will be like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of
Judah. I
even I
will tear them and go away; I will take them
away
and no one shall rescue.
YLT 14For I [am] as a lion to
Ephraim
And as a young lion to the house of Judah
I -- I tear and go
I bear
away
and there is no deliverer.
For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion
and as a young lion
to the house of Judah
.... Being provoked by their above conduct and behaviour in
seeking to others
and not to him
for help
he threatens to punish them in a
more public and severe manner; not be to them only as a moth and rottenness
but as a lion
and as a young lion
creatures strong and fierce
that destroy
and devour all that come into their hands
and from whom there is no
deliverance: thus the Lord was both to Israel and Judah
by means of the
Assyrians and Babylonians; the former are compared to a lion
that devoured
Israel; and the latter to a young lion
that broke the bones of Judah; see Jeremiah 50:17; and
last of all by means of the Romans
especially to Judah:
I
even I
will tear and go away; as a lion
tears its prey in pieces it seizes upon
and goes away
and leaves it torn
having satisfied itself; and is in no fear of being pursued
or any vengeance
taken on him for what he has done; so the Lord would destroy Israel and Judah
and leave them in their ruinous state
none being able to rise up and avenge
their cause. The "I" is doubled
to express the certainty of it:
I will take away
and none shall rescue him; as the lion
having glutted itself with its prey
takes the rest away
and carries it to its
den
where none dare come and take it from him; so the Lord signifies
that
those of Israel and Judah that perished not by the sword of the enemy
or by
famine or pestilence
should be carried captive
and none should be able to
return them till he pleases: under the wrath and displeasure of God
and under
this tearing
rending
and afflictive dispensation
they now are
and will
continue till the time of their conversion.
Hosea 5:15 15 I
will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will
earnestly seek Me.”
YLT 15I go -- I turn back unto My
place
Till that they are desolate
and have sought My face. In their distress
they do seek Me speedily!'
I will go and return to my place
.... Leave the
countries of Israel and of Judah
where he had used to grant his gracious and
spiritual presence unto his people
and watched over them
and cared for them
and bestowed many favours on them
and go up to heaven
the place of his more
glorious presence
as the Targum
Jarchi
and Kimchi
interpret it; and there
as it were
shut himself up
particularly with respect to these people
as if
he had no more thought of them
or concern for them: this is to be understood
in a sense becoming and agreeable to the omnipresence of God:
till they acknowledge their offence
and seek my face; till the
Israelites acknowledge their idolatry
and the Jews their disbelief and
rejection of the Messiah
and all other sins; till they ingenuously confess
themselves to be guilty
or know and acknowledge they have sinned
as the
Targum; and then humbly seek the face and favour of God
the remission of their
sins from him
and acceptance with him:
in their affliction they will seek me early; in the
morning
betimes
early
and earnestly; which affliction may be understood both
of the Assyrian and Babylonish captivity; or rather of their present affliction
toward the close of it
when they shall be sensible of their sins
and confess
them
and look to him whom they have pierced
and mourn
and seek for pardon
righteousness
and salvation
from him; and so all Israel shall be saved
of
whose conversion this is a prophecy.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》