查經資料大全

 

| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index |

 

Hosea Chapter Eight                            

 

Hosea 8 Outlines

The Apostasy of Israel (v.1~14)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 8

This chapter treats of the sins and punishment of Israel for them as the preceding; it is threatened and proclaimed that an enemy should come swiftly against them because of their transgression of the covenant and law of God Hosea 8:1; their hypocrisy is exposed Hosea 8:2; they are charged with the rejection of that which is good and therefore should be pursued by the enemy Hosea 8:3; with setting up kings and princes without consulting the Lord Hosea 8:4; and with making of idols particularly the golden calves which would be of no use to them disappoint them and at last be broke to pieces Hosea 8:4; their seeking to their neighbours for help and entering into alliances with them are represented as vain and fruitless and issuing in their ruin and destruction Hosea 8:7; their sins of multiplying altars contrary to the law of God and in contempt of it and offering sacrifices to the Lord are observed; and they with a visitation from him Hosea 8:11; and the chapter is concluded with some notice and Judah the one building temples and multiplying fenced cities which should be by fire Hosea 8:14.

 

Hosea 8:1   Set the trumpet[a] to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law.
   YLT  
1`Unto thy mouth -- a trumpet As an eagle against the house of Jehovah Because they transgressed My covenant And against My law they have rebelled.

Set the trumpet to thy mouth .... Or "the trumpet to the roof of thy mouth"F20אל חכך שופר "adhibita palato tuo buccina" Junius & Tremellius; "adhibe palato buccinam" De Dieu; "ad palatum tuum buccinam" Schmidt. ; a concise expression denoting haste and the vehemence of the passions speaking; they are either the words of the Lord to the prophet as the Targum

"O prophet cry with thy throat as with a trumpet saying;'

Aben Ezra take them to be the words of the Lord the prophet and the sense agrees with Isaiah 58:1. The prophet is here considered as a watchman and is called upon to blow his trumpet; either to call the people together "as an eagle to the house of the Lord"F21כנשר על בית יהוה "similis aquilae in domum Jehovae" Junius & Tremellius Piscator. as the next clause may be connected with this; that is to come as swiftly to the house of the Lord and hear what he had to say to them and to supplicate the Lord for mercy in a time of distress: or to give the people notice of the approach of the enemy and tell them that

he shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord; "flying as an eagle over"F23"Super domum Domini" Pagninus Montanus Cocceius Schmidt; "contra domum Jehovae" Liveleus. or "against the house of the Lord": or they are the words of the Lord or of the prophet to the enemy to blow his trumpet and sound the alarm of war and call his army together and bid them fly like an eagle with that swiftness and fierceness as that creature does to its prey against the house of the Lord; meaning not the temple at Jerusalem but the nation of Israel formerly called the house and family of God and still pretended to be so. There may be some allusion to Bethel which signifies the house of God where they practised their idolatry. This is to be understood not of Nebuchadnezzar sometimes compared to an eagle Ezekiel 17:3; for not the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem is here meant; nor of the Romans as Lyra seems to understand it the eagle being the ensign of the Romans; but of Shalmaneser king of Assyria compared to this creature for his swiftness in coming his strength fierceness and cruelty; this creature being swift in flight and a bird of prey. So the Targum interprets it of a king and his army

"behold as an eagle flieth so shall a king with his army come up and encamp against the house of the sanctuary of the Lord.'

Some reference seems to be had to Deuteronomy 28:49;

because they have transgressed my covenant and trespassed against my law; the law that was given to Israel by Moses at the appointment of God to which they assented and promised to observes: and so it had the form of a covenant to them: the bounds of this law and covenant they transgressed and dealt perfidiously with and prevaricated in and wilfully broke all its commands by their idolatry murder adultery theft and other sins.

 

Hosea 8:2   2 Israel will cry to Me ‘My God we know You!’
   YLT  
2To Me they cry `My God we -- Israel -- have known Thee.'

Israel shall cry unto me my God we know thee. In their distress they shall cry to the Lord to help them and have mercy on them as they used to do when in trouble Isaiah 26:16; when the eagle is come upon them and just ready to devour them; when Samaria is besieged with file Assyrian army their king taken prisoner and they just ready to fall into the hands of the enemy then they shall cry to God though in a hypocritical manner; own him to be the true God and claim their interest in him and pretend knowledge of him and acquaintance with him; though they have not served and worshipped him but idols and that for hundreds of years; like others who profess to know God but in works deny him Titus 1:16. Israel is the last word in the verse and occasions different versions: "they shall cry unto me"; these transgressors of the covenant and the law these hypocrites shall pray to God in trouble saying "my God we Israel" or Israelites "know thee"; or "we know thee who are Israel"F24לי יזעקו אלהי ידענוך ישראל "ad me clamant Deus mi novimus te nos Israel" De Dieu; "clamabunt ad me O Deus meus nos Israelitae cognoscimus te" Tigurine version so Tarnovius; "mihi vocant Deus mi cognovimus vel agnoscimus te Israel" vel "nos lsrael seu Israelitae" Schmidt. ; and to this sense is the Targum

"in every time that distress comes upon them they pray before me and say now we know that we have no God besides thee; redeem us for we are thy people Israel;'

why may they not be rendered thus "they shall cry unto me; my God we know thee Israel" shall say? Castalio renders them to this sense "my God" say they; but "we know thee Israel"; we the three Persons in the Trinity Father Son and Spirit we know thy hypocrisy and wickedness that it is only outwardly and hypocritically and not sincerely that thou criest unto and callest upon God.

 

Hosea 8:3   3 Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.

   YLT  3Cast off good hath Israel an enemy pursueth him.

Israel hath cast off the thing that is good .... Or "rejected him that is good"F25זנח ישראל טוב "deseruit Israel bonum i. e. Deum" Vatablus Munster Tarnovius Zanchius. ; that is God as Kimchi observes; for there is none good but him Matthew 19:17; he is the "summum bonum" "the chiefest good" to men and is essentially originally and infinitely good in himself and the fountain of all goodness to his creatures; and yet Israel has rejected him with detestation and contempt as the wordF26"Abominatus est" Calvin Zanchius. signifies though they pretended to know him which shows their hypocrisy; and therefore it is no wonder that their prayers were rejected by him: or they rejected the good word of God the law or doctrine contained in it and the good worship service and fear of God and indeed everything that was good just and right. Cocceius renders it "the good One" or he that is God the good God "hath cast off Israel". This reading of the words Drusius also mentions and seems to like best and as agreeing with what follows; so Rivet; but the position of the words in the Hebrew text and the accents do not favour it;

the enemy shall pursue him; who is before compared to an eagle which flies swiftly and pursues its prey with eagerness and fierceness: Shalmaneser is meant who should invade the land come up to Samaria besiege and take it; nothing should stop him nor should Israel escape from him since they had cast off the Lord and everything that was good. The Targum is

"the house of Israel have erred from my worship for the sake of which I brought good things upon them; henceforward the enemy shall pursue them.'

 

Hosea 8:4   4 “They set up kings but not by Me; They made princes but I did not acknowledge them. From their silver and gold They made idols for themselves— That they might be cut off.
   YLT  
4They have made kings and not by Me They have made princes and I have not known Their silver and their gold they have made to them idols So that they are cut off.

They have set up kings but not by me .... Not by his authority order and command; not by asking advice of him or his leave but of themselves and of their own accord: this refers to the case of Jeroboam their first king after their separation from the house of David and from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin; for though his becoming king of Israel was according to the secret will of God and by his overruling providence; yet it was done without his express orders and without asking counsel of him or his consent and of their own heads; and many of his successors were conspirators and set up themselves with the consent of the people to the dethroning of others and upon the slaughter of them as Shallum Menahem Pekah and Hoshea: the people of Israel had no right to choose a king for themselves; the right was alone in the Lord; it was he that chose appointed and constituted their kings Deuteronomy 17:15; thus Saul David and Solomon were chose and appointed by him 1 Samuel 10:24; it was not the person of Jeroboam chosen God disliked; but their taking it upon them to choose and set him up without his leave;

they have made princes and knew it not; that is they set up subordinate governors judges civil magistrates elders of the people over them without his approbation and such as were very disagreeable to him; otherwise he knew what was done by them as being the omniscient God but he did not approve of what they did. Some observe that ש in the word used is put for ס and should be rendered "they have removed" so Jarchi and Japhet; that is they have set up kings and they have removed them; they have took it upon them to make and pose kings at pleasure without seeking the Lord about it when this is his prerogative who is King of kings and Lord of lords Daniel 2:21; which sense makes a strong and beautiful antithesis;

of their silver and their gold have they made their idols; some of their idols were made of silver others of gold; particularly the calves at Dan and Bethel which are called the golden calves because made of gold; as was the calf in the wilderness 1 Kings 12:28; see Isaiah 46:6;

that they may be cut off: which denotes not the end intentions and design of making these idols of silver and gold but the event thereof; namely either the destruction of the idols themselves which for the sake of the silver and gold they were made of; were cut in pieces by a foreign enemy; or the gold and silver were cut off from the people their riches and wealth were wasted by such means; or rather the people were cut off everyone of them because of their worship of them or this would be the case.

 

Hosea 8:5   5 Your calf is rejected O Samaria! My anger is aroused against them— How long until they attain to innocence?
   YLT  
5Cast off hath thy calf O Samaria Burned hath Mine anger against them Till when are they not capable of purity?

Thy calf O Samaria hath cast thee off .... Or is the cause of thy being cast off by the Lord and of being cast out of thine own land and carried captive into another; the past tense is used for the future as is common in prophetic writings to denote the certainty of the thing: or "thy calf hath left thee"F1זנח עגלך "dereliquit vitulus te" Lutherus; "descruit te vitulus tuus" Schmidt. ; in the lurch; it cannot help thee; it is gone off and forsaken thee; it has "removed" itself from thee according to the sense of the word in Lamentations 3:17; as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe; or is removed far from thee being carried captive itself into Assyria; for when the king of Assyria took Samaria he seized on the golden calf for the sake of the gold and took it away; see Hosea 10:5; or "he hath removed thy calf"F2"Elongavit sc. hostis vitalum tuum" Schindler. ; that is the enemy taking it away when he took the city; or God has rejected it with the utmost contempt and abhorrence: the calf is here and in the following verse called the calf of Samaria because this was the metropolis of the ten tribes in which the calf was worshipped and because it was worshipped by the Samaritans; and it may be when Samaria became the chief city the calf at Bethel might be removed thither or another set up in that city:

mine anger is kindled against them: the calves at Dan and Bethel the singular before being put for the plural; or against the if of Samaria and Samaria itself; or the inhabitants of it because of the worship of the calf which was highly provoking to God it being a robbing him of his glory and giving it to graven images:

how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? or "purity"F3נקיון "munditiem" Calvin Rivet Schmidt. ; of worship life and conversation: the words may be rendered thus "how long?"F4עד מתי "quousque?" Zanchius Pareus Cocceius. for there is a large stop there; and this may be a question of the prophet's asking how long the wrath of God would burn against the people what; would be the duration of it and when it would end? to which an answer is returned as the words may be translated "they cannot bear purity"F5לא יוכלו נקיון "non possunt innocentiam praestare" Cocceius; "quamdiu non poterunt animum adjungere ad innocentam" Zanchius; "usquedum non poterunt ferre innocentiam" Pareus. ; of doctrine of worship of heart and life; when they can mine anger will cease burning: or as the Targum

"as long as they cannot purify themselves '

or be purified; so long as they continue in their sins in their superstition and idolatry and other impieties and are not purged from them.

 

Hosea 8:6   6 For from Israel is even this: A workman made it and it is not God; But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.

   YLT  6For even it [is] of Israel; an artificer made it And it [is] not God For the calf of Samaria is fragments!

For from Israel was it also .... That is the calf was from Israel; it was an invention of theirs as some say; they did not borrow it from their neighbours as they did other idols but it was their own contrivance: but this tines not seem to be fact; for the calf the making of it indeed was of themselves but the worship of it they borrowed from the Egyptians; with this difference the Egyptians worshipped a living cow or ox these the golden image of a calf: but rather the sense is that this calf was made by the advice of Israel by the advice of Jeroboam their king and of their princes they assenting to it so Aben Ezra; or the gold and silver of which it was made was exacted on them and collected from them as the Targum and Jarchi; or workmen were employed by them to make it; and so it was of them also as any other work that was done by their advice and direction and at their expense; and therefore could never have any divinity in it any more than other things they did; though this is commonly interpreted as having respect to the making of the golden calf by Aaron that this also was of Israel as well as that:

the workman made it; therefore it is not God; a strong and invincible reason this; for since the call was the work of an artificer of the goldsmith or founder it could not be God; there could not be deity in it; for a creature cannot make a God or give that which itself has not; if the workman was not God but a creature if deity was not in him he could never give it to a golden image a lifeless statue fashioned by him: this one would think should have been a clear plain striking and convincing argument to them that their calf was as the Targum has it

"a deity in which there was no profit:'

but the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces; or "forF6כי "nam" Junius & Tremellius Piscator Cocceius; "quia" Schmidt; "quoniam" Pagninus Montanus. the calf of Samaria" &c. being another reason to prove it could not be God; if the former would not convince them this surely would when they should see it broke to pieces by the enemy from whom it could not save itself; and therefore could not be a god that could be of any service to them or save them. The Vulgate Latin version renders it "for the calf of Samaria shall become spiders webs": and Jerom says he learned it of a Jew that the word so signifies; but his Jew imposed upon him: it does not appear to be any where so used either in the Bible or in any other writings. Kimchi interprets it shivers fragments broken pieces of anything. Jarchi says it signifies in the Syriac language beams planks and boards pieces of them; so the Targum and Ben Melech from the Rabbins; or rather the dust which falls from them in sawing sawdust; to dust as small as that should this calf be reduced as the golden calf was ground to powder by Moses to which it is thought there is an allusion.

 

Hosea 8:7   7 “They sow the wind And reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; It shall never produce meal. If it should produce Aliens would swallow it up.
   YLT  
7For wind they sow and a hurricane they reap Stalk it hath none -- a shoot not yielding grain If so be it yield -- strangers do swallow it up.

For they have sown the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind .... The sense is the Israelites took a great deal of pains in the idolatrous worship of the calves and made a great stir bustle and noise in it like the wind; were very vainglorious and ostentatious made a great show of religion and devotion and promised themselves great things from it peace and plenty wealth and riches all prosperity and happiness enjoyed by Heathen nations; but this was lost labour it was labouring for the wind or sowing that; they got nothing by it or what was worse than nothing; it proved not only useless but hurtful to them; for for their idolatry and continuance in it the whirlwind of God's wrath would be raised up against them and the Assyrian army like a vehement storm of wind would rush in upon them and destroy them; so they that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption Galatians 6:8;

it hath no stalk; what they sowed did not rise up above ground; or if it did it did not spring up in a blade or stalk which was promising of fruit; no real good profit and advantage sprung from their idolatrous practices:

the bud shall yield no meal; yea though it rise up into a stalk and this stalk produced ears of corn yet those so thin that no meal or flour could be got out of them and so of no worth and use:

and if so be it yield: any meal or flour:

the strangers shall swallow it up; the Israelites should not be the better for it; it should till come into the hands of foreigners the Assyrian army. The meaning is that if they did prosper and increase in riches yet they should not long enjoy them themselves but be pillaged and spoiled of them; as they were by the exactions of Pul and by the depredations of Shalmaneser kings of Assyria. So the Targum

"if they got substance the nations shall spoil them of it.'

 

Hosea 8:8   8 Israel is swallowed up; Now they are among the Gentiles Like a vessel in which is no pleasure.
   YLT  
8Israel hath been swallowed up Now they have been among nations As a vessel in which is no delight.

Israel is swallowed up .... Not only their substance but their persons also the whole nation of them their whole estate civil and ecclesiastic: it notes the utter destruction of them by the Assyrians so that nothing of them and theirs remained; just as anyone is swallowed up and devoured by a breast of prey; the present is put for the future because of the certainty of it:

now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure; when Shalmaneser took Samaria and with it swallowed up the whole kingdom of Israel he carried captive the inhabitants of it and placed them among the nations in "Halah Habor by the river Gozan" and in the cities of the Medes 2 Kings 17:6; where they lived poor mean and abject and were treated with the utmost neglect and contempt; no more regarded than a broken useless vessel or than a vessel of dishonour that is made and used for the ease of nature for which no more regard is had than for that service: thus idolaters who dishonour God by their idolatries shall sooner or later be brought to disgrace and dishonour themselves.

 

Hosea 8:9   9 For they have gone up to Assyria Like a wild donkey alone by itself; Ephraim has hired lovers.
   YLT  
9For they -- they have gone up [to] Asshur A wild ass alone by himself [is] Ephraim They have hired lovers!

For they are gone up to Assyria .... Or "though they should go up to Assyria"F7כי המה עלו "quamvis etiamsi ascenderint"; so Schmidt observes it may be rendered though he chooses to render it by "quando" "when they should go up" &c. ; to the king of Assyria to gain his friendship and enter into alliance with him; as when Pal king of Assyria came against them Menahem king of Israel went forth to meet him and gave him a thousand talents of silver to be his confederate and strengthen his kingdom 2 Kings 15:19; yet this hindered not but that Israel was at length swallowed up by that people and scattered by them among the nations; for this is not to be understood of their going captive into the land of Assyria as the Targum interprets it:

a wild ass alone by himself; which may be applied either to the king of Assyria and be considered as a description of him to whom Israel went for help and friendship; who though he took their present and made them fair promises yet was perfidious unsociable and inhuman studied only his own advantage and not their good: or to the Israelites that went to him who were as sottish and stupid as the ass and as headstrong and unruly as that and like it lustful and impetuous in their lusts; running to and fro for the satisfying of them and taking no advice nor suffering themselves to be controlled and being alone became an easy prey to the Assyrian lion: or yet they should be as "a wild ass alone by itself"F8פרא בודד לו "erunt onager qui solitarius sibi est" Schmidt. ; notwithstanding all the methods they took to obtain the friendship and alliance of the king of Assyria yet they should be carried captive by him and dwell in the captivity like a wild ass in the wilderness; and so it is to be understood here agreeably to Job 24:5; otherwise as BochartF9Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 16. col. 870. has proved from various writers these creatures go in flocks:

Ephraim hath hired lovers; by giving presents to the kings of Assyria and Egypt to be their allies and confederates patrons and defenders 2 Kings 15:19; who are represented as their gallants with whom Ephraim or the ten tribes committed adultery departing from God their Husband and liege Lord and King and from his true worship; see Ezekiel 16:26. R. Elias LevitaF11Tishbi p. 267. observes that some interpret the words "Ephraim made a covenant with lovers".

 

Hosea 8:10   10 Yes though they have hired among the nations Now I will gather them; And they shall sorrow a little [b] Because of the burden[c] of the king of princes.

   YLT  10Also though they hire among nations Now I gather them and they are pained a little From the burden of a king of princes.

Yea though they have hired among the nations .... That is lovers as before; got into confederacies and alliances with the nations about them thinking thereby to strengthen their hands and secure themselves and their kingdom; particular regard may be had to the Egyptians as distinct from the Assyrians whom they privately engaged on their side to shake off the Assyrian yoke or their obligation to send yearly presents to the Assyrian king:

now will I gather them; either the Assyrians against them to invade their land besiege their city and take and carry them captive; or the Israelites in a body into the city of Samaria and there be cooped up and taken and destroyed or carried captive; for this is not to be interpreted of the collection of them out of their captivity as the Targum and Jarchi but of the gathering of them together for their destruction:

and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes; the tax or tribute imposed upon them by the king of Assyria whose princes were altogether kings Isaiah 10:8; and who used to be called king of kings being at the head of a monarchy which had many kings subject to it; as the kings of Babylon were afterwards called Ezekiel 26:7; this may refer to the yearly present or tribute which Hoshea king of Israel was obliged to give to the king of Assyria which he was very uneasy at and did not pay it which drew upon him the resentment of the Assyrian king; and that sorrow and uneasiness which that tribute gave the king of Israel and his people were but little and small in comparison of what they after found; it was the beginning of sorrows to them: and so some render the words "they began"F12ויחלו "incipient" Calvin; "ceperunt enim paululum" Junius & Tremellius Piscator Zanchius Drusius Tarnovius so Ben Melech. ; that is to sorrow and complain "a little"; or this may refer to their burdens and oppressions when in captivity which were laid upon them by the king of Assyria and the princes the rulers and governors of the several places where the Israelites were carried captive: even the "few that shall remain"F13ויחלו מעט "et remanebunt pauci" Schmidt; a rad. חול "durare permanere". as some render it; and not die by famine pestilence and sword. Kimchi and Ben Melech think there is a deficiency of the copulative and between king and princes; which is supplied by the Targum and by the Septuagint Vulgate Latin Syriac and Arabic versions which read "the king and princes".

 

Hosea 8:11   11 “Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin They have become for him altars for sinning.
   YLT  
11Because Ephraim did multiply altars to sin They have been to him altars to sin.

Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin .... Not with an intention to commit sin but to offer sacrifice for sin and make atonement for it as they thought; but these altars being erected for the sake of idols and sacrifices offered on them to them they sinned in so doing and were the cause of sin in others who were drawn into it by their example; as they were made to sin or drawn into it by Jeroboam their king These altars were those set up at Dan and Bethel and in all high places and tops of mountains where they sacrificed to idols; and which was contrary to the express command of God who required sacrifice only at one place and on one altar Deuteronomy 12:5; typical of the one altar Christ and his alone sacrifice who is the only Mediator between God and man; and they are guilty of the same crime as Ephraim here who make use of more or neglect him;

altars shall be unto him for sin; either these same altars and the sacrifices offered on them shall be reckoned and imputed to him as sins trod shall be the cause of his condemnation and punishment: or "let the altars be unto him for sin" so someF14היו לו מזבחות לחטא "santo ergo illi altaria ad peccandum" Rivet. ; since he will have them let him have them and go on in sinning till he has filled up the measure of his sins and brought on him just condemnation; or else other altars are meant even in the land of Assyria where since they were so fond of multiplying altars they should have altars enough to sin at whereby their sins would be increased and their punishment for them aggravated. The Targum is

"seeing the house of Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin the altars of their idols shall he to them for a stumbling block '

or ruin; so sin is taken in a different sense both for guilt and the punishment of it.

 

Hosea 8:12   12 I have written for him the great things of My law But they were considered a strange thing.
   YLT  
12I write for him numerous things of My law As a strange thing they have been reckoned.

I have written to him the great things of my law .... Which was given by Moses to Israel at the appointment of God in which were many commands holy just and true; a multiplicity of them as the Targum relating to the honour of God and the good of men; many excellent and useful ones of a moral nature and others of a ceremonial kind; and particularly concerning sacrifices showing what they should be the nature and use of them and where and on what altar they should be offered; and which pointed at the great sacrifice of the Messiah who is both altar sacrifice and priest: and these things were frequently inculcated by the prophets who from time to time were sent unto them; so that the Lord was continually writing these things to them by them as Jarchi Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it; hence they could not plead ignorance and excuse themselves on that account. The law sometimes not only designs the law of the decalogue and the ceremonial law respecting sacrifices &c. but all the books of Moses in which are written many great and excellent things concerning Christ his person offices and grace; yea all the books of the prophets the whole of Scripture which is by inspiration of God and is the writing and word of God and not men; and of which holy men of God were the "amanuenses"; and in which many valuable and precious things are recorded even all the works of God of creation providence and grace; yea the various thoughts counsels and purposes of his heart relating to the salvation of men are transcribed here; and the manifold grace of God or each of the doctrines of grace are contained herein especially in the doctrinal and evangelical part of it which is sometimes called the law of the Lord even of Christ; and the law or doctrine of faith; see Psalm 119:18; here are delivered and held forth the great doctrines of a trinity of Persons in the Godhead; of the everlasting love of God to his people and of their choice in Christ before the world began; of the covenant of grace; of the incarnation of Christ; of redemption by him; of peace pardon righteousness and atonement through him; of eternal salvation by him; these things are written and to be read and referred unto and observed as the rule of faith and practice and not unwritten traditions pretended revelations reveries and dreams of men; and written they were not for the use of the Israelites only under the former dispensation but for the learning and instruction of us Gentiles also Romans 3:2;

but they were counted as a strange thing; the laws respecting sacrifices more especially and the place where they were to be offered which are the things mentioned in the context had been so long disregarded and disused by Ephraim or the ten tribes that when they were put in mind of them by the prophets they looked upon them as things they had no concern with; as laws that belonged to another people and not to them: and so the great things of divine revelation the great doctrines of the Gospel are treated by many as things they have nothing to do with not at all interesting to them; yea as nauseous and despicable things deserving their scorn and contempt very ungrateful and disagreeable and in this sense strange as Job's breath was to his wife Job 19:17; and also as foreign to reason and good sense and what cannot be reconciled thereunto: so the Athenians charged the doctrines of the Apostle Paul as strange irrational and unaccountable Acts 17:20.

 

Hosea 8:13   13 For the sacrifices of My offerings they sacrifice flesh and eat it But the Lord does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt.

   YLT  13The sacrifices of Mine offerings! They sacrifice flesh and they eat Jehovah hath not accepted them Now doth He remember their iniquity And inspect their sin They -- [to] Egypt they turn back.

They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings

and eat it .... Or "as to the sacrifices mine offerings" or "gifts they sacrifice flesh and eat it"F15זבחי הבהבי יזבחו בשר ויאכלו "quod attinet ad sacrificia donariorum meorum sacrificant illi quidem carnem et comedunt" Piscator De Dieu; "quantum ad sacrificia" &c. Schmidt. So Reinbeck. De Accent. Hebr. p. 445. ; these sacrifices which according to the law should given to God when they offered them they did not give them to him they took them to themselves and ate them; they were carnal offerings and offered with a carnal mind without faith and piety without any regard to the glory of God but merely for the sake of caring: the Targum interprets it of sacrifices got by rapine which God hates Isaiah 61:8;

but the Lord accepteth them not; neither the sacrifices nor the sacrificers but despised and abhorred them; no sacrifice was acceptable to God but what was offered according to law and where he directed and in the faith of Christ and through him:

now will he remember their iniquities and visit their sins; he will not pardon them but punish for them; so far were their sacrifices making atonement for them as they expected they added to the measure of their iniquities:

they shall return into Egypt; either flee thither for refuge many of them it seems did when the king of Assyria entered their land and besieged Samaria; where they lived miserably as in exile and were there buried and never returned to their own land any more; see Hosea 9:3; or they should be carried captive into Assyria where they should be in a like state of bondage as their fathers were in Egypt. Some render it "they return into Egypt"F16המה מצרים ישובו "illi in Aegyptum redeunt" Cocceius; "revertuntur" Schmidt. So Tarnovius. ; and consider it not as their punishment but as their sin; that when the Lord was about to visit them for their transgressions they being made tributary to the Assyrians instead of returning to the Lord and humbling themselves before him they sent to the king of Egypt for help 2 Kings 17:4.

 

Hosea 8:14   14 “For Israel has forgotten his Maker And has built temples;[d] Judah also has multiplied fortified cities; But I will send fire upon his cities And it shall devour his palaces.”

   YLT  14And forget doth Israel his Maker and buildeth temples And Judah hath multiplied cities of defence And I have sent a fire into his cities And it hath consumed their palaces!

For Israel hath forgotten his Maker .... The Creator and Preserver of everyone of them and who had raised them up to a state and kingdom and had made them great and rich and populous and bestowed many favours and blessings on them; and yet they forgot him to give him glory and to serve and worship him:

and buildeth temples; to idols as the Targum adds; to the calves at Dan and Bethel at which places as there were altars set up and priests appointed so temples and houses of high places built to worship in; see 1 Kings 12:31;

and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities; to protect them from their enemies which was not unlawful; but that they should put their trust and confidence in them and not in the Lord their God which was their sin; when they saw the ten tribes carried captive by the Assyrians they betook themselves to such methods for their security but were not careful to avoid those sins which brought ruin upon Israel:

but I will send a fire upon his cities and it shall devour the palaces thereof; that is an enemy that should set fire to their cities particularly Jerusalem their chief city and burn the temple of the Lord the palaces of their king and nobles and all the fine houses of the great men; which was done many years after this prophecy by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon Jeremiah 52:13.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. Hosea 8:1 Hebrew shophar ram’s horn
  2. Hosea 8:10 Or begin to diminish
  3. Hosea 8:10 Or oracle
  4. Hosea 8:14 Or palaces