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Hosea Chapter
Nine
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 9
This
chapter is an address to Israel or the ten tribes
and contains either a new
sermon
or is a very considerable part of the former upon the same subject
the
sins and punishment of that people. It begins with an instruction to them
not
to rejoice in their prosperity
as others did; since it would soon be at an
end
because of their idolatry
which was everywhere committed
and for which
they expected a reward of temporal good things
Hosea 9:1; but
on
the contrary
they are threatened with famine
with want both of corn and wine
Hosea 9:2; and with
an ejection out of their land into foreign countries; where they should be
obliged to eat things unclean by their law
Hosea 9:3; and
where their sacrifices and solemnities should be no more attended to
Hosea 9:4; yea
where their carcasses should fall and be buried
while their own country and
houses lay waste and desolate
Hosea 9:6; for
whatsoever their foolish and mad prophets said to the contrary
who pretended
to be with God
and know his will
and were a snare to them that gave heed unto
them
and brought hatred on them
the time of their punishment would certainly
come
Hosea 9:7; and
their iniquities would be remembered and visited; seeing their corruptions were
deep
like those that appeared in Gibeah
in the days of old
Hosea 9:9; they
acting the same ungrateful part their fathers had done
of whom they were a
degenerate offspring
Hosea 9:10;
wherefore for these
and other offences mentioned
they are threatened with
being bereaved of their children
and drove out of their land
to wander among
the nations
Hosea 9:11.
Hosea 9:1 Do not rejoice
O Israel
with joy like other peoples
For you have played the harlot
against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor.
YLT 1`Rejoice not
O Israel
be
not joyful like the peoples
For thou hast gone a-whoring from thy God
Thou
hast loved a gift near all floors of corn.
Rejoice not
O Israel
for joy
as other people
.... But
rather mourn and lament
since such a load of guilt lay upon them
and they had
so highly provoked the Lord to anger by their sins
and punishment would
quickly be inflicted on them; and though they might be now in prosperity
through Jeroboam's success against their enemies
who by his victories had
enlarged their border; yet they should not rejoice at it
as other people used
to do on such occasions
by illumination of houses
making fires in the
streets
feasting
and the like
since this prosperity would be but short
lived: or if it was on account of the league made by Menahem with the king of
Assyria
this would not last long; or on account of a good harvest
they need
not so much rejoice as they that rejoice in harvest
since there would quickly
be a famine among them: or rather it may respect rejoicing at their idols
and
in their idolatrous worship
as other people
which is forbidden; such as
instituting plays to the honour of them
making feasts before them
and dancing
about them; whatever others might do
who knew not the true God
had not his
law before them
nor his prophets sent to them to make known his will; who had
been brought up in idolatry
adhered to their gods
and never forsook them; it
ill became Israel to do the like. So the words may be rendered
"rejoice
not
O Israel"
at an idolF17אל גיל "super similitudine
seu idolo"
Schmidt.
or idols
"as other people"
idolatrous ones; the
word signifies "similitude"F18גיל
signifies a likeness of age
stature
and complexion
in Dan. i. 10. an idol is
the similitude or likeness of anything in heaven or is earth
Exod. xx. 4. or
"likeness"
which an idol is:
for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God; playing the
harlot with many lovers; committing adultery with stocks and stones;
worshipping idols
and so departing from God
the true God
they had professed
to be their God
their God in covenant; who stood in the relation of a husband
to them
but they proved treacherous to him
and were guilty of spiritual
adultery
which is idolatry; and therefore had no cause to rejoice as other
nations that never left their gods
but to take shame to themselves
and mourn
over their sad departure; see Hosea 1:3;
thou hast loved a reward upon every corn floor; alluding to
the hire of a harlot
prostituting herself for it on a corn floor
or any where
else
and that for a measure of corn
or for bread: it may point either at
their giving the times of their corn floors to their idols
instead of giving
them to the Lord; or to their ascribing their plenty of corn
and all good
things to their worship of them
which they called their rewards
or hires
their lovers gave them
Hosea 2:5; or to
their erecting of altars on their corn floors; as David erected one to the true
God on the threshing floor of Araunah
2 Samuel 24:24; and
which they might do
either by way of thanksgiving for a good harvest
which
they imputed to them; or in order to obtain one
but in vain
as follows. The
Targum is
"for
you have erred from the worship of your God; you have loved to serve idols on
all
corn floors.'
Hosea 9:2 2 The
threshing floor and the winepress Shall not feed them
And the new wine shall
fail in her.
YLT 2Floor and wine-press do not
delight them
And new wine doth fail in her
The floor and the winepress shall not feed them
.... Though their
expectations from their worship of idols were large
they should find
themselves mistaken; for there would not be a sufficiency of corn on the floor
nor of wine in the press
to supply them with what was necessary for their
sustenance; either through a blight upon their fields and vineyards
or through
the invasion of an enemy
treading them down
and spoiling and foraging them:
or else supposing a sufficient quantity of corn and wine got in; yet those
blessings should be either turned into curses
or carried off by the enemy
that they should do then
no good; or if they enjoyed them
yet they should
receive no nourishment from them; but should become lean
and look like starved
and famishing creatures in the midst of plenty; by all which it would appear
that their idols could neither give them a sufficiency of provisions
nor make
those nourishing to them they had:
and the new wine shall fail in her; in the congregation or
land of Israel: or
"shall lie to her"F19יכחש בה "mentietur in
ea"
Pagninus
Montanus
Zanchius; "mentietur isti"
Junius
& Tremellius
Piscator
Liveleus
Schmidt. ; shall not answer their
expectations
but disappoint and deceive them; whereas they expected great
plenty from the promising prospect of the vines
these by one means or another
should be destroyed
so that they would yield but little
and balk them; see Habakkuk 3:17.
Hosea 9:3 3 They
shall not dwell in the Lord’s
land
But Ephraim shall return to Egypt
And shall eat unclean things in
Assyria.
YLT 3They do not abide in the
land of Jehovah
And turned back hath Ephraim [to] Egypt
And in Asshur an
unclean thing they eat.
They shall not dwell in the Lord's land
.... The land
of Israel
or Canaan; which
though all the earth is the Lord's
was peculiarly
his; which he had chosen for himself
and for this people; where he had his
temple
and caused his Shechinah or divine Majesty to dwell in a very special
manner
and where his worship and service were performed. So the Targum calls
it the land of the Shechinah or majesty of the Lord. Sometimes it is called
Immanuel's land
where the Messiah Immanuel
God with us
was to be born
and
dwell
and where he did. Kimchi wrongly interprets this of Jerusalem only; and
others of Judea; but it designs the whole land of promise
which God save by
promise to the fathers of this people
and put them in the possession of
the
tenure of which they held by their obedience; but they not living according to
will
and in obedience to his laws
who was Lord of the land
sole Proprietor
and Governor of it
he turned them out of it
and would not suffer them to
continue any longer in it; and which was a great punishment indeed
to be
driven out of such a land
a land flowing with milk and honey
and where they
had been favoured with privileges and blessings of every kind;
but Ephraim shall return to Egypt; or the ten tribes; that
is
some of them
who should flee thither for refuge and sustenance; when the
Assyrian should invade their land
and besiege Samaria
they should go thither
again
where their ancestors had formerly been in a state of bondage: this is
prophesied of them
Deuteronomy 28:68;
and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria; that is
Ephraim or the ten tribes
the far greater part of there
should be taken
captive
and carried into Assyria
and there eat food which by their law was
unclean
as things sacrificed to idols
swine's flesh
and many others; or food
that was not fit for men to eat
which nature abhorred; such bread as Ezekiel
was bid to make and eat
Ezekiel 4:9. This
may be understood even of them that went to Egypt for help against the
Assyrians
or for shelter from them
or for food to eat in the time of famine;
who should be brought back again
and carried into Assyria
and there live a
miserable and an uncomfortable life; who had been used to enjoy corn and wine
and plenty of all good things
to which these unclean things may be opposed.
Hosea 9:4 4 They
shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord
Nor shall
their sacrifices be pleasing to Him. It shall be like bread of mourners
to them; All who eat it shall be defiled. For their bread shall be for
their own life; It shall not come into the house of the Lord.
YLT 4They pour not out wine to
Jehovah
Nor are they sweet to Him
Their sacrifices [are] as bread of mourners
to them
All eating it are unclean: For their bread [is] for themselves
It
doth not come into the house of Jehovah.
They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord
.... This is
either a threatening of the cessation of sacrifices
being carried into
Assyria
a strange land
where it was not lawful to offer sacrifice
there
being no temple nor altar to offer in or at; and so as they would not offer to
the Lord when they should
now they shall not if they would: or this respects
not
the future time of their exile
but their present time now
as Kimchi
observes; and so is a reproof of their present sacrifices
which are forbidden
to be observed; because they were offered not in faith
nor in sincerity
but
hypocritically
and before their calves: besides
the future tease is sometimes
put for the present; and this way goes Schmidt;
neither shall their sacrifices be pleasing unto him; unto the
Lord
if they were offered; and is a reason why they should not
because
unacceptable to him
and that for the reasons before mentioned:
their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of
mourners: all that eat thereof shall be polluted; as all that
ate of the bread of such who were mourning for their dead
that partook of
their funeral feasts
or ate bread with them at any time during their mourning
were defiled thereby
according to the Levitical law
and were unqualified for
service
Leviticus 21:1; so
the sacrifices of these people being offered up with a wicked mind instead of
atoning for their sins
more and more defiled them; and
instead of being
acceptable to God
were abominable to him:
for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of
the Lord; in the captivity there was no house of the Lord for them to
bring it into; and
when in their own land
they did not bring their offerings
to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem
as they should have done
but offered
them before their calves at Dan and Bethel; and which is the thing complained
of
that the bread for their souls
that is
the offerings accompanied with the
"minchah"
or bread offering
for the expiation of the sins of their
souls
were not brought into the house of the Lord (the future for the
present); or else
this being the case
their sacrifices were reckoned by the
Lord as no other than common bread
which they ate for the sustenance of their
lives.
Hosea 9:5 5 What
will you do in the appointed day
And in the day of the feast of the Lord?
YLT 5What do ye at the day
appointed? And at the day of Jehovah's festival?
What will ye do in the solemn day
and in the day of the feast of
the Lord? Since their sacrifices now were so disagreeable and displeasing
to the Lord
and so unavailable to themselves
what would they do when in
captivity
"in the solemn day"
the seventh day of the week
appointed by the Lord for rest and religious worship; and in the first day of
the month
which also was to be solemnly observed
by offering sacrifice
&c. and on feast days of the Lord's instituting
as the feasts of the
passover
pentecost; and tabernacles? seeing those that carried and held them
captive would not allow them time for such solemnities; nor would they be
furnished with proper sacrifices; nor could they be accommodated with a proper
place to offer them at; nor be able
in a strange land
and under hardships and
miseries
to express that joy that is suitable to such occasions: thus should
they learn
by sad experience
the want of those means and opportunities of
serving the Lord
which in their own land they rejected and despised. Jarchi
and Kimchi interpret this of the destruction of Israel
and of punishment inflicted
on them at the time appointed by the Lord; and which would be a solemn time
a
feast with the Lord
to which he should invite their enemies
and they should
spill their blood as the blood of sacrifices; and when he would display the
glory of his justice
truth
and faithfulness
before all the world. And it is
asked
what will you do then? whither will you flee for help? or what sacrifice
can you offer up to the Lord to atone for sin
or appease his wrath? will you
be able to rejoice then? no
your joy will be turned into mourning; see Isaiah 10:3.
Hosea 9:6 6 For
indeed they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis
shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver; Thorns shall
be in their tents.
YLT 6For
lo
they have gone
because of destruction
Egypt gathereth them
Moph burieth them
The desirable
things of their silver
Nettles possess them -- a thorn [is] in their tents.
For
lo
they are gone
because of destruction
.... That is
many of the people of Israel were gone out of their own land to others
particularly to Egypt
because of the destruction that was coming upon them
and to avoid it; because of the Assyrian army which invaded their land
and
besieged Samaria
and threatened them with entire destruction; and upon which a
famine ensued
and which is thought by Kimchi to be here particularly meant;
Egypt shall gather them up: being dead; for they shall
die there
perhaps by the pestilence
and never return to their own country
as
they flattered themselves; and they shall make preparations for their funeral:
Memphis shall bury them; or they shall be buried
there; which was a principal city in Egypt
here called Moph
in Isaiah 19:13
Noph.
It was the metropolis of upper Egypt
and the seat of the Egyptian kings. In
it
as Plutarch saysF20De Iside & Osir. p. 359.
was the
sepulchre of Osiris; and some say its name so signifies. Near to it were the
famous pyramids
as StraboF21Geograph. l. 17. p. 555. says
supposed
to be built for the sepulchre of them. HerodotusF23Euterpe
sive l. 2. c. 8. 126
127. places these pyramids
at Memphis
and says there were three of them; the largest had several
subterraneous chambers in it; the next in size had none; the smallest was
covered with Ethiopic marble. Strabo
in the place referred to
speaks of many
pyramids near it
of which three were very remarkable
and expressly says they
were the burying places of the kings. DiodorusF24Bibliothec. l. 1. p
57. agrees with these
as to the number of them
but places them fifteen miles
from Memphis. PlinyF25Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 12. places them between
Memphis and the Delta
six miles from Memphis; pretty near to which is Strabo's
account
who in the above place says
they stood forty furlongs
or five miles
from the city. Near it was the lake of Charon or Acherusia
over which he
ferried dead bodies from Memphis to the pyramids
or to the plains of the
mummies
the Elysian fields. Now since this was so famous for the burying
places of kings
there may be an allusion to it in this expression. Here also
were buried their deities
the Apis or ox when it died;
the pleasant places for their silver
nettles shall possess
them; such beautiful edifices as were made for the repositories or
treasure houses for their silver; or were built or purchased at great expense
of silver; or were decorated with it; now should lie in ruins
and be like a
waste
desert
and desolate place
all overrun with nettles
and uninhabited:
briers shall be in their tabernacles; their
dwelling houses
which being demolished
briers shall grow upon the ground
where they stood
and overspread it; another token of desolation. The Targum
interprets it of living creatures
beasts of prey
that should dwell there;
wild cats particularly.
Hosea 9:7 7 The
days of punishment have come; The days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The
prophet is a fool
The spiritual man is insane
Because of the
greatness of your iniquity and great enmity.
YLT 7Come in have the days of
inspection
Come in have the days of recompence
Israel doth know! a fool [is]
the prophet
Mad [is] the man of the Spirit
Because of the abundance of thine
iniquity
And great [is] the hatred.
The days of visitation are come
the days of recompense are come
.... In which
the Lord would punish the people of Israel for their sins
and reward them in a
righteous manner
according as their evil works deserved; which time
being
fixed and appointed by him
are called "days"; and these
because
near at hand
are said to be "come"; and this is repeated for the
certainty of it:
Israel shall know it; by sad experience
that
these days are come; and shall acknowledge the truth of the divine predictions
and the righteousness of God in his judgments. SchultensF26Animadv.
Philol. in Job
p. 78.
from the use of the phrase in the Arabic language
interprets it of Israel's suffering punishment; with which agrees the
Septuagint version
"Israel shall be afflicted"
or it shall go ill
with him; and to the same purpose the Arabic version:
the prophet is a fool; so Israel said
before
those days came
of a true prophet of the Lord
that he was a fool for
prophesying of evil things
but now they shall find it otherwise. So the
Targum
"they
of the house of Israel shall know that they who had prophesied to them were
true prophets;'
but
rather this is to be understood of false prophets
who
when the day of God's
visitation shall come on Israel in a way of wrath and vengeance
will appear
both to themselves and others to be fools
for prophesying good things to them
when evil was at hand:
the spiritual man is mad; he that was truly so
and prophesied under the inspiration of the Spirit of God
was accounted a
madman for speaking against the idolatry of the times
and foretelling the
judgments of God that would come upon the nation for it; but now it would be
manifest
that not he
but such who pretended to be spiritual men
and to be directed
and dictated by the Spirit of God
when they promised the people peace
though
they walked after the imagination of their hearts
were the real madmen; who
pursued the frenzies and fancies of their own minds
to the deception of
themselves and the people
and called these the revelations of God
and
pretended they came from the Spirit of God:
for the multitude of thine iniquities
and the great hatred; that is
either those evil days came upon them for their manifold sins and
transgressions
which were hateful to God
and the cause of his hatred of them;
or they were suffered to give heed to those foolish and mad prophets
because
of their many sins
especially idolatry; and because of their great hatred of
God
and of his true prophets
and of his laws and ordinances
of his word
will
and worship
and of one another
God gave them up to a reprobate mind
to
a judicial blindness and hardness of heart
to believe a lie
and whatsoever
those false prophets declared unto them
because they did not like to retain
him in their knowledge
to walk according to his law
and to believe his
prophets. The Targum is
"but
the false prophets besotted them
so as to increase thy transgression
and
strengthen thine iniquities.'
Hosea 9:8 8 The
watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s[a] snare in
all his ways— Enmity in the house of his God.
YLT 8Ephraim is looking [away]
from My God
The prophet! a snare of a fowler [is] over all his ways
Hatred
[is] in the house of his God.
The watchman of Ephraim was with my God
.... Formerly
the watchmen of Ephraim
or the prophets of Israel
were with the true God
whom the prophet calls his God; as Elijah and Elisha
who had communion and
intimacy with him; had revelations and instructions from him; and were under
the direction and inspiration of his Spirit
and prophesied in his name things
according to his will
and for the good of his people: or "the watchman of
Ephraim should be with my God"; on his side
and promote his
worship and service
his honour and interest; and give the people warning from
him
having heard the word at his mouth: but now they were not with him
nor for
him
nor did as they should: or one that bore this character of a watchman in
the ten tribes
pretended to be such a one
and would be thought to be with
God
and to have his mind and will
and to be sincere for his glory:
but the prophet is a
snare of a fowler in all his ways; the false prophet
the
same with the watchman
instead of guiding and directing Ephraim in the right
way in which he should go
lays snares for him in all the ways he takes
to
lead him wrong
and draw him into sin
particularly into idolatry
both by his
doctrine and example:
and hatred in the house of
his God; and so became detestable and execrable it the house of his own
god
the calf at Bethel
in the temple there: prophesying such things as in the
event prove false
and drawing into such practices as brought on ruin and
desolation. The Targum interprets it
of laying snares for their prophets
their true prophets; and Kimchi and Jarchi of slaying Zechariah the prophet in
the temple.
Hosea 9:9 9 They
are deeply corrupted
As in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their
iniquity; He will punish their sins.
YLT 9They have gone deep -- have
done corruptly
As [in] the days of Gibeah
He doth remember their iniquity
He
doth inspect their sins.
They have deeply corrupted themselves
as in the days of
Gibeah
.... Not the false prophets and watchmen only; but rather
Ephraim
or the ten tribes
through their means became extremely corrupt in
principle and practice; they had most sadly degenerated
and were deeply sunk
and immersed in all manner of wickedness
and rooted in it
and continued
obstinate and incorrigible
so that there was no hope of reformation among
them; they had got to as great a pitch of wickedness
and were guilty of the
like uncleanness
lewdness
barbarity
and cruelty
as were acted by the men of
Gibeah
with respect to the Levite and his concubine
Judges 19:1; for
Gibeah of Benjamin is here meant
where the people asked a king
and rebelled
against the words of the prophet
as some in Jarchi interpret it:
therefore he will
remember their iniquity
he will visit their sins: that is
God
my God
as the prophet calls him in Hosea 9:8
will not
forgive and forget their sins; pardon being often expressed by a
non-remembrance of sins; but will make inquiry after them
and visit them in a
way of wrath and vengeance
and punish for them as they deserve: they being
obstinate and impenitent
and persisting in their sins
like the men of Gibeah
and Benjamin.
Hosea 9:10 10 “I
found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers As the
firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal
Peor
And separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination
like the thing they loved.
YLT 10As grapes in a wilderness I
found Israel
As the first-fruit in a fig-tree
at its beginning
I have seen
your fathers
They -- they have gone in [to] Baal-Peor
And are separated to a
shameful thing
And are become abominable like their love.
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness
.... Not Jacob
or Israel personally
with the few souls that went down with him into Egypt;
for these died in Egypt
and never returned from thence
or came into the
wilderness to be found; nor Israel in a spiritual sense
the objects of
electing
redeeming
and calling grace; though it may be accommodated to them
who in their nature state are as in a wilderness
in a forlorn
hopeless
helpless
and uncomfortable condition; in which the Lord finds them
seeking
them by his Son in redemption
and by his Spirit in the effectual calling; when
they are like grapes
not in themselves
being destitute of all good
and
having nothing but sin and wickedness in them; for
whatever good thing is in
them at conversion
it is not found
but put there; but the simile may serve to
express the great and unmerited love of God to his people
who are as agreeable
to him as grapes in the wilderness to a thirsty traveller; and in whom he takes
great delight and complacency
notwithstanding all their sinfulness and
unworthiness; and bestows abundance of grace upon them
and makes them like
clusters of grapes indeed; and such were many of the Jewish fathers
and who
are here intended
even the people of Israel brought out of Egypt into the
wilderness of Arabia
through which they travelled to Canaan: here the Lord
found them
took notice and care of them
provided for them
and protected
them
and gave them
many tokens of his love and affection; see Deuteronomy 32:10;
and they were as acceptable to him
and he took as much delight and pleasure in
them
as one travelling through the deserts of Arabia
or any other desert
would rejoice at finding a vine laden with clusters of grapes. The design of
this metaphor is not to compare Israel with grapes
because of any goodness in
them
and as a reason of the Lord's delight in them; for neither for quantity
nor quality were they like them
being few
and very obstinate and rebellious;
but to set forth the great love of God to them
and his delight and complacency
in them; which arose and sprung
not from any excellency in them
but from his
own sovereign good will and pleasure; see Deuteronomy 7:6;
I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at her first
time; the Lord looked upon their ancestors when they were settled as a
people
in their civil and church state
upon their being brought out of Egypt
with as much pleasure as a man beholds the first ripe fig his fig tree produces
after planting it
or the first it produces in the season
the fig tree bearing
twice in a year; but the first is commonly most desired
as being most rare and
valuable; and such were the Israelites to the Lord at first
Micah 7:1. This is
observed
to aggravate their ingratitude to the Lord
which soon discovered
itself; and to suggest that their posterity were like them
who
though they
had received many favours from the Lord
as tokens of his affection to them
and delight in them; yet behaved in a most shocking and shameful manner to him:
but they went to Baalpeor: or "went
into Baalpeor"F1המה באו "ingressi sunt"
Pagninus
Montanus
Calvin
Drusius. ; committed whoredom with that idol
even in the wilderness where the
Lord found them and showed so much regard to them; this refers to the history
in Numbers 25:1.
Baalpeor is by some interpreted "the lord" or "god of
opening": and was so called
either from his opening his mouth in
prophecy
as AinsworthF2Annotations on Numb. xxv. 3. thinks
as
Nebo
a god of Babylon
had his name from prophesying; or from his open mouth
with which this idol was figured
as a Jewish writerF3Racenatensis
in Capito
apud Drusium in loc. observes; whose worshipper took him to be
inspired
and opened their mouths to receive the divine afflatus from him:
others interpret it "the lord" or "god of nakedness";
because his worshippers exposed to him their posteriors in a shameful manner
and even those parts which ought to be covered; and this is the sense of most
of the Jewish writers. So
in the Jerusalem TalmudF4T. Hieros.
Sanhedrin
fol. 28. 4.
the worship of Peor is represented in like manner
and
as most filthy and obscene
as it is by JarchiF5Perush in Numb. xxv.
3.
who seems to have taken his account from thence; and even MaimonidesF6Moreh
Nevochim
par. 3. c. 45. p. 477. says it was a known thing that the worship of
Peor was by uncovering of the nakedness; and this he makes to be the reason why
God commanded the priests to make themselves breeches to cover their nakedness
in the time of service
and why they might not go up to the altar by steps
that their nakedness might not be discovered; in short
they took this Peor to
be no other than a Priapus; and in this they are followed by many Christians
particularly by Jerom on this place
who observes that Baalpeor is the god of
the Moabites
whom we may call Priapus; and so IsidoreF7Origin. l.
8. c. 11. p. 70. says
there was an idol in Moab called Baal
on Mount Fegor
whom the this call Priapus
the god of gardens; but Mr. SeldenF8De
Dis Syris
Syntagma 1. c. 5. p. 162
163. See Cumberland's Sanchoniatho
p. 73
&c. rejects this notion
and contends that Peor is either the name of a
mountain
of which Isidore
just now mentioned
speaks; see Numbers 23:28;
where Baal was worshipped
and so was called from thence Baalpeor; as Jupiter
Olympius
Capitolinus
&c. is so called from the mountains of Olympus
Capitolinus
&c. where divine honours are paid him; or else the name of a
man
of some great person in high esteem
who was deified by the Moabites
and
worshipped by them after his death; and so Baalpeor may be the same as
"Lord Peor"; and it seems most likely that Peor is the name of a man
at least of an idol
since we read of Bethpeor
or the temple of Peor
in Deuteronomy 34:6;
and separated themselves unto that shame; they separated
themselves from God and his worship
and joined themselves to that shameful
idol
and worshipped it
thought by many
as before observed
to be the Priapus
of the Gentiles
in whose worship the greatest of obscenities were used
not
fit to be named: so that this epithet of shame is with great propriety given
it
and aggravates the sin of Israel
that such a people should be guilty of
such filthy practices; though Baal
without supposing him to he a Priapus
may
be called "that shame"
for Baal and Bosheth
which signifies shame
are some times put for each other; so Jerubbaal
namely Gideon
is called
Jerubbesheth
Judges 8:35; and
Eshbaal appears plainly to be the same son of Saul
whose name was Ishbosheth
1 Chronicles 8:33;
and Meribbaal is clearly the same with Mephibosheth 1 Chronicles 8:34;
yea
it may be observed that the prophets of Baal are called
in the Septuagint
version of 1 Kings 18:25; προφητας της αισχυνης
"the prophets of that shame"; every idol
and all idolatry being
shameful
and the cause of shame
sooner or later
to their worshippers;
especially when things obscene were done in their religious rites
as were in
many of the Heathens in which the Jews followed them; see Jeremiah 3:24;
and their abominations were according as they loved: or
"as
they loved them"
the daughters of Moab; for it was through their impure
love of them that they were drawn into these abominations
or to worship idols
which are often called abominations; or
as Joseph Kimchi reads the words
and
gives the sense of them
"and they were abominations as I loved
them"; that is
according to the measure of the love wherewith I loved
them
so they were abominations in mine eyes; they were as detestable now as
they were loved before.
Hosea 9:11 11 As for Ephraim
their glory shall
fly away like a bird— No birth
no pregnancy
and no conception!
YLT 11Ephraim [is] as a fowl
Fly
away doth their honour
without birth
And without womb
and without
conception.
As for Ephraim
their
glory shall flee away like a bird
.... That is
suddenly
swiftly
and irrecoverably
and never return more; which some understand of God
their glory
and of his departure from them
as in Hosea 9:12; others
of their wealth and riches
and whatever was glorious and valuable among them
which should fly away from them in a moment
when taken and carried captive;
rather their numerous posterity
in which they were very fruitful
according to
their name
and in which they gloried
as children are the glory of their
parents
Proverbs 17:6;
which sense agrees with what follows
and which explains the manner of their
fleeing away
and the periods of it:
from the birth
and from the womb
and from the conception; that is
some
of them
as soon as they were born; others while in the womb
being abortives;
or
however
when they should
or as soon as they did
come from thence; and
others
as soon as conceived
never come to any thing; or not conceived at all
as Kimchi interprets it
the women being barren.
Hosea 9:12 12 Though
they bring up their children
Yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes
woe
to them when I depart from them!
YLT 12For though they nourish
their sons
I have made them childless -- without man
Surely also
wo to them
when I turn aside from them.
Though they bring up their children
.... Though this be the
case of some
as to be conceived
carried in the womb to the full time
and be
born
and brought up to a more adult age
and appear very promising to live
and perpetuate the names of their fathers and their families:
yet will I bereave them; their parents of them
by the sword
famine
pestilence
or by carrying them captive into a foreign
country:
that there shall not be
a man left; in the whole land of Israel
but all shall be destroyed
or
carried captive; or
"from men"F9מאדם
"ab homine"
Montanus
Tigurine version
Schmidt; "ut non sint
homines"
Pagninus. ; that is
either from being men
as the Targum;
though they are brought up to some ripeness
and a more adult age than others
yet arrive not to such a time and age as to be called men
as Kimchi observes;
or from being among men
being either taken away by death
or removed from the
society of men to live among beasts
and to he slaves like them:
yea
woe also to them
when I depart from them; withdraw my
presence
favour
and protection from them; or remove my Shechinah from them
as the Targum; and leave them to the spoil and cruelty of their enemies
which
would be a greater calamity and judgment than the former. The Septuagint
and
so Theodotion
render it
"woe is to them
my flesh is of them";
which some of the ancients interpret of the incarnation of Christ
not
considering that the words are spoken of Ephraim
or the ten tribes; whereas
the Messiah was to spring
and did
from the family of David
and tribe of Judah.
Hosea 9:13 13 Just
as I saw Ephraim like Tyre
planted in a pleasant place
So Ephraim will bring
out his children to the murderer.”
YLT 13Ephraim! when I have looked
to the rock
Is planted in comeliness
And Ephraim [is] to bring out unto a slayer
his sons.
Ephraim
as I saw Tyrus
is planted in a pleasant place
.... That is
either as the city of Tyre
a very famous city in Phoenicia
was situated in a
very pleasant place by the sea
and abounded in wealth and riches
and was well
fortified
and seemed secure from all danger
and from all enemies; so Ephraim
or the ten tribes
the kingdom of Israel
were in like circumstances
equal to
Tyre
as the Targum paraphrases it
in prosperity and plenty; yet as the
prophet in the vision of prophecy saw that Tyre
notwithstanding all its
advantages by power and wealth
by art and nature
would be destroyed
first by
Nebuchadnezzar
and then by Alexander; so by the same prophetic spirit he saw
that Ephraim or the ten tribes
notwithstanding their present prosperity
and
the safety and security they thought themselves in
yet should be given up to
ruin and destruction by the hand of the Assyrians; or it may be rendered thus
"Ephraim as"
or "when I saw it
unto Tyre"F11כאשר ראיתי לצור
"quando vidi usque ad Tyrum"
Schmidt. ; reaching unto that place
and bordering upon it
as part of the ten tribes did; I saw it
I observed it
took a survey of it
and I perceived it was "planted in a pleasant
place"; like a tree planted in a fruitful soil
well rooted
and in a
flourishing condition; so were they
abounding with all good things
and having
a numerous offspring; from all which they promised themselves much happiness
for ages to come:
but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer; to sacrifice
them to Mo
as some; so the Targum
"they
of the house of Ephraim have sinned in slaying their children to the service of
idols;'
with
which Jarchi agrees; but rather the sense is
with Kimchi
and others
when
their enemies shall come against them
as the Assyrian army
they shall go out
with their sons to fight with them
and these shall be destroyed and murdered
by them; it will be like leading lambs to the slaughter to be butchered and
devoured by them.
Hosea 9:14 14 Give
them
O Lord—
What will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb And dry breasts!
YLT 14Give to them
Jehovah --
what dost Thou give? Give to them miscarrying womb
and dry breasts.
Give them
O Lord: what wilt thou give them?.... The
prophet foreseeing the butchery and destruction of their children
his heart
ached for them; and
to show his tender affection for this people
was desirous
of putting up a supplication for them; but was at a loss what to ask
their
sins were so many
and so aggravated
and the decree gone forth for their
destruction: or
"give them what thou wilt give them"F12תן להם מה
תתן "da eis quod daturus es"
Junius &
Tremellius
Vatablus
Grotius; "da illis id quod dabis"
Schmidt. ;
so Jarchi
Kimchi
and Abarbinel
what thou hast threatened before to give
them
Hosea 9:11; do not
give them to be butchered and murdered before the eyes of their parents by
their enemies; but rather let them die in the womb
or as soon as born; so it
follows:
give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts; the latter
being a sign of the former
as physicians observe; or the words may be rendered
disjunctively
give them one
or the other; that is
to the wives of the people
of Israel
if they conceive
let them miscarry
prove abortive
rather than bring
forth children to be destroyed in such a cruel manner by murderers; or if they
bear them to the birth
and bring them forth
let their breasts be dried up
and afford no milk for their nourishment; and so die for lack of it
rather
than fall into the hands of their merciless enemies: thus
of two evils
the
prophet chooses and prays for the least. Some interpret this as a prediction of
what would be
or an imprecation of it; but it rather seems a pathetic wish
flowing from the tender affection of the prophet
judging such a case to be
preferable to the former; see Luke 23:29; though
the other sense seems best to agree with what follows
and which is favoured by
the Targum
"give
thou
O Lord
the recompence of their works; give them a miscarrying womb and
dry breasts.'
Hosea 9:15 15 “All
their wickedness is in Gilgal
For there I hated them. Because of the
evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more.
All their princes are rebellious.
YLT 15All their evil [is] in
Gilgal
Surely there I have hated them
Because of the evil of their doings
Out of My house I do drive them
I add not to love them
all their heads [are]
apostates.
Ah their wickedness is in Gilgal
.... A place
in the ten tribes
where the covenant of circumcision was renewed in Joshua's
time; the first passover was kept in the land of Canaan
and the people of
Israel ate the firstfruits of the land; where the tabernacle was for a while
and sacrifices were offered up to the Lord: but now things were otherwise; all
manner of iniquity was committed in it
especially idolatry; for which it was
chosen by idolaters
because it had formerly been famous for religious worship:
here
though not to the exclusion of other places
as Dan and Bethel
was the
above sin committed; here it begun and spread itself
and had the measure of it
filled up; here began the first departure from the Lord
rejecting him
and
asking a king in the days of Samuel
as Kimchi and Abarbinel observe; and here
were high places and altars erected for idolatry; and this is now the reason of
the above threatenings of God
and the predictions of the prophet. Grotius
thinks there is a mystical sense in the words
and that they have reference to
the sin of the Jews in crucifying Christ on Golgotha; which
in the Syriac
language
is the same with Gilgal; but both the people spoken of
and the
place
are different:
for there I hated them; or "therefore"F13כי "ideo"
Rivet.
because they sinned so
greatly against him in a place where they had formerly worshipped him; their
sacrifices there
instead of being acceptable
were the more abominable to him
as they were offered there where his tabernacle once was
and sacrifices were
offered to him according to his will:
for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine
house; not out of the house of my sanctuary
or the temple
as the
Targum; unless this is to be understood of losing the opportunity of going to
the temple at Jerusalem
which those of the ten tribes had while they were in
their own land
which the few godly persons among them then took
and made use
of; but now their idolatry increasing in Gilgal
and other places
they should
be carried captive; and
if they would
could not go up to the house of the
Lord
and worship him there: or rather this may design
either the visible
church of God
out of which they would be now ejected; or their native country
where they had been
as the family and household of God; but now should be so
no more
but
as afterwards said
wanderers among the nations
and no more
reckoned as belonging to the Lord
and under his paternal care and protection:
I will love them no more; which is not to be
understood of the special love and favour the Lord bears to his own people in
Christ
which is everlasting and unchangeable; but of his general and
providential favour and regard unto these people
which he had manifested in
bestowing many great and good things upon them; but now would do so no more; he
would do nothing to them
or for them
that looked like love
or be interpreted
of it
but all the reverse; and
by his behaviour to them
show that they were
the objects of his aversion and hatred; and this was to continue
and has
continued
and will continue unto the time of their conversion in the latter
day
when "all Israel shall be saved"
Romans 11:26;
all their princes are revolters; from God and
his worship
who should have set a good example to the people; and since these
were perverse and rebellious against God
it is no wonder that the people in
general apostatized. This is to be understood of their king as supreme
and all
subordinate rulers; of their judges and magistrates of every order; of all
their governors
both civil and ecclesiastic; and not at Gilgal only
but in
all the land. There is an elegant play on wordsF14שריהם סררים "Sharehem
Sorerim". in the original
the beauty of which cannot be expressed in the
translation.
Hosea 9:16 16 Ephraim
is stricken
Their root is dried up; They shall bear no fruit. Yes
were they
to bear children
I would kill the darlings of their womb.”
YLT 16Ephraim hath been smitten
Their root hath dried up
fruit they yield not
Yea
though they bring forth
I
have put to death the desired of their womb.
Ephraim is smitten
.... The people of the ten tribes
the
kingdom of Israel
who had been like a tree planted in a pleasant place
Hosea 9:13; and
were in very flourishing circumstances in the times of Jeroboam the second; but
now were like a tree smitten with thunder and lightning
or hail stones
and
beat to pieces; or with the heat of the sun
or with blasting winds
or by
worms; as in the succeeding reigns
by the judgments of God upon them; by civil
wars
conspiracies
and murders among themselves; and by the exactions of Pul and
depredations of Tiglathpileser kings of Assyria; and quickly would be smitten
again; the present being put for the future
because of the certainty of it
as
usual in prophetic writings; or be utterly destroyed by Shalmaneser
and be no
more a kingdom:
their root is dried up; like the root of a tree
that has no sap and moisture in it
and can communicate none to the body and
branches of the tree
which in course must die. This may be understood of their
king
princes
nobles
and chief men
the support and strength of the nations;
and of parents and heads of families
cut off by one judgment or another:
they shall bear no fruit; as a tree thus smitten
and its root dried up
cannot; so neither
this being their case
there would
be none to beget
nor any to bear children
and bring them forth; called the
fruit of the womb
in allusion to the fruit of trees:
yea
though they bring forth; though some of them
should be spared
women with their husbands
and should procreate children:
yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb; their
children they should bring forth
on whom their affections were strongly set;
and the rather
as they were but few
and from whom they had raised
expectations of building up their families; even these the Lord would stay
or
suffer to be slain
either by the sword of the enemy
or by famine
or by
pestilence
or by some disease or another; so that there should be no hope of a
future posterity
at least of no great number of them.
Hosea 9:17 17 My
God will cast them away
Because they did not obey Him; And they shall be wanderers
among the nations.
YLT 17Reject them doth my God
Because they have not hearkened to Him
And they are wanderers among nations!
My God will cast them away
.... With loathsomeness
and contempt
having sinned against him
and done such abominable things; cast
them out of their own land
as men not fit to live in it; cast them out of his
sight
as not able to endure them; cast them away
as unprofitable and good for
nothing; reject them from being his people; no more own them in the relation
they had stood in to him; nor show them any more favour
at least until the
conversion of them in the times of the Messiah. These are the words of the
prophet
who calls the Lord his God
whom he worshipped
by whom he was sent
and in whose name he prophesied; and this in opposition to
and distinction
from Israel
who worshipped other gods
and who had cast off the true God
and
were now
or would be
cast away by him
and so no longer their God:
because they did not hearken unto him; to his word
as the Targum; to him speaking by his prophets; to the instructions
admonitions
threatenings
and predictions delivered to them from him; they did
not obey his law
regard his will
or attend his worship; which was the cause
of the rejection of them
and a just one:
and they shall be wanderers among the nations; being
dispersed by the Assyrians in the several nations of the world
where they were
fugitives and vagabonds; as their posterity are to this day.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)