1The necessity of God's judgment against Israel: 9the publication of it, with the causes thereof.
1HEAR this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,
2You only have I 1known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
1 That is, chosen and accepted you as My own people; accordingly loved and cared you extraordinarily. Compare Hosea 13:5, and see Psalm 1 on verse 6.
32Can two walk together, 3except they be agreed?
2 Here God begins to show by several similitudes unto the people that the prophets had sufficient ground to reprove them, and to threaten and foretell them all manner of judgments, and that by way of warning, that they yet might escape the approaching evils by serious repentance; in regard they were no vain threatenings.
3 Other, unless they be met together? I and My faithful servants (implies God) are of one mind (see Hosea 9:8; Mal. 2:6), and ye must likewise agree with Me and My prophets, if ye mean to keep Me your Friend and Guide, otherwise I must forsake you.
44Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion 5cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
4 God and His prophets reprove and threaten not without reason and approaching necessity; therefore the Israelites had need to awake, before God did deliver them up for a spoil to the enemy; which danger was as surely drawing on, as it is sure that the lion has caught a prey when he once begins to roar.
5 Hebr. give forth his voice.
5Can a 6bird fall in a 7snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, 8and have taken 9nothing at all?
6 The least misfortunes and adversities are governed by God’s Providence. Therefore the Israelites had great reason in all this to look up to God, with Whom they had to do, and Whose nets and gins they would not be able to escape unless they repented.
7 Or, snare of the ground, that is, which is set or laid on the ground.
8 Or, as the same, namely, the snare.
9 Hebr. catching shall have not caught.
6Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be 10afraid? shall there be 11evila in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
10 And ye nevertheless be not troubled at every threats and sermons of reproof, which I cause to be made unto you. Other, hastily or trembling run, come on. As Hosea 3:5; 11:11.
11 The evil of punishment. See Gen. 19 on verse 19, and compare Isa. 45:7.
a Isa. 45:7; Lam. 3:37, 38.
712Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he 13revealeth his 14secret unto his servants the prophets.
12 The two following verses serve for explanation and application of the previous similitudes.
13 That is, His counsel of extraordinary judgments, and calamities in the land.
14 To give warning beforehand unto His people.
8The 15lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
15 The Lord has made His anger known and charged His servants to prophecy thereof. See Hosea 11:10; Amos 1:2.
9 ¶ 16Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the 17mountains of Samaria, and behold the great 18tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.
16 Here the Lord manifests that Israel’s wickedness and unthankfulness was so great and heinous, that even the very heathen nations, being called to be judges thereof, would detest and abhor them for it, and justify God in His punishments. Compare Micah 1:2, etc.
17 Close to the mountain upon which Samaria was located, there were many of which were situated on the east, north and south; from which one could (to speak as such) hear and see what was going on in Samaria.
18 Or, stirs, disorders, confusions.
10For they 19know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up 20violence and robbery in their palaces.
19 Compare Jer. 4:22.
20 Obtained by force, oppression and robbery.
11Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An 21adversary there shall be 22even round about the land; and he shall bring down 23thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.
21 An abrupt speech, as it is the manner to cry out when the enemy makes an inroad unawares and suddenly, and occupies all: The enemy, the enemy, everywhere, round about. Or understand thereupon: is coming, and he shall, etc., namely, Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria. See 2 Kings 17:5, 6 and compare Hosea 8:1.
22 See of similar use of the Hebrew letter vau for and that, even, Jer. 17 on verse 10; Joel 2:12, 32, etc.
23 O Samaria.
12Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion 24two legs, or a 25piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that 26dwell in Samaria in the corner of a 27bed, and in Damascus in a 28couch.
24 By this similitude God shows that but a very few would escape and not without a great deal of hazard and danger to them.
25 The Hebrew word is only found at this place.
26 Some understand this of the voluptuous and banqueting Israelites, who lived carelessly and slighted God’s threatenings of the approaching miseries. See Amos 6:4. Others understand it of the sick or bedridden, or such as seek to hide themselves in corners and secret places, which the enemies sometimes heed not in the first heat of murdering and plundering, and so they may escape.
27 Or, bed-stead.
28 Or, foot, in the side. Hebr. demeschek, a word nowhere else occurring in Holy Writ. Some take it for Dammeschek, that is, Damascus, and render it: in a couch of Damascus, or, a costly, stately Damascus or Syrian couch.
1329Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,
29 Here God speaks to His prophet and the believers, who yet remained there in Israel.
14That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the 30altars of 31Beth-el: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
30 Besides the people, I shall also cause to be destroyed whatsoever they designed and appointed for idolatry and superstition; al their idolatrous stuff and furniture.
31 See Hosea 4:15; 10:15, with the annotations.
15And I will smite the 32winter house with the summer house; and the 33houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.
32 I will destroy whatsoever they have built and used for their pride and pleasure. This has respect to the custom of the great ones, who had built themselves very fair and sumptuous houses of pleasure and retirement all over the country, likewise many royal and princely palaces, with the less hindrance or annoyance of either heat in summer or cold in winter, to enjoy their pleasures and voluptuous entertainments. Compare Judges 3:20; Jer. 36:22, with the annotations.
33 See 1 Kings 22 on verse 39.