Israel is reproved and threatened for their impiety and idolatry, and exhorted to repentance.
1ISRAEL 1is an empty vine, 2he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars;a according to the 3goodness of his land they have made 4goodly images.
1 Or, was, namely, by the tribute of king Menahem, who took a thousand talents of silver from his subjects for the king of Assyria, Pul. See 2 Kings 15:19, 20, unto which some apply this. Compare Hosea 7:9. Others understand it of their mad wastefulness in spending upon all manner of idolatry (whereof in the sequel), reading the words thus: (as seems to come somewhat nearer the original) Israel is a vine emptying the fruit which he bringeth or layeth up for himself, that is, that by his idolatry bereaves himself of what he receives through My blessing. Or, closer yet: Israel emptieth the vine, he lays up the fruit for himself, namely, for idolatrous uses.
2 That is, he begins to bear again through My blessing, which he yet misuses grossly. Other, he makes the fruit like to himself, the fruit is like the tree, as he is preyed upon and exhausted by others, so he exhausts and spoils himself no less of his own means.
a Hosea 8:11.
3 That is, the fertility and good revenues thereof, which I have graciously bestowed upon them.
4 That is, very stately and richly; the more I bless them, the more wanton and vain they grew in their idolatry, spending all upon the same. Compare Hosea 2:8; 4:7.
25Their heart is 6divided; now shall they be found 7faulty: he shall 8break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.
5 Namely, by God, of Whom is expressly spoken of in the sequel. This seems to be the plainest meaning.
6 By the spirit of discord and division, whereby they destroy each other. See Hosea 7:7, and compare Judges 9:23, and there the annotation.
7 This is explained in the sequel. Other, be made desolate. Hebr. be found guilty.
8 As the neck is cut through or beheaded of a malefactor.
3For 9now they shall say, We have 10no king,b because we feared not the LORD; what then should a 11king do to us?
9 That is, ere long, shortly (as in the previous verse, and Isa. 49:19; Jer. 14:10; Hosea 2:9; 4:16; 8:10, 13; Amos 6:7; Micah 4:10; 7:10), when their land, king and kingdom shall be destroyed; then experimentally finding the truth of God’s threatenings, and being convinced of their self-willed wickedness, they shall be brought to condemn themselves. Compare Hosea 13:10.
10 Compare verses 7, 15.
b Hosea 3:4.
11 Though we have a king, what help or advantage can we have by him, if God is become our Adversary? Implying, none at all sure.
4They have spoken 12words, swearing 13falsely in making a covenant: thus 14judgment 15springeth up as 16hemlock in the furrows of the field.
12 This may be understood of haughty, bitter and spiteful words, which they uttered one against the other in their mutual conspiracies, or against God and His prophets (compare Hosea 7:16 and the annotation; likewise Mal. 3:13), or, of their manifold conferences and deliberations (as words are likewise taken thus; see 1 Kings 1:7; Ezek. 38:10, with the annotations) for the reinforcement of their idolatry and state against God, by treaties with pagan kings and confederacies with them, to which they lightly swore with high words and as lightly broke again, to which the following words seem to confirm.
13 As they have done without a doubt, when they engaged themselves with the king of Assyria, and soon after fell off again from him unto the king of Egypt, 2 Kings 17:3, 4. Other, vainly, or cursing in vain, forswearing themselves, as wicked people are apt to do. See Hosea 4:2.
14 That is, their punishment, My judgment upon them. See Jer. 48 on verse 21; Hosea 6:5.
15 The punishments shall come and increase so abundantly, as the worst weed grows in the field.
16 See Psalm 69 on verse 21.
5The 17inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the 18calves of 19Beth-aven: for the 20people thereof 21shall mourn over it, and the 22priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, 23because it is departed from it.
17 Hebr. The inhabitants shall be affrighted over, or, fear for, etc., that is, every one of the inhabitants of the Samaritans shall be astonished and appalled.
18 Understand the golden calf of Bethel. Hebr. calves, or, heifers, that is, that great calf, as behemoth, beasts, that is, a great beast, as an elephant, etc., for, in the sequel this calf is spoken of in the singular number, and which must have been made and decorated in a most splendid manner, because they have been very much terrified and grieved about it, and that it is carried off as a present to the king of Assyria. Otherwise this calf could in contempt be called heifers, or, because they may have made more than one, and from time to time, the one still more stately and glorious than the other, from verse 1.
19 That is, Bethel, as verse 15. See Hosea 4 on verse 15.
20 The people of the calf, that is, who adored and cleaved to the calf as a god. Compare Jer. 48:7; 49:3.
21 Hebr. hath mourned, or, mourn, that is, shall mourn, from the previous and the following.
22 Or, chemarim. Understand the idolatrous papists or priests of this calf, of whom see further 2 Kings 23 on verse 5.
23 Because his glory (of this calf) is departed from it; or, they mourn over his (of the calf) glory, because the calf is departed into captivity, as follows. Compare Jer. 48:7.
624It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king 25Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own 26counsel.
24 Namely, calf.
25 See Hosea 5 on verse 13.
26 In that he thought with Egypt to have strengthened himself against the Assyrian, or in general, because of all his wicked idolatrous devices and carnal practices, whereby he conceived he could maintain himself well enough, no thanks to God (as the saying is), yea against Him, and especially that counsel of Jeroboam of the two calves, which idolatry he had contrived for the establishment of his state. 1 Kings 12:27, 28, 29; 2 Kings 17:21.
7As for 27Samaria, her king is cut off as the 28foam upon the water.
27 Or, Concerning Samaria, her king is cut off, chopped off, destroyed or perished, that is, shall assuredly be destroyed. See verse 15; 2 Kings 17:4.
28 Which in roaring and seething of the waters does swell and raise itself, as if it were something, though it soon abates and comes to nothing; thus shall the king with all his pomp and state decay suddenly, and vilely and contemptibly be made captive, as if he, as foam, were vanished away in the sight of all his people, together with the confidence which Samaria had put in their king.
8The high places also of 29Aven, the 30sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the 31thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and theyc shall say to the mountains, 32Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
29 That is, Beth-aven, verse 5, that is, Bethel.
30 That is, which high places were the most important matter, likewise a motive or enticement to Israel for the committing of their abominable idolatry and all manner of other sins, which there in their temples, by their altars, and likewise under every green tree, and in the groves they constantly committed. Compare Deut. 9:21; Isa. 27:9, and see Lev. 26:30; Ezek. 6:13; 20:29, with the annotations
31 Compare Hosea 9:6.
c Isa. 2:19; Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16; 9:6.
32 Words of despairing people, who by reason of the apprehensions and terror of the present and approaching judgments of God, together with the verdict of their own conscience, are so dismayed and disconsolate, that they wish themselves dead and dispatched they care not how, so they may be out of the reach thereof, though all in vain. Compare Isa. 2:19; Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16.
9O Israel, thou hast sinned 33from the days of Gibeah:d there they 34stood: the battle in Gibeah against the 35children of iniquity did 36not overtake them.
33 Or, More than in the days of Gibeah. See Hosea 9:9, with the annotation.
d Hosea 9:9.
34 Or simply, there they have stood. This may be understood of the fearful obstinacy of the Gibeonites and others of the tribe of Benjamin, who shamelessly stood to their wickedness, and put themselves in battle array like men, (as they were conceited of themselves) against their brethren, but were at last destroyed almost altogether; or, it may be taken thus: (which concerns Israel in general, and seems to agree most plainly with the following text) that they, by God’s mercy, stood as yet and were not utterly destroyed, though on both sides they stood in danger to be utterly destroyed the one by the other.
35 See 2 Sam. 3 on verse 34, and understand the Gibeonites, with all the rest of the tribe of Benjamin.
36 That is, they shall not have it so good, their punishment shall now be much more severe, they shall not be able to stand to it now, as then they did.
1037It is in my desire that I should 38chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, 39when they shall bind themselves in their two 40furrows.
37 That is, I have decreed it, and have a longing or desire to execute the same, and will do it also. Compare Deut. 28:63; Isa. 1:24, and see the similar phrase in Job 10:7.
38 As if the Lord would say: Seeing they will not bow under My yoke, nor be tied to My laws, not coerced or constrained by Me for their own good, I shall cause them now to be bound as malefactors by foreign nations, for punishment, or, as oxen coupling and fastening them together, to draw and bow down under a strange yoke. See further on the next verse. Other, bind.
39 Or, when they shall bind them, or, with, together with their binding, or, binding them, that is, these nations shall bind them through My righteous judgment.
40 As Ephraim and Judah had yoked themselves together like a yoke of oxen, drawing together under their own yoke in the same furrows of idolatry and other sins, so I will likewise couple them together by the enemies for punishment, to go plowing under a strange yoke, etc. Other, in both their habitations, namely, of Ephraim and Judah. Or, for their two iniquities, having respect to the calves of Dan and Bethel.
11And Ephraim is as an 41heifer that is 42taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her 43fair neck: I will make Ephraim to 44ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall 45break his clods.
41 That is, as a young, wanton, skittish cow, which much rather treads the corn (which was the manner of threshing; see Deut. 25 on verse 4) and eats of it, then that she would plow and pant under the yoke; as such (God wants to say) is Ephraim inclined to live luxuriously in the world, according to his own lust and pleasure rather than under My restraint.
42 Hebr. taught (see Jer. 2 on verse 24) loving to thresh. See similar joining of two words Hosea 9:9. Other thus: If Ephraim had been accustomed to an heifer, loving me, to thresh, when I went by his goodly neck, I would have made Ephraim to ride, etc. See the end of the next annotation.
43 That is, its (of the calf) goodly, fat and smooth neck. Hebr. goodness, that is, I shall bring it under the yoke that the fatness and goodliness of this neck shall soon pass away as to plowing oxen. Others take it thus: that God for a long time had, as it were, passed by, winked at and spared Ephraim’s goodly neck, but that now He shall serve him as follows. Some read thus, I made Ephraim ride, Judah plow, Jacob must harrow, etc., as if God related here what benefits He had shown him.
44 That is, I shall punish them one and all, and sufficiently subdue and tame them, but Ephraim shall have the worst of it; Judah and the rest, shall fare ill enough, but more tolerably than the ten tribes, as for the beasts it is toilsome enough to plow and harrow (that is, to break the clods), but to have the plowman on the back besides or to be ridden by a fierce rider, is much harder.
45 Or, and Jacob shall harrow for himself. That is, simply harrowing; the word him, or for him, or himself is a redundant appendix, commonly to the Hebrew language, as in others also. Other, him, namely, Judah, understanding that Ephraim, as the mightiest, had now and then overmastered and gotten the better hand of Judah. See 2 Kings 14:13; 2 Chron. 28:6; Hosea 6:11, with the annotations. Or (as some): Jacob (that is, Israel or Ephraim) shall be brought to break the clods to him, namely, Judah.
1246Sow to yourselves 47in righteousness, reap 48in mercy; 49breake up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and 50rain 51righteousness upon you.
46 Understand here withal: This is that which I ever set before you by My prophets. Compare 2 Kings 17:13. As to the phrase of sowing and reaping, compare Hosea 8:7, and see Job 4 on verse 8. The sense is: Endeavor for true repentance, upright faith and unfeigned love that it may go well with you in soul and body.
47 Or, for.
48 Other, according to.
49 See Jer. 4 on verse 3.
e Jer. 4:3.
50 Other, teach. Compare Joel 2:23.
51 That is, the fruit of righteousness; abundantly blessing you with His temporal and eternal covenant blessing, which He promised unto those who walk in faith and love. Compare Psalm 24:5; Ezek. 18:20 and the annotations there. Except this may simply be applied to the Messiah’s time of grace, Who is our Righteousness before God. Compare Jer. 23:6; Dan. 9:24, etc.; Hosea 2:18.
1352Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped 53iniquity; ye have eaten the 54fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy 55way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
52 The Lord implies hereby, that all His exhortations and precepts were had in contempt by them, and that they went clean contrary to Him in all things.
53 The Hebrew word, which means perverseness, wickedness, unjust, vice, has in this place a letter more than ordinary, which by some, is expressed in the reading with the word mere. Compare Psalm 3 on verse 2. There may be understood by it the punishment of perverseness, as, iniquity for the punishment of iniquity, Lev. 5:1; Psalm 31:11, sin for the punishment of sin, Zech. 14:19, etc.; or, by reaping here and in the previous verse, the growth or increase, the prosecution or continuance and steady progress in good and evil.
54 Having conversed with and practiced lies and relied upon them, ye now receive the just reward and punishment thereof, as a fruit of your works, your idolatry and pagan confederacies. Or, ye eat lying-fruit, that is, ye will be deceived of your expectation, your labor or confidence belies you. Compare Hosea 9:2.
55 Which thou hast taken for the establishment of thy government, namely, thy idolatry, together with all manner of impiety and carnal confidence in thyself, and in the alliances with thy lovers.
14Therefore shall a 56tumult arise among thy 57people, and all thy fortresses 58shall be spoiled, as 59Shalman spoiled 60Beth-arbel in the day of 61battle: the 62mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.
56 Or, uproar, tumult, clamor, outcry, such as happens in the time of raid by an enemy.
57 Of the ten tribes.
58 Hebr. shall (in the singular), that is, every one of them apart.
59 Otherwise called: Shalmaneser, or Shalmanasser, that cruel and proud tyrant of Assyria. See 2 Kings 17:3; 18:9, 34, 35; 19:11, 12, 13.
60 It is uncertain where this place was situated. Some hold it to be a city in Israel beyond Jordan. Josephus, lib. Antiq. 12, chap. 18, and lib. 14, chap. 32, makes mention of a city Arbela, situated in Galilee, which seems likewise to have been mentioned 1 Maccabees 9:2. Others would have it to be a province in Assyria, having its name from the city Arbela, whereabouts Alexander the Great overthrew the Persian king Darius, and ended the Persian monarchy. This history of Shalman and Beth-arbel has, without any doubt, been very well known among the people at that time.
61 In that expedition, which is summarily related in 2 Kings 17:3, 4, etc.; 19:13, as some conceive.
62 See Gen. 32 on verse 11.
15So shall 63Beth-el do unto you because of your great 64wickedness: 65in a morning shall the 66king of Israel 67utterly be cut off.
63 That is, all the abominable idolatry and other sins committed at Bethel or Beth-aven (as verse 5, or Aven, verse 8), are the causes of all these plagues upon you.
64 That is, because your wickedness is so manifold and terribly great.
65 That is, early, or suddenly, as the day break soon passes away with the rising of the sun. Or, unawares, as when one is invaded in the morning. This may also be compared with Ezek. 7:7, 10. See Ezek. 7 on verse 7; 7 on verse 10.
66 On whom they rely so much. See verse 7 and the annotation.
67 Hebr. rooted out or cut off, he is cut off, etc., that is, shall surely be, etc.