By the prophet taking unto him an adulteress is shewed the desolation of Israel, and their restoration.
1THEN 1said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her 2friend, yet an adulteress, 3according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of 4wine.
1 Namely, in a vision. Compare Hosea 1 on verses 2, 3.
2 That is, lawful husband, as Jer. 3:20. By this vision God did portray unto the ten tribes the great love which He disposed and proved to them, and on the contrary their unfaithfulness and ingratitude, which they showed forth by their shameless spiritual adultery of idolatry against Him, and as described in the following words.
3 Hebr. according to the love of the Lord (wherewith He loveth), etc., as elsewhere.
4 Or, flagons of grapes. That is, whereby God upbraids them for the drunkenness that was so common among them in the feasts which they made for the honor of their idols, according to the customs of the heathens with all manner of excess, drunkenness and jollity. See Hosea 4:18.
2So I bought her to me for 5fifteen pieces of silver, and for an 6homera of 7barley, and an half homer of barley:
5 See Gen. 20 on verse 16. Just half the sum which Judas received for betraying Christ; likewise half the price of a manservant or maidservant hurt by an ox. Exod. 21:32, also of the redemption of a female, Lev. 27:4, and consequently an evil and low price.
6 Otherwise also called cor. See 1 Kings 4 on verse 22.
a dry: 10 ephahs; about 9.5 bushels or 340 liters
7 Which may be a token that she was to live by barley bread, that is, to change her pleasant and luxurious state into a very sober one; as she was also bought for a small amount of money, which may imply the unworthiness and despicableness of Israel, when God bought and redeemed them for Himself.
3And I said unto her, Thou shaltb abide 8for me 9many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will 10I also be for thee.
b Deut. 21:11.
8 Waiting till I marry thee. (Compare Deut. 21:11, and the manner of speech with Exod. 24:14, likewise Ruth 3:18). In the meantime I shall await your repentance in your lonely situation.
9 That is, a long time.
10 That is, I do likewise promise my troth to thee and shall wait for thee. See the signification hereof in the sequel. These abrupt speeches are, by reason of their brevity and obscurity, variously supplemented and interpreted. The plainest sense is in the text itself. Compare Isa. 30:18.
4For the children of Israel shall abide 11many days withoutc a 12king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an 13image, and without an 14ephod, and without 15teraphim:d
11 Namely, from the time that Shalmaneser would carry away the ten tribes (represented by this adulterous woman) out of their land into Assyria, and scatter them thence into various countries, until the time of their conversion, as is explained in the following verse. This time of conversion some determine with the coming of Christ and the preaching of the Gospel by the apostles. Others apply it to the succeeding and present state and condition of all the people of the Jews, until the time of their last and final conversion, out of Rom. 11:25. The one does not exclude the other.
c Hosea 10:3.
12 Namely, from among their brethren. The meaning of all is: that they would be for a long time without any form of either civil government and commonwealth or public solemn worship (either true or false); as also it is, and continues with them to this day, wheresoever they remain scattered throughout the world.
13 Such as were the golden calves at Dan and Bethel, likewise the Baals.
14 See of the ephod Exod. 28 on verse 6. Jeroboam doubtless ordained, together with his new priests, new priestly garments also, to keep the people from going up to Jerusalem. See of idolatrous ephods, made outside of God’s ordinance, Judges 17:5, etc.
15 Which they had according to the manner of the Gentiles, to inquire counsel of them. See Gen. 31 on verse 19; Ezek. 21:21; Zech. 10:2.
d images
5Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and 16Davide their king; and shall 17fear the LORD and his goodness inf the 18latter days.
16 Namely, the Lord Christ, their Messiah, called David, as whose Son He was to be according to the flesh, and Whom David typified. Also Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 34:23; 37:24. As He was, according to the Spirit, the God and Lord of David and His people.
e Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 34:23; 37:22.
17 Hebr. they shall fear unto, etc. that is, coming with fear, in acknowledgment of their own unworthiness about the undeserved, great goodness of God which shall be exhibited to them in the Gospel, and the anxiety on how to take vigilant notice of this period of grace and to use it rightly. Compare Hosea 11:10, 11; Micah 7:17. Likewise Isa. 13:8.
f Isa. 2:2; Micah 4:1.
18 That is, after a very long time, in the New Testament, when the Messiah shall have appeared; for, this phrase does not point precisely to the very last time, which shall go before the consummation of the world. See Gen. 49 on verse 1; Isa. 2 on verse 2; Micah 4 on verse 1; Heb. 1 on verse 1, etc.