Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · minor prophets · Hosea · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
VVHen I would have healed Israel, the inquity of Ephraim was discovered, and V. 1.the wickednesse of Samaria, for they commit falshood, and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without. Because in the last words of chap. 6. hee had spoken of the turning of the captivity of his people Israel, that is, turning it away, that it might not come, shewing therein a willingnesse so to doe, as it hath been expounded, now he proceedeth to a reason, why it could not be, viz. their obstinate persisting in divers grosse sins, for Israel and Ephraim are all one, and this he meaneth by saying, when I would have healed Israel, the sin of Ephraim, and Samaria, which was the Metropoliticall City of the kingdome, appeared so foul, that it was thereby hindered. Then coming to shew these sins in particular, he chargeth them first with such as were against men, vers. 1, 2. 2. With such as were immediately against God. Against men was their lying, theft, robbery, and robbing in troopes, being ready to kill such as they robbed, especially if any resistance were made. All which are most foul sins, and here not private persons singly addicting themselves to these wickednesses, are meant so much, as men armed by authority, who terrifie poor Note. men by their power, sending Troopers, if they cannot otherwise get that away from them, which they desire, a thing that we are too much used to in this kingdom, and therefore may be feared to be a forerunner of destruction to the whole nation, which is so desperately sick of this disease, that it seemeth incurable, and so the danger unavertible.
And they consider not in their hearts, that I remember their wickednesse. These horrible V. 2.sinnes they commit, but carrying things as they doe, they think all to be rightly done, because by order from the higher powers, thus blind folding mens eyes: but they cannot blind mine, their sins, with which they are compassed round, are before my face in their odious colours, making them odious to me, neither can I ever forget them.
For the second, their sins against God they follow, vers. 3. They make the V. 3.King glad with their wickednesse and the Princes with their lies, that is, their King Jeroboam, who could no sooner by the advice of his Princes about him propound his new devised idolatry, but the people were as ready to comply Lyra.with him as he could desire. And there was a lying Prophet that perswaded by lying the Prophet, who threatned him and his Altar, to transgresse the 1 King. 13.charge given him by the Lord, not to eat in that place, by which means Gods anger was stirred up against him, and by a Lion he slew him, which incouraged the King in his evill wayes, as gathering from hence, that the Prophet sent unto him was a false Prophet.
They are all adulterers, as an Oven heat by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he V. 4.hath kneaded the dough, till it be leavened; Heb. he will cease, or give rest to the City, from kneading the dough, Vulg. The City rested a little from mixing the leaven, till all was leavened. Whereof the sense given by Lyra is; Jeroboam, heat the oven of idolatry, as it were; for he is here compared to a Baker, and having done so by making idols, he suffered the people to be quiet for a while, not urging them to it by propounding punishments at the first, but only commending it unto them, & this took effect as leaven, all his City of Samaria, and Kingdom being thus leavened with errour, voluntarily, for as there is a comparison made from leaven put in three pecks of meal, till all be leavened in a good sense, so the corrupt doctrine Matth. 13.of the Pharisees is compared to leaven. But whereas hee expoundth resting by forbearing to punish, it is rather to be held, if it be applyed to the City, or Kingdome, that he drew them to the idolatry proposed, by pretending a rest from travelling so far as Jerusalem to worship: yet neither I am thus satisfied, because although the word foreign signifieth a City, yet here foreign is used coming of foreign to raise up, so that the best reading is, he will rest from raising having spread the paste; subaudi, with leaven till it be leavened; and thus the sense will be very good, that wicked King did even as the Baker by his bread: He meant to work the people, as the Baker his bread to the sowrenesse of idolatry, and for this end he laid a leaven by making golden Calves, and used policy by perswading to goe to worship them being near, a labour of going further off being thus spared, but whilest hee did thus he heat his oven into which he would bring them, that is, he provided all that he could to keepe them within the compasse of his Dominion, that they might not revolt to the Kingdome of Judah. And to a Baker heating an oven, he is the rather for this compared, because the fire of Gods wrath was thus kindled against them, as vers. 6. whereas in the beginning of the verse he saith, they are all adulterers, he meaneth by spirituall adultery, that is, idolatry, to which they were stirred up being heat as with fire; they were so enflamed with a desire unto it, and thus they were as an oven heat by the baker to have the leavened and sowre distastefull bread of idolatry put into it. Gualter understanding corporeall adultery as well as spirituall giveth this sense, as a baker having heat his oven doth not presently raise up his servants to knead and set in the bread, but having first rested till it be all leavened; so the people inflamed with lust, although not presently, yet after a while they break out into act, being throughly corrupted.
In the day of our King the Princes have made him sick with bottles of wine, hee V. 5.stretched out his hand with scorners. Here saith the same Gualter another great sin is taxed in Israel, that upon the Kings day, most probably, of his inauguration the Courtyers ply him with wine, as if then for the honour of so happy a day both he and they must needs drink excessively, till he is even sick; but for this abuse he is so farre from distasting them the more, that he stretcheth out his hand with them, that is, joins in this excesse of riot, making much of them therefore. A great corruption not onelyonly upon Kings dayes, Note. but at all other times of rejoicing for any inferiour Magistrate or Officer newly come into office, or at marriages, there is no expression of joy without excesse, and hereby such wickedness is much the more promoted, when it is favored by the King, who indeed ought not to suffer such rioters about him, but to bring in men grave and sober, by whom he may be the more contained from any exorbitancy, as it is said of Henry the fifth King of England, that being before his coming to the Crown very dissolute, and a companion of dissolute persons, yet coming to it, upon the sudden he was so changed, that hee put all his dissolute companions from him, charging them never to come at his Court more. The vulgar Latine: The Princes began to rage from the wine, Heb. the Princes made sicke, or began to be sick through heat from the wine; but I rather think, that their making of the King sick is meant, as hath been said, although Lyra understands it of an ardent desire stirred up in them Lyra.to idolatry, as by wine the body is inflamed.
They are althot as an oven, they have devoured their Judges, and before this, V. 7.they have made ready their heart as an oven whilest they lye in wait, their baker sleepeth all night, in the morning it burneth like a flaming fire. Here he further prosecuteth the similitude taken from an Oven, for having before spoken of the baker heating his oven, now he sheweth that being stirred up by the King their baker, their hearts were as soon heat, as he could desire, towards his idolatry, so that he thenceforth sleeping, their fervent desire went forward to promote that cursed thing, growing from fiery hot into a flame in the morning, that is, betimes, no long delay being made. For their devouring their Judges, this is meant of good Judges disliking, and impugning Lyra.this wickednesse in Israel, them they cut off, so Lyra, or rather because it followeth, all their Kings have faln, there is none among them that cals upon me, this devouring is to be understood of their being devoured by this fire of extream heat to the same idolatry; for so all the Kings after Jeroboam certainly were, none of them standing for the worship of the true God, but all for Jeroboams Calves, by which foul sin the Judges of the land were devoured or swallowed up also, Kings, Judges and Princes being all alike, but the originall of all this next unto the King was in his wicked Princes, for which it is, they devoured their Judges.
Ephraim also is mixed amongst the people, hee is like a cake not turned: that is, in V. 8.his idolatrous worship he doth not onelyonly sin by the golden Calves, but as other Nations, by other idolatries being joyned with them in superstitions, as a cake not turned, that is, laid upon the coales to be baked, whereby it is fouled and made black, so Ephraim by this foul sinne and many more, thus Lyra, but Gualter better, they mixed themselves with the Nations about Lyra. Gualter.by consederacies with them, which was a thing by God interdicted, and by this means they came in their evill manners to be like unto them, wherewith Note. they that would not be tainted, must flee such consorting with them, as is commanded, 2 Cor. 6. And to a cake upon the embers or coals not turned he is compared, because such a cake must needs be burnt on the one side and dough on the other, and so neither side is fit to be eaten: in like manner Ephraim being burnt with the extream heat of affection to idolatry on the one side, dough through a vain pretence of the true religion on the other, was altogether unfit for Gods dyet, and so are all like unto him, Note. that have zeal as hot as fire to an erroneous way of worship, how ever they pretend the truth on their side, for none ever were zealous carryed after error, but in an opinion that it was truth.
Strangers have devoured his sirength, but he understandeth not gray haires are here and there upon him. Heb. hoarinesse, canities, is spread upon him, whereby their refractary V. 9.going on in sin is set forth. Israel was a strong Nation, but now is become weak either by confederating with heathens, or being fought against and wasted by them: for either way, saith Gualter, the strength of a nation decayeth, for even confederates coming to help eat up the provision, and must have pay, whereby the Nation is weakened. But Ephraim like a silly man having experience of this was insensible of it to be moved to repentance, yea having done thus a long time hath yet no sense thereof in this kind, intimated by gray hairs. And this is added yet to aggravate his sottishnesse, because although men in youth want wit or consideration to make use of evill occurrences tending to their ruine, yet in age they use to be more considerate. This Calvin mentioneth, but rather preferreth another of gray hairs coming by miseries, although men have not bin long therein But for somuch as Israels afflictions were long by enemies about weakening him, I rather preferre the first.
The pride of Israel testifieth to his face. Vulgar Latine, the pride of Israel shall be V. 10. Lyra.brought downe before his face, expounded by Lyra, as his punishment following for sins so pertinaciously persisted in. The Hebrew signifieth either answereth or humbleth, but because no good sense can be made rendering it thus, the other is better, he goeth on still to aggravate his sin, for that if he were brought to answer face to face, whether it were not thus, he must needs confesse that it was and yet no grace to seek the Lord.V. 11.
Ephraim is like to a silly dove, they goe to Egypt and call to Assyria, when they go I will spread my net upon them. The Dove is …et forth, Matth. 10. 16. by its innocencie, here by simplicitie coming into the danger of the net through want of hear or understanding to take heed of the fowlers net, and to her is Ephraim compared, who did flee, as it were a far off to Assyria or Egypt for help, not perceiving in the mean season, that by so doing, in stead of obtaining help he came into the most dangerous net of all, the net of the Lord, who by the Assyrians was about to take and destroy him. Or because the heart is Lyra.put for confidence, he is said to be a silly Dove without an heart, because timerous and fearfull and not confiding in God, which made him flee to humane help: to Egypt, 2 King. 7. 14. and before that to Assyria, chap. 15. 19. I will chastise them as the congregation heard; that is, saith Jerome, who V. 12. Hieron.reads it as not some few, but their whole congregation hath done, for there was a consent amongst them in sinning, according to the hearing of the Congregation, whereunto Calvin addeth, that they made it to be heard, because in Calvin.their wickednesse through their earnestnesse they made a great noise. Yet he hath another, as was heard many times in their Congregations, although they regarded it not to take heed of thus provoking the Lord, and this I take to be the best. And the words before going, I will bring them downe, aptly follow upon the comparison made, they did flye aloft, as the Dove, being conceited of their freedom from danger, having the whole heaven as it were to fly in, as they would, but they should be brought downe as birds under a net lying upon the ground and no more able to fly, lying bound as it were, according to the signification of the next word foreign I will binde or chastise them, for it indifferently signifies either.
Here is shewed the cause why the Lord would be thus severe against them, V. 13.they have forsaken me; for seeking help from men is a forsaking of the Lord, especially from heathens: and they have spoken lies against me, that is, in magnifying Lyra.their golden Calves, as whereby they were brought out of Egypt, as they did Exod. 32.
And they have not cryed unto me with their hearts, when they howled upon their V. 14. Calvin.beds, Heb. for they howled upon their beds; and according to this Calvin expounds it, as a reason whereby he proveth, that although they cryed unto him, yet their praying was but as an howling in the sense of their misery after the manner of brute beasts, not out of penitency for their sinnes: For none are so wicked, but in misery they will pray as the heathen mariners with Jonah, and although in those corrupt times religion was greatly Note. decayed in Israel, and they worshipped idols, yet it is not to be thought but they had a form of worship in private, of the true God, with their lips, but not with their heart, and so worshiping him thus, are by him censured as howling Joh. 4. Esa. 29. 13.and not accepted of as praying, for true worshippers worship God in spirit and in truth, and such as honour him with their mouths, and not with their hearts, are rejected. And in speaking of their beds, he secretly taxeth such amongst us as pray not, but in their beds halfe asleep and halfe awake; and therefore without an heart: they assemble themselves together about corn and wine, Tossarius.and rebell against me, that is, in the wave of these worldly things, they come together to seek to me by fasting haply and prayer, but generally they live in rebellion against me. Some, saith Calvin, expound it thus, hearing that Calvin.there is good store of corn in the market they flock thither, but against mee, that giveth it them, they practise rebellion continually: but this he censures as frigid, and followeth the other: either way the sense is good, and according to this second chap. 2. 8. he spake of corn, &c. given her by God, but not to him ascribed, which seemes to make for this, when I send plenty they rejoyced together for it, but they ill requite me, by rebelling against me through Idolatry and abundance of other sins. So also Jerom, Hieron.comparing Israel for this with Sodom, where there was fulnesse of bread turned into an occasion of such abominable sinning, and it is favoured by the Cald. Paraphrast.
Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, Vulg. I have instructed, or chastised V. 15. Cyril.and strengthened: Whereupon Cyril: I have taught them so as I have not other nations, for which I expected that they should have done better, adding also to my instructions strengeh to fight against, and subdue the people of the land unto them. But, as was said before, the word here used signifieth either to instruct, chastise, or bind, and therefore Calvin renders it binding, expounding Calvin.it of the weak estate, to which Israel was often brought, as the History sheweth, but in Jeroboams time made strong again, as the arm being broken by setting and binding up, is againe strengthened, and this is most genuine.
They turn, but not the most high, they are like a deceitfull bow: this is added because he had v. 15. charged them with rebelling against him, lest they should V. 16.say, they turned and called upon God, and therefore were no rebels, forsomuch as in affliction they cryed unto him: This therefore is here censured as no turning to God, sith not the conscience of their sin but their miserie, urged them unto it. And he saith, that they turned indeed unto him like a deceitful bow, wherewith when a man thinketh to shoot an arrow from him, it recoileth back upon him; the like phrase see Psal. 73. 9. Hebr. for, not to me, is foreign not unto, me being understood: their Princes shall fall by the rage, or pride of their tongues, that is, because they have been so highly conceited of their strength, as to speak proudly against all my admonitions, especially bearing themselves upon the Egyptians, but to those Egyptians they shall become a scorne when they are brought so low.