Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · minor prophets · Hosea · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
SET the Trumpet to thy mouth, he shall come as an Eagle against the house of the Lord: V. 1.Here he beginneth with Judah, where the house of the Lord stood, threatned destruction to her by Nebuchadnezzar, who is compared to an Eagle, Ezek. Hieron.17. 3, 12. destroying Jerusalem for Zedekiah his breaking covenant with him, as here it is said, he hath transgressed my covenant, thus Jerom, and Lyra, Cyril, &c. But Calvin will have it spoken against the Kingdom of Israel, because Calvin.v. 2. is plainly against Israel, and likewise the rest of the chapter, and he thinks it strange, that in one verse of a chapter only one Kingdome should be spoken to, and then suddenly another, for which reason he expounds it of Israel, saying, that by the house of the Lord, here Israel is meant, and not the Temple, seeing the Church is often as well called the House of the Lord, as the Temple at Jerusalem. But I rather hold with the current of Expositours, first because Judah is likewise spoken to in one verse, ch. 5. 10. and in the next Israel, and so forth to the end of the chapter.
2. Because Nebuchadnezzar was undoubtedly the Eagle, neither is the Assyrian that came against Israel, any where by this name set forth.
3. Because when Israel is spoken of, it is commonly set forth by the name of the House of Israel, and no where of the House of the Lord.
And Hoseah having before spoken against Judah, and plainly ch. 5, 6, 7. now he must, to move them the more, take a trumpet and act the part of an Herald from God unto them, in denouncing warre and destruction, and first to Judah, although to be judged last, yet most briefly, as being not the Kingdom to which he was chiefly sent.
Then to Israel at large, v. 2, 3, 4, &c. They have made Kings, but not by me; and V. 4.Princes and I knew it not; of their silver and gold they have made Idols: They are charged here with two foul sins. 1. Of dividing themselves from Davids line, setting up Jeroboam whom other wicked Kings succeeded ever after. 2. With setting up Idols.
But how can this be verified, seeing a Prophet was sent by the Lord to anoint 1 King. 12.Jeroboam to be King? Sol. God indeed for a punishment to Solomon, secretly appointed it to be so, but for the manner of bringing it about, this the people did of their own heads, because Rehoboam by his harsh answer had offended them, whereas they should have cleaved to the house of David, although they had been oppressed; forsomuch as God by promise, as they knew, had settled the Kingdom of Israel upon it for ever, 2 Sam. 7. and of this line the Messiah an everlasting King over Israel, was to come; so that, as Calvin notes, Calvin.in falling from the line of David through discontent they fel from the Messiah, and so their sin was most intolerable. And for this cause, when Judah returned out of captivity, Israel did not, although long before her carried away; and when many of the Jews received the Gospel, none or very sew of Israel did, they not being where it was preached. So that Kings sometimes are for a punishment of their sins by Gods just judgment put from their Kingdomes by Note. their subjects; but this is an horrible sin in such subjects notwithstanding, and the setting up of others in their stead, which God will not suffer, but fearfully punish, who will have the persons of his anointed sacred, as reigning by him, and therefore not to be put down, but by him again, when and as he pleaseth and appointeth.
They shall sow the wind and reap the whirlwind; that is, whatsoever they pretend for their Idolatrous worship, it is but a wind, a matter of nothing, as we say of V. 7.words, that they are but wind, and therefore nothing but wind can be expected to come hereof, even a whirlwind, which is violent and most boisterous overturning all things, and to reap the whirlwind then is to reap ruine and destruction. As for any good which may be thought will come by their setting of a fair glosse upon so foul a sin, it shall not be so much as a stalk coming of a mans sowing; or if their be a stalk, and it buddeth or eareth, the ear shal have no corn in it; and if it hath any, the enemie and not the sower shall devour it; in a word he meaneth that destruction shall suddenly come when they expect a joyfull time of harvest: and for any good coming finally of their rebellion and false-worship, that shal either be a meer nullity, or fal to the lot of their cruell enemies, the Kingdome which they have with such policie a long time supported, coming into the hands of others with all the glory and wealth thereof: whence the Papists of these times may see, notwithstanding Note. their daubing to maintain a good opinion of their superstition amongst ignorant people, that their Popes Kingdom thus upheld a long time shall suddenly goe downe, and fall into the hands of others, that abhor from such wickednesse.
Israel is swallowed of the nations, as a vessel wherein there is no pleasure, that is, by V. 8.being subdued and captived by the Assyrians, amongst whom he was accounted and used, as a base vessell; as amongst men some being chosen as vessels of honour, others are as vessels of dishonour, being put to all base uses: the vulg. to expresse this hath it; unclean vessels, v. 9. for they are gone up to Assyria, V. 9.a wild Asse alone by himself, that is, being by the Assyrians carryed away captive, the reason whereof is rendred in the next words, a wild asse alone, that is, Ephraim Lyra.like a wild Asse ran up and down to divers Countries to learn divers abominations, none being able to stay him from so doing, thus Lyra and some others. But Calvin better understands it of their seeking to Assyria for help, Gualter.and not seeking to and trusting in the Lord, of which it was also complained before, and herein they did like unto a wilde Asse under no master: for even so they rejecting the law of God forbidding this unto them, like wild persons that will doe what they list, run about beyond all bounds, set them by God, yea, and hired Lovers, wherein he speaketh of that Church as of a woman, that is an harlot, and an harlot unlike to all others, because they commonly take gifts, but this gave gifts to her Lovers, as is further complained, Ezek. 16. But v. 10. he sheweth, that it should succeed ill, for the Lord will gather V. 10.them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burthen of the King of Princes, that is, he will gather the people of Israel, whereby is meant, that they although they have done thus vilely, by the power of God, should for a time be kept together as a nation and not scattered, yet not be left without all chastisement, for they should be under tribute some time to the King of Ashur, which is meant by their sorrowing a little for the King of Princes, for so he is called for the greatness of his Monarchy Esay 10. 8.having many Princes under it. Thus Calvin, who saith that others by these words, he will gather them, understand the nations, whom they hired like a base conditioned whore, so that by them brought in judgment against Israel, he should be brought under and be made sorry a little, first for tribute, as hath been said. But Lyra is also for that of Calvin, only coming to speak of their being sorry a little for the King of Princes, he following the Vulg. which hath it, they shall rest a little from the burthen of the King of Princes, understandeth hereby Israels being preserved for a time from being subjected to the Assyrian King. But the word foreign although of divers significations, if it be derived from foreign to be sorry or grieved from foreign to be sick, or from foreign to begin, yet hath no such signification as to rest, therefore to stick to the reading before going, as best, let it be taken for being sorrowfull for their first suffering at this Kings hands by the burthen of tribute in the time of Hoshea King of Israel, who became his servant living under tribute 9 years.2 King. 17.
For the comparison of a wild Asse, Job 11. and Job 39. Jer. 14. 6. the same is also spoken of; Gualter, I will gather them being destroyed into heaps, and Gualter.they shall shortly begin to come into this misery, by, or from the burthen of the Assyrian King, which is an Exposition not to be sleighted, for the word may as well signifie begin as sorrow, and Hebr. it is, from the burthen, and thus the sense is very good, and may well be followed; yea, it satisfieth best touching the former words, I will gather them, forsomuch as it is not so sensible by gathering to understand gathering, or saving from destruction.
Because Ephraim hath multiplyed Altars, Altars shall be to him for a sin: Here followeth the cause of the judgment before threatned, besides their sins before V. 11.mentioned. They thought by setting up many altars to offer unto God, that they did very religiously: but contrariwise, the Lord here tels them, that he counted them for these the greater sinners, and they should find it to be so by the effects, being the more punished therefore; for God appointed one only Altar to be made, and so to make more was a sin, and that very great, as contrary to his expresse command. A thing to be noted by Papists, who place great Note. holinesse in Altars building, whereas indeed we have now none Altars, but Communion Tables, so that what they counted holinesse, is turned to sin unto them, aggravating Gods judgments against them.
I have written to them the great things of my law: Here he sheweth that they did V. 12.not thus sin because they wanted means to know it, but out of their own perversness; for they had Gods laws written amongst them, as a standing rule to be guided by herein, and in all parts of his service. And the written word Note. must be our direction in all things pertaining to his worship.Esay 8. 20.
They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings and eat it, or it may be rendred, they sacrifice for the sacrifices of my gifts, and eat flesh, it being hereby meant, V. 13.that in sacrificing they respected not so much the duty doing, or end for which, to be lead hereby to Christ, the only all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins, but to feast and make merry at such times, running into all excesse of riot, as Gualter well expounds it. Calvin thinks, that whereas holocausts were to be Gualter. Calvin.all burnt in sacrifice, they did not so, but took away part to feast themselves withall, as is the manner of hypocrites to doe duties, but to provide, that they may be at as little charge as may be, something that should goe to the Lord being stil spared for their own bellies or benefit. Jerom and Lyra following the Vulg. which hath it, they will offer sacrifices, and sacrifice flesh and eat; Hieron. Lyra.understand hereby nothing else, but their doing of the externall duty of sacrificing eucharistically by peace-offerings, wherein part went to the offerer to feast withall; but forsomuch as they were wicked they were not herein accepted of, as is said in the next words. But in this reading it is varied from the originall, and for Calvins that indeed hath a ground here, because not foreign but foreign not meat-offerings, but burnt-offerings, of which no part went to the parties bringing them to eat, are here spoken of, so that most probably the wicked offerers who regarded not Gods laws, kept somewhat from being burnt for their own use out of their covetousnesse, and this is the sin taxed here, they shall return into Egypt, this seemeth hard to be understood, for when God judged them, as he threatned, they went into Assyria, not into Egypt. But if we look into ch. 9. 3, 6. we shall find that some of them went into Egypt, although the greatest part into Assyria, and in Egypt they were buryed in Memphis. It is therefore to be understood of some, when Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians that fled into Egypt, and ever after dwelt there again, but with little comfort being but as exiles and runnagates in Egypt, and so in Hieron.a shamefull and base estate: so Jerom also.
Israel hath forgotten his maker and built him Temples, where they had Idols and V. 14.Altars, there most probably they built Temples, and this is here taxed as a forgetting of their maker, which would be considered by Papists when they Note. set up Images and say, these are a means to remember God, but the Lord taxeth this as forggetting of him, because doing any thing against, or besides that which he hath prescribed for a remembrance of him, is a forgetting of him; as building other Temples when as he appointed only one to be built unto his name, and now setting up Images, when as he teacheth one visible way only of remembring him, viz. his last Supper, where as in an Image his death and passion is represented to our sight; and so Gal. 3. 1. it is said, before whose eyes, Christ Jesus hath been set forth amongst you crucified, because in his Supper, which was instituted for a remembrance of him, he is set forth as broken and shedding his bloud for us. And Judah hath built strong Cities, that is, to be a strength unto her against her enemies, thinking thus to be safe, although she provoke the Lord by her sins, so that here want of trusting in God is taxed, and trusting to an arm of flesh: but these Cities shall be fired, as they were afterwards by Nebuchadnezzar: where, as some note, that a pronoune of the masculine gender is affixed to Cities, and one of the feminine to Palaces, his Cities, and her Palaces, understanding therefore the Cities of Israel and the Palaces of Judah, it is frivolous: for Cities threatned here answer plainly to Cities which Judah built or dwelt in, and forsomuch as Judah was a people as well as a Church, both may well be spoken of Judah, I will set fire on his Cities, and burn her Palaces, although I grant, that most commonly Judah is spoken of in the feminine gender, and Israel in the masculine, as ch. 4. 17, 18, 19. Israel being spoken to in the masculine, is by and by spoken to in the feminine twice over.