separated with whores--withdrawn from the assembly of worshippers to some receptacle of impurity for carnal connection with whores.
sacrifice with harlots--They commit lewdness with women who devote their persons to be violated in honor of Astarte. (So the Hebrew for "harlots" means, as distinguished from "whores"). Compare [Nu 25:1-3]; and the prohibition, [De 23:18].
not understand--([Is 44:18]; ).
shall fall--shall be cast down.
15. Though Israel's ten tribes indulge in spiritual harlotry, at least thou, Judah, who hast the legal priesthood, and the temple rites, and Jerusalem, do not follow her bad example.
Gilgal--situated between Jordan and Jericho on the confines of Samaria; once a holy place to Jehovah ([Jos 5:10-15]; [1Sa 10:8]; ); afterwards desecrated by idol-worship ([Ho 9:15]; ; [Am 4:4]; ; compare [Jud 3:19], Margin).
Beth-aven--that is, "house of vanity" or idols: a name substituted in contempt for Beth-el, "the house of God"; once sacred to Jehovah ([Ge 28:17], ; ), but made by Jeroboam the seat of the worship of the calves (1Ki 12:28-33; 13:1; [Jr 48:13]; [Am 3:14]; ). "Go up" refers to the fact that Beth-el was on a hill ([Jos 16:1]).
nor swear, The Lord liveth--This formula of oath was appointed by God Himself ([De 6:13]; ; [Jr 4:2]). It is therefore here forbidden not absolutely, but in conjunction with idolatry and falsehood ([Is 48:1]; [Eze 20:39]; [Zep 1:5]).
16. backsliding--Translate, "Israel is refractory, as a refractory heifer," namely, one that throws the yoke off her neck. Israel had represented God under the form of "calves" ([1Ki 12:28]); but it is she herself who is one.
lamb in a large place--not in a good sense, as in [Is 30:23]. Here there is irony: lambs like a large pasture; but it is not so safe for them as a small one, duly fenced from wild beasts. God will "feed" them, but it shall be with the "rod" ([Mi 7:14]). It shall be no longer in the narrow territory of Israel, but "in a large place," namely, they shall be scattered in exile over the wide realm of Assyria, a prey to their foes; as lambs, which are timid, gregarious, and not solitary, are a prey when scattered asunder to wild beasts.
17. Ephraim--the ten tribes. Judah was at this time not so given to idolatry as afterwards.
joined to--closely and voluntarily; identifying themselves with them as a whoremonger becomes one flesh with the harlot ([Nu 25:3]; [1Co 6:16], ).
idols--The Hebrew means also "sorrows," "pains," implying the pain which idolatry brings on its votaries.
let him alone--Leave him to himself. Let him reap the fruits of his own perverse choice; his case is desperate; say nothing to him (compare [Jr 7:16]). Here [Ho 4:15] shows the address is to Judah, to avoid the contagion of Israel's bad example. He is bent on his own ruin; leave him to his fate, lest, instead of saving him, thou fall thyself ([Is 48:20]; [Jr 50:8]; , ; [2Co 6:17]).
18. Their drink is sour--metaphor for utter degeneracy of principle ([Is 1:22]). Or, unbridled licentiousness; not mere ordinary sin, but as abandoned as drunkards who vomit and smell sour with wine potations [Calvin]. Maurer not so well translates, "When their drinking is over, they commit whoredoms," namely, in honor of Astarte ([Ho 4:13], ).
her rulers--Israel's; literally, "shields" (compare [Psa 47:9]).
with shame ... love, Give ye--([Pr 30:15]). No remedy could be effectual against their corruptions since the very rulers sold justice for gifts [Calvin]. Maurer translates, "The rulers are marvelously enamored of shame." English Version is better.
19. Israel shall be swept away from her land ([Ho 4:16]) suddenly and violently as if by "the wings of the wind" ([Psa 18:10]; ; [Jr 4:11], ).
ashamed ... of their sacrifices--disappointed to their shame in their hope of help through their sacrifices to idols.
Chapter 5
Ho 5:1-5. God's Judgments on the Priests, People, and Princes of Israel for Their Sins
Judah, too, being guilty shall be punished; nor shall Assyria, whose aid they both sought, save them; judgments shall at last lead them to repentance.
1. the king--probably Pekah; the contemporary of Ahaz, king of Judah, under whom idolatry was first carried so far in Judah as to call for the judgment of the joint Syrian and Israelite invasion, as also that of Assyria.
judgment is towards you--that is, threatens you from God.
ye have been a snare on Mizpah ... net ... upon Tabor--As hunters spread their net and snares on the hills, Mizpah and Tabor, so ye have snared the people into idolatry and made them your prey by injustice. As Mizpah and Tabor mean a "watch tower," and a "lofty place," a fit scene for hunters, playing on the words, the prophet implies, in the lofty place in which I have set you, whereas ye ought to have been the watchers of the people, guarding them from evil, ye have been as hunters entrapping them into it [Jerome]. These two places are specified, Mizpah in the east and Tabor in the west, to include the high places throughout the whole kingdom, in which Israel's rulers set up idolatrous altars.
2. revolters--apostates.
profound--deeply rooted [Calvin] and sunk to the lowest depths, excessive in their idolatry ([Ho 9:9]; [Is 31:6]) [Henderson]. From the antithesis ([Ho 5:3]), "not hid from me," I prefer explaining, profoundly cunning in their idolatry. Jeroboam thought it a profound piece of policy to set up golden calves to represent God in Dan and Beth-el, in order to prevent Israel's heart from turning again to David's line by going up to Jerusalem to worship. So Israel's subsequent idolatry was grounded by their leaders on various pleas of state expediency (compare [Is 29:15]).
to ... slaughter--He does not say "to sacrifice," for their so-called sacrifices were butcheries rather than sacrifices; there was nothing sacred about them, being to idols instead of to the holy God.
though--Maurer translates, "and (in spite of their hope of safety through their slaughter of victims to idols) I will be a chastisement to them all." English Version is good sense: They have deeply revolted, notwithstanding all my prophetical warnings.
3. Ephraim--the tribe so called, as distinguished from "Israel" here, the other nine tribes. It was always foremost of the tribes of the northern kingdom. For four hundred years in early history, it, with Manasseh and Benjamin, its two dependent tribes, held the pre-eminence in the whole nation. Ephraim is here addressed as foremost in idolatry.
I how ... not hid from me--notwithstanding their supposed profound cunning ([Ho 5:2]; [Re 2:2], [9, 13], 19).
now--"though I have been a rebuker of all them" ([Ho 5:2]) who commit such spiritual whoredoms, thou art now continuing in them.
4. They--Turning from a direct address to Ephraim, he uses the third person plural to characterize the people in general. The Hebrew is against the Margin, their doings will not suffer them" the omission of "them" in the Hebrew after the verb being unusual. The sense is, they are incurable, for they will not permit (as the Hebrew literally means) their doings to be framed so as to turn unto God. Implying that they resist the Spirit of God, not suffering Him to renew them; and give themselves up to "the spirit of whoredoms" (in antithesis to "the Spirit of God" implied in "suffer" or "permit") ([Ho 4:12]; [Is 63:10]; [Eze 16:43]; [Ac 7:51]).
5. the pride of Israel--wherewith they reject the warnings of God's prophets ([Ho 5:2]), and prefer their idols to God ([Ho 7:10]; [Jr 13:17]).
testify to his face--openly to his face he shall be convicted of the pride which is so palpable in him. Or, "in his face," as in [Is 3:9].
Judah ... shall fall with them--This prophecy is later than [Ho 4:15], when Judah had not gone so far in idolatry; now her imitation of Israel's bad example provokes the threat of her being doomed to share in Israel's punishment.
6. with ... flocks--to propitiate Jehovah ([Is 1:11-15]).
seek ... not find--because it is slavish fear that leads them to seek Him; and because it then shall be too late ([Pr 1:28]; [Joh 7:34]).
7. treacherously--as to the marriage covenant ([Jr 3:20]).
strange children--alluding to "children of whoredoms" ([Ho 1:2]; 2:4). "Strange" or foreign implies that their idolatry was imported from abroad [Henderson]. Or rather, "regarded by God as strangers, not His," as being reared in idolatry. The case is desperate, when not only the existing, but also the rising, generation is reared in apostasy.
a month--a very brief space of time shall elapse, and then punishment shall overtake them ([Zec 11:8]). The allusion seems to be to money loans, which were by the month, not as with us by the year. You cannot put it off; the time of your destruction is immediately and suddenly coming on you; just as the debtor must meet the creditor's demand at the expiration of the month. The prediction is of the invasion of Tiglath-pileser, who carried away Reuben, Gad, Naphtali, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
portions--that is, possessions. Their resources and garrisons will not avail to save them. Henderson explains from [Is 57:6], "portions" as their idols; the context favors this, "the Lord" the true "portion of His people" ([De 32:9]), being in antithesis to "their portions," the idols.
8. The arrival of the enemy is announced in the form of an injunction to blow an alarm.
cornet ... trumpet--The "cornet" was made of the curved horn of animals and was used by shepherds. The "trumpet" was of brass or silver, straight, and used in wars and on solemn occasions. The Hebrew is hatzotzerah, the sound imitating the trumpet note ([Ho 8:1]; [Nu 10:2]; [Jr 4:5]; [Joe 2:1]).
Gibeah ... Ramah--both in Benjamin ([Is 10:29]).