--- title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible" author: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown" languages: [en] shelf: "Commentaries" section: 507 of 927 url: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/507/ cite: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, section 507. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/507/" --- # Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible *Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown* The Victorian standard commentary, critical and practical, from Genesis to Revelation. ## 507. Hosea · 10 of 13 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/507/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/507/#p-N [¶0] 10. my desire ... chastise--expressing God's strong inclination to vindicate His justice against sin, as being the infinitely holy God ([De 28:63]). [¶1] the people--Foreign invaders "shall be gathered against them." [¶2] when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows--image from two oxen ploughing together side by side, in two contiguous furrows: so the Israelites shall join themselves, to unite their powers against all dangers, but it will not save them from My destroying them [Calvin]. Their "two furrows" may refer to their two places of setting up the calves, their ground of confidence, Dan and Beth-el; or, the two divisions of the nation, Israel and Judah, "in their two furrows," that is, in their respective two places of habitation; [Ho 10:11], which specifies the two, favors this view. Henderson prefers the Keri (Hebrew Margin) "for their two iniquities"; and translates, "when they are bound" in captivity. English Version is best, as the image is carried out in [Ho 10:11]; only it is perhaps better to translate, "the people (the invaders) binding them," that is, making them captives; and so [Ho 10:11] alludes to the yoke being put on the neck of Ephraim and Judah. [¶3] 11. taught--that is, accustomed. [¶4] loveth to tread out ... corn--a far easier and more self-indulgent work than ploughing. In treading corn, cattle were not bound together under a yoke, but either trod it singly with their feet, or drew a threshing sledge over it ([Is 28:27], ): they were free to eat some of the corn from time to time, as the law required they should be unmuzzled ([De 25:4]), so that they grew fat in this work. An image of Israel's freedom, prosperity, and self-indulgence heretofore. But now God will put the Assyrian yoke upon her, instead of freedom, putting her to servile work. [¶5] I passed over upon--I put the yoke upon. [¶6] make ... to ride--as in [Job 30:22]; that is, hurry Ephraim away to a distant region [Calvin]. Lyra translates, "I will make (the Assyrian) to ride upon Ephraim." Maurer, "I will make Ephraim to carry," namely, a charioteer. [¶7] his clods--"the clods before him." [¶8] 12. Continuation of the image in [Ho 10:11] ([Pr 11:18]). Act righteously and ye shall reap the reward; a reward not of debt, but of grace. [¶9] in mercy--according to the measure of the divine "mercy," which over and above repays the goodness or "mercy" which we show to our fellow man ([Lu 6:38]). [¶10] break ... fallow ground--Remove your superstitions and vices, and be renewed. [¶11] seek ... Lord, fill he come--Though not answered immediately, persevere unceasingly "till He come." [¶12] rain--send down as a copious shower. [¶13] righteousness--the reward of righteousness, that is, salvation, temporal and spiritual ([1Sa 26:23]; compare [Joe 2:23] ). [¶14] 13. reaped iniquity--that is, the fruit of iniquity; as "righteousness" ([Ho 10:12]) is "the fruit of righteousness" ([Job 4:8]; [Pr 22:8]; [Ga 6:7], ). [¶15] lies--false and spurious worship. [¶16] trust in thy way--thy perverse way ([Is 57:10]; [Jr 2:23]), thy worship of false gods. This was their internal safeguard, as their external was "the multitude of their mighty men." [¶17] 14. tumult--a tumultuous war. [¶18] among thy people--literally, "peoples": the war shall extend to the whole people of Israel, through all the tribes, and the peoples allied to her. [¶19] Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel--that is, Shalmaneser, a compound name, in which the part common to it and the names of three other Assyrian kings, is omitted; Tiglath-pileser, Esar-haddon, Shar-ezer. So Jeconiah is abbreviated to Coniah. Arbel was situated in Naphtali in Galilee, on the border nearest Assyria. Against it Shalmaneser, at his first invasion of Israel ([2Ki 17:3]), vented his chief rage. God threatens Israel's fortresses with the same fate as Arbel suffered "in the day (on the occasion) of the battle" then well-known, though not mentioned elsewhere (compare [2Ki 18:34]). This event, close on the reign of Hezekiah, shows the inscription of Hosea ([Ho 1:1]) to be correct. [¶20] 15. So shall Beth-el do unto you--that is, Your idolatrous calf at Beth-el shall be the cause of a like calamity befalling you. [¶21] your great wickedness--literally, "the wickedness of your wickedness." [¶22] in a morning--that is, speedily, as quickly as the dawn is put to flight by the rising sun ([Ho 6:4]; ; [Psa 30:5]). [¶23] king--Hoshea. ### Chapter 11 ### Ho 11:1-12. God's Former Benefits, and Israel's Ingratitude Resulting in Punishment, Yet Jehovah Promises Restoration at Last [¶26] [Ho 11:5] shows this prophecy was uttered after the league made with Egypt ([2Ki 17:4]). [¶27] 1. Israel ... called my son out of Egypt--Bengel translates, "From the time that he (Israel) was in Egypt, I called him My son," which the parallelism proves. So [Ho 12:9] and [Ho 13:4] use "from ... Egypt," for "from the time that thou didst sojourn in Egypt." [Ex 4:22] also shows that Israel was called by God, "My son," from the time of his Egyptian sojourn ([Is 43:1]). God is always said to have led or brought forth, not to have "called," Israel from Egypt. [Mt 2:15], therefore, in quoting this prophecy (typically and primarily referring to Israel, antitypically and fully to Messiah), applies it to Jesus' sojourn in Egypt, not His return from it. Even from His infancy, partly spent in Egypt, God called Him His son. God included Messiah, and Israel for Messiah's sake, in one common love, and therefore in one common prophecy. Messiah's people and Himself are one, as the Head and the body. [Is 49:3] calls Him "Israel." The same general reason, danger of extinction, caused the infant Jesus, and Israel in its national infancy (compare [Ge 42:1-43:34]; 45:18; 46:3, 4; [Eze 16:4-6]; [Jr 31:20]) to sojourn in Egypt. So He, and His spiritual Israel, are already called "God's sons" while yet in the Egypt of the world. [¶28] 2. As they called them--"they," namely, monitors sent by Me. "Called," in [Ho 11:1], suggests the idea of the many subsequent calls by the prophets. [¶29] went from them--turned away in contempt ([Jr 2:27]). [¶30] Baalim--images of Baal, set up in various places. [¶31] 3. taught ... to go--literally, "to use his feet." Compare a similar image, [De 1:31]; , 5, 15; 32:10, 11; [Ne 9:21]; [Is 63:9]; [Am 2:10]. God bore them as a parent does an infant, unable to supply itself, so that it has no anxiety about food, raiment, and its going forth. [Ac 13:18], which probably refers to this passage of Hosea; He took them by the arms, to guide them that they might not stray, and to hold them up that they might not stumble. [¶32] knew not that I healed them--that is, that My design was to restore them spiritually and temporally ([Ex 15:26]). [¶33] 4. cords of a man--parallel to "bands of love"; not such cords as oxen are led by, but humane methods, such as men employ when inducing others, as for instance, a father drawing his child, by leading-strings, teaching him to go ([Ho 11:1]). [¶34] I was ... as they that take off the yoke on their jaws ... I laid meat--as the humane husbandman occasionally loosens the straps under the jaws by which the yoke is bound on the neck of oxen and lays food before them to eat. An appropriate image of God's deliverance of Israel from the Egyptian yoke, and of His feeding them in the wilderness. [¶35] 5. He shall not return into ... Egypt--namely, to seek help against Assyria (compare [Ho 7:11]), as Israel lately had done ([2Ki 17:4]), after having revolted from Assyria, to whom they had been tributary from the times of Menahem ([2Ki 15:19]). In a figurative sense, "he shall return to Egypt" ([Ho 9:3]), that is, to Egypt-like bondage; also many Jewish fugitives were literally to return to Egypt, when the Holy Land was to be in Assyrian and Chaldean hands. [¶36] Assyrian shall be his king--instead of having kings of their own, and Egypt as their auxiliary. [¶37] because they refused to return--just retribution. They would not return (spiritually) to God, therefore they shall not return (corporally) to Egypt, the object of their desire. [¶38] 6. abide--or, "fall upon" [Calvin]. [¶39] branches--that is, his villages, which are the branches or dependencies of the cities [Calvin]. Grotius translates, "his bars" (so [La 2:9]), that is, the warriors who were the bulwarks of the state. Compare [Ho 4:18], "rulers" (Margin), "shields" ([Psa 47:9]). [¶40] because of their own counsels--in worshipping idols, and relying on Egypt (compare [Ho 10:6]). [¶41] 7. bent to backsliding--Not only do they backslide, and that too from Me, their "chief good," but they are bent upon it. Though they (the prophets) called them (the Israelites) to the Most High (from their idols), "none would exalt (that is, extol or honor) Him." To exalt God, they must cease to be "bent on backsliding," and must lift themselves upwards. [¶42] 8. as Admah ... Zeboim--among the cities, including Sodom and Gomorrah, irretrievably overthrown ([De 29:23]). [¶43] heart is turned within me--with the deepest compassion, so as not to execute My threat ([La 1:20]; compare [Ge 43:30]; [1Ki 3:26]). So the phrase is used of a new turn given to the feeling ([Psa 105:25]). [¶44] repentings--God speaks according to human modes of thought ([Nu 23:19]). God's seeming change is in accordance with His secret everlasting purpose of love to His people, to magnify His grace after their desperate rebellion.