He is a merchant, &c. Rather, Canaan! in his hand are deceitful balances; he loveth to extort. The geographical term -Canaan" simply means -lowland", and therefore might be, and was, applied to Phœnicia (Isaiah 23:11) as well as to other lowland parts of Palestine; -Canaanite" too became a synonym for -merchant" (Job 41:6; Proverbs 31:24, comp. Zephaniah 1:11; Ezekiel 17:4), as -Chaldean" was a synonym for -astrologer." Hosea uses the word collectively and metaphorically: his -Canaan" is a degenerate Israel. The sarcasm derives its point from the low repute of the Phœnician merchants for honesty (comp. Odyss. xiv. 290, 291).

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising