Hosea 9:10

like grapes in the wilderness With such delight as a traveller would unexpectedly find grapes in the desert, did Jehovah regard the children of Israel at the beginning of their national existence. Comp. Jeremiah 2:2, -I remember for thy good the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness." Jehovah condescends to overlook the frailties and inconsistencies of ancient Israel, and even idealizes its character. Comp. Hosea 2:15; Hosea 13:1.

as the firstripe in the fig tree So the better portion of the people of Judah are compared to -very good figs, even as the figs that are first ripe" (Jeremiah 24:2). The white fig of Palestine ripens much before the black, sometimes as early as April; the ordinary fig-harvest is not till the middle of August, but early ripe fruit might be found in June. Hence the fitness of Hosea's image (comp. Isaiah 28:4; Micah 7:1).

at her first time i.e., when it begins to be ripe.

they went to Baal-peor, &c. So early did they fall away; comp. Hosea 11:1-2. Baal-peor is here (as the form of the construction shows) put for Beth-peor (Deuteronomy 3:29, &c.), the place where Baal-peor was worshipped. The open falling-away to this heathen deity was one of the most startling episodes of the period of the wanderings (see Numbers 25). It is commonly held, but is really a pure conjecture, that the worship of Baal-peor was licentious. If this be correct, it will give a special significance to the last clause in the verse, which may however merely mean that the idols, being abominable to the true God, make their worshippers abominable, just as Shame may refer, not to the shameful rites of this Baal, but to God's abhorrence of idolatry. In 1 Kings 11:5 and elsewhere -an abomination" is a synonym for an idol, apart from the character of the worship.

separated[i.e. consecrated] themselves unto that shame Rather, unto Shame (Heb. bosheth). See above, and compare the substitution of boshethor beshethfor baalin proper names, e.g. Jerubbesheth (for Jerubbaal), Ishbosheth (for Eshbaal), Mephibosheth for Meribbaal (comp. Prof. Kirkpatrick on 2 Samuel 2:8Micah 6:10 into -city," and connects it with Micah 6:9. Following up these traces of what he conceives to be the original reading, Roorda restores, -And they that fear his name have heard wisdom. He hath declared who is he that stirreth up his rod."