The Prophet having spoken of the people’s restoration, and promised that God would some time receive into favour those whom he had before rejected, now exhorts the faithful mutually to stir up one another to receive this favour. He had previously mentioned a public proclamation; for it is not in the... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet seems in this verse to contradict himself; for he promised reconciliation, and now he speaks of a new repudiation. These things do not seem to agree well together that God should embrace, or be willing to embrace, again in his love those whom he had before rejected, — and that he should... [ Continue Reading ]
Though the Prophet in this verse severely threatens the Israelites, yet it appears from a full view of the whole passage, that he mitigates the sentence we have explained: for by declaring what sort of vengeance was suspended over them, except they timely repented, he shows that there was some hope... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord now comes close to each individual, after having spoken in general of the whole people: and thus we see that to be true which I have said, that it was far from the mind of the Prophet to suppose, that God here teaches the faithful who had already repented, that they ought to condemn their o... [ Continue Reading ]
He afterwards declares how the children became spurious; _their mother, who conceived _or _bare them, has been wanton; with shameful acts has she defiled herself _ בוש _bush, _means, to be ashamed; but here the Prophet means not that the Israelites were touched with shame, for such a meaning would b... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet here pursues the subject we touched upon yesterday; for he shows how necessary chastisement is, when people felicitate themselves in their vices. And God, when he sees that men confess not immediately their sins, defends as it were his own cause, as one pleading before a judge. In a word... [ Continue Reading ]
God now shows what takes place when he chastises hardened and rebellious people with heavy punishment. In the first clause he shows that perverseness will cleave so completely to their hearts, that they will not immediately return to a sound mind. _She will follow her lovers, he says, and seek them.... [ Continue Reading ]
God here amplifies the ingratitude of the people, that they understood not whence came such abundance of good things. _She understood not_, he says, _that I gave to her corn and wine_. The superstitious sin twice, or in two ways; — first, they ascribe to their idols what rightly belongs to God alone... [ Continue Reading ]
It now follows _Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in its time, and my new wine in its stated time. _Here, again, the Prophet shows that God was, by extreme necessity, constrained to take vengeance on an ungodly and irreclaimable people. He makes known how great was the hardness of the p... [ Continue Reading ]
He pursues the same subject; and the Prophet explains at large, and even divides what he had briefly said before, into many clauses or particulars. He says firsts _I will uncover her baseness_. How was this done? By God, when he took away the coverings by which the Israelites kept themselves hid: fo... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet now descends to particulars; and, in the first place, he says, that the people would be deprived of their sacrifices and feast-days, and of that whole external pomp, which was with them the guise of religion. He then adds, that they would be spoiled of their food, and all their abundance... [ Continue Reading ]
I now come to the second kind of nakedness: the Prophet says, _I will waste _or _destroy her vine and her fig-tree, of which she has said, Reward are these to me; that is, _These things are wages to me, _which my lovers have given to me: and I will make them a forest, and feed on them shall the beas... [ Continue Reading ]
He confirms what he taught last. We have said before, that this admonition is very necessary, that whenever God deals severely with men, he thus visits their sins, and inflicts a just punishment. For though men may consider themselves to be chastised by the Lord, they yet do not thoroughly search an... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Lord more clearly expresses, that after having long, and in various ways, afflicted the people, he would at length be propitious to them; and not only so, but that he would also make all their punishments to be conducive to their salvation, and to be medicines to heal their diseases. But th... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet now plainly declares, that God’s favour would be evident, not only by words, but also by the effects and by experience, when the people were bent to obedience. The Prophet said in the last verse, ‘I will speak to her heart;’ now he adds, ‘I will bring a sure and clear evidence of my favo... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet now expands his subject, and shows that when the people repented, the fruits of repentance would openly appear. One fruit he records, and that is, that they would then begin to worship God purely, all superstitions being abolished. _It shall be_, he says, _in that day that thou shalt cal... [ Continue Reading ]
In this verse the Prophet more clearly unfolds what he said before, that there would be a new mind in the people, so that they would worship God purely, though they were before entangled in their superstitions. The meaning then is, that religion will then return to its true state, for the names of B... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet shows here that the people would be in every way happy after their return to God’s favour: and, at the same time, he reminds us that the cause of all evils is, that men provoke God’s wrath. Hence, when God is angry, all things must necessarily be adverse to us; for as God has all creatur... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet here again makes known the manner in which God would receive into favor his people. As though the people had not violated the marriage vow, God promises to be to them like a bridegroom, who marries a virgin, young and pure. We have before spoken of the people’s defection; but as God had... [ Continue Reading ]
In the third place, he adds, _In faithfulness_: and this confirms what we have before briefly referred to, — the fixed and unchangeable duration of this marriage. The words, righteousness and judgment, are, I know, more refinedly explained by some. They say that righteousness is what is conferred on... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord promises again that he will not be wanting to the people, when they shall be reconciled to him. We must, indeed, in the first place, seek that God may be propitious to us; for they are very foolish who desire to live well and happily, and in the meantime care nothing for God’s favor. The Pr... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet used the word, _Jezreel_, before in a bad sense; for his purpose was to reproach the Israelites with their unfaithfulness: when they boasted of being the seed of Abraham, and always claimed that honorable and noble distinction, the Lord said, ‘Ye are Jezreel, and not Israel.’ It may be t... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet here takes the occasion to speak of the increase of the people. He had promised a fruitful and large increase of corn, and wine, and oil; but for what end would this be, except the land had numerous inhabitants? It was hence needful to make this addition. Besides, the Prophet had said be... [ Continue Reading ]