Hosea 5 - Introduction
V. The prophet now addresses himself more definitely to the priests and royal house of Israel, at the commencement of the reign of Pekah.... [ Continue Reading ]
V. The prophet now addresses himself more definitely to the priests and royal house of Israel, at the commencement of the reign of Pekah.... [ Continue Reading ]
HOUSE OF THE KING refers to his following on both sides of the Jordan — Mizpah on the east side, in Gilead, and Tabor on the west. They are singled out as being military strongholds, where the princes of the royal house, with the apostate priests, exercised their deadly hold upon the people, waylayi... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE PROFOUND TO MAKE SLAUGHTER. — Ewald, followed recently by Nowack, is right in interpreting the Heb. text as meaning, “The apostates have gone deep in iniquity.” In the last clause the Authorised version is again incorrect. Render, _But I_ (_i.e.,_ Jehovah) _am chastisement to them all._ The dece... [ Continue Reading ]
The margin, “Their deeds will not suffer (them),” requires the introduction of the word “them,” not in the Hebrew. It is favoured by the Jewish commentators, Schmoller, and others, but it is better to render, with the Authorised version, _They frame not their doings,_ &c. The knowledge of the only t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRIDE OF ISRAEL may be either the true object of pride and boasting, viz., Jehovah Himself (comp. Amos 8:7), or the false object of pride to which they had yielded. The latter interpretation is to be preferred, and is supported by Amos 6:8. Arrogance led Ephraim, on numerous occasions in earlier... [ Continue Reading ]
The vain effort to repent when it is too late. The spirit with which sacrifices of flocks and herds were offered is of more consequence than the multitude of such oblations (Micah 3:4; Isaiah 1:11; Psalms 40:6). Ghastly and revolting results follow the substitution of ritual of any kind for the weig... [ Continue Reading ]
STRANGE CHILDREN refers to offspring that followed in the ways of their mother. (Comp. Hosea 1) Some reference is involved to the consequences of intermarriage with heathen. The “month” may be a personification of the period of a month (Henderson), during which takes place the now closely impending... [ Continue Reading ]
CORNET... TRUMPET. — The two kinds of trumpet mentioned here are the _cornet,_ made like the bent horn of an animal, and the _long, straight metallic trumpet,_ used for sounding an alarm and convoking the congregation (Numbers 10:2). Gibeah and Ramah were lofty hills on the northern boundary of Benj... [ Continue Reading ]
The princes of Judah, such as Ahaz, whose pusillanimity brought untold evil on both Israel and Judah (2 Kings 16:10). LIKE THEM THAT REMOVE THE BOUND (landmark). — A practice prohibited in Deuteronomy 19:14, and included in the curses of Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:17), an indication that this very... [ Continue Reading ]
BROKEN IN JUDGMENT. — The Authorised version is probably right in this rendering, the phrase having reference to rights pertaining to individuals. Interpreters differ as to the rare word _tsav,_ translated “commandment.” It only occurs in one other place (Isaiah 28:10; Isaiah 28:13). Ewald regards i... [ Continue Reading ]
ROTTENNESS. — The Authorised version is right in this rendering (the disease _caries_) rather than _worm_ (margin). Both images express concealed causes of irreparable destruction which come suddenly to view when _it is too late. _... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE ASSYRIAN. — Their adversity leads Ephraim to seek protection from their formidable foe instead of turning to the Lord. (On “Jareb,” see _Excursus._) EXCURSUS A: ON JAREB (HOSEA 5:13). Schrader, in his “Cuneiform Inscriptions and the Old Testament,” has the following note: — “King Combat, or... [ Continue Reading ]
AS A LION. — First the trans-Jordanic tribes, then additional provinces, and lastly the whole population, were carried away as in the teeth of a beast of prey. (Comp. Amos 3:6.) Assyria is here referred to as represented by Tiglath-pileser. We might also quote from the inscription of Sargon in fulfi... [ Continue Reading ]
Tenderness blends with judgment, and insulted love bleeds and hopes. The image of the lion is dropped. Jehovah speaks of “His own place” — Heaven. He will cause all manifestations of His regard for them to cease till “they suffer punishment, and seek my face,” and, like the prodigal in the flush of... [ Continue Reading ]