Hosea 12:14

Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him. EPHRAIM PROVOKED HIM TO ANGER MOST BITTERLY - "Him," i:e., God. MOST BITTERLY - literally, with bitternesses - i:e., with most grievous provocations. THEREFORE SHALL HE LEAVE HIS BLOOD UPON HIM - not take away the guilt and penalty of the innocent blood shed By Ephraim in general, and to Moloch in particular. AND HIS REPROACH SHALL HIS LORD RETURN UNTO HIM - Ephraim's dishonour to God in worshipping idols, God will repay to him. That God is "His Lord" by right of redemption and special revelation to Ephraim only aggravates his guilt, instead of giving him hope of escape. God does not give up His claim to them as His, however they set aside His dominion. Remarks: (1) Ephraim, by following after the all...

The Prophet says first, that _Ephraim had provoked God by his high places _Some, however, take the word תמרורים, _tamerurim, _for bitternesses. Then it is, “Israel or Ephraim have provoked God to bitterness.” But since this word in other places as in the thirty-first of Jeremiah, is taken for high places and as it clearly appears that the Prophet here inveighs avowedly against Israel and their vicious worship, I doubt not but that he points out these high places in which the Israelites appointed their false and impious modes of worship. _Ephraim _then _have provoked him with their high places: _(88) Ephraim having in so many ways immersed themselves in their superstitions, provoked God in their high places. Then _his blood shall remain on him. _As the word נתש, _nuthesh, _signifies “to pour out,” and signifies also to “remain,” some render it,

7-14 Ephraim became a merchant: the word also signifies a Canaanite. They carried on trade upon Canaanitish principles, covetously and with fraud and deceit. Thus they became rich, and falsely supposed that Providence favoured them. But shameful sins shall have shameful punishments. Let them remember, not only what a mighty prince Jacob was with God, but what a servant he was to Laban. The benefits we have had from the word of God, make our sin and folly the worse, if we put any slight upon that word. We had better follow the hardest labour in poverty, than grow rich by sin. We may form a judgment of our own conduct, by comparing it with that of ancient believers in the like circumstances. Whoever despises the message of God, will perish. May we all hear his word with humble, obedient faith....

Verse Hosea 12:14. _THEREFORE SHALL HE LEAVE HIS BLOOD UPON HIM_] He will not remove his guilt. These are similar to our Lord's words, John 3:36; John 9:41: "He that believeth not on the Son of God, shall not see life, for the wrath of God ABIDETH ON HIM" - shall not be removed by any remission, as he rejects the only way in which he can be saved. _Because ye say, We see; therefore, YOUR SIN_ _REMAINETH_, i.e., it still stands charged against you. Your miseries and destruction are of your own procuring; your perdition is of yourselves. God is as _merciful_ as he is _just_....

EPHRAIM PROVOKED - the Lord most bitterly Literally, “with bitternesses,” i. e., with most heinous sins, such as are most grievously displeasing to God, and were a most bitter requital of all His goodness. “Wherefore He shall leave” (or, “cast”) “his blood” (literally, “bloods”) “upon him.” The plural “bloods” expresses the manifoldness of the bloodshed . It is not used in Holy Scripture of mere guilt. Ephraim had shed blood profusely, so that it ran like water in the land (see the notes above at Hosea 4:2; Hosea 5:2). He had sinned with a high hand against God, in destroying man made in the image of God. Amid that bloodshed, had been the blood not of the innocent only, but of those whom God sent to rebuke them for their idolatry, their rapine, their bloodshed. “Jezebel cut off the prophets of

EXPOSITION In Hosea 12:1 God continues his complaint against Ephraim, charging them specially with the pursuit of vain and futile courses to their great detriment. Instead of repairing to the true and everlasting source of safety and salvation, they had recourse to foreign alliances to support and strengthen their decaying state and sinking interests. And yet the only staying power was Jehovah. The controversy now embraces Judah also; and thus Jacob—both Israel and Judah—is threatened with such punishment as their doings deserved. The mention of their great ancestor Jacob naturally suggests a contrast; while his conduct is proposed to them for an example. They are accordingly invited to follow in his footsteps, imitate the piety and wisdom of his course, and so entertain good hope of similar success from the unchanging and unchangeable God of their pious ancestor....

EPHRAIM PROVOKED [HIM] TO ANGER MOST BITTERLY,.... The Vulgate Latin version supplies it, me; that is, God, as Kimchi; or his Lord, as it may be supplied from the last clause of the verse; the sense is the same either way: it was God that Ephraim or the ten tribes provoked to stir up his wrath and vengeance against them; notwithstanding all the favours that they and their ancestors had received from him, they provoked him in a most bitter manner, to bitter anger, vehement wrath and fury: or, "with bitternesses" n; with their sins, which are in their own nature bitter, displeasing to God; and in their effects bring bitterness and death on those that commit them; meaning particularly their idolatry, and all belonging to it; their idols, high places, altars, c. The word here used is rendered "high heaps" o, Jeremiah 31:21 and is here by Kimchi interpreted of altars, with which, and their sa

CHAPTER S 11:12-12:14 THE INDICTMENT _ 1. Ephraim's indictment (Hosea 11:12; Hosea 12:1) _ 2. Remembrance of the past (Hosea 12:3) 3. What Israel had become (Hosea 12:7) Chapter 11:12-12:2. Lying and deceit had been Ephraim's course towards Jehovah; instead of trusting Him and following Him faithfully they had attached themselves to idols, while Judah still outwardly cleaved to Jehovah, though it was in a rambling way. The word translated “ruleth” means rambling. The better rendering of the sentence is “and Judah is also rambling towards God (or unbridled against Him) and towards the faithful Holy One.” But while ou

HOSEA 11:12 TO HOSEA 12:14 (= Hebrews 12:1). EPHRAIM'S INFIDELITY TRACED FROM THE BEGINNING. This is one of the most difficult passages in Hosea. In the text Judah also is mentioned; but this may be due to a later hand. Hosea 12:4 f., Hosea 12:12 f. are probably additions. The chapter-division is wrong in EV and right in the Heb. Israel's sins of treason and deceit as it were surround Yahweh (nor has Judah been faithful). Ephraim loves (see note) wind, symbol of worthlessness and violence, heaps up falsehood and fraud, and faithlessly enters into covenant

EPHRAIRN. As represented by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:25; 1 Kings 13:5), and Hoshea (2 Kings 17:11). HE. God. BLOOD. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Effect), App-6, for blood-guiltiness. HIS REPROACH. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 28:37). LORD. Hebrew. _'Adonim._ App-4....