Hosea 12:7

He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. HE IS A MERCHANT - a play on the double sense of the Hebrew, "Canaan," i:e., a Canaanite and a "merchant" (, "Thy birth and thy nativity is ... of Canaan: thy father was an Amorite and thy mother an Hittite"). They who naturally were descendants of pious Jacob had become virtually Canaanites, who were proverbial as cheating merchants (cf. , margin, 'The Lord hath given a commandment concerning a merchantman:' Hebrew, 'Canaan.' To "keep mercy and judgment" (), they must be wholly changed from their present character. He calls Israel a Canaanite, the greatest reproach to Israel, who despised Canaan. The Phoenicians called themselves Canaa...

But while the Prophet exhorted the Israelites to repentance, he adds, that such was their perverseness, that it was done without any fruit._Canaan! _he says; I read this by itself; for what some consider to be understood is frigid, as, “He was assimilated to, or was like Canaan, in whose hand,” _etc_. . But, on the contrary, the Prophet here condemns the Israelites by one word; as though he said, that they were wholly aliens, and unworthy to be called the children of Abraham. And thus what we say is often abrupt, when we speak indignantly. The Prophet then calls them “Canaan” through indignation; which means this, “Ye are not the children of Abraham; ye falsely boast of his name, which cannot be suitable to you; for ye are Canaan.” He afterwards adds _In his hand is the balance of fraud, he loves to plunder, _or to spoil. Literally it is, he loves to spoil. But the sense is clear, that t...

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 12:7. HE IS _A MERCHANT_] Or a _Canaanite_; referring to the _Phoenicians_, famous for their traffic. Ephraim is as corrupt as those heathenish traffickers were. He kept, as many in all ages have done, a _weight_ and a _weight_; a _heavy_ one to _buy_ with and a _light_ one to _sell_ by....

HE IS A MERCHANT - Or, indignantly, “a merchant in whose hands are the balances of deceit!” How could they love “mercy and justice,” whose trade was “deceit,” who weighed out deceit with their goods? False in their dealings, in their weights and measures, and, by taking advantage of the necessities of others, oppressive also. Deceit is the sin of weakness oppression is the abuse of power. Wealth does not give the power to use naked violence but wealthy covetousness manifoldly grinds the poor. When for instance, wages are paid in necessaries priced exorbitantly, or when artisans are required to buy at a loss at their masters’ shops, what is it but the union of deceit and oppression? The trading world is full of oppression, scarcely veiled by deceit. “He loveth to oppress.” Deceit and oppression have, each, a devilish attractiveness to those practiced in them; deceit, as exercising clevern...

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....

[HE IS] A MERCHANT,.... Here is a change of person from "thou" to "he", from Judah to Ephraim, who is said to be a "merchant"; and if that was all, there is nothing worthy of dispraise in it; but he was a cheating merchant, a fraudulent dealer, as appears by what follows: or he is Canaan, or a Canaanite y; more like a descendant of Canaan, by his manners, than a descendant of Jacob. But the Canaanites dealing much in merchandise, their name became a common name for a merchant, as a Chaldean for an astrologer; and as the children of Israel possessed their land, so they followed the same business and employment of life; which, had they performed honestly, would not have been to their discredit; but they were too much like the Canaanites, of whom Philostratus z says, they were covetous and fraudulent; and this was Ephraim's character. The Targum is, "be you not as merchants;'' THE BALANCE...

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

HE IS. MERCHANT. Supply the _Ellipsis_ (App-6): [He, Ephraim, is]. merchant. This is the first of two provocations. See the Structure above; and Compare Hosea 12:14. THE BALANCES OF DECEIT. unjust balances. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 19:36). HE LOVETH TO OPPRESS. Money was obtained by oppression. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 6:2; Leviticus 19:13). App-92. OPPRESS. defraud....