Hosea 6:8

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood. GILEAD IS A CITY - probably Ramoth-gilead, metropolis of the hilly region beyond Jordan, south of the Jabbok, known as "Gilead" (: cf. "Mount Gilead," ). OF THEM THAT WORK INIQUITY - ( "Is there iniquity in Gilead?") AND IS POLLUTED WITH BLOOD - `marked with blood-traces' (Maurer). Referring to Gilead's complicity in the regicidal conspiracy of Pekah against Pekahiah (). See the note at . Many homicides were there, for there were beyond Jordan more cit...

I shall first speak of the subject, and then something shall be added in its place of the words. The Prophet here notices, no doubt, something special against Gilead, which through the imperfection of history is now to us obscure. But in the first place, we must remember, that Gilead was one of the cities of refuge; and the Levites possessed these cities, which were destined for fugitives. If any one killed a man by chance, that the relatives might not take revenge, the Lord provided that he should flee to one of these cities appointed for his safety. He was there safe among the Levites: and the Levites received him under their protection, the matter being previously tried; for a legal hearing of the cause must have preceded as to whether he who had killed a man was innocent. We must then first remember that this city was occupied by the Levites and the priests; and they ought to have be...

4-11 Sometimes Israel and Judah seemed disposed to repent under their sufferings, but their goodness vanished like the empty morning cloud, and the early dew, and they were as vile as ever. Therefore the Lord sent awful messages by the prophets. The word of God will be the death either of the sin or of the sinner. God desired mercy rather than sacrifice, and that knowledge of him which produces holy fear and love. This exposes the folly of those who trust in outward observances, to make up for their want of love to God and man. As Adam broke the covenant of God in paradise, so Israel had broken his national covenant, notwithstanding all the favours they received. Judah also was ripe for Divine judgments. May the Lord put his fear into our hearts, and set up his kingdom within us, and never leave us to ourselves, nor suffer us to be overcome by temptation....

Verse Hosea 6:8. _GILEAD_ IS _A CITY OF THEM THAT WORK INIQUITY_] In this place Jacob and Laban made their covenant, and set up a _heap of_ _stones_, which was called _Galeed_, the _heap of testimony_; and most probably idolatry was set up here. Perhaps the very _heap_ became the object of superstitious adoration....

GILEAD IS A CITY OF THEM THAT WORK INIQUITY - If we regard “Gilead,” (as it elsewhere is,) as the country beyond Jordan, where the two tribes and a half dwelt, this will mean that the whole land was banded in one, as one city of evil-doers. It had an unity, but of evil. As the whole world has been pictured as divided between “the city of God” and the city of the devil, consisting respectively of the children of God and the children of the devil; so the whole of Gilead may be represented as one city, whose inhabitants had one occupation in common, to work evil. Some think that there was a city so called, although not mentioned elsewhere in Holy Scripture, near that Mount Gilead, dear to the memory of Israel, because God there protected their forefather Jacob. Some think that it was Ramoth in Gilead , which God appointed as “a city of refuge,” and which, consequently, became a city of Levi...

EXPOSITION HOSEA 6:1 These three verses have, by the division into chapters, been violently and improperly torn from the preceding chapter, to which they naturally belong. Their connection with the foregoing sentiments is indicated by the ancient versions—Chaldee and Septuagint, the LXX; for example, inserting λέγοντες, as if the reading had been לֵאסֹר: This (1) represents the Israelites exhorting one another in that good time which the prophet encourages them to expect. But (2) it may be regarded as the prophet's own exhortation to the exiles; their affliction urging them to seek the Lord, and their encouragement consisting in the knowledge of his ability and willingness to heal the wounds which his own hand had inflicted....

GILEAD [IS] A CITY OF THEM THAT WORK INIQUITY,.... The chief city in the land of Gilead, which lay beyond Jordan, inhabited by Gad and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh; and so belonged to the ten tribes, whose sins are here particularly observed. It had its name from the country, or the country from that, or both from the mountain of the same name. It is thought to be Ramothgilead, a city of refuge, and put for all the cities of refuge in those parts, which were inhabited by priests and Levites; and who ought to have had knowledge of the laws, and instructed the people in them, and observed them themselves, and set a good example to others; but, instead of this, the whole course of their lives, was vicious; they made a trade of sinning, did nothing else but work iniquity; and this was general among them, the city or cities of them consisted of none else; and all manner of iniquity...

CHAPTER 6:4-11 Divine Mourning over Ephraim and Judah _ 1. What shall I do to thee? (Hosea 6:4) _ 2. Their transgression (Hosea 6:7) Hosea 6:4. The Lord grieves and mourns over the condition of the people whom He loves. After the brief glimpse given of their great future of glory we are brought back into the days of Moses. The Lord grieves and mourns over His people whom He loves, who today are still beloved for the Father's sake Romans 9:1. But while He loved them, their love was like the morning cloud, like the dew, vanishing soon away. The morning cloud looks beautiful, gilded by the rays of the rising sun, but it quickly di

HOSEA 6:4 TO HOSEA 7:2. ISRAEL'S MORAL CONDITION HOPELESSLY CORRUPT. The shallow expressions of loyalty by the fickle people mean nothing, and cannot avert Yahweh's inevitable judgment. He looks for real loyalty, not for a hollow ritual of sacrifices (Hosea 6:4). Examples of the anarchy and crime that prevail, involving even the priests in the charge of murder and immorality, are given, demonstrating Israel's utter corruption, Judah also (Hosea 6:11_ a_, if this is not a gloss) being involved (Hosea 6:7_ a)._ Every attempt to heal the disease only reveals how deep-seated and

INIQUITY. Hebrew. _'aven =_ vanity (App-44.) Referring here, to the sin of idolatry. Compare "Beth-aven", Hosea 4:15. POLLUTED WITH. tracked with heel-marks of....