Hosea 8:13

They sacrifice flesh [for] the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat [it],.... Or, "as to the sacrifices mine offerings" or "gifts, they sacrifice flesh, and eat it" (o); these sacrifices, which,

They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.

They sacrifice; or, As for sacrifices, my gifts, so some, taking the words absolute and in apposition, read them, and perhaps they are plainer and closer connected with the former when so taken. I have written to them, and they count it a strange thing; and the sacrifices and gifts which they call mine, I tell you what I account them to be; as for sacrifices, which now they pretend to give me, it is flesh they sacrifice, and eat it when they have done, and I account no more of it: they sacrifice that they may feast and fill themselves with wine and mirth, and what is that to me? The Lord accepteth them not; neither owneth them as his, nor taketh any pleasure at all in them. These sacrifices shall never expiate their sins, nor reconcile me to them, saith God. I think here is a meiosis in these words, they may be a softer expression of hatred and detestation, which God bears towards such. Now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins; in his just and hot displeasure, he will reckon with them, and, by punishing them for all, make them know he remembers all their sins. Here remembering and visiting are the same, and include punishment. They shall return to Egypt; either alluding to their bondage in Egypt; so Assyria shall use them. Or else it is an upbraiding them for and minding them of their perfidiousness to Shalmaneser. They had been ever covenant-breakers with God and man; this last part of treachery God will punish. Or else, they shall return to Egypt, i.e. many shall to save their lives flee from the Assyrian into Egypt, and there seek their safety; and if they preserve their life there, the punishment of their sins shall follow them; exile, with misery as bad as captivity, shall be their lot there. So .

Hosea 8:13 They sacrifice flesh [for] the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat [it; but] the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.Ver. 13. They sacrifice flesh in the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it] q.d. They would seem not to have rejected the great things of my law, not to be such strangers thereunto; since they were much in sacrificing according to the law. But their hypocrisy is most hateful: in that first, they offer (with Cain) non personam, sed opus personae, as Luther saith; not themselves, but their bare sacrifices, Isaiah 66:3, which is but as a brainless head and soulless body; it is but flesh, as it is here called in contempt and scorn. See the like, Jeremiah 7:21 Hosea 9:4. And think the same of all external services, si careant anima sua, id est recta in Deum fide, et erecta in illum mente, if not performed in faith and obedience. Secondly, they pretended to serve God, when indeed they only served their own bellies, as those, Romans 16:18, sought their own ends, Philippians 2:21, catered for the flesh, Romans 13:14, insigne donum quo afficior (as Luther paraphraseth the text) carnem offertis quam vos ipsi voratis, i.e. A goodly gift it is that you give me, viz. the flesh of your peace offerings which yourselves may feast with; and you therefore multiply sacrifices, that you may gorge yourselves with good cheer. Now one egg is not more like to another than these old fleshmongers were to the Popish flesh flies at this day. It was an honest complaint of one of them: We, saith he, handle the Scripture, tantum utnos pascat et vestiat, only that it may feed us and clothe us. And it is evident to all the world that their masses, pilgrimages, festivals, vowed presents and memorials, &c., are only to pamper their paunches; which made them so angry with Erasmus and Luther for meddling. But the Lord accepteth them not] How should he, pray, when there was nothing but flesh, nothing but self in them. See the like, Jeremiah 4:10 Amos 5:22 Isaiah 1:10, where God telleth them that their sacrifices were grievous and offensive to all his several senses, nay, to his very soul too. "The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord," Proverbs 15:8, yea, though he bring it with never so good an intent, Proverbs 21:27; how much more if he bring ex rapina holocaustum, a sacrifice of what he hath got by rapine and robbery! and so the Chaldee carrieth the sense of the former words; the sacrifices of mine offerings, quae collecta sunt ex iniuria, saith he, which were gathered and gotten by wrong dealing: how then should the Lord accept them?

(13) They sacrifice flesh . . .—Should be, “They sacrifice the sacrifices of my gifts—flesh, and eat it.” Clear reference to the Mosaic institute. Ye shall go back to Egypt, says the prophet, and there learn again the bitter lessons of the past—either the positive return to Egypt or the disastrous hankering after Egyptian alliances.

Verse 13. They sacrifice flesh] Bp. Newcome translates thus: "They sacrifice gifts appointed unto me, and eat flesh." They offer to their idols the things which belong to Jehovah; or, while pretending to offer unto the Lord, they eat and drink idolatrously; and therefore the Lord will not accept them. They shall return to Egypt.] Many of them did return to Egypt after the conquest of Palestine by Shalmaneser, and many after the ruin of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; but they had in effect returned to Egypt by setting up the worship of the golden calves, which were in imitation of the Egyptian Apis.

13. They sacrifice, &c.] Rather, My sacrificial gifts they sacrifice; (yea,) flesh, and they eat it; i.e., their sacrifices are a mere form, Jehovah abhors them; the only positive result is that the sacrificer has the luxury of a dinner of flesh-meat. (Comp. a similar accusation against the priests, Hosea 4:8.) That sensual appetites were partly concerned in the offering of sacrifices even in times of national trouble may perhaps be inferred from Isaiah 22:13, the eating of animal food being only allowed, especially we may suppose in Jerusalem, in connexion with a sacrificial act; comp. Leviticus 17:3-6; Deuteronomy 13:15-16 (a mitigation of a primitive rule). [The word rendered ‘gifts’ is uncertain.] now] The climax of Israel’s iniquity has been reached; Jehovah will now prove in act that He has not forgotten their transgressions. they shall return to Egypt] Some think this is a kind of poetical expression for being carried into captivity—a most unnatural supposition. In Isaiah 7:18 we find a threat of a double invasion from Egypt and from Assyria, and why can we not imagine that a people who were ever vacillating between Egyptian and Assyrian alliances should be threatened with an Egyptian as well as an Assyrian captivity? Comp. the prophecies of restoration from Egypt in Isaiah 11:11; Micah 7:12. The word ‘return’ is pointed with the terrible associations of the ‘house of bondage’; comp. Deuteronomy 28:68. Hosea repeats the threat in Hosea 9:3; Hosea 9:6, Hosea 11:5.

They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of Mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth them not - As they rejected God’s law, so God rejected their “sacrifices,” which were not offered according to His law.

6. From Israel was it also [“is even this”] — What? Evidently the calf of Hos 8:5. In its establishment Jehovah had no part; it is the work of Israel; therefore the former has cast it off.