Hosea 9

Hosea 9:1

REjoyce not] Presuming that thine idolatry shall scape unpunished, or that God will cause it to prosper, as it happeneth to other profane people: for though all other people should escape, yet thou shalt be punished. See Ezekiel 20:32. Amos 3:2.

for joy] Or, with joy.

for thou hast gone a whoring] That which in other nations is but meere ignorance, in thee is meere apostafie and rebellion.

thou hast loved] Thou hast prostituted thy self to a loose idolatry, like to a common whore, that goeth a whoring up and down the threshing floores. Or he doth meane some particular kinde of idolatry, which was used in the time of harvest and threshing as if they would have acknowledged their encrease to come by their idols goodnesse, Hosea 2:5.

a reward] Jeremiah 44:17.

upon every corn-floore] Or, in, &c.

Hosea 9:2

The floore and the wine-presse] Or, wine-fat. These outward things that thou seekest, shall be taken from thee.

Hosea 9:3

shall return to Egypt] Chap. 8. 13.

eat unclean things] Ezk. 4. 13. Being not able by reason of their misery and slavery, to observe the distinction of meats, which was appointed by the law, or being also constrained to eat things consecrated to idols.

Hosea 9:4

offer wine-offerings] All their sacrifices and offerings being profaned by their impieties, are rejected by God: and they themselves in stead of being sanctified by them, are polluted thereby, as they should be by funerall and mourning feasts. Whereof see upon Deuteronomy 26:14.

for their soul] They offer sacrifices to me, onely to make their feasts thereof. Hosea 8:13. Zechariah 7:6. Let them therefore keep them as a common kinde of flesh, and not offer them to mee through hypocrisie, as if they were holy.

Hosea 9:5

do in the solemn day] When the Lord shall take away all occasions of serving him, which shall be the most grievous point of their captivitie, when you shall see your selves cut off from God.

Hosea 9:6

they are gone] He represents their flight and exile, as a thing that had happened already.

destruction] Heb. spoil Done by their enemies.

the pleasant places for their silver, nettles, &c.] Or, their silver shall be desired the nettle, &c. Heb. the desire.

nettles shall possesse them] Isaiah 32:13. & Isaiah 34:13. The inhabitants being driven out, or dead, all manner of wild plants shall grow up there.

Hosea 9:7

the prophet is a fool] Namely, the false prophets who feigned themselves to be inspired by God, and flatter the people, feeding them with vain hopes.

spirituall man] Heb. man of the spirit. Micah 2:11.

hatred] To wit. of God against you.

Hosea 9:8

The watchman of Ephraim] The faithfull prophets who are the Churches watchmen, Isaiah 21:11. & Isaiah 62:6. Ezekiel 3:17. are dead and gathered up into celestiall rest: the false ones which yet remain, are so farre from keeping it from ruine, that they drive and cast it down headlong into it Others say the false prophets watch the godly in Ephraim which yet sticke close to God, to insnare them. See 1 Kings 19:18.

hatred] The chief occasion of Gods wrath, and of the reprobation of Gods people who are as it were his family.

in the house of his God] Or, against. As Hosea 8:1.

Hosea 9:9

have deeply corrupted themselves] Heb. made deep corrupted. This people is so rooted in their wickednesse, that Gibeah, which was like Sodome, was never more corrupt, Judg. 19. 22. Or wholly corrupted, to the bottome, as Isaiah 31:6.

Gibeah] Judges 19:1. Hos. 10 9.

Hosea 9:10

I found Israel like grapes in the wildernesse] When I adopted Israel to be my peculiar people, I tooke great delight in them: even as a traveller in grapes in a dsert, or in some rare and early fruit. See Isaiah 28:4. Mic. 7. 1. but they were quickly stained with idolatry, in which you do yet continue to this time.

at her first time] When the figs first come.

they went to Baal-peor] To commit fornication by idolatry, Numbers 25:3.

separated themselves] From God to go after idols, Hosea 4:14.

unto that shame] Idols are so called by way of abomination. Jeremiah 3:24. & Jeremiah 11:13. and especially Baal-peor, whose shape and worship was most obscene.

abominations were according] Like unto the idol. Or according as their minds and lusts carried them: Sometime to one, sometime to another.

as they loved] Chap. 13. 2.

Hosea 9:11

their glory] Which consisted chiefly in their great number, wherewith God had blessed them, and raised them to be the chiefe of the ten tribes. See Genesis 48:19.

from the birth] By the sudden death of their children so soon as they shall be born, or so soon as they shall be formed in the wombe, or when they shall be conceived, or before, by the barrennesse of the mothers.

Hosea 9:12

I bereave them] By a violent death, Job 27:14.

Hosea 9:13

as I saw Tyrus] Though Ephraim was pleasantly planted, and well fortified, as that faire and magnificent citie Tyrus, Ezek. 26. & 27. & 28. yet his children shall be brought under the Assyrians, who will kill them or carry them forth to battel.

Hosea 9:14

miscarrying wombe] Heb. that casteth the fruit. The Prophet seeing the great plagues of God toward Ephraim, prayeth to God to make them barren, rather then that this great slaughter should come upon their children after they are grown to ripe yeares.

Hosea 9:15

is in Gilgal] Chap. 4. 15. & 12. 11. The chiefe of their destruction is that they commit idolatry, and corrupt my religion in Gilgal.

I will drive them out of mine house] I will no longer take them for my children.

Hosea 9:16

Ephraim is smitten] As by fire or thunder from God: whereby all power of recovering themselves shall be taken from them: and if they doe prosper in off-spring, I will curse them, and root them out.

the beloved] Heb. the desires.