Hosea 7

— a cake not turned.] All along the Black sea, from the Māotic lake to the Caspian sea, in Chaldea, and in Mesopotamia, except in towns, the people often make their bread about an inch thick: this they lay on a corner of the hearth, and cover it with hot embers and ashes: in a quarter of an hour they turn it. Bp. Pocock.

Hosea 7:2

2. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.] Israel shall feignedly cry unto me, and challenge favour from me; and say, My God, we make profession of thy name. Bp. Hall.

Hosea 7:3

3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good.] Either God Himself, who is simply and absolutely “good;” Matt. xix. 17: or such things as are pleasing to God, and therefore “good” as bringing men near to Him, such as his law, his worship, the performance of their duty to Him, and the observance of his ways and commandments. Dr. Pocock.

Hosea 7:4

4. They are all adulterers, &c.] They are as much inflamed with lust, “as an oven heated,” or over-heated, “by the baker, who (therefore) ceaseth from raising” or making any more fire, “after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.” Dr. Wells.

5. They have set up kings, but not by me: &c.] In the description of those things, which provoked God to inflict his judgments upon Israel, He declares their apostasy from Him, first in civil matters, then in matters of their religion. Dr. Pocock.

— princes, and I knew it not. That is, God did not own or approve of what they did. Dr. Pocock.

Hosea 7:5

5. In the day of our king &c.] On the king’s birthday, or his coronation-day, or some other solemn festival kept in his honour, the great men gave themselves to immoderate drinking, entering their king to do the same, till he so far forgot himself, as to give the hand of fellowship to vain persons. Dr. Pocock. Those, who in their cups made a jest of the true religion, and derided the denunciations of God’s Prophets, he distinguished with the most familiar marks of his royal favour. Bp. Horsley. Some recent and notorious act of contempt to God, or to his Prophets, or to publick justice, appears here to be alluded to. Abp. Newcome. 6. For they have made ready their heart like an oven, &c.] As an oven conceals the lighted fire all the night, while the baker takes his rest, and in the morning vomits forth its blazing flame; so all manner of concupiscence is brooding mischief in their hearts, while the ruling faculties of reason and conscience are lulled asleep, and their wicked designs wait only for a fair occasion to break forth. Bp. Horsley.

6. Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off.] The calf or idol, that the Israelites worshipped, is said to cast them off, inasmuch as it was of no avail to them. Dr. Pocock, Dr. Wells.

Hosea 7:6

6. For from Israel was it also.] This, their calf and calf-worship, is, as all other idols and idolatry, of mere human invention trained by the Israelites, according to the thoughts of their own hearts, and the device of their own heads; and not agreeable to the will and command of God. Dr. Pocock.

Hosea 7:7

7. They are all hot as an oven, &c.] “All,” that is, the whole body of the people. Of this general corruption the pernicious effects are such as concern, not only private persons, but the publick welfare, to the disturbance of all order and government, which must necessarily result from the destruction and untimely end of the “judges:” by which some understand the inferiour magistrates, others the kings, who are presently more particularly mentioned. Dr. Pocock. — all their kings are fallen: The prophecy looks forward to the fall of the six last kings in uninterrupted succession, Zachariah, Shallum, Menabem, Pekahiah, Pekah, Hoshea. Bp. Horsley. 8. Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; &c.] For Ephraim, he hath mixed himself with hea-

8. For they have sown the wind, &c.] And as for them, they shall even reap as they have sown; they have sown the wind, and they shall reap a whirlwind; they have trusted to vanity, and they shall receive loss and disappointment: a famine shall come upon them: the grain that they have sown, shall yield no stalk; or, if it have a stalk, yet that stalk shall yield no car; or if an ear, yet that ear shall yield no substance of meal; or, if

Hosea 7:9

9. Strangers have devoured his strength.] Such nations, as either violently assaulted or spoiled him, or such as he applied to for help: as the Assyrians, chap. v. 13; and in this chapter, ver. 11, the Egyptians, Assyrians, and others. These “devoured his strength,” his wealth, his riches, and treasure; the flower also of his men, and the fruits of his land. Dr. Pocock. Yet all these afflictions do not make him sensible of the disastrous state of his affairs, and that the hand of God is against him. W. Lowth. — gray hairs] The tokens of decay of natural strength, and of tendency to dissolution. Dr. Pocock.

Hosea 7:11

11. Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart:] That is, “without understanding:” see Jer. v. 21. As “a silly dove,” affrighted at her nest, flies to one place and to another for security, and there often falls into some net or snare, and meets with greater danger than she would have found at home; so Ephraim, being troubled with the great evils which he felt or feared at home, forsook God and his protection, and called on Egypt and Assyria for help, but instead of it met with greater injury. Dr. Pocock. 12. — I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.] As they have heard their punishments declared in the prophetic denunciations in the books of Moses, which were read in their synagogues every sabbath day. Bp. Horsley. 13. — though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.] Though I have redeemed them out of Egypt, (see Mic. vi. 4,) and afforded them many A reproof of manifold sins. Destruction is threatened Before CHRIST about 750. I Or, chastened. b Pr. 73. 9.

Hosea 7:14

14. And they have not cried unto me with their heart, &c.] Though they have made shew of some great repentance and humiliation, howling, and crying upon the beds of their distress, yet they have not with their hearts unfeignedly sought unto me. Bp. Hall. Even when they assembled themselves for fear of dearth and famine, to pray for plenty, for corn and wine, even then did they continue to rebel against God. Dr. Pocock.

Hosea 7:15

15. Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, &c.] Though I have bound up their wounds, and given them new strength and vigour, yet they are continually devising some new idolatrous invention, whereby they may dishonour me. W. Lowth. Or, as in the margin, “Though I have chastened,” &c. Whether I have inflicted punishment on them, or shewn them favour, they rejected me for their idols. Abp. Newcome.

Hosea 7:16

16. They return, but not to the most High.] A distinction is here made between a true and a false, or hypocritical conversion. It is not said that they returned not at all, that they made no shew of repentance; but that they returned not home to the Lord; which is what He requires of true converts: “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me,” Jer. iv. 1. This is well given notice of by our translators, in supplying the word “but,” which is not in the original, “They returned but not to the most High.” Dr. Pocock.

— they are like a deceitful bow.] Like an ill contrived bow, which never directs the arrow to the mark. W. Lowth. Their intentions, which are pretended to be directed to God, are indeed carried quite another way. Dr. Pocock.

— this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.] Their blasphemies, and other enormities, shall be a just cause of reproach to them, when they are exiles in Egypt, whither many of them fled, or were carried away captive. See chap. ix. 3. 6. Compare chap. viii. 13; and see the note on Erck. xxxvi. 20. W. Lowth.

Chap. VIII. ver. 1. Set the trumpet to thy mouth.] have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.