Hosea 2

God chargeth the faithfull remnant in Israel, to strive and contend with all the Rebellion company of their fellow – brethren, and set the judgement of God before their eyes, by reason of their abominable Idolatrie and unthankfulness. Ver.1. &c. after that, he promiseth to restore his church, and abundantly to bless the same in time of the Messiah, 14, &c.

1. Contend [Or plead strive, debate] with your mother, [i.e. the people of Israel, the common wealth of the ten tribes, or the synagogue of Israel, so bel. Vers. 4. and chapter 4.5. Compar Isa. 1. 50. &c. The sense is ye the godly prophets and faithful Israelites, which yet remain among the people, be admonished seriously and sharply to reprove the excessive wickednesse of the people, setting before their eyes, my fierce wrath and heavy judgement at hand] because she is not my wife, and I am not her husband: [i.e. she is not true and faithful to me, she doth not acknowledge me her husband; therefore I will not own her neither anymore, without she repent, as followeth; otherwise I shall proceed with her, as is set down verse 2.] and let her put away her whoresdoms from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts, [i.e. all those outward marks and to kens of her whorish and adulterous heart, such as are your painting of the face, and setting out or adorning of the breast, whereby is signified their notorious , shamelesse and uncontrolled idolatry. Compare Jer.4. 30. Ezekiel 16:11,17,18. and 23. 40, etc. and Prov.7.16.]

2. Left I do strip her naked, [Or cause her to be striped, unrayed, despoiled of her garments, i.e. dispossesse and bereave her of all bodily and spiritual ornaments, wherewith I had so gloriously adorn’d her. See Ezek.16.10, 11, 12, 13,. And 23. 26.] and put her as in the day she was born: [i.e. when I first took them to be my people, in the land of Egypt, form under the grievous bondage they were in] yea, make them as desert, [i.e. far worse in condition then they were in Egypt,] and set [or place] them as dry land,[Heb. Land of drought, or thirstiness] and put them to death, through thirst; [viz. by my righteous judgements. Compare Ezekiel 16:4. etc. Amos 8:11, 13.]

3. And have no pity on their children:[i.e. on the people of Israel] because they are children of whoredom, [i.e. unregenerate, polluted, unholy, (compare Job. 8. 44.) as begotten illegitimate, and in an idolatrous wedlock, the mother being become an adultresse, and unfaithful to me, as followeth.]

4. For their mother playeth the whore, she that conceived them, dealeth shamefully: so she saith, I will go after my lovers, [i.e. idols, and consequently idolatrous nations with whom I thrive and prosper as folleth. See Deuteronomy 8:12, 19. Jeremiah 44:17.] that give me (my) bread and water, my wooll and my flax, mine oil and my drink. [Heb. My drinks, or, drinkings]

5. Therefore behold, I will fence way with thrones and I will make a close wall, [Heb. As if one should say, wall up walls] that they shall not finde their paths. [i.e. I shall so trouble and distresse them on all sides, that they shall begin to loath and be glad to leave their whoring, compare Job 3:23. and 10.8. Lam.3.7,9. also Ezek.16.41. and 23.22, 23, 24.]

6. And he shall run after her lovers, [Obstinately attempting to break through all the foresaid implediments] but not to meet them: and she shall seek, but not to finde them: she will say: I will go now and turn again to my former husband; [i.e. to the LORD] for then better with me than now.

7. Yet she confesseth not [Or knoweth acknowledgeth not, know nor acknowledge it; it is a willful ignorance of hers; or she takes it not to heart] that I gave her corn, and the wine and the oil, [i.e. all manner of blessings] and multiplied her silver and gold (which) they used for Baal. [or, whereof they made Baal, Heb. Done, made, prepared. God implying here, that they had shamefully abused the good gifts of God unto idolatry. Of Baal, see Jud. 2. on verse. 11, &c. Compare Ezekiel 7:20. and 16, 17, 18, 19 and below chap.8. 4. and 12.2.

8. Therefore I will return and take away my corn, [Compare Ezek 16. verse 17, 18, 19. with the annot.] in its time, and my new wine in its set time, [i.e. when I promised and used to give it: or in time of harvest and vintage when it is ripe, and you are ready to gather it] and I will pluck away my wooll and flax, [i.e. I will deprive them of it, as if the LORD should say, it is very ill bestowed on them, they are not worthy of it, therefore I will rescue it out of the hand of such abusers that possesse it wrongly it wrongfully] (serving) to cover their nakednesse.

9. And now will i discover er folly [or, basenesse, See Gen. 34. on verse.7. and Jer. 13. on verse 22. Ezek. 16. on verse 36,37.] before the yes of her lover: and none shall deliver them out of mine hand.

10. And i will cause to cease all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons and her sabbaths; yet all her set high-times. [Heb. feast, new moon, sabbath, set high-times, i.e. they shall have no outward form more left them of divine worship, as bel. chapter 3.4. and consequently, no joy nor comfort in the keeping of their feasts or festivals.]

11. And i will lay waste her vineyard and her fig – tree, whereof she saith; these are to me a harlots – wages, [i.e. the reward of my idolatry, compare bel.9.1. with the annotat.] which my lover [i.e. the idols, Baals, &c.]hhave given me: but shall set them for a wood, and the wilde beasts of the field shall devour them. [Psal. 80.13. Isaiah 5:5.]

12. And i will visit upon her dayes of Baal, [i.e. i will punish her for her maniford and so long continued idolatry] wherein she burnt incense to the same, [or to whom she burnt incense, i.e. used to burn incense; or for having burnt incense to him.] and adorned her self with her frontlets, [or ear- rings. See Gen. 24. on verse 22.] and her neck – lace, [or jewels, ornaments, precious neck-chains, etc. See Proverbs 25:12. Cent. 7.1. The meaning here is, that as whores do trim and adorn themselves before their lovers, so did Israel brave it in her idolatry. Compare above verse. 1.] and went after her lovers, but forgot me, speaketh the LORD.

13. Therefore,[viz. least she should utterly perish, and be undone for ever, which would happen, if i did not prevent it with my mercy, humbling her first by my judgements, and afterward , by the preaching of the holy Gospel, raising her up again, and by mine holy spirit, powerfully instructing and comforting her. compare Jer.16. 14. Mich. 2. 12,13, &c.] behold i will allure her [or perswade her; this hath regard to the acceptable preaching of then Gospel , and the perswading of the elect to faith and repantance: See of the Hebrew word, Judg.14. on verse 15. and Jer. 20. on verse 7. and compare Matthew 3:3,5,6,11, &c. and chapter 11.28. and Isaiah 50:4, &c.] and i will lead her into the wilderness; and i will speak to her according to her heart.[i.e. friendly, kindely, comfortable. See Gen. 34. on verse 3. The sence of this latter part of the verse, seemeth to be this; i will first punish, and afterwards comfort them again; wherefore also some read the text thus, when i shall have made her walk in the wildernesse: according as God also former times, according as God also in former times, first led them into the wildernesse, and afterwards into the land of Canaan.]

14. And i will give her vineyards [These are spiritual promises of the covenant of grace, grounded upon the onely Redeemer, Mediatour and Messia, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in whom through faith, of meer grace, we have peace with God, a quiet conscience, and a sure refuge, a saving protection, abundance of all spiritual gifts, together with an abiding comfort, and summarily, the assured grace of this life, and the eternal glory of that to come; this is the substance of the following verse of this chapter. Set forth under the notions of temporal promises, according to the stile of the Old Testament, appertaining to the universal Church of Jews and Gentiles. compare Isaiah 65:9. and bel. chapter 12.10.] from thence [viz. from that wildernesse having past it through, i.e. when her former afflictions shall be ended; as formerly also, they came not to the border of Canaan, until they were quite past through the wilderness etc] and the valley of Achor: [of this valley see Jos.7. 24, 26. It lay right before in the land of promise, by the city of Jericho; and this was a door of hope, or expectation, that, God having, by Joshua, brought his people thus far, he would doubtlesse go on to accomplish his promise, and bring them to full possession of Canaan; as also the faithfull in this valley of mirsery and tribulation here, have though the grace of Christ, a beginning of everlasting life in them, and a door of hope, yea a living hope, of the faithfull possession of everlasting glory to come. See Hebrews 6:18,19,20 etc and compare Isaiah 65:10.] and there she shall sing, as in the dayes of her youth, and as at the day of her marching forth of the land of Egypt.

15. And it shall come to pass in that day, speaketh the LORD, that thou shalt call me, my husband, and shall no more call me, my Baal. [As meaning my further to honor God through Baal. Compare Exod.3.4,5. and Judg 2. on vers.11. The word Baal indeed doth signifie Lord and master; but in regard they were wont to give that appellation to the appellation to the idols, after them manner of the heathen, therefore God abhors that title.] b

16. And i will put away the names of the Baals from her mouth: and they [viz. the Baals] shall no more be remembered by their names. [i.e. my church shall be cleaned from all pollution of idolatry and superstition.]

17. And i will in that day make covenant for them, [i.e. in their behalf] with the wilde beasts of the field, and with the fowl of heaven, and with the creeping creatures of the earth: and i will break the bow, and the sword, and the war; [i.e. all manner of arms and instruments of war and hostility. Compare Isaiah 11:9. Mich. 5. 10, etc.] and will cause them to lie down [i.e. take rest, and sleep. See Psalm.3 . on verse. 6.] in safety.

18. And i will betroth my self unto thee for ever: [Compare Eph.5.25., etc. where the Apostle sheweth forth the mystery of this spiritual marriage, so often recorded in the scriptures. See moreover the song of Salomon] yea, i will betroth my self unto thee in [or, with, through, and soon.] righteousness, and in judgement, and in kindness, and in compassions.[i.e, righteousness and mercy shall kindely meet and kiss each other in work of Grace; let the devout reader compare these termes with Psal.85. 10, to 15. Isaiah 1:27. and 45.8, 23, 24, etc.]

19. And i will betroth my self unto thee [Observe, that this gracious promise is repeated three times in this and the former verse, for our further comfort and assurance] in faith: [or, faithfullness] and shalt know the LORD.

20. And it shall come to pass in that day i shall hear, speaketh the LORD: i will hear the heaven: and the same shall hear the earth. [figurative expressions, whereby God would make it known, that all creatures would serve his church unto salvation, when he is reconciled and at peace with her Compare Rom.8. 20, 21,22,28.]

21. And the earth shall hear the corn, together with the new wine, and the oyl: and they shall hear Jezreel. [i.e. Gods people is so called, not onely for having lived and suffered there (as above chapter 1.5.) but especially in regard of this name Jezreel, signifying the sowed ones or the seed of God, which the next verse hints, i.e. the church of God, especially that of new Testament; See Romans 9:24, 25, etc.]

22. And i will sow me them on the earth [See Math. 13.1.1 Pet.1.23. and Psal. 22. on verse. 31, etc. Jeremiah 31:27.] and will have mercy upon Lo – ruchama [i.e. the un – pitted as above chapter 1, vers 6.] and i will say to Lo-ammi, [i.e. no people of mine. above chap 1.9] thou [Hebr Ammi atta that is, my people thou or, thou art my people] and the same [viz people] shall say, O my God:[Or (or thou art) my God. Compare Zach. 13.9.]