Hosea 9

Hosea 9:1

Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.

Thou hast no reason, O Israel, to rejoice, as other people; because thou hast provoked thy God, by thine abominable idolatries: thou hast loved to give an oblation to thy gods, in every cornfloor, of that wheat, the plenty whereof thou hast ascribed to the bounty of thine idols.

Hosea 9:2

The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

And now, because they have thus abused these blessings of God, it shall be just with God, to withdraw them: I will send famine and enemies upon them; so as their corn and wine shall fail them, neither shall they reap their expected comfort therefrom.

Hosea 9:3

They shall not dwell in the LORD’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

They shall not dwell in this land of Israel, which God hath chosen; but Ephraim shall return to a miserable captivity in Egypt, and shall be forced to eat unclean and forbidden meats, in the land of Assyria, whither they shall be carried. VOL. IV. C

Hosea 9:4

Their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.

Their sacrifices shall be utterly unpleasing unto him; even like such, as are offered by the sad heart and hand of a professed mourner; which cannot but displease that God, who requires cheerfulness in those that approach to his altar: all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for God hath ordained that their feasts for the dead, being ever attended with sorrow, shall not be used in the house of the Lord.

Hosea 9:5

What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?

What will ye do, O ye Israelites, when ye are once driven into your captivity? what will ye do in the solemn feast-days, which God hath appointed to be cheerfully celebrated?

Hosea 9:6

For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

For, lo, they shall be cast out of the holy land, and lie open to destruction: Egypt shall take them up, and make them sure enough for returning; Memphis shall be their burial place: those pleasant closets and cabinets, wherein they had wont to hide their treasures and jewels, shall be overgrown with nettles: their neat tabernacles shall be covered with thorns and briars.

Hosea 9:7

The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

Ye shall know, O Israelites, that those your false prophets, which have said, Peace, peace, are but fools; and those your spiritual guides, that have misled you, no better than mad men; whom yet God hath justly sent amongst you, as a punishment of your iniquity, and of your hating to be reformed.

Hosea 9:8

The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.

Ye falsely imagined, that these prophets of Ephraim were sent of God, and had familiar acquaintance with him: but ye shall find your prophets to be but as a snare of the fowler, laid in your ways to entrap you; and such, as have procured the hatred of your God against you.

Hosea 9:9

They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah.

They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah of Benjamin, when the shameful outrages of the wicked inhabitants were abated by the strength of their tribe.

Hosea 9:11

As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

As for Ephraim, their glory, which is in their strength and number, shall fly away like a bird; since their children shall be slain, even from their very birth, yea, even from their conception, by their cruel enemies.

Hosea 9:12

Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

And though they do live to be brought up to man’s estate, yet will I then so bereave them, that there shall not be a man left amongst them: yea, they cannot but expect and feel all manner of miseries, when I remove my presence and protection from them.

Hosea 9:13

Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.

Ephraim, or Israel, is like unto Tyrus, and next in glory thereunto: it finds itself planted in a rich, and goodly, and no less fortified place, and is thereupon puffed up with a foolish self-confidence: but Ephraim shall find himself deceived: his hopes shall fail him; his children shall fall under the hand of a murdering enemy.

Hosea 9:14

Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

Give them, O Lord: what shall I intreat thee to give them? even that, which they would think to be a judgment, miscarrying wombs and dry breasts; that they may never bring forth or nourish up children, to idolatry or slaughter.

Hosea 9:15

All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

Their old wickedness cleaves unto them still; even that, which they bewrayed in their ancient incircumcision, and in c 2 their humorous desire of the change of their government and challenge of a king: even there, I began to take displeasure against them for their wickedness; which still so continues, that I am resolved to drive them out of that good land of mine: I will love them no more; for all their princes are revolters, both from their rightful king, and from my true religion.