Hosea 4

Hosea 4:1

The prophet here in God’s name arranges a sinful nation. 1. He shows them the grounds of God’s controversy with them; a general prevalence of vice and professorship, ver. 1. 2. Ignorance and forgetfulness of God, ver. 6. 7. Worldly-mindedness in their proofs, ver. 8. Drunkenness and uncleanness, ver. 11. Using divination and witchcraft, ver. 12. Offering sacrifice in high places, ver. 13. Wheredness, ver. 14. 18. And be they among magistrates, ver. 18. 2. He shows them what would be the consequences of God’s controversy, God would punish them for these things, ver. 9. The whole land he laid washes, ver. 3. All sorts of people cut off, ver. 5. Their honour left, ver. 7. Their creature comforts rendered meditating, ver. 10. and themselves made ashamed, ver. 19. And, which is the first judgment of all, they should be let alone in their sins, ver. 17. they shall not reprove our another, ver. 4. God will not punish them, ver. 14. Now, he will let them prosper, ver. 15. 3. He grows warning to Judah not to tread in the steps of Israel, because they saw their steps went down to hell, ver. 15.

1. HEAR the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. 2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and a blood mustered blood. 3. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. 4. Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. 5. Therefore shall thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.

—5. Israel’s sins are the cause of all her miseries.

1. The prophet in God’s name fummens the people to attend the charge he is about to lay against them. Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. Sin was the high offence, the cause of all their miseries and ours; and in God’s own people it is more exceeding sinful.

2. Their indulgent charges them with many high crimes and misdemeanors, for one of a thousand of which they cannot answer him. There is no truth: hypocritical towards God, and futila towards men, their professions were deceit, and their promises falsehood: nor mercy; for where honesty is banished, charity cannot subsist. They paid no regard to the distresses of the indigent; and, wrapped up in themselves, with unfeeling disregard beheld the miseries of others. Nor knowledge of God in the land: they defied not to know him, their hearts were a verse from his teachings; and this willful ignorance was at once the cause and aggravation of their other sins. By swearing they increased their load of guilt, wantonly profane, and taking God’s name in vain: and lying; they added perjury to profaneness, and in their ordinary conversation copied closely after their father the Devil, who was a liar from the beginning, and by a complication of all the most enormous crimes filled up the measure of their iniquities, by killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, with lawless violence, unrefrained by the laws of God or man, as a torrent, that sweeps away every mound and deluges the country. And blood pushed away, to vast is the effusion of it, occasioned by the frequency of murders; or the dreadful massacre of the successive kings, each grabbing at the crown over the corpse of his predecessor, 2 Kings xv. 8—30.

3. An awful sentence is passed upon them: for such sins, whereever they are found, are sure to meet a just recompense of reward. Therefore shall the land mourn, laid washes and desolate with famine and the sword; and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven, pining for want, or consumed with war and pestilence; yea the fishes of the sea shall be taken away, that no food may remain to satisfy their hunger. Note, God can quickly consume a sinful land: he hath only to withdraw his mercies, and we perish immediately.

4. Their case is desperate. Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: either these are the words of the incorrigible people, silencing their reprovers; or of God to the prophet, enjoining him and other good men to defile from their labours, and abandon them to ruin: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest; they are so impudent in sin, that they would fly in the face even of the priests of God who admonished them; or all were become so bad, that, if a priest dared reprove them, they returned on him, Physician had thrilled. Therefore shall thou fall in the day, the day of vengeance approaching; or to-day, immediately the wrath shall go forth; and the prophet also, the false prophets who deceived them with lying divinations, shall fall in the night of deep adversity, which approaches; and I will destroy

the mother, either Samaria the metropolis, or the nation in general; for both are doomed to utter ruin. Now, (1.) They who are deaf to rebuke are on the precipice of ruin. (2.) We are bound not to suffer sin upon our brethren, without friendly admonition; but when we perceive them exasperated, instead of humbled, silence becomes duty. (3.) When sinners thrive with their faithful ministers, and refuse to hear, their blood is on their own heads. (4.) They who have contributed to seduce others shall meet the heaviest vengeance in the day of recompense.

6. ¶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. 7. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. 8. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. 9. And there shall be * like people, like priests: and I will punish them for their ways, and § reward them their doings. 10. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD. 11. Whoredom, and * wine, and new wine take away the heart.

Hosea 4:6-11

The sin and punishment of the ungodly priests correspond with each other.

1. They rejected the knowledge of God, and suffered the people to perish for lack of it. And though this will be no excuse for the people, who choke darkness rather than light, yet will even blood be required at the negligent watchman’s hands. I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me, cut off him from the office and benefit of the priesthood. Now, (1.) Ignorance in a priest is doubly scandalous, and wilful ignorance the in its consciously criminal, as thereby not only their own souls but the souls of others are destroyed. (2.) Ignorance in the people is far from being the mother of devotion, that it is the forerunner of destruction. (3.) Though, in such careless days as ours, men unqualified by ignorance, and scandalous by immoralities, are too often permitted to call themselves ministers of God, he will with abhorrence reject their pretensions, and in the great day drive them from his throne with a Depart, accepted, I never knew you.

2. They forget the law of God, v. 6. took no pains to remember it themselves or inculcate it upon others; therefore God threatens, I also will forget thy children, the children of the priest, who should be degraded, and not succeed their fathers in the priesthood; or the people, whom they should have expected and taught as their spiritual fathers; but because they had neglected them God will disown them. Wicked parents thus bring a curse upon their own offspring.

3. The abuse of their blessings shall prove their bane. As they were increased in numbers, wealth, and power, if they should against me with more daring profanency and infirmity, the greatest, therefore will I change their glory into shame, when, led them a wretched captivity, they should be charged of all their possessions and honours, and mingle with the ignominious herd.

4. They were luxurious. They eat up the sin of my people, feasting on the sin-offerings; and, whilst they were careless about unfruiting the people concerning the nature and design of the sacrifices, they fattened themselves upon the chancel part of them; they set their heart on their iniquity, which given up to the indulgence of their appetites; or lifted up their soul thereunto, well pleased the people should continue to sin, because this would multiply the sacrifices, and provide food for their gluttony. And there shall be like people, like priests, equally ignorant, interperate, and profane; for when priceless they lack ill examples, no marvel a general profligacy of manners enlives. And I will punish them for their ways: they who were companions in sin shall suffer together; and reward them their doings, pouring out that vengeance upon them which they have provoked: for they shall eat, and not have enough; either their infallible appetites should ever be craving, and find no satisfaction; or during the famine, or in captivity, they should know the pinchings of hungry, and pine away for very want of luffmanship.

5. They committed whoredom, and thought to have a numerous idiot by these unlawful means; but they shall not increase; God will disappoint their desires, or slay their children: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord; apostate from his service, and upon violators of his law. Now, (1.) When God is disregarded, men flick at no abominations. (2.) God’s curse will bliss all unlawful ways of increase.

6. They had given their hearts to wine and women. Whoredom and wine, and new wine, take away the heart, utterly effrange it from God; or such sins supply the conscience, and rob men of their reason, so that they act as if infatuated. Thus doth the curse ever follow the sin, clole as the shadow doth the body.

VOL. II.

12. ¶ My people asth counsel at their flocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for * the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. 13. * They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills under oaks and poplars, and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery. 14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harbors: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall. 15. ¶ Though thou Israel play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend, and come not ye * unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-arent, * nor swear, The LORD liveth. 16. For Israel * fildeth back, as a backfinding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place. 17. Ephraim is joined to idols: * let him alone. 18. Their drink is four: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye. 19. The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and * they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

Hosea 4:12-19

The prophet goes on to charge upon the people of Israel those atrocious crimes which cited for vengeance.

1. Their sins were,

[1.] Idolatry. The spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err: their hearts were violently bent upon their idols, with such raging desires as the head seek the embraces of an haulut; and so astonishingly belotted, that they leave the living God, who would have been their husband, father, friend, almighty to help, all-wise to direct them, to all counsel at their flocks; as if the log they had squared and plained could reach them: and their staff declareth unto them, either some little image engraved on them, to which they paid their devotions; or they used the divinations of the heathen, for Exalt. xxi. 11. and by the falling of their staff took directions for their conduct. To their fountains idols they offered their sacrifices and incense, on the tops of mountains, under oaks and poplars, and elms, except the shadows thereof to grant copying the manners of their heathen neighbours, and chasing the same places for the scene of their impure rites and ceremonies.

[2.] Adultery. They are separated with whores, and sacrifice with harlots, the worship of their gods being celebrated with such abominations; and this continually, v. 18. these crimes were their habitual practice.

[3.] Bribery, and perversion of justice. Her rulers with shame do love, Give ye. Nothing could be obtained of them without a fee, who should have administered justice freely; and gain, not right, swayed their decisions.

[4.] They obstinately perished in their wicked ways, v. 16. Israel fildeth back, as a backfinding heifer, or refractory, that no fence can keep in; or that will not suffer the yoke, and, when graded to draw, goes backward. So had they been, refusing to be refrained by God’s law, or kicking against the pricks of the prophetic warnings and afflictive providences; and so wedded were they to their idols, v. 17. Son these, which, wherever they are found, will assuredly, as here, provoke God’s wrath and indignation against the guilty foal: for the people that doth not understand the danger and evil of their ways shall fall, v. 14. and perish in their iniquities.

2. God threatens them with a variety of evils, as the righteous punishment of their transgressions.

[1.] Your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery, led by the bad examples of their husbands and fathers; and permitted with impunity to do so, v. 14. as a punishment for the like crimes, which they had committed.

[2.] They shall be given as sheep to the slaughter. The Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place, and their prosperity shall hafften their perdition; or as one lamb, separated from the flock and in a depart, falls a prey to the devouring wolves, so should they be given up to the hand of the Afyrians, and dispersed in their vast empire.

[3.] God will abandon them to their own hearts, v. 17. and a heavier curse cannot fall upon the sinner, than when God withdraws all his grace, and faith, Let him alone; let my Spirit no more thrive, nor ministers rebuke, nor conscience check, nor providences refrain, nor mercies affect him: then his doom is fixed.

[4.] God will make their sins their punishment, as the drunkard often proves. Their drink is four, their shamach’s overcharged, and sickness like death feizing them, till every table is filled with vomit.

[5.] They shall be hurried away captives. The wind hath bound her up in her wings: the Afyrians, like a whirlwind, shall carry all before them; and then, too late, they shall be ashamed of their sacrifices, when their folly, in trusting to idols and departing from God, will be made manifest.

4 B 3. Judah John Clark etc. 3. Judah is admonished to take warning by Israel’s sin. The that Israel king the harass, yet he not Judah offend. Some interterpreters suppose this is rather a caution to Israel, among all their other sin, not to draw their brethren of the house of Judah to offend with them, which would aggravate their guilt. I rather incline to suppose it addressed to Judah, who might be tempted to join with the house of Israel in idolatry, which would be more criminal in them, who had the temple in the mild of them, and had not yet opostatised from God; and therefore they are forbidden to meet the Israelites in their places of idolatrous worship, Come not ye unto Gilded, the chief force of their wickedness, for chap. ix. 15. xii. 11. neither go ye up to Bethavow: once the name was Bethel, the house of God; but, force the golden calf hath been erected there, it is Bethavow, a house of iniquity, and to be thunned as the plague: nor fower, The Lord heath; profanely, or falsely, or thoughtlessly taking this awful name into their lips. Note, (1.) The more advantages we enjoy to know God, and the more obligations we are under to cleave to him, the more will every departure from him bring aggravated guilt. (2.) They who would abstain from his mild than the company of evil men, and never venture into the places of temptation: when we are out of the path of duty we may not expect protection. (3.) They who show no sacred reverence for God’s name, evidently declare the profanances and impiety of their hearts.