Hosea 9

The captivity of the ten tribes is foretold as a judgment for their manifold sins.

Hosea 9:1

JtCEJOICEnot, O Israel, for joy, like other people. The joy here mentioned may properly mean those rejoicings which were commonly made among all people at the end of harvest, when the gentiles offered sacrifices of thanksgiving for the plenty they enjoyed. The prophet tells the Israelites they had more highly offended by their apostacy, than the gentiles did by their ignorance. (Compare Ezek.xvi. 47, 48.) - For thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward from every corn-floor.] Thou hast broken the covenant God made with.thee, by serving other gods, (sec iv. 12. v. 4. 7.) and hast offered the firstfruits, or tithes of thy increase, to idols, as an acknowledgment that the plenty thou enjoyest was their gift. (See ii. 12. Jer. xliv. 17.)

Hosea 9:2

The floor and the wine-press shall not feed them, &c. I will take away their plenty of corn and wine, as a just punishment of their ingratitude. (See ii. 9. 12.)

Hosea 9:3

They shall not dwell in the LoroVs land: but Ephraim shall return to Egypt. God will turn them out of that inheritance he gave to their fathers, and they shall be carried into captivity and bondage a second time into Egypt. (See viii. 13.) And they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.] Their circumstances in captivity will not permit them to observe the rnles of that law relating to unclean meats, and they will be forced to partake of such meats as have been offered to idols. (Compare Ezek. iv. 13. Dan. i. 8.) The ten tribes were carried captive into the dominions of Assyria, 2 Kings xvii. 6. (Compare xi. 11. of this prophecy.)

Hosea 9:4

They shall not offer wine-offerings to the Lord, &c. A more particular explanation of that threatening denounced, iii. 4. that they should be without a sacrifice: they should have no opportunity in their captivity to offer meat-offerings, or drink-offerings to God, as they did upon the high-places, or in their idolatrous temples; (see Amos iv. 4, 5.) and sometimes, perhaps, in the temple at Jerusalem. (See ver. 15.) They themselves shall be in the condition of mourners for the dead, and by that means bo unqualified to offer any thing to God; nor will their offerings be acceptable. (See Dcut. xxvi. 14.) All that eat thereof shall be polluted.] As those are who come near the dead, (Numb. xix. 11.) who are thereby unqualified to attend upon God’s service. (See Lev. xxi. For their bread for, their souls shall not come into the house of the Lord.] The offerings they make for the expiation of souls (see Lev. xvii. 11.) shall not be fit to be brought into the house of the Lord, and the temple itself shall be left desolate.

Hosea 9:5

What will ye do in the solemn day, in ihe day of the feast of the Lord. Ye shall have no opportunity of observing any of your solemn feasts in your captivity. (See ii. 11.)

Hosea 9:6

For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them. A great many of the ten tribes went into Egypt for fear of the captivity threatened by Shalmaneser: (see vii. 16. viii. 13.) accordingly the prophecies, which foretell their restoration, mention their return from Egypt. (See xi. 11. Isa. xi. 11. xxvii. 12. Zech. x. 10, 11.) The prophet threatens those that went down thither, that they should have no better a fate than their brethren, who were carried away into\ Assyria; but they should die there, and never see their native country any more. Egypt shall gather them up:] Or, Gather them, as the word is translated, Ezek. xxix. 5. It signifies in both places the same with their being buried, expressed in other places by being gathered to their people. The pleasant places for their silver.] Or, Places desirable for their silver; either as being repositories for their treasure or their plate, or as being adorned with silver. Nettles shall possess them.] They shall be.uninhabited and fall to ruin. (Compare x. 8. Isa.^xxxii. 13. xxxiv. 13.)

Hosea 9:7

The days of visitation are come — Israel shall know it. God’s judgments (see ver. 9.) upon the ten tribes shall be so evident, that the most incredulous shall not be able to deny it. The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad.]. The false prophets (see ver. 8.) that pretend to speak by the Spirit of God, and foretell nothing but peace, shall be convinced of their folly and madness, when they see things fall out otherwise than they had foretold. (See Jer. vi. 14. xxii. 16, 17. Ezek. xiii. 10. Micah ii. 11. Zeph. iii. 4.) For the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.] God has delivered this people up to those delusions, as a just punishment of their many sins, and the great hatred they have against.God and his worship. (See the follow- L)g verse.)

Hosea 9:8

The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: bat the prophet is a snare of a fowler, &c. The true prophet, like a watchman sent by God, gave warning to Israel of their approaching calamities. (See Jer. vi. 17. Ezek. iii. 17. xxxiii. 2. Micah vii. 4.) But the words of the false prophet are like a snare laid on purpose to entrap men into mischief and destruction: (see v. 1.) and his. false prophecies he utters purely out of hatred to God and his worship, and to deter those that hearken to him from attending upon God’s service at the temple.

Hosea 9:9

They have deeply corrupted themselves, as.in the day of Gibeah. The men of Gibeah are described in the same characters as those of Sodom are: (compare Jndg. xix. 22. with Gen. xix. 4.) to which they added