The people are reproved B. C. 775. A. M. 3229. a ye have been a snare on Mizpah, || in the midst of them, and they have A. M. 3229. and a net spread upon Tabor. not known the LORD. 1 b 2 And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been 2a rebuker of them all. 2 a Chapter vi. 9.- b Isa. xxix. 15.-1 Or, and. -2 Heb. a Correction. Amos iii. 2.- d Ezek. xxiii. 5; Chap. iv. 17. Heb. They will not give. against you, as Archbishop Newcome renders it, a translation favoured by the LXX., προς υμας εστι το kpμa; by Houbigant, who reads, adest vobis judi- || cium, judgment is at hand to you, or hangs over you. Because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and upon Tabor—Mizpah (a name derived from ns, to watch, namely, from an eminence) was a mountain, and probably a city too, of Gilead. Tabor was a beautiful and fruitful mountain in the tribe of Zebulun. These places being much frequented by hunters and fowlers, many snares and nets were laid in them to catch birds and beasts: and with an allusion to this the Israelites are here described as insnaring men on these places into idolatry, because many of the tribe of Judah had been seduced, or drawn into idolatry, by their bad example. Verse 2. And the revolters-Hebrew, ', declinantes, the persons declining, turning aside, and departing out of the way appointed them to walk in, are profound to make slaughter-Or, have gone deep in slaughter, as 'po may be properly rendered. The words may be intended either of the slaughter of idolatrous sacrifices, or of men. It seems most likely, however, that the latter is meant, and that these wicked priests and princes laid plots to cut off such as adhered to the worship of the true God, and opposed their idolatry. The LXX. suppose the allusion to hunting is still carried on, and render the clause, οι αγρεύοντες την θήραν κατέπηξαν, the hunters have pierced the prey. Though I have been a rebuker of them all-Though I have reproved, exhorted, and instructed them by the prophets whom I raised up among them, even after they turned to idolatry. They had, in particular, two very extraordinary prophets, Elijah and Elisha, who were endued with a greater power to work miracles, whereby to prove their divine commission, and to convince the people of the certain truth and deep importance of their messages, than any one who had been raised up either among the Jews or Israelites since the days of Moses. Dr. Waterland and Calmet, however, translate this clause, I will call them all to discipline; and Newcome and Horsley, I will bring a chastisement on them all; which the latter interprets, "I will be a chastisement to them, as they have been a net and a snare to others." Verses 3-5. I know Ephraim-I am perfectly || B. C. 775. well acquainted with the actions of Ephraim, the head of the ten tribes; and Israel is not hid from me—And the actions of the other nine tribes are no less known to me. Now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom-Even now, at this time, thou goest on in thy idolatry, notwithstanding all my rebukes and exhortations. They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God—They are so wholly inclined to idolatry, and it has got so fixed a root in their affections, that they cannot think of turning to the pure worship of the true God. And it even extinguishes all true knowledge and sense of him among them. Bishop Horsley renders the verse, Their perverse habits will not permit them to return unto their God; for a spirit of wantonness is within them, and the Jehovah they have not known. The pride of Israel doth testify to his face-The insolent behaviour of Israel toward God, whose worship they despise, both discovers itself in all their conduct, and testifies that their guilt is great, and deserves severe punishment. Archbishop Newcome renders this clause, The pride of Israel shall be humbled to his face; and Waterland, Shall be brought down in his sight. Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall, &c.-Be brought to utter ruin; Judah also shall fall with them—And the other two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, having followed their bad example, shall also be severely punished as well as they. Verse 6. They shall go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord-They shall seek to make their peace with God, and to induce him to be favourable to them by a multitude of sacrifices; but they shall not find their expectations answered. This is spoken of the people of Judah, mentioned in the latter part of the foregoing verse; who, though they attended the temple worship, yet did it without any true sense of religion, for which the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah particularly reprove them. The prophecy seems to look forward to the times of Hezekiah and Josiah, declaring that the attempts of those pious kings to reclaim the people from idolatry, and to restore the true worship of God, would fail of any durable effect, and would not avail to reverse the doom pronounced upon the guilty people. He hath withdrawn himself from them-God is said to hide and withdraw himself, when he will not answer men's prayers, nor afford them seasonable relief in time of need. Hebrew, On yn, he hath disengaged, or loosened himself from them, or hath taken himself away. Verse 7. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord-The word 712, rendered, to deal treacherously, signifies properly, a wife's being false to her husband; see Jer. iii. 20; from whence it is applied to the sin of idolatry, which was being false to the true God, or giving to creatures, or mere imaginary beings, the affection and regard due to him, and therefore it is often in Scripture styled spiritual whoredom. For they have begotten strange children-A race of aliens, as Bishop Horsley renders it: that is, children trained from their earliest infancy in the habits and principles of idolatry, and growing up aliens with respect to God, (for all are not Israel that are of Israel,) alienated from him in their affections, and in their sentiments and practice mere heathen. The expression alludes to children not lawfully begotten, or not born in wedlock. Now shall a month devour them-A very short time shall complete their destruction. It shall be sudden and unexpected. With their portions-That is, their allotments. "They shall be now totally dispossessed of their country, and the boundaries of the separate allotments of the several tribes shall be confounded and obliterated, and new partitions of the land into districts shall be made, from time to time, at the pleasure of its successive masters. The captivity of the ten tribes was completed soon after Hezekiah's attempted reformation, and the kingdom of Judah not long survived Josiah's." It is probable the month alludes to these events. Verses 8, 9. Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, &c.The prophet here calls upon the watchmen of Judah and Israel to sound an alarm, and give notice of the approach of the enemy: compare Joel ii. 1. It was usual in those days, when a country was invaded, or was on the point of being so, to give notice of it by sounding cornets and trumpets from the towers and high places, on which the watchmen or sentinels were placed. Gibeah and Ramah were towns in the tribe of Benjamin; and Beth-aven, or Bethel, was in the territory of the ten tribes, so that ordering the sounding of an alarm in those places, signified that both kingdoms should be hostilely invaded. against the people. B. C. 775. 10 The princes of Judah were like A. M. 3229. them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water. P 11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after a the commandment. 12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rotten ness. m Josh. vii. 2; Chap. iv. 15. Judg. v. 14. Deut. xix. 14; xxvii. 17.-P Deut. xxviii. 33.-41 Kings xii. 28; Mic. vi. 16.- Prov. xii. 4.- - Or, a worm. After thee, O Benjamin—Or, Look behind thee, O Benjamin: see Pocock. The words present the image of an enemy in close pursuit, ready to fall upon the rear of Benjamin. Ephraim shall be desolate-God's judgments shall likewise overtake Israel, or the ten tribes, as well as Judah. In the day of rebuke-At the time when God shall punish them for the provocations which he has received. This seems to be intended of the invasion of the kingdom of Israel by Shalmaneser king of Assyria Among the tribes of Israel I have made known, &c. I have denounced my judgments against the whole kingdom of Israel, as well as that of Judah, and given them warning, that they may escape them by a timely repentance. Verse 10. The princes of Judah, &c.—The prophet in this chapter passes frequently from the one kingdom to the other, that he might set forth the crimes, and foretel the punishments of both, unless they averted them by their repentance. Instead of the princes, Bishop Horsley reads, the rulers of Judah, observing, "I prefer the word rulers to princes, because, in the modern acceptation of the word princes, royalty, or at least, royal blood, is included in the notion of it. But these, saree, [princes,] of the Old Testament, were not persons of royal extraction, or connected by blood or marriage with the royal family; but the chief priests and elders, who composed the secular as well as the ecclesiasti cal magistracy of the country." Like them that remove the bound-They have violated the most sacred laws of God: upon which, not only the ordinances of his worship, but likewise the rights and properties of men depend, and are become guilty of the same injustice and confusion with those that remove the ancient bounds and landmarks, Ezek. xlvi. 18. Therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water-That is, with great violence, like an impetuous torrent, or the hasty unexpected overflowing of a river, which overwhelms every thing near. Great calamities are often compared to the overflowing of water. in Verses 11, 12. Ephraim is oppressed and broken judgment—He is delivered over to oppressors by God's just judgment. Such were Pul and Tiglathpileser, kings of Assyria. Archbishop Newcome distinguishes between these phrases thus: He is op Promise of mercy CHAPTER V. upon repentance. A. M. 3229. 13 When Ephraim saw his sick- || I, even I, will tear and go away; A. M. 3229. ness, and Judah saw his wound, I will take away, and none shall rescue him. B. C. 775. t S then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, "and sent to King Jareb: yet could he not heal B. C. 775. 15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my in their affliction they will seek me face x Lam. iii. 10; Chap. xiii. 7, 8.- - Psa. 1. 22.- 7 Heb. till they be guilty.- -z Lev. xxvi. 40, 41; Jer. xxix. 12, 13; Ezek vi. 9; xx. 43; xxxvi. 31.- Psalm lxxviii. 34. as he thought proper to dictate: whose alliance was, of course, anxiously courted by weaker states. Such was the Assyrian monarch in the times to which the prophecy relates. His friendship was purchased by Menahem king of Israel," (as observed above,) "and in a later period solicited by Ahaz, 2 Kings xvi. 5-9." Yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound-Those foreign alliances proved to be of no benefit either to Israel or Judah. It is expressly said of Tiglath-pileser, 2 Chron. xxviii. 20, that when he came to Ahaz, under colour of helping him according to the terms of their agreement, pressed with a heavy weight of calamity; he is crushed, or broken in his judicial contest with God; because he willingly walked after the commandment-Because he willingly submitted to, or complied with Jeroboam's command, requiring his subjects to worship the calves which he had placed at Dan and Beth-el, and to conform to all his idolatrous institutions, in opposition to the law of God. Of this kind were the statutes of Omri, mentioned Mic. vi. 16. The reading of the LXX. here is different, namely, Kareñaτησe to kрiμа, oтi пpžaτo поpeveσvai onlow TWV pataιwv, He trode judgment under foot,|| because he began to walk after vain things; that || at a time when Judah was brought low, he distressis, after idols. They seem either to have read ed him, but strengthened him not. And though shave, (vanity,) for 13, tzave, (commandment,) or Ahaz gave him presents out of the house of the else to have supposed the latter word to be put for Lord, out of the house of the king, and of the the former, there being frequent instances in the princes, still he helped him not. And as to the ten Hebrew text of letters being changed, one for tribes, the Assyrian kings were so far from helping another, which have nearly the same sound: see them really, that they destroyed numbers of them the Arabic, Syriac, Chaldaic, Houbigant and others, from time to time, and at last carried them all away in Poole's Synopsis, who read 7, vanity. There- into captivity. So weak often is human policy! I fore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth-My judg-will be unto Ephraim as a lion-The Vulgate reads, ment shall consume both Israel and Judah as a moth fretteth a garment, or as rottenness consumes the flesh, from small and unperceived beginnings, working slow, but certain and complete destruction. , Verses 13, 14. When Ephraim saw his sickness -When the king of Israel, namely, Menahem, saw himself too weak to contend with Pul, king of Assyria, he sent an embassy to him to make him his ally, and, in order to do it, became his tributary, that his hand might be with him to confirm his kingdom to him, 2 Kings xv. 15. And Judah his wound-Hebrew, his ulcer, or corrupted sore. So in like manner shall Ahaz, king of Judah, implore the assistance of Tiglath-pileser against his enemies. For, after the words, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, the word Judah should be supplied, and the|| clause should be read, And Judah sent, (or, shall send,) to King Jareb. Thus Secker and Pocock understand the passage. The word Jareb means one that will plead for a person, and defend his cause against any that may oppose him, or an avenger, or helper. And it does not appear to be here a proper name. Bishop Horsley renders it, The king who takes up all quarrels, and observes, "This describes some powerful monarch who took upon him to interfere in all quarrels between inferior powers, to arbitrate between them, and compel them to make up their differences upon such terms leana, a lioness, and the LXX. a panther. The sense of the verse is, that it was in vain for either Israel or Judah to expect help from men, since God had determined to destroy or take them away, as with the impetuosity of a panther flying upon his prey, or the fury of a lion, tearing it in pieces. Verse 15. I will go and return to my place-I will withdraw myself from them, and give them up to exile and punishment, till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face: that is, till they confess their sins, and, by a sincere humiliation, and in fervent prayer, implore my favour. The Chaldee paraphrase expresses the sense thus: "I will take away my majestic presence, or shechinah, from among them, and will return into heaven." Thus Ezekiel describes the destruction of the temple and kingdom, by God's removing his glory from the sanctuary and city: see Ezek. x. 4, and xi. 23. In their affliction they will seek me early-That is, without delay, and earnestly; or, with great diligence and assiduity. Observe, reader, when we are under the corrections of the divine rod, our business is to seek God's face, that is, an acquaintance with him, a token of his being at peace with us, and a manifestation of his favour. And it may reasonably be expected that affliction will bring those to God who had gone astray, and kept at a distance from him. For this reason God turns away An exhortation HOSEA. to return to Go?. So the LXX. from us, that he may turn us to himself, and then I should have been joined to this. may return to us. Is any among you afflicted? Let thought, connecting the last verse of this with the him pray. The first three verses of the next chapter || first of the next, by the participle λeyovres, saying. CHAPTER VI. In this chapter we have, (1,) An exhortation of the prophet; or the resolution of some real penitents to return to God, and the considerations wherewith they encourage themselves in their return, 1-3. (2,) The instability of many of the people, both of Israel and Judah, in their professions and promises of repentance, and the severe course which God, therefore, took with them, 4, 5. (3,) The covenant God made with them, and his expectations from them, 6: and their violation of that covenant, and frustrating of those expectations, 7-11. NOTES ON CHAPTER VI. Verse 1. Come, let us return, &c.—Bishop Horsley considers the prophet as speaking here in his own person, to the end of the 3d verse, and taking occasion, from the intimation of pardon to the penitent, given in the conclusion of the preceding chapter, to address his countrymen in words of mild, pathetic persuasion, and to exhort them to return to the worship and service of God. But many other commentators rather think these are to be considered as the words of the repenting and returning Jews and Israelites in their exile, who, it is said, in the last clause of the foregoing chapter, would in their affliction seek God, which they are here represented as encouraging one another to do, saying, Come, &c.Not only the LXX., but, according to Houbigant, the Arabic, Syriac, and Chaldee, supply the word saying, before this verse. Whether they did this as interpreters, which, says Archbishop Newcome, is my opinion, or whether they read in their copy of the Hebrew text, 7, (saying,) is uncertain. Let us return unto the Lord, &c.-He it is who hath brought us into this estate under which we groan; and he is able, if he think fit, to deliver us from it in a short time: nothing is difficult to him. Full of mercy as he is, he will not permit us to continue long in captivity and oppression, wherein we are buried like the dead in the tomb. He hath torn, and he will heal us, &c.—The same God that punisheth us can only remove his judgments, and show us mercy. The expression, He hath torn, relates to what was said chap. v. 14. Scripture, denote a small number. Two are put for a few, 1 Kings xvii. 12. One and two for a few, Isa. vii. 21; Jer. iii. 14. Two or three for a few, Isa. xvii. 6. Accordingly, here the expression signifies a short space of time. Compare Luke xiii. 32, 33. The primary and obvious sense, therefore, of this verse, taking it in reference to the others, is, that they expected God would, in a short time after they should repent and turn to him, free them from their captivity, which might be looked upon as a state of death; and would return again to them, and exhibit the signs of his presence among them, his chosen people: so that, being converted and restored, they should live in his sight, and should attain to that true knowledge of God which they had not possessed before. Added to this, Bishop Horsley thinks these days denote three distinct periods of the Jewish people. His view of the subject he explains as follows: "The first day is the captivity of the ten tribes by the Assyrians, and of the other two under the Babylonians, considered as one judgment upon the nation; beginning with the captivity of the ten, and completed in that of the two. The second day is the whole period of the present condition of the Jews, beginning with the dispersion of the nation by the Romans. The third day is the period yet to come, beginning with their restoration, to the second advent. R. Tanchum, as he is quoted by Dr. Pocock, was not far, I think, from the true meaning of the place. The prophet,' he says, 'points out two things-and these are, the first captivity, and a second. After which shall follow a third, [time,] redemption: Verse 2. After two days he will revive us-A de-after which shall be no depression or servitude.' liverance from miseries or calamities, from which men had despaired of a recovery, is often represented as restoring them to life after death: see Psa. xxx. 3, and lxxi. 20, and lxxxvi. 13; particularly the restoration of the Jewish nation is often described, as if it were a resurrection from the dead: see note on Ezek. xxxvii. 11. Two, or three, in And this I take to be the sense of the prophecy, in immediate application to the Jews. Nevertheless, whoever is well acquainted with the allegorical style of prophecy, when he recollects that our Lord's sufferings and death" were endured for our sakes, "and that he, rising on the third day, raised us to the hope of life and immortality, will easily per Ephraim and Judah A. M. 3229. d CHAPTER VI. 1 B. C. 775. are reproved. 3 Then shall we know, if we fol- || for your 1 goodness is i as a morning A. M. 3229 low on to know the LORD: his going cloud, and as the early dew it goeth forth is prepared as the morning; and he away. shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. 1 5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: 2 and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. i Chap. xiii. 3.-k Jer. i. 10; v. 14. Jer. xxiii. 29; Heb. iv. 12. Or, that thy judgments might be. ceive no very obscure, though but an oblique, allu- our March, according to the old style. The other, sion to our Lord's resurrection on the third day;, which we term the former rain, and which is since every believer may speak of our Lord's death literally the springing rain, or the rain which makes and resurrection, as a common death and resurrection to spring, fell upon the seed newly sown, and of all mankind." caused the green blade to shoot up out of the ground: that is, it fell about the end, or middle, of our October, which we consider as the latter end of the year. These rains, of seed-time and harvest, are the VETOS ρwiμоç kaι opips, the early and latter rain, of St. James, chap. v. 7. But the apostle's epithets have reference to the order of the husbandman's expectations, not to the civil division of the year. Verse 4. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? Lord takes up the discourse again in his own person, and gives an answer to the prayer, or promises, of Judah and Israel: as if he had said, How can I give either of you, O Israel and Judah, any tokens of my favour, since there is no sincerity or stability to be found in you? Such is the essential benefi cence of God, that he delights to bestow favours on all his creatures; and here, and elsewhere in the Scriptures, represents himself as it were concerned, whenever their conduct is such that it becomes in Verse 3. Then shall we know, if we follow on, &c.-Hebrew, ny, And we shall know, we shall follow on to know the Lord. Then, when we have returned unto the Lord, verse 1, in sincerity and truth; when he hath torn and healed us, hath smitten and bound us up, hath convinced us of and humbled us for our sins, and converted us to himself, and created us anew; when he hath revived us, raised us up, and made us live; then shall-Or rather, what shall I do for thee? Here the we experimentally know the Lord, as merciful to our unrighteousness, Jer. xxxi. 34; we shall taste and see that he is good; we shall not only be raised out of deep afflictions, wherein we lay as in a state of death, but we shall live in his sight, a life of union and communion with him, a life of faith, love, and obedience; we shall know Him whom to know is life eternal. And we shall prosecute that knowledge; we shall follow on to know him, not content with any measures of the knowledge of him already attained. We shall proceed therein, and make pro-consistent with his attributes, as the all-righteous gress, as the morning light doth to the perfect day. For, his going forth to visit, deliver, and comfort his people, to manifest himself to them, to refresh and save them; or, his going forth before his people, in his gracious, faithful, holy, just, and wise providence, for their benefit and comfort, is prepared as the morning-As sure, beautiful, grateful, reviving, and clear, with a continually increasing light, which proclaims his own approach and progress. And he shall come unto us as the rain unto the earth—are dispersed at the first approach of the sun. Which refreshes it, renders it fruitful, beautifies it, and gives it a new and smiling face. As the latter and former rain-Or, as the words should rather be rendered, the harvest rain, and the rain of seedtime: see notes on Deut. xi. 14, and Prov. xvi. 15. For, as Bishop Horsley justly observes, the Hebrew words here used have nothing of latter or former implied in their meaning. And these expressions convey a notion just the reverse of the truth to the English reader. For what our translation here terms the latter rain, php, is literally, as the bishop terms it, the crop rain, which fell just before the season of the harvest, to plump the grain before it was severed: that is, it fell in what we term the spring, and consider as the former part of the year; for the harvest in Judea began about the middle of governor of the universe, to bestow his blessings Verse 5. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets-Severely reproved and threatened them; or cut them off, as the word, 'nan, may be properly rendered: that is, I have denounced against them great destruction. The prophets, and God by the prophets, are said to do those things which they foretel, or denounce: see notes on Jer. i. 10, and v. 14. I have slain them by the words of my mouththat is, I have declared, or denounced, the slaughter of them. God's word is described as sharper than a two-edged sword, because his judgments, denounced by his messengers, are like the sentence of a judge, which shall certainly be followed with execution. And thy judgments are as the light when it goeth forth-These may be considered as the words of the prophet addressing God, and signi |