Hosea 4

HEar Attend, consider, and duely weigh; it's the hearing of the Mind, as well as of the ear is here required. the word of the LORD He that speaks is the great God, though the Messenger he a man, the message is not Man's, but it is the Word, the Message of the Sovereign, Holy, Just and Mighty Iehovah, who ever speaks most important things; things that respect our duty and safety., ye children of Israel You of the ten Tribes with whose Ancestors my Covenant was made, who received the Law by the disposition of Angels, but have not kept it, you that have turned aside from your God to Idols.: for the LORD Who knoweth your sins, who hateth, threatneth and will judge, and punish unless you repent, it is he that speaketh, and summoneth you to plead with him. has a controversie Just matter of debate or arguing against you, you have wrong'd him and he will right himself yet so that he will be clear in his Judgment, all shall see that the just Lord does justly, and that this peoples sins are the cause of all their sufferings, that God does not delight to afflict the Children of men. with the inhabitants of the land Who dwell in the Cities and Towns of Israel divided from the house of David, and from the house of God; ye that dwell with Idolatrous Neighbours; it is not a few, but the generality of the Inhabitants; 'tis the whole Land I have an action against., because there is no truth No Faithfulness in their Minds, Words or Works; they cover falshhood with fair words, till they may fitly execute their designed frauds. There is neither plain heartedness, nor constancy in their purposes and words., nor mercy Kindness or gentleness of mind, all are hardned, and restrain their Bowels which should be open'd toward the indigent, and necessitous. There is neither Compassion nor Beneficence among them, they pity not, nor relieve any., nor knowledge of God All generally are ignorant, know not what God has done for them, or what God is in himself, or what candor and truth, or what tenderness and beneficence he requires in his word; if they have a sleight knowledge of those things yet they consider them not. They have rased the knowledge of God out of their Minds. in the land This speaks the universal Ignorance, mercilesness and unfaithfulness of that age..

By swearing Either falsly, or prophanely, or cursing, and wishing evil to one, instead of truth here is Perjury, instead of compassion here is execration, and evil speaking., and lying Of all kinds; affirming of fashoods, denying of Truths, defrauding, lessening good and representing it what 'tis not, greatning what is in others ill, and so flattering in some cases, and diffaming in other cases, &c., and killing Though God has forbidden all kinds and degrees of Murther, this people through Ignorance of God do fill the Land with Murthers: with open, or secret; by cruelty withholding relief from some, by violence and falshood cutting off others; The temper of this people was toward killing, their designs laid for it, &c., and stealing Injuring one another either by taking away what was anothers, or detaining what should have been his, or giving less to another than was his due: Every one inc in'd to Frauds, many addicted to secret Thefts, and some openly practising it., and committing adultery Which was a sin grown high among them, a sin directly against the Truth and Mercy which should have been among them. Under this, all degrees of Adultery, unchaste thoughts, words and gestures are included., they break out As waters that swel above all banks, or as unruly beasts that break over all hedges, so you, O Israelites have broken down the hedge of the Law, which expresly forbids what you daily practice., and bloud toucheth blood Slaughters are multiplied; by bloud the Scripture understandeth slaughter, G. 4.10. &c. Psal. 5.10. possibly the wrong done by the Adulterer, was (as Am o s) revenged with the slaughter of the Adulterer; or possibly it may refer to murthers committed in the very Court of the Temple; so the blood of the murthered touch'd the bloud of Sacrifices. It is too particular to refer it to the bloud of Zechariah slain between the Porch and the Altar, and which (some say) ran down to the Altar and touch'd the blood of the Sacrifice. Or what if this should refer to what will be er'e long, when Ieroboam is dead, when Z chariah is murther'd by Shallum, 2 King. 15.10. Menahem lays Shallum, ver. 14. and ript up women with Child in Tiphsah, ver. 16. when Pekah slew Pekahiah, and Hoshea slew him. These Kings being thus slain, no doubt much blood was spilt; all which happen'd in less than forty years. For from Zechariah to Pekahs Usurpation, are but fourteen years, from Pekahs entrance on the Throne to Hoshea's Conspiracy are twenty years..

Therefore Since their sins are so many and so great, for those very sins already mentioned in the 1. and 2. verses. shall the land Which the ten Tribes did now inhabit. mourn It is a Metaphorical expression, for properly it cannot be spoken of the sensless, and inanimate Creatures, but as Men and Women mourn under the loss of their Comforts and Joyes, as they neglect themselves in their Habits, and go less neat, so when the sins of the People shall bring an Enemy upon the land, when War shall first spoil their Cities, Townes, Vineyards and Oliveyards, and finally shall carry the people Captive, all shall run into horrid and saddest state, and in doleful plight. The same expression see in I a. 24.4. and much like Amos 1.2., and every one that dwelleth No sort of men but had provoked God and sin'd, no sort but should be punished; all that continue in the land till these threatned Judgments overtake them. therein shall languish Shall with grief, and vexation pine away, what they see with their eye shall make their heart ake, and faint with greatest dejectedness and despair; as the word imports, Isa. 16.8. and Ioel 1.12., with the beasts of the field These are elsewhere menaced, Zeph. 1.2. which see; God punisheth man in cutting off what was made for Mans benefit and comfort; and 'tis probable that the tamer Cattle were starved for want of grass or fodder, all being eaten up and consumed by the wasting Armies., and with the fowles of heaven The tamer and innocent either kill'd by Enemies, or offended with stench and noxious Air dye or forsake the Country, or are devoured by Eagles and birds of Prey, which in those Countries wait on Armies., yea the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away Whether by drying up the waters of Rivers, Lakes, and ponds, or by corrupting them with blood and carcasses, or by what other way we know not he can do it, who says he will; and we are sure it speaks the greatness of the threatned desolation..

Yet Though Judgments great and wasting are so sure, though the approaching Calamities will lay all utterly waste. let no man None of private Capacity; no Priest or Prophet any more open their mouthes to reason and debate with this People; let all know they are so obstinate and hardned 'tis to no purpose to warn any more. strive Contend as in causes pleaded before a Judge, lay not the Law before them, who have so often refuted to hear it., or reprove No more chide, or sharply inveigh against their sins and wayes. Or this whole passage may be thus read, Yet certainly there is none that may or can strive, &c. All are so corrupted that there is none free who may with confidence argue against others. But our Version is better of the two. another: for thy Thy country-men, Hosea, if the former words be the words of God to the Prophet. Or else if they be the words of the Prophet to the People, then he speaks to them of the Temper of their Neighbours and people with whom they dwelt. It is much one which we take, for Hosea was now among them; and whether his people or no, they are still the same persons spoken of. people are as they that strive There is no ingenuity, modesty, or fear of God or man left among them, they will contend with their teachers, Reprovers, and Counsellors. They will justifie themselves, and condemn all reproof; they will adhere to sin and reject all better advice, just as they Mal. 1.2, 7. and 2.14. with the priest This does not suppose, much less assert, the Priests of Baal and the Calves to be true Priests; but were they as true as they are false, yet such is the temper of the People, they would not hear, consider and amend, whoever contested with them. Let them alone therefore to perish with obstinate sinners..

Therefore Because thy sins are so many and so great, and thou art incorrigible in them. shalt thou The Prophet turns his speech to the People, thou O Israel; he speaks to them as to one person, they were all of one piece in sin, and should be so one in punishment. fall Stumble, and fa l, and be broken. in the day Or this day, i. e. very suddenly your fall shall be presently effected by your enemies power, vigilance and successes; it shall be no longer delayed., and the prophet Who spake smooth things, who prophesied lies; the false Prophets of Baal and the groves, Ier. 14.13, 14, 15, 16. and 23.15. also shall fall e in as sad calamitous condition as any. with thee Either the Prophet that is with thee, that lived with, and prophesied to this people. Or as we read it, when the people are ruin'd and captivated, with them the false Prophet shall be likewise ruin'd and captivated. in the night Either proverbially taken, people and prophet shall continually fall; or allusively, both shall fall as a man that falls in the Night. Or else the Prophet shall fall in the darkest Calamities, he shall be covered with thickest Cloud, who falsly foretold and promised light unto such people., and I The Lord against whom thou hast sinned. will destroy Cut off, or make to cease, or be silent for ever; Vid. chap. 1. ver. 4. let. n. thy mother Both the State, or Kingdom; and the Synagogues, or mock Churches: The Publick is as Mother to private persons, so all shall be destroyed, which also came to pass before the Prophet H s a died, he lived to see his Threats fulfilled..

¶ My people The divorce was not yet issued out, the ten Tribes yet were in some sense Ammi. are destroyed Not only in the Prophetick Stile are, because er'e long they shall most certainly be destroyed, but in the Course of the History 'tis plain in matter of Fact, many of them were cut off by Pul King of Assyria, 2 King. 15. and many were destroyed by the bloody and cruel Tyranny of Menahem, and more were ruin'd in their estates by exactions, and impositions; The Civil Wars; the Seditions, the Usurpations of some, and the deposing of others were things the Prophet Hosea lived to see, and I believe speaks of here as things that had already destroyed many. for lack of knowledge Of God, his Law, his Menaces, his Providences and Government of the World, had they known his Holy Nature, his jealousie for his own Glory, his hatred of Sin and his power to punish it. Had they known their God, they would either have forborn to sin, or repented of what sins they had committed, and so prevented his wrath.: because thou The Prophet now turns his words from the people to the Priests among them. The people's Ignorance was much from the Ignorance and profane humour of their Priests, and this the Prophet does tacitly charge on the Priests, to whom he speaks as to one particular person; Thou who callest thy self, art accounted by the people, and goest under the name of a Priest. hast rejected knowledge Strange perverseness! they who should direct others, who should be Teachers, are and will be ignorant, will not know, reject knowledge; detestest to know, as the Chald. Par., I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me With equal dislike I will reject thee, I will destroy your Church Constitution, and with that, I'le destroy your Priesthood; and I will do this with detestation and abhorrence too.: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God O! Israel, and you O! Priests, you have all sinn'd together, slighted and dis-respected the Law, broken all the precepts of it, set up other Gods, other worship, other Priests than the Law directs., I will also forget I will pay thee in thy own Coin, I will forget, i. e. slight and disregard. thy children The people of Israel, the whole Kingdom of the ten Tribes; both those pretended Priests, and their Ghostly children with them..

As they Kings, Priests and People of that Age, that is, Iereboam, second great Grandson of Iehu, who raised the Kingdom to it's highest pitch and glory. were increased Both multiplyed for number, and grew great in Riches, Power and Honour. Such temper were they of, Isa. 1.2., so they sinned against me Sin grew with their Wealth and Honour, God who raised them was by them provoked the more, they turn'd his bounty into sin. Too usual a return from sinners to God.: therefore will I change Turn by a just retaliation. their glory They turn'd their glory, all that in which they might glory above others, into sin. into shame I will turn it into shame, that shall be their dishonour. which had it been well used might have been their honour. I will degrade the Priests, impoverish the people, captivate both..

They The Priests who minister to the Idols. eat up Live upon with delight, maintain themselves and theirs. the sin Either by conniving at their sins not reproving as they deserve, lest thereby they should disoblige persons and lessen their bounty to them. Or leave them to sin first, and next look for sacrifices for those sins, like some that make gain by the sins of people with whom they dispense. Or more plainly by sin is meant sin-offering, in which the Priest had his share. of my people See ver. 6. let.., and they Covetous, Luxurious, Idolatrous Priests, the Priests of Baal and the Calves. set their heart Watch to, and earnestly desire, hope and expect. on their iniquity The people will sin, and bring offerings for sin, which is the iniquity as well as gain of these Priests..

And there shall be like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. The summe of these words is this, that God will certainly punish; for the sins both of Priests and people are such that God will no farther forbear either, and when he comes to punish he will do it according to the wayes and doings of both, where sins have been equal, punishment shall be equal too, both priest and people shall be lead into Captivity, and there used without any differencing respect of one or other.

For Or, And, Heb. This is another part of their punishment, and 'tis better render'd as a particular part of their Curse, than as a cause of that which was spoken in the former verse. they shall eat, and not have enough In ver. 8. they are said to eat up the sin of that people, i. e. by sinful Courses they project for their livelihood, now comes the Curse God will punish this sin with. He will with-hold his blessing, they shall not be nourished, not satisfied with what they eat. See Hag. 1.6.: they shall commit whoredom Though they multiply wives to relieve them under the Curse of barrenness and want of Children, or by Fornication seek to multiply their off-spring, though they do this which they ought not to do. and shall not increase They shall not hereby increase the number of their Children, either the women shall not bear, or the children not live.: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD They have Apostatized and turn'd from the true God, from his Worship and Law..

Whoredom Unlawful converse with wanton women; the forbidden pleasures of an Adulterous Bed., and wine, and new wine Excess of drinking, and indeed all immoderate pleasures; one kind being put for all., take away the heart Besot men and deprive them of the right use of their understanding and judgment; by these courses both priests and people here have disabled themselves to discern aright between good and bad; between safe and dangerous..

¶ My Whom I chose, brought out of Egypt, and setled in this land who are not yet cast off, though they deserve it, who call themselves my people. people ask counsel Enquire about future things, and what shall befall them; I threaten from Heaven, they believe not me, but flatter themselves 'twil be better than my Prophets say it will, and they enquire of their Idolatrous priests concerning their Fate. at their stocks Wooden Statues or Idols with which their priests consult, and make them give answer suiting to the hope of these people., and their staffe declareth unto them This was an other kind of forbidden consulting with the Devil; an art much in use in those times and places. You read of this Ezek. 21.21. These were parts of their sottish Idolatry. So they thought, they believed what their false Prophets reported from the staffe or stock; unparallel'd folly not to believe God speaking from heaven, but at the same time believe a Stock or Staffe that knows not in whose hand 'tis, or what use 'tis put to.: for the spirit of whoredom A Heart addicted to, and ensnared with whoredoms Spiritual and Corporal. has caused them to erre Has blinded, misled and deceived them. So Isa. 40.20. and 44.14, 18., and they have gone a whoring from under their God So they have left their God, refusing to be under his guidance, endeavouring to evade his Corrections; and to fortifie themselves, Rebel like, against his Armies raised to Chastise them, trusting herein to Idols..

They Both priests and people. sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains Where their Altars were sometimes to God, sometimes to Idols these were the high places, chosen out by themselves, and where their Sacrifices offered to God were esteem'd little else than Idolatry, Isa. 57.7., and burn incense upon the hills An other piece of Idolatry they practised, which as it usually was joyned to their sacrifices, so is it here added by the Prophet. This Idolatry abounded in Israel, where without controul it had been in use ever since their Revolt if not before. A wood so deep rooted, that the best Kings of Iudah could not quite extirpate it., under oaks Some say Pines, or the Alder., and poplars The white poplar., and elms Or Lime-tree, or the Tree whose boughs stretch'd out together cast a pleasant shadow. Under all these 'tis certain the Antient Heathen did perform their Idolatrous services; so did this people choose all these great Trees which having many and great boughs do afford the darkest and coolest recesses, Ezek: 20.28., because the shadow thereof is good Convenient for the Sacrificers, while the smoke and smell of the Sacrifice went up through the boughs, and the coolness of the shady place kept their persons from sultry heat, it may be they thought (as the Heathen did) that the Nu en, Deity delighted to dwell, or be often in such places.: therefore For these sins of yours, though you account them no sins, for your harmonizing with Heathenish Superstitions, for your leaving my Temple, and against my commands, Sacrifice where best liketh you. your daughters shall commit whoredom Shall dishonour themselves, and their Families, by their lewdness and unlawful converse with Fornicators. The sin of the Fathers is thus punisht, that they might see Gods just hand punishing, and the sin punisht: Here is spiritual whoredom punisht: with giving up Daughters to their wandring lusts., and your spouses shall commit adultery Or spouses of your sons, as Gallic. Version, a great unhappiness to any Family to be disparaged and wronged by Adultresses, and a grievous punishment where, or whensoever executed; and this is here foretold, ('twill be so) not countenanced..

I will not punish Or visit upon your daughters; God will not any more lay on them such restraints as remarkable punishments are usually to all that observe them. They are threatned thus to be thrown up to their own hearts, and others lusts. your daughters when they commit whoredom You have rejected my Law which directed the correction and punishment of such sins, and do you think I will by extraordinary courses restrain, where you cast off the ordinary?, nor your spouses when they commit adultery You shall have no bitter water of jealousie to discover, convict and torment an Adulterous Wife, as Iudah has, Numb. 5.12. nor will I by unusual strokes of my hand smite them. This impunity will increase your grief and shame, and so you shall be punisht.: for themselves The Husbands and Fathers are examples to Wives and Daughters; Those are separated with the lewd women, which either they took to them upon putting away their lawful Wife, which these men did to satisfie their lusts, or else separated, i. e. withdrawn from the company of their fellow Idolaters, that in privacy they might commit whoredom with the women they choose to themselves for that end. are separated with whores Perform the rites of Sacrifices, both in offering first, and in feasting next, in which feasts wine and women would prove great and prevalent temptations to whoredom among those men., and they sacrifice with harlots x: therefore the people that does not understand By all this it is evident, this people is a ottish ignorant people, that know not God, as ver. 1.6, 11. shall fall Be utterly ruined, broken into pieces, and scattered, broken at home first by intestine wars, next by forreign invasions, and carried away at last by conquering enemies..

¶ Though thou Israel play the harlot This summeth up the sins, the Idolatries of the ten Tribes, and is a transition to what next follows., yet let not Judah Either by way of exhortation or admonition, or Prayer, and wish for the two tribes which stuck to the house of David, as to the Temple. offend Commit like sins as Israel has done, imitate none of their Idolatry; possibly the Prophet saw Iudah inclin'd to backslide, or this might be preacht in the beginning of A az his Reign., and come not ye You of Iudah who have the Temple and house of God with you, who have hitherto been preserved from Israelitish Idolatry. unto Gilgal A place near Iordan, where the twelve stones were pitched, Io h. 4.9. the Camp was pitched, Circumcision revived the Pass-over kept, Iosh. 5.2, 10. there Ioshua divided the land, Iosh. 14.6. there the Tabernacle was at first pitcht after they came over Iordan, and there they Sacrificed. There was in Ahabs time a Colledge of Prophets, and now whether out of reverence to the place on these accounts, or for what other reasons it matters not but certain 'tis, this Gilgal was chosen out by Ieroboam, or by succeeding idolaters, for a place of publick Worship of their Idols, and grew famous for it. Go not up to partake of their idolatry, or to learn it. It is a concise speech, which forbids all the sins committed at Gilgal., neither go ye up to Beth-aven Which is Bethel where Iacob lodged, had a vision of Angels, and a more comfortable vision of God, who appear'd to Iacob, who for this gave name to the place, and called it Beth-el, house of God; but when Ieroboam made it the place for his Calf Worship, it became, and is called Beth-aven, house of vanity or iniquity. Go not thither to worship, 'tis as the former, a prohibition of being of that Religion which was in use at Beth-aven, and had been the Establisht Religion for two hundred years, or thereabouts, viz. ever since Ieroboams time., nor swear, The LORD liveth This is in it self a lawful Oath, and may be used, but in the circumstances wherewith 'tis here attended, its forbidden, because many who went thither yet pretended there to sacrifice only to the true God, that they own'd him the only living God, reverenced him, swore by him, though they went up to Beth-aven or Gilgal, yet they worshipt God there. This is a Synecdoche, a part being put for the whole worship of God, which the Prophet warns them not to blend and mix with idolatries, which yet was done before Iosiahs time, Zeph. 1.5. which see, with the Annotations on it..

For There is just cause why Iudah should not imitate Israel, and this cause is here assigned. Israel The ten Tribes. slideth back, as a backsliding heifer Grown lusty, fed and wanton, will neither endure the yoke to work, nor be confined in her allowed Pastures, breaks over all bounds, casts off all service, so is Israel, as verse 7. which see.: now Ere long, or suddenly, so chap. 2. ver. 10. the LORD Offended by their sins, and provoked to displeasure. will feed them as a lamb in a large place In their sinning they were like an untamed heifer, boundless, strong, and stood upon their defence, but in their punishments, they shall be like a lamb, solitary, full of fears, in a large place or Wilderness, where no rest, safety or provision: Such shall be the condition of the ten captivated Tribes. This is a Proverbial speech, setting forth the forlorn state, which Israel ere long should fall under..

Ephraim The children of Ephraim were numerous and potent among the ten Tribes, a principal part of them, and out of which Tribe the first Idolater and Usurper did arise, 1 King. 11.26. and therefore the whole body of the ten Tribes, and the rulers among them are here particularly pointed at. is joyned Associated as friends to friends, or joined as lovers are joined to lovers; Married to Idols, and will not be taken off. to idols: let him alone He is indeed obstinately bent on his old courses, and as such throw him up, he will not return, let him wander, but let it be alone, O I dah be not his Companion, his friend, go not with him..

Their drink is sowre Though in their Idol Feasts they drink wine and strong drinks, yet this is either sowre and unpleasant, or corrupt and hurtful, there is no good savour in it; therefore O Iudah, decline thou the intimate familiarity, and have nothing to do with the Idolatries of Israel.: they have committed whoredom Both spiritual and corporal. continually Without ceasing from Ieroboams time to this day, 200 years, one King after another, and one Idolater after another; Not one, but either was an idolatrous worshipper of Baal or the Calves, &c.: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye Beside all this there is shameful oppression and bribery among them, and what good then O Iudah canst thou look for from society and friendship with them?.

The wind has bound her up in her wings The whirlwind of wrath from God has already siezed th old Adultress, and carried some of her children away already. 2 Kings 15.19. and 29 ver. Execution of Judgment is already begun, and therefore O Iudah keep distance from Ephrai., and they shall be ashamed Greatly confounded and disappointed of their hopes, as thou O Iudah wouldest prevent this shame, fly the society of these Idolaters. because of their sacrifices What they made their confidence shall be their shame, their own Idols cannot help them, but their idolatry shall surely undo them. Their Idols which they worshipt and depended on shall be their shame and confusion, for thy God O Iudah, has cursed such people. Confounded be all they that serve graven Images, that boast themselves of Idols, Psal. 97.7. if Israel do, yet O Iudah do not thou so..