2 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:

3 And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.

4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim;

5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days. (C)

[and future hopes,

CHAP. IV.

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 to 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 blood toucheth 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.

CHAP. III.

(C) The desolate state of Israel, and their future hopes.-Commentators are not agreed in what light to consider the woman here named; some suppose her to be the wife Hosea had been directed to marry in the first chapter, and who had proved false to him but surely she could have no claim to a dowry. Others suppose her to have been temporary wife, such things being common among the heathen; but they certainly were not tolerated by the law of Moses. We therefore consider the fact to be, that the Prophet purchased this woman, being a female slave, as a concubine, or secondary wife and it is very remarkable (as Michaelis observes), that he paid the legal and established price of a female slave, namely, “thirty shekels, half in money, and half in grain." But this is never mentioned as the price of a harlot, nor could be. (See Michaelis's Comm. on Moses, vol. i. p. 451.)

:

This parable seems to be intended to represent God's love to, and redemption (or purchase) of, his people Israel: and the Prophet is commanded to love her, as the Lord does his people, that is, gratui tously, and without any merit on their part; slaves by nature, but redeemed by grace. This woman we may suppose to have been married, and dismissed for her unworthy conduct, on which account she had been separated, without any of the ornaments or privileges of a wife; so should Israel, while living in impenitence, remain long without those privileges, civil or religious, which they formerly enjoyed while acting in obedience to his laws; without prince or priest, sacrifice or oracle, or God. In the latter days, however, it is promised they shall return and seek the Lord and his anointed; and fear God and his goodness: that is, fear as well to abuse his goodness, as to provoke his anger.

CHAP. III. Ver. 1. Beloved of her friend (or husand), yet an adulteress-false to her marriage vows. The LXX and other versions read, "A woman that loveth evil, an adulteress."

Ver. 2. Flagons of wine-Heb. "Grapes." The most ancient method of making wine was, by pressing the juice of the grapes into a cup, Gen. xl. 11 ; see Note there. But some think that here the word refers to dried grapes, or, &c. See Note on Cant. ii. 5. So I bought her, &c.—namely, as a concubine. See Deut. xxi. 11-14.

Ver. 4. The children of Israel shall abide many days, &c.-This is given as the mystical import of the preceding verse; and that this was the fact, our translators refer to the Song of the Three Children in the furnace (ver. 15). "Neither is there at this time a prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to

sacrifice before thee, and find mercy.”—An image -Hebrew, "A standing statue, or pillar." See Isa. xix. 19.Without an ephod, and without teraphim, without means of inquiring the will of God.

Ver. 5. David-that is, "Messiah." See Ezek.

xxxiv. 23.

CHAP. IV. Ver. 1. A controversy.-"The whole Jewish religion (says Mr. Robinson) was styled "Jehovah's controversy." Jer. xxv. 31. They controverted all his precepts: he controverted all their their actions.

Ver. 2. Blood toucheth blood-that is, murders succeed each other without intermission.

Ver. 4. As they that strive with the priest.-If the people strove with the Lord, it can be no wonder that they strove with the priests, disputing not ev the dues of the priests, but the sacrifices demanded by God,

Judah warned]

4 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will de= stroy thy mother.

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 priest: 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.

12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them for the spirit of whoredoms hath

CHAP. IV.

[by the fate of Israel.

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 harlots: 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-aven, nor sware, The LORD liveth.

16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding 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 sour: 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. (D)

(D) Judah warned by the calamities of Israel.-The Prophet charged Israel with

their enormous guilt, and in consequence thereof, threatens them with heavy national judgments, particularly a grievous famine.

Ver. 8. They set their heart on-" They lift up their soul to" their iniquity.

Ver. 9. I will punish-Heb. "Visit upon them." Ver. 12. My people ask counsel of their stocksthat is, their idols, See Jer. ii. 27. They also used divination by staves, or rods, much in the same way as they did by arrows. See Note on Ezek. xxi. 21.- -From under-Boothroyd gives the true sense of this passage: "They have gone astray from their God;" i. e. have revolted from their allegiance to bim. See 2 Chron. xxi. 8.

Ver. 13. Therefore your daughter shall, &c.Newcome, Horsley, and Boothroyd, all render this clause in the present tense, "they commit," &c.

Ver. 14. I will not punish, &c.—that is, because you have committed spiritual adultery against me, therefore will I screen your own wives from punishment for proving false to you; especially as they have been corrupted by visiting your idol temples, where every species of licentiousness is practised. Such is the sense given to the passage by Bp. Horsley.

Bp. Newcome and Dr. Boothroyd follow our marginal reading, which is interrogative, "Shall I not?" &c.

Ver. 15. Gilgal, Beth-aven, &c. places remarkable for idolatry, in which the Lord would not have his name mentioned. See chap. v. 8; x. 4, 5.

Ver. 16. A large place-the open desert, unscreened and unprotected.

Ver. 18. Their drink is sour-Heb. "Is gone;" i. e. turned acid: so Horsley. But Newcome and Boothroyd read, "He (i. e. Ephraim, or Israel) is gone after their wine;"' i. e. of the idol temples.Their rulers with shame do love, Give ye. See Prov. xxx. 15; xxxi. 4; Isa. v. 11. But Newcome renders it, "Her rulers have loved fornication continually; they have loved shame."

Ver. 19. The wind hath bound, &c.-Bp. Horsley considers this as "an admirable image of a people torn by a conqueror from their native land, scattered in exile to the four quarters of the world, and henceforward living without any settled residence of their own."

Farther judgments]

CHAP. V.

HEAR ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

2 And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.

5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.

6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.

[threatened.

7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: ery aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, 0 Benjamin.

9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

10 The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound : therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

Notwithstanding this warning, however, he complains that there are no tendencies to reformation, no mutual exhortations to repentance. For this reason the Prophet again denounces the fall of the city and people. God himself is then introduced in person, complaining of their ignorance and obstinacy, and threatening to reject them for their ingratitude: and as their priests had a large share in the common guilt, they especially are threatened with a proportionable share of the common ruin. The sins of idolatry and divination are particularly reproved and threatened, and Ju

dah admonished to beware of those sins, which left her rebellious sister Israel help less and desolate, as a deserted and exposed i lamb. Mr. Preb. Townsend supposes this chapter was written during the interreg. num between the reigns of Jeroboam and Zechariah, when the people were overwhelmed with licentiousness, and distracted with civil war.

Ephraim (says God) is joined to idols, is wedded to his sins: let him alone, therefore! and immediately we see him, as it were, bound up in the wings of a tempest, and carried off into captivity.

CHAP. V. Ver. 2. The revolters are profoundBp. Newcome (whom Boothroyd follows) renders this verse, "The revolters have made deep the slaughter (of victims); therefore (will) I (bring) chastisement on them all :" Marg. "correction."

Ver. 4. They will not frame- Heb. "Give;" Marg. Their doings (Horsley,' evil habits') will not suffer them to turn," &c.

Ver. 5. Doth testify to his face - Boothroyd, "Against him."

Ver. 7. Strange children-that is, the children of strange women, and of a strange religion; heathen. See Deat. vii. 1-3.

Ver. 8. Gibeah, &c. All places in the tribe of Benjamin. Josh, xviii. 22-25. After thee, O

An exhortation and]

14 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, eren 1, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early. (E)

CHAP. VI.'

COME, and let us return unto the

LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

2 After two days will he revive us : in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morn

CHAP. V.

[encouragement to return.

ing cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light thut goeth forth.

6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

8 Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with

blood.

9 And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.

10 I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

11 Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people. (F)

(E) Farther judgments threatened against all classes. This chapter begins with threatening the Israelites for their unlawful sacrifices on Mispah and Tabor, whereby they not only offended the pure eye of God, but defiled themselves and seduced others. They are then threatened with a rejection of all their sacrifices, however numerous and costly, and the devotion of their substance to the locusts, who (whether to be literally or figuratively taken) should destroy it in a single month. A fresh alarm is now sounded in the cities of Judah, and the crier is ordered to proclaim aloud, "After thee, O Benjaminthe enemy is after thee." (Comp. Joel ii. 1.) The sin of Israel and Judah is here compared to that of the accursed man, who removeth his poor neighbour's landmark; Deut. xxvii. 17. So the princes of Judah and of Israel are accused of

-

removing the barriers between truth and error, right and wrong, religion and idolatry; and therefore the Lord declares he will pour down upon them an inundation of wrath, that shall completely overwhelm them.

When they are charged with "walking after the commandment" as a crime (ver. 11), we must understand, certainly, not the command of God, but of those wicked princes who ordered them to mingle with his worship the licentious rites of Baal. (Comp. Matt. xv. 9.)

The Almighty here again threatens to tear these rebels to pieces like a lion, and then retire, and hide himself from them, till they become suitably humbled by their afflictions, and seek his favour early, as the inhabitants of those countries look up to the dawn of day, and hail the rising sun. CHAP. VI.

(F) An exhortation to return to God,

Ver. S. Polluted - Marg. " Cunning" (plotting, scheming) for blood.

Ver. 9. By consent-Heb. "With one shoulder." But the Hebrew word for "shoulder" is Shechem, and therefore Newcome renders it, "A company of priests murder in the way to Shechem;" and to the same effect, Bp. Horsley and others.

Ver 11. When I returned-Dr. Wheeler, "When I shall return;" Horsley, "When I bring back."

Farther complaints]

CHAP. VII.

WHEN I would have healed Israel,

then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.

2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.

3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

4 They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.

5 In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with

scorners.

6 For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.

[of Israel's sin and folly.

7 They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.

8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.

10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, not seek him for all this.

11 Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

12 When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congrega tion hath heard.

13 Woe unto them! for they have fled from me destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

14 And they have not cried unto

with a lamentation over Israel's inconstancy. The close of the preceding chapter holding out a hope of pardon and acceptance, and the Prophet here puts into the mouths of the penitent Israelites words both of confession and encouragement: "Come, and let us return unto the Lord,' &c. The following expression, "After two days," &c. seems to be proverbial. The allusion to us appears to be, to some of the desperate diseases of those countries which generally terminated on the third day, either in death or recovery. (See 2 Kings xx. 5.) Here the anticipation is favourable; here is mercy in reserve for them.

In ver. 4, God is introduced as a kind

and affectionate father, lamenting over his hardened and rebellious children, who were alike unimpressed by the kindness of his admonition, and the severity of his reproof. The last verse is differently explained; by some as a promise, by others as a threatening. Bp. Horsley thinks that the vintage is always used as an image of judgments; the harvest, of mercies. We conceive his lordship would have been more correct in say ing, that the harvest, figuratively understood, implies a mixed state of reward and punishment. See Matt. xiii. 39, 40.We may remeinber, that on the return of the seventy years captivity, those who came back were chiefly of the tribe of Judah.

CHAP. VII. Ver. 2. They consider not in-Heb. "Say not to" their hearts.

Ver. 4. Who ceaseth from raising, &c.-Boothroyd, Which he ceaseth from watching, when he hath kneaded the dough," &c.

Ver. 5. With bottles of wine-Marg. "With heat through wine,

Ver. 8. Among the people-Newcome," Nations." A cake not turned that is, burnt and spoiled. Rauwolf says, that travellers in the deserts of Arae, frequently bake bread on the ground, covering