Ruin is threatened A. M. 3258. CHAPTER XI. to the Israelites. B. C. 746. 13 a Ye have ploughed wickedness, || Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel in the A. M. 3258. ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten day of battle: the mother was dashthe fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thyed in pieces upon her children. way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. 15 So shall Beth-el do unto you because of е your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off. c2 Kings xviii. 34; xix. 13.- d Chap. xiii. 16.- 9 Heb. the Verses 13-15. Ye have ploughed wickedness-In- || however, that the Vulgate, St. Jerome, and the LXX. stead of working righteousness, (verse 12,) you have (see the Alexandrine MS.) suppose that the history taken a great deal of pains in the service of sin, to alluded to is Gideon's destruction of Zalmunna. So compass your wicked designs. Ye have reaped ini- || shall Beth-el do unto you—“This is the fruit of your quity-Ye have, in return, received the fruit of ini- worshipping the golden calves at Beth-el and Dan. quity, namely, punishment, or calamity. Ye have As it happened to the city above mentioned, so shall eaten the fruit of lies-Fed yourselves with vain it happen to you, because of your iniquities.” In a hopes, which have deceived and will deceive you. || morning-That is, suddenly, quickly, and unexOr, you have trusted to that which has been only pectedly; or after a night of adversity, when they specious, not really satisfying or profitable. Because thought the morning of prosperity was come; shall thou didst trust in thy way-Thy own carnal pro- the king of Israel be cut off-And the whole state jects and sinful contrivances, particularly the idol- and government of Israel be put an end to along atry at Dan and Beth-el. In the multitude of thy with him. This seems to be spoken of Hoshea, the mighty men-The next lie, or false ground of their last king of Israel, who, in the sixth year of his reign, confidence, was the wisdom and valour of their great was shut up in prison by the king of Assyria, who, men. Therefore shall a tumult arise-A terrible in three years more, made himself master of the outcry, as of men affrighted at the news of the ene- whole kingdom of Israel, and carried the inhabitants mies' approach. And all thy fortresses shall be of it into captivity. The Vulgate, (which, with the spoiled, &c.-This seems to be a prophecy of the LXX. and the Syriac, carries this clause to the next taking of Samaria by Shalmaneser, which put a final chapter,) instead of, in the morning, seems to period to the kingdom of Israel, 2 Kings xvii. 6. It have read, as the morning, rendering the held out a siege of three years, which probably pro- clause, sicut mane transit, pertransit rex Israel: voked Shalmaneser to treat it with the severity "As the morning passes away, so passes away the which he used, when he made himself master of it. king of Israel." This reading Bishop Horsley adopts, The only difficulty in this verse is, what place or and translates to nearly the same sense, thus: As the person is alluded to by the words, as Shalman || morning is brought to nothing, to nothing shall the spoiled Beth-arbel in the day of battle. It is sup- king of Israel be brought: observing, "The sudden posed that by Shalman is meant Shalmaneser; and and total destruction of the monarchy of the ten tribes that Beth-arbel was a place in Armenia which he is compared to the sudden and total extinction of the took and spoiled, putting the inhabitants to the sword beauties of the dawn in the sky, by the instanwithout any distinction either of age or sex. But it taneous diffusion of the solar light: by which the cannot be said with certainty, that this supposition ruddy streaks in the east, the glow of orange-cois founded on fact. Some other conquest, by some loured light upon the horizon, are at once obliterated, other person, might possibly be meant. But it is absorbed, and lost in the colourless light of day. not material to know this. It was some place which The change is sudden even in these climates; it had been treated with great severity by the con- must be more sudden in the tropical; and in all queror, and such treatment the prophet denounces it is one of the most complete that nature preSamaria should meet with. It is worthy of remark, || sents.” CHAPTER XI. In this chapter we have, (1,) The great goodness of God toward his people Israel, and their ungrateful conduct toward him, with threatenings of wrath against them for their ingratitude and treachery, 1-7. (2,) Mercy remembered in the midst of wrath, 8, 9. (3,) Promises of what God would yet do for them, 10, 11. (4,) An honourable character given of Judah, 12. 3 887 The prophet rehearses the a A. M. 3274. WHEN Israel was a child, then by their arms; but they knew not A. M. 3274 B. 730. I loved him, and called my that I healed them. B. C. 730. NOTES ON CHAPTER XI. to change them for others, that might more exactly Verse 1. When Israel was a child, &c.-"The correspond with the original. The graven image Israel of this chapter is the whole people, composed was not a thing wrought in metal by the tool of the of the two branches, Judah and the ten tribes. But workman we should now call an engraver; nor was the house of Israel is the kingdom of the ten tribes, the molten image an image made of metal, or any as distinct from the other branch."-Horsley. By other substance melted, and shaped in a mould. In the time of Israel's childhood is meant the patri- fact, the graven image and the molten image are the archal age, and the time of their continuance under same thing under different names. The images of the Egyptian bondage. Then I loved him-Mani- the ancient idolaters were first cut out of wood by fested a tender and paternal affection to him, in- the carpenter, as is very evident from the Prophet creasing him in numbers, wealth, and honour. And Isaiah. The figure of wood was overlaid with plates, called my son out of Egypt--Namely, by Moses, either of gold or silver, or sometimes, perhaps, of an whom God commanded to acquaint the Israelites inferior metal. And in this finished state it was that they must remove out of Egypt. Israel is called called a graven image, (that is, a carved image,) in God's son, and his firstborn, Exod. iv. 22, 23; and ⠀| reference to the inner solid figure of wood, and a therein was an eminent figure of the Messiah, in molten (that is, an overlaid, or covered) image in whom all God's promises were fulfilled. This pro- reference to the outer metalline case, or covering. phecy, therefore, is applied by St. Matthew, chap. ii. And sometimes both epithets are applied to it at once:" 15, to our Lord's return out of Egypt, after his being see Nah. i. 14; Hab. ii. 18, and Bishop Horsley. taken thither by his parents in his infancy, and kept there some time for fear of Herod. And the strict, literal sense of the words, more properly belongs to him than to Israel. And this is observable in many other prophecies, which can but improperly be applied to those of whom they were at first spoken; and, taking them in their strict, literal sense, are only fulfilled in Christ: see particularly Psa. xxii. 16, 18. "Although the son," says Bishop Horsley, "here immediately meant, is the natural Israel, called out|| of Egypt by Moses and Aaron; there can be no doubt that an allusion was intended by the Holy Spirit to the call of the infant Christ out of the same country. In reference to this event, the passage might be thus paraphrased: 'God in such sort set his affection upon the Israelites, in the infancy of their nation, that, so early as from their first settlement in Egypt, the arrangement was declared of the descent of the Messiah from Judah, and of the calling of that son from Egypt.'" Verses 3, 4. I taught Ephraim also to go-Hebrew, on, I directed the feet of Ephraim. In this time of Ephraim's childhood, I supported and directed his steps, as a mother or nurse those of a child whom she is teaching to walk. Taking them by their arms--To guide them, that they might not stray from the right way; and to hold them up, that they might not stumble and fall: see notes on Deut. i. 31, and xxxii. 11, 12; Isa. lxiii. Thus did God deal with Israel in the wilderness; and thus he directs and supports the steps of his spiritual Israel, amidst all their difficulties and dangers. But they knew not that I healed them--They did not acknowledge this my care over, and kindness to, them. I drew them with cords of a man-I made use of those means of drawing them to myself, which were most proper to work upon them as creatures possessed of understanding and affection. The explanation in the Chaldee is just and beautiful: "As beloved children are drawn, I drew them by the strength of love." And I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws-Or rather, on their cheek. As a careful husbandman, in due season, takes the yoke from his labouring oxen, and takes off the muzzle with which they were kept from eating when at work; so compassionately did I give relief to, and provide sustenance for Israel. I laid meat unto them--Brought them provision in their wants. God seems here to allude to the manna and quails which he provided for his people in the wilderness. Verse 2. As they called them, so, &c.-Or, The more they called them, or, they were called, so much the more they went from him; that is, the more earnestly the prophets called upon them to cleave steadfastly to the true God, (see verse 7,) the more they were bent to depart from him to the worship of idols. They sacrificed to Baalim-See note on chap. ii. 13. And burned incense to graven images|| -“We read frequently, in our English Bibles, of graven images, and of molten images. And the words are become so familiar, as names of idolatrous images, that, although they are not well chosen to Verses 5, 6. He shall not return into the land of express the Hebrew names, it seems not advisable || Egypt-They were desirous of making their escape The ingratitude of Israel, B. C. 730. m CHAPTER XI. ther. and God's mercy to them. B. C. 730. 9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim r A. M. 3274. Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his || Zeboim? my heart is turned within A. M. 3274. k king, because they refused to return. || me, my repentings are kindled toge6 And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, 1 because of their own counsels.* 7 And my people are bent to backsliding though they called them to the 2 none at all would exalt him. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as P Admah? how shall I set thee as from me: Most High, 8 n for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city. 10 They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. t P Genesis xiv. 8; xix. 24, 25; Deut. xxix. 23; Amos iv. 11. 9 Deut. xxxii. 36; Isa. lxiii. 15; Jer. xxxi. 20. Num. xxiii. 19; Isaiah lv. 8, 9; Mal. iii. 6.- Isa. xxxi. 4; Jer. xxv 30; Joel iii. 16; Amos i. 2.- Zech. viii. 7. thither, and many families perhaps effected it: see ically described as contending with his justice, to note on chap. ix. 6. But it is here threatened, that show that he does not willingly destroy, or even the nation in a body should not be permitted so to|| afflict, or grieve, the children of men, Lam. iii. 33. escape. But the Assyrian shall be his king—They How shall I make thee as Admah? &c.-How shall shall be wholly in the power of the king of Assyria, I give thee up to a perpetual desolation? Admah and be carried away captive into his dominions; be- and Zeboim were two cities which were wholly decause they refused to return-Namely, to the true stroyed, together with Sodom and Gomorrah. My worship of God, and obedience to his laws, notwith-heart is turned within me—Or, upon me; so Horsley. standing the many calls, reproofs, admonitions, and My repentings are kindled together-Not that God exhortations given them by the prophets. Their ob- is ever fluctuating or unresolved; but these are exsting'y 'n 'dolatry is the cause of all the calamities pressions after the manner of men, to show what secoming upon them. And the sword shall abide on verity Israel had deserved, and yet how divine grace his cities-His cities shall be destroyed by the con- would be glorified in sparing them. Thus God's queror's sword; and shall consume his branches—|| compassion toward sinners is elsewhere expressed The lesser towns and villages. Thus the word by the sounding, or yearning, of his bowels, Isa. lxiii. is expounded, in a marginal note of the Bishops' 15; Jer. xxxi. 20; a metaphor taken from the natuBible. It often means the arms, or principal branch-ral affection which parents have for their children. I es, of a great tree, and is twice translated staves, Ex. xxvii. 6. In this place some interpreters render it bars; and Abarbanel expounds it of the strong and valiant men of the nation, observing, that the chief branches of the people in a kingdom are the valiant men. Rabbi Tanchum explains it of their children; the branches, as he observes, springing from their fathers. The word, however, also signifies lies, and is so rendered Isa. xvi. 6, and Jer. xlviii. 30. Bishop Horsley translates it diviners, deriving it from 772, he was solitary, because they affected a solitary, ascetic life; a sense which he thinks, of all others, most apposite to the context. He acknowledges, however, that to render it branches, limbs, or bars, is admissible, and may very well suit the place. Verse 7. My people are bent to backsliding from me-Many versions render this clause, Nevertheless, my people are in suspense (or hesitate) about returning to me; though they called them to the Most High -Though my prophets, and other pious persons, invited and exhorted them to return to my worship and service; none at all would exalt him-Scarce any would hearken and obey. The word him not being in the Hebrew, some versions read, None would raise himself up, or advance; that is, come forward to obey and serve me. Verses 8, 9. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim To utter destruction? God's mercy is here pathet || will not execute the fierceness of mine anger—I will not punish to the utmost strictness of justice; I will not return to destroy Ephraim-I will not carry it so far as to make a second destruction of Ephraim; so as to cut off those who escaped the first infliction of my punishments, and thereby wholly destroy them. Conquerors, that plunder a conquered city, carry away the wealth of it, and, after some time, often return to burn it. God will not thus utterly destroy Israel. For I am God, and not manTherefore my compassions fail not; the Holy One in the midst of thee-A holy God, and in covenant, though not with all, yet with many among you, and present with you to preserve a remnant to be my faithful servants. And I will not enter into the city As an enraged enemy to destroy your cities, as I did Sodom. Verses 10, 11. They shall walk after the LordThe remnant shall hearken to God's call, and shall comply with his commands, when he shall convert them by the powerful preaching of his gospel, and the efficacious influence of his grace. He shall roar like a lion-- That is, he will show terrible signs of his anger, and then they will fear and obey him. God's voice is elsewhere compared to the roaring of a lion, because of the terror which accompanies it: see the margin. The Chaldee says, The word of the Lord shall roar as a lion, and the words may be in -Ezek. xxviii. 25, 26; xxxvii.|| 21, 25. 3 "Isa. lx. 8; Chap. vii. 11.terpreted of the powerful voice of the gospel, sent Thus Bishop Horsley. These verses "contain a forth, and sounding all over the world, and calling wonderful prophecy of the promulgation and prosinners to repentance. "The most learned com- gress of the gospel, and the restoration of the race mentators agree," says Bishop Horsley, "that this of Israel. The first clause of the tenth verse states roaring of the lion is the sound of the gospel; and generally that they shall be brought to repentance. that the subject of this and the following verse is, its In what follows, the circumstances and progress of promulgation and progress, the conversion of the the business are described. First, Jehovah shall Gentiles, and the final restoration of the Jews. roar; the roaring is unquestionably the sound of the ( Clara et maxima voce predicabit evangelium,' With gospel. Jehovah himself shall roar; the sound shall a loud and most powerful voice shall he preach the begin to be uttered by the voice of the incarnate God gospel, says Piscator. And to the same effect Rivetus himself. The first effect shall be, that children shall and Bochart. As a lion, by its roaring, calls animals come fluttering from the west; a new race of chilof its own kind to a participation of the prey; so dren, converts of the Gentiles." For, "it is remarkChrist, by the powerful voice of the gospel, shall call able, that the expression is neither their children, nor all nations to the fellowship of eternal life.-Livelye. || my children, but simply children. The first would The preaching of the gospel, reaching the remotest limit the discourse to the natural Israel exclusively; corners of the earth, is frequently represented under the second would be nearly of the same effect, as it the image of the loudest sounds. And this loudness would express such as were already children at the of the sound alone might justify the figure of the time of the roaring. But the word children, put naroaring lion. But a greater propriety of the figure kedly, without either of these epithets, expresses will appear, if we recollect, that the first demonstra- those who were neither of the natural Israel, nor tions of mercy to the faithful will be, the judgments children at the time of the roaring, but were roused executed on the anti-christian persecutors; to whom by that sound, and then became children, that is, the sound of the gospel will be a sound of terror." adopted children, by natural extraction Gentiles." When he shall roar, then the children shall tremble These shall come "chiefly from the western quarfrom the west-The word 17, rendered, shall ters of the world, or what the Scriptures call the tremble, describes the motion which a bird makes west; for no part, I think, of Asia Minor, Syria, or with its wings when it flies. Dr. Waterland renders Palestine, is reckoned a part of the east, in the lanit, shall come fluttering, and Bishop Horsley, shall guage of the Old Testament. Afterward the natural hurry. The primary sense of the passage may be, Israel shall hurry from all the regions of their disthat at this efficacious call of God, the remnant of persion, and be settled in their own dwellings. It is Israel, who shall be accounted his children, and heirs to be observed that the roaring is mentioned twice. of the promises made to their fathers, shall come in It will be most consistent with the style of the prohaste from the several places of their dispersions, and phets to take this as two roarings; and to refer the particularly from the western parts of the world, (see hurrying of the children from the west to the first, Zech. viii. 7,) called the sea in the original, and ex- the hurrying from Egypt and Assyria to the second. pressed in Isaiah by the islands of the sea: see Isa. The times of the two roarings are, the first and sexi. 11, and xxiv. 14. They shall tremble as a bird cond advent. The first brought children from the out of Egypt-That is, fly with haste, as above. As west; the renewed preaching of the gospel, at the a dove out of the land of Assyria-Great numbers second, will bring home the Jews. And perhaps this of the Jews were exiles in Egypt and Assyria; and second sounding of the gospel may be, more remarktherefore, when the restoration of the Jews is spoken ably even than the first, a roaring of Jehovah in of, Egypt and Assyria are mentioned as countries person." With this verse the chapter is closed in from whence a great number of them should return. the Hebrew text and the Syriac version, and the folAnd I will place them in their houses-I will bring lowing verse is given to the next chapter. But the them back to their own country and habitations, like division of the LXX., Vulgate, and Chaldee, which as the stork returns to her nest, and the dove to the our public translation follows, seems preferable. dove-cot. This prophecy may be considered as receiving its completion in part when some of the Israelites, being recovered to the worship of the true God, returned to Judea with the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, brought back to their own land from their captivity in Babylon. But the full accomplishment of it will not take place till the latter days, when the fulness of the Gentiles being brought in by the preaching of the gospel, all Israel shall be saved. Verse 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies-Ephraim and Israel are hypocrites; they promise much and perform nothing; they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. But Judah yet ruleth with God-Judah kept close to that kingly government which God had settled in David's family, and faithfully observed those ordinances which God had given to his people, here termed saints, as they are also Deut. xxxiii. 3; and else where a holy nation, and peculiar people. This seems to relate to the times of Hezekiah, who restored the pure worship of God in Judah; at which time the ten tribes were flagrantly wicked, and wholly addicted|| to an idolatrous worship. Instead of saints, Bishop Horsley reads, holy ones, and interprets the expression of the persons of the Trinity. His translation of the verse is, "Ephraim hath compassed me about with treachery, and the house of Israel with deceit. | But Judah shall yet obtain dominion with God, and || reproved for their sins. shall be established with the holy ones." He considers the expression, shall obtain dominion, &c., as "a promissory allusion to a final restoration of the Jewish monarchy;" and the remaining clause, shall be established, &c., as signifying "either the constancy of Judah's fidelity to the Holy Ones, or the firmness of the support which he shall receive from them." And he thinks that "by the use of this plural word, Holy Ones, the prophecy clearly points to the conversion of the Jewish people to the Christian faith." CHAPTER XII. In this chapter, (1,) God reproves Ephraim and Judah for their sins, particularly their covenanting with the Assyrians, and declares his resolution to punish them, 1, 2. (2,) By his former mercies he exhorts them to repentance, 3-6. (3) He charges Ephraim with the sin of fraud, injustice, and ingratitude, as particularly provoking to God, and calling for wrath and punishment, 7–14. his subjects; for which God's judgments are here threatened, and the invasion of Sennacherib was actually inflicted, 2 Kings xviii. 13, &c. Verse 3. He took his brother by the heel in the womb-From the mentioning of Jacob in the fore Verses 1, 2. Ephraim feedeth on wind-Flatters himself with vain, delusive hopes, of receiving effectual support from the alliances which he forms. It is a proverbial expression to signify labour in vain, or pursuing such measures as will bring dam-going verse, the prophet takes occasion to put his age rather than benefit. And followeth the east posterity in mind of the particular favours God had wind-Pernicious, destructive counsels and courses. bestowed upon him; partly with a view to encourThe east wind was peculiarly parching and noxious, age them to imitate him in endeavouring to obtain blasting the fruits of the earth; thence it denotes de- the like blessings, and partly to convince them of solation and destruction. He daily increaseth- their ingratitude and degeneracy from him. His Hebrew, 7, multiplieth, lies and desolation-Or, taking his brother by the heel, signified his striving, falsehood and destruction; so Horsley: that is, in by a divine instinct, for the birthright and blessing. multiplying his falsehood, he multiplies the causes Even before his birth he reached forth his hand to of his own destruction. And they do make a cove- catch hold of it, as it were, and if possible to prenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into vent his brother. It denoted, also, that he should Egypt-Here is an example given of their false- prevail at last, gain his point, and in process of hood, or deceit: while they were in covenant with time become greater than his brother. And this the Assyrians, having engaged themselves to be prognostic of his prevalence and superiority was tributaries to them, they were secretly and perfid- the effect of God's will and power, and not of Jaiously seeking to make an alliance with the Egyp- cob's, who was not then in a capacity of acting of tians, and for that purpose sent oil as a present to himself: see note on Gen. xxv. 26. It is justly obthe king of Egypt, endeavouring to persuade him served here, by Bishop Horsley, that his "taking to assist them in shaking off the yoke of the king his brother by the heel is not mentioned in disof Assyria: see the margin. The land of Judah paragement of the patriarch. On the contrary, the abounded with excellent oil, which was much want- whole of these two verses is a commemoration of ed in Egypt. The Lord hath also a controversy || God's kindness for the ancestor of the Israentes, with Judah-Though Hezekiah had abolished idol- on which the prophet founds an animated exhortaatry, and restored God's worship in the temple, tion to them, to turn to that God from whom they 2 Chron. xxix. 3, and xxxi. 1, yet there were much || might expect so much favour. By his strength he hypocrisy and great corruption in the manners of || had power with God, &c.-This alludes to his |