View Hosea 5 in the note window.
The scope of this chapter likewise, is to discover the sins of
Israel and Judah, and to denounce the judgments of God against
them, ver. 1 - 15.
1: For judgment - God's controversy is with you all. A snare - You,
O priests and princes, have ensnared the people by your examples.
Mizpah - By idolatries acted at Mizpah, a part of Libanus.
On Tabor - Here, as in Mizpah, idolatry catched men as birds are
taken in a net.
2: The revolters - All those that have cast off the law of God.
Profound - Dig deep to hide their counsels, and to slay the innocent.
Though I - Hosea.
5: Doth testify - Is an evident witness against him.
6: To seek the Lord - The Jewish doctors tell us, that under
Hosea, Israel had liberty of bringing their sacrifices to Jerusalem.
Shall not find him - God will not be found of them.
Hath withdrawn himself - For their impenitency.
7: Have begotten - They have trained up their children in the same
idolatry. A month - Possibly it may refer to Shallum's short time of
usurpation, which lasted but a month; the Assyrians shall make a
speedy conquest over you. With their portions - With all their substance.
8: Blow ye - Ye watchmen, sound the alarm, the enemy cometh.
After thee, O Benjamin - After thy cries. After thee, O Beth - aven,
let Benjamin also cry aloud: for they shall also fall for their sin.
9: Ephraim - The whole kingdom of the ten tribes. Rebuke - When
Salmaneser shall besiege, sack and captivate all thy cities,
rebuked for their sins. Of Israel - To the house of Israel openly.
Made known - By my prophets.
10: The bound - The ancient bounds which limited every one, and
prevented the encroaching of covetous men. Like water - Like an
overflowing flood.
11: Ephraim - The ten tribes are by seditions, civil wars, unjust
sentences, and bloody conspiracies eaten up already.
After the commandment - To forbear going to the temple, and to worship
the calves at Dan and Bethel, as Jeroboam the son of Nebat
commanded.
12: A moth - Moths leisurely eat up our clothes; so God was then,
and had been, from Jeroboam's death, weakening the ten tribes.
As rottenness - Secretly consuming them.
13: His sickness - Weakness, like a consumption, threatening death.
Then went - Made application. The Assyrian - Particularly to Israel
or Pul.
14: Will tear - Divine vengeance by the Assyrians, shall be as a
lion tearing his prey.
