View Hosea 7 in the note window.
Various accusations with threats annext, ver. 1 - 16.
1: Of Ephraim - Of Ephraim the chief tribe of this revolting
kingdom.
2: Own doings - The guilt and punishment of the works they have done;
their own doings, not their fathers, as the incorrigible are ready to
complain. Beset them - As an enemy invests a town on every side.
Before my face - All their ways were under mine eye.
3: They - The courtiers in particular make it their work to
invent pleasing wickedness, and to acquaint the king with it.
With their lies - With false accusations against the innocent.
4: As an oven - This vice is grown raging hot among them, as the fire
in an oven, when the baker having called up those that make the bread,
to prepare all things ready, doth by continued supply of fuel, heat the
oven, 'till the heat need be raised no higher.
5: In the day of our king - Probably the anniversary of his birth or
coronation. Stretched out his hand - In these drunken feasts it seems the
king forgat himself, and stretched out his hand, with those who deride
religion, and with confusion to the professors of it.
6: They - Those luxurious and drinking princes. Like an oven - Hot
with ambition, revenge, or covetousness. Lie in wait - Against the life
or estate of some of their subjects. As the baker, having kindled a
fire in his oven, goes to bed and sleeps all night, and in the morning
finds his oven well heated and ready for his purpose; so these when
they have laid some wicked plot, tho' they may seem to sleep for a
while, yet the fire is glowing within, and flames out as soon as ever
there is opportunity for it.
7: Devoured - As a fire destroys, so have these conspirators,
destroyed their rulers. Their kings - All that have been since
Jeroboam the second's reign, to the delivery of this prophecy,
namely, Zechariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, Pekah, fell by the conspiracy
of such hot princes. That telleth - Not one of all these either
feared, trusted, or worshipped God.
8: Ephraim - The kingdom of Israel. Mixed himself - With the
Heathens by leagues and commerce and by imitation of their manners.
Not turned - Burnt on one side, and dough on the other, and so good
for nothing on either: always in one extreme or the other.
9: Knoweth it not - He is not aware of the loss he hath sustained.
Gray hairs - Of old age and declining strength are upon their kingdom.
11: Like a silly dove - Ephraim is now become like the dove in
weakness and fear, as well as in imprudence and liableness to be
deceived. Without heart - Without either discretion or courage.
To Assyria - Instead of going to God, who alone can help.
12: Go - To seek aid of Egypt or Assyria.
Bring them down - Though they attempt to fly, yet as fowls in the net
they shall certainly fall. Hath heard - From the prophets whom I have
sent unto them.
13: Spoken lies - They belied his corrections as if not deserved;
they belied the good done, as if too little, or not done by God, but
by their idol.
14: They assembled - In the houses of their idols.
15: Bound - As a surgeon binds up a weak member, or a broken one;
so did God for Ephraim, when the Syrians and other enemies had broken
their arms. Imagine mischief - They devise mischief against my prophets,
and let loose the reins to all impieties.
16: Not to the most high - What shew soever of repentance was among
them, yet they never throughly repented. A deceitful bow - Tho' they
seemed bent for, and aiming at the mark, yet like a weak bow they
carried not the arrow home, and like a false bow they never carried
it strait toward the mark. The rage of their tongue - Against God, his
prophets and providence. Their derision - They shall be upbraided with
this.
