1Neraduj se, Izraeli! Nejásej jako národy. Vždyť jsi smilnil, odpadl od svého Boha a miloval jsi nevěstčí mzdu na každém obilním humně. 2Humno a lis je nenasytí, nové víno je nechá na holičkách. 3Nebudou sídlit v Hospodinově zemi, Efrajim se vrátí do Egypta, v Asýrii budou jíst nečisté věci. 4Nebudou vylévat Hospodinu víno v úlitbu, jejich obětní hod ho nepotěší. Je pro ně chlebem truchlících. Všichni, kdo ho jedí, se znečistí, neboť jejich chléb je jen pro ně, nepřijde do Hospodinova domu. 5Co budete dělat v den svátku, v den svátku Hospodinova? 6Hle, i kdyby utekli zkáze, shromáždí je Egypt, Memfis je pohřbí. Vzácné je jejich stříbro, zdědí je kopřivy; trny budou v jejich stanech. 7Přišly dny navštívení, přišly dny odplaty; Izrael to pozná. Je prorok hlupák? Muž ducha potřeštěnec? To pro tvou velkou vinu a velké nepřátelství. 8Prorok je strážným Efrajima pro svého Boha. Na všech jeho cestách je ptáčníkova past, v domě jeho Boha nepřátelství. 9Hluboce propadli zvrácenosti jako za dnů Gibeje; bude pamatovat na jejich viny, navštíví je s trestem za jejich hříchy. 10Nalezl jsem Izrael jako hrozny v pustině. Vaše otce jsem viděl jako rané ovoce na fíkovníku, když poprvé rodí. Oni však šli za Baal-peórem, zasvětili se hanebnosti a stali se ohavností, jako to, co milovali. 11Efrajim je jako pták, jejich sláva odletí, budou bez porodu, bez těhotenství i bez početí. 12I když vychovají své syny, učiním je bezdětnými, bez lidí. Ano běda jim, až se od nich odvrátím. 13Efrajim, jak jsem viděl, je jako Týr zasazený na pastvině, avšak Efrajim vyvede své syny na zabití. 14Dej jim, Hospodine! Co jim dáš? Dej jim lůno, které potratí a vyschlé prsy! 15Všechno jejich zlo se stalo zjevné v Gilgálu, proto jsem je tam začal nenávidět. Za jejich zvrácené činy je vyženu ze svého domu. Nebudu je již déle milovat, všechna jejich knížata jsou umíněnci. 16Efrajim je ubit, jejich kořen uschl, nevydá ovoce. I když porodí, nechám ty vzácné plody jejich lůna zemřít. 17Můj Bůh je zavrhl, protože jej neposlouchali. Stali se utečenci mezi pohanskými národy.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 WARNING AGAINST ISRAEL'S JOY AT PARTIAL RELIEF FROM THEIR TROUBLES: THEIR CROPS SHALL FAIL, AND THE PEOPLE LEAVE THE LORD'S LAND FOR EGYPT AND ASSYRIA, WHERE THEY CANNOT, IF SO INCLINED, SERVE GOD ACCORDING TO THE ANCIENT RITUAL: FOLLY OF THEIR FALSE PROPHETS. (Hos. 9:1-17)
Rejoice not . . . for joy--literally, "to exultation." Thy exultation at the league with Pul, by which peace seems secured, is out of place: since thy idolatry will bring ruin on thee.
as other people--the Assyrians for instance, who, unlike thee, are in the height of prosperity.
loved a reward upon every corn floor--Thou hast desired, in reward for thy homage to idols, abundance of corn on every threshing-floor (
Hos 2:12).
2 (
Hos 2:9,
Hos 2:12).
fail--disappoint her expectation.
3 return to Egypt--(See on
Hos 8:13). As in
Hos 11:5 it is said, "He shall not return into . . . Egypt." FAIRBAIRN thinks it is not the exact country that is meant, but the bondage state with which, from past experience, Egypt was identified in their minds. Assyria was to be a second Egypt to them.
Deut 28:68, though threatening a return to Egypt, speaks (
Deut 28:36) of their being brought to a nation which neither they nor their fathers had known, showing that it is not the literal Egypt, but a second Egypt-like bondage that is threatened.
eat unclean things in Assyria--reduced by necessity to eat meats pronounced unclean by the Mosaic law (
Ezek 4:13). See
2Kgs 17:6.
4 offer wine offerings--literally, "pour as a libation (
Exod 30:9;
Lev 23:13).
neither shall they be pleasing unto him--as being offered on a profane soil.
sacrifices . . . as the bread of mourners--which was unclean (
Deut 26:14;
Jer 16:7;
Ezek 24:17).
their bread for their soul--their offering for the expiation of their soul [CALVIN], (
Lev 17:11). Rather, "their bread for their sustenance ('soul' being often used for the animal life,
Gen 14:21, Margin) shall not come into the Lord's house"; it shall only subserve their own uses, not My worship.
5 (
Hos 2:11).
6 because of destruction--to escape from the devastation of their country.
Egypt shall gather them up--that is, into its sepulchres (
Jer 8:2;
Ezek 29:5). Instead of returning to Palestine, they should die in Egypt.
Memphis--famed as a necropolis.
the pleasant places for their silver--that is, their desired treasuries for their money. Or, "whatever precious thing they have of silver" [MAURER].
nettles--the sign of desolation (
Isa 34:13).
7 visitation--vengeance: punishment (
Isa 10:3).
Israel shall know it--to her cost experimentally (
Isa 9:9).
the prophet is a fool--The false prophet who foretold prosperity to the nation shall be convicted of folly by the event.
the spiritual man--the man pretending to inspiration (
Lam 2:14;
Ezek 13:3;
Mic 3:11;
Zeph 3:4).
for the multitude of thine iniquity, &c.--Connect these words with, "the days of visitation . . . are come"; "the prophet . . . is mad," being parenthetical.
the great hatred--or, "the great provocation" [HENDERSON]; or, "(thy) great apostasy" [MAURER]. English Version means Israel's "hatred" of God's prophets and the law.
8 The watchman . . . was with my God--The spiritual watchmen, the true prophets, formerly consulted my God (
Jer 31:6;
Hab 2:1); but their so-called prophet is a snare, entrapping Israel into idolatry.
hatred--rather, "(a cause of) apostasy" (see
Hos 9:7) [MAURER].
house of his God--that is, the state of Ephraim, as in
Hos 8:1 [MAURER]. Or, "the house of his (false) god," the calves [CALVIN]. Jehovah, "my God," seems contrasted with "his God." CALVIN'S view is therefore preferable.
9 as in the days of Gibeah--as in the day of the perpetration of the atrocity of Gibeah, narrated in
Judg 19:16-
Judg 19:22, &c.
10 As the traveller in a wilderness is delighted at finding grapes to quench his thirst, or the early fig (esteemed a great delicacy in the East,
Isa 28:4;
Jer 24:2;
Mic 7:1); so it was My delight to choose your fathers as My peculiar people in Egypt (
Hos 2:15).
at her first time--when the first-fruits of the tree become ripe.
went to Baal-peor-- (
Num 25:3): the Moabite idol, in whose worship young women prostituted themselves; the very sin Israel latterly was guilty of.
separated themselves--consecrated themselves.
unto that shame--to that shameful or foul idol (
Jer 11:13).
their abominations were according as they loved--rather, as Vulgate, "they became abominable like the object of their love" (
Deut 7:26;
Ps 115:8). English Version gives good sense, "their abominable idols they followed after, according as their lusts prompted them" (
Amos 4:5, Margin).
11 their glory shall fly away--fit retribution to those who "separated themselves unto that shame" (
Hos 9:10). Children were accounted the glory of parents; sterility, a reproach. "Ephraim" means "fruitfulness" (
Gen 41:52); this its name shall cease to be its characteristic.
from the birth . . . womb . . . conception--Ephraim's children shall perish in a threefold gradation; (1) From the time of birth. (2) From the time of pregnancy. (3) From the time of their first conception.
12 Even though they should rear their children, yet will I bereave them (the Ephraimites) of them (
Job 27:14).
woe . . . to them when I depart--Yet the ungodly in their madness desire God to depart from them (
Job 21:14;
Job 22:17;
Matt 8:34). At last they know to their cost how awful it is when God has departed (
Deut 31:17;
1Sam 28:15-16; compare
Hos 9:11;
1Sam 4:21).
13 Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus . . . in a pleasant place--that is, in looking towards Tyrus (on whose borders Ephraim lay) I saw Ephraim beautiful in situation like her (Eze. 26:1-28:26).
is planted--as a fruitful tree; image suggested by the meaning of "Ephraim" (
Hos 9:11).
bring forth his children to the murderer-- (
Hos 9:16;
Hos 13:16). With all his fruitfulness, his children shall only be brought up to be slain.
14 what wilt thou give?--As if overwhelmed by feeling, he deliberates with God what is most desirable.
give . . . a miscarrying womb--Of two evils he chooses the least. So great will be the calamity, that barrenness will be a blessing, though usually counted a great misfortune (
Job 3:3;
Jer 20:14;
Luke 23:29).
15 All their wickedness--that is, their chief guilt.
Gilgal--(see on
Hos 4:15). This was the scene of their first contumacy in rejecting God and choosing a king (
1Sam 11:14-15; compare
1Sam 8:7), and of their subsequent idolatry.
there I hated them--not with the human passion, but holy hatred of their sin, which required punishment to be inflicted on themselves (compare
Mal 1:3).
out of mine house--as in
Hos 8:1 : out of the land holy unto ME. Or, as "love" is mentioned immediately after, the reference may be to the Hebrew mode of divorce, the husband (God) putting the wife (Israel) out of the house.
princes . . . revolters--"Sarim . . . Sorerim" (Hebrew), a play on similar sounds.
16 The figures "root," "fruit," are suggested by the word "Ephraim," that is, fruitful (see on
Hos 9:11-
Hos 9:12). "Smitten," namely, with a blight (
Ps 102:4).
17 My God--"My," in contrast to "them," that is, the people, whose God Jehovah no longer is. Also Hosea appeals to God as supporting his authority against the whole people.
wanderers among . . . nations-- (
2Kgs 15:29;
1Chr 5:26).