---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Hosea 14"
description: "CHAPTER 14   :-. GOD"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/hosea/14"
---

CHAPTER 14

. GOD'S PROMISE
OF BLESSING, ON
THEIR REPENTANCE:
THEIR ABANDONMENT
OF IDOLATRY
FORETOLD: THE
CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE,
THE JUST SHALL
WALK IN GOD'S
WAYS, BUT THE TRANSGRESSOR
SHALL FALL
THEREIN.

**1. fallen by thine iniquity**—
([Hosea 5:5](../../../kjv/hosea/5/5); [Hosea 13:9](../../../kjv/hosea/13/9)).

**2. Take with you words**—instead
of sacrifices, namely, the words of penitence here put in your mouths
by God. "Words," in *Hebrew,* mean "realities,"
there being the same term for "words" and "things";
so God implies, He will not accept empty professions ([Psalms 78:36](../../../kjv/psalms/78/36);
[Isaiah 29:13](../../../kjv/isaiah/29/13)). He does not ask
costly sacrifices, but *words* of heartfelt penitence.
**receive us
graciously**—literally "(for) good."
**calves of our lips**—that
is, instead of sacrifices of *calves,* which we cannot offer to
Thee in exile, we present the praises of our *lips.* Thus the
exile, wherein the temple service ceased, prepared the way for the
gospel time when the types of the animal sacrifices of the Old
Testament being realized in Christ's perfect sacrifice once for all,
"the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is *the fruit
of our lips*" ([Hebrews 13:14](../../../kjv/hebrews/13/14))
takes their place in the New Testament.

**3.** Three besetting sins of
Israel are here renounced, trust in Assyria, application to Egypt for
its cavalry (forbidden, [Deuteronomy 17:16](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/17/16);
compare [Hosea 7:11](../../../kjv/hosea/7/11); [Hosea 11:5](../../../kjv/hosea/11/5);
[Hosea 12:1](../../../kjv/hosea/12/1); [2 Kings 17:4](../../../kjv/2-kings/17/4);
[Psalms 33:17](../../../kjv/psalms/33/17); [Isaiah 30:2](../../../kjv/isaiah/30/2);
[Isaiah 30:16](../../../kjv/isaiah/30/16); [Isaiah 31:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/31/1)),
and idolatry.
**fatherless**—descriptive
of the *destitute* state of Israel, when severed from God, their
true Father. We shall henceforth trust in none but Thee, the only
Father of the fatherless, and Helper of the destitute ([Psalms 10:14](../../../kjv/psalms/10/14);
[Psalms 68:5](../../../kjv/psalms/68/5)); our nation has
experienced Thee such in our helpless state in Egypt, and now in a
like state again our only hope is Thy goodness.

**4.** God's gracious reply to their
self-condemning prayer.
**backsliding**—*apostasy:*
not merely occasional backslidings. God can heal the most desperate
sinfulness [CALVIN].
**freely**—with a
gratuitous, unmerited, and abundant love (). So as to the spiritual Israel ([John 15:16](../../../kjv/john/15/16);
[Romans 3:24](../../../kjv/romans/3/24); [Romans 5:8](../../../kjv/romans/5/8);
[1 John 4:10](../../../kjv/1-john/4/10)).

**5. as the dew**—which falls
copiously in the East, taking the place of the more frequent rains in
other regions. God will not be "as the early dew that goeth
away," but constant ([Hosea 6:3](../../../kjv/hosea/6/3);
[Hosea 6:4](../../../kjv/hosea/6/4); [Job 29:19](../../../kjv/job/29/19);
[Proverbs 19:12](../../../kjv/proverbs/19/12)).
**the lily**—No plant is
more productive than the lily, one root often producing fifty bulbs
[PLINY, *Natural
History,* 21.5]. The common lily is white, consisting of six
leaves opening like bells. The royal lily grows to the height of
three or four feet; [Matthew 6:29](../../../kjv/matthew/6/29)
alludes to the beauty of its flowers.
**roots as Lebanon**—that
is, as the trees of Lebanon (especially the cedars), which cast down
their roots as deeply as is their height upwards; so that they are
immovable [JEROME], ([Matthew 6:29](../../../kjv/matthew/6/29)). Spiritual growth consists most in the growth of the root
which is out of sight.

**6. branches**—shoots, or
suckers.
**beauty . . . as the
olive**—which never loses its verdure. One plant is not enough to
express the graces of God's elect people. The *lily* depicts its
lovely growth; but as it wants duration and firmness, the deeply
rooted cedars of Lebanon are added; these, however, are fruitless,
therefore the fruitful, peace-bearing, fragrant, ever green *olive*
is added.
**smell as Lebanon**—which
exhaled from it the fragrance of odoriferous trees and flowers. So
Israel's name shall be in good savor with all ([Genesis 27:27](../../../kjv/genesis/27/27);
[Song of Solomon 4:11](../../../kjv/song-of-solomon/4/11)).

**7.** *They that* used to
*dwell under* Israel's *shadow* (but who shall have been
forced to leave it), shall *return,* that is, be restored (). Others take "*His* shadow" to mean
*Jehovah's* (compare [Psalms 17:8](../../../kjv/psalms/17/8);
[Psalms 91:1](../../../kjv/psalms/91/1); [Isaiah 4:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/4/6)),
which [Hosea 14:1](../../../kjv/hosea/14/1); [Hosea 14:2](../../../kjv/hosea/14/2)
("*return* unto *the Lord,*" c.) favor. But the
"his" in [Hosea 14:6](../../../kjv/hosea/14/6)
refers to Israel, and therefore must refer to the same here.
**revive as . . . corn**—As
the corn long buried in the earth springs up, with an abundant
produce, so shall they revive from their calamities, with a great
increase of offspring (compare [Hosea 14:6](../../../kjv/hosea/14/6)).
**scent thereof**—that is,
Israel's *fame.* Compare [Hosea 14:6](../../../kjv/hosea/14/6), "His smell as Lebanon" [Hosea 14:6](../../../kjv/hosea/14/6): "Thy *name* is as ointment poured forth." The
*Septuagint* favors the *Margin,* "memorial."
**as the wine of Lebanon**—which
was most celebrated for its aroma, flavor, and medicinal restorative
properties.

**8. Ephraim*****shall say*******—being brought to penitence by God's goodness, and confessing
and abhorring his past madness.
**I have heard . . . and
observed him**—I Jehovah have *answered* and *regarded*
him *with favor;* the opposite of God's "hiding His face
from" one ([Deuteronomy 31:17](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/31/17)). It
is the experience of God's favor, in contrast to God's wrath
heretofore, that leads Ephraim to abhor his past idolatry. Jehovah
*heard* and answered: whereas the idols, as Ephraim now sees,
could not *hear,* much less answer.
**I am . . . a green fir**—or
cypress; ever green, winter and summer alike; the leaves not falling
off in winter.
**From me is thy fruit
found**—"From Me," as the root. Thou needest go no
farther than Me for the supply of all thy wants; not merely the
*protection* implied by the *shadow* of the cypress, but
that which the cypress has not, namely, *fruit,* all spiritual
and temporal blessings. It may be also implied, that whatever
spiritual graces Ephraim seeks for or may have, are not of
themselves, but of God ([Psalms 1:3](../../../kjv/psalms/1/3);
[John 15:4](../../../kjv/john/15/4); [John 15:5](../../../kjv/john/15/5);
[John 15:8](../../../kjv/john/15/8); [James 1:17](../../../kjv/james/1/17)).
God's promises to us are more our security for mortifying sin than
our promises to God ([Isaiah 27:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/27/9)).

**9.** EPILOGUE,
summing up the whole previous teaching. Here alone Hosea uses the
term "righteous," so rare were such characters in his day.
There is enough of saving truth clear in God's Word to guide those
humbly seeking salvation, and enough of difficulties to confound
those who curiously seek them out, rather than practically seek
salvation.
**fall**—stumble and are
offended at difficulties opposed to their prejudices and lusts, or
above their self-wise understanding (compare [Proverbs 10:29](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/29);
[Micah 2:7](../../../kjv/micah/2/7); [Matthew 11:19](../../../kjv/matthew/11/19);
[Luke 2:34](../../../kjv/luke/2/34); [John 7:17](../../../kjv/john/7/17);
[1 Peter 2:7](../../../kjv/1-peter/2/7); [1 Peter 2:8](../../../kjv/1-peter/2/8)).
To him who sincerely seeks the *agenda,* God will make plain the
*credenda.* Christ is the foundation-stone to some: a stone of
stumbling and rock of offense to others. The same sun softens wax and
hardens clay. But their fall is the most fatal who fall in the ways
of God, split on the Rock of ages, and suck poison out of the Balm of
Gilead.

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