1.
When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
spake trembling = spake (authoritatively) [there was] attention; as in Joshua's clays (Joshua 4:14 ). Compare Job 29:21-25 .
trembling = panic. Hebrew. r etheth. Occurs only here. Similar to retet, which occurs only in Jeremiah 49:24 ("fear").
exalted himself: carried weight, or was exalted.
offended = trespassed. Hebrew. 'asham. App-44 .
in Baal = with Baal: i.e. with the idolatrous worship of Baal, in Ahab's days.
2.
And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
understanding = notion.
of them = to them: i.e. to the People.
kiss the calves. Kissing was fundamental in all heathen idolatry. It is the root of the Latin ad-orare = to [bring something to] the mouth. "A pure lip" (Zephaniah 3:9 ) implies more than language.
3.
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
dew. Hebrew. t al = the night mist. See note on "Zion", Psalms 133:3 .
the = a.
floor = threshingfloor.
chimney = window, or opening. No word for chimney in Hebrew
4.
Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
Yet I, &c. Supply the connecting thought: "[Ye worship these calves], yet I, even I". &c. Compare Hosea 12:9 . Isaiah 43:11 .
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
from the land of Egypt. Supply the Ellipsis ( App-6 ); "[Who brought thee out] from", &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 20:2 , Exodus 20:3 ).
shalt know no: i.e. didst not, or oughtest not to know.
there is no saviour, &c. Compare Isaiah 43:11 ; Isaiah 45:21 . Supply: "no saviour [was there] beside Me". Compare Acts 4:12 .
5.
I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
I did know thee, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 2:7 ; Deuteronomy 8:15 ; Deuteronomy 32:10 ). Compare Amos 3:2 . The Septuagint reads "I shepherded, or was shepherd to thee", reading re ithika instead of yeda tika : i.e. (Resh = R) for (Daleth = D).
the land of great drought. Compare Deuteronomy 8:15 .
6.
According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.
According to their pasture, &c.: i.e. the more I fed them, the more they kicked against Me.
they were filled. Note the Figure of speech Anadiplosis ( App-6 ), repeated for emphasis.
have they forgotten Me. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 8:12-14 ; Deuteronomy 32:15 ).
7.
Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
as a lion. App-92 . Compare Hosea 5:14 .
as a leopard. Compare Jeremiah 5:6
by the way. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "on the way of Assyria".
will I observe = shall I watch, or lurk.
8.
I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
caul = enclosure (i.e. the pericardium).
the wild beast shall tear them. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:22 ).
9.
O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
thou hast destroyed thyself = the destruction [which thou art suffering] is all thine own. Ref to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 32:5 . Hebrew. shahath, same word as "corrupted"). App-92 .
but in Me, &c. = for I am thy [true] help.
10.
I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
I will be thy king = Where is thy king? Hebrew. 'ehi = where, as in Hosea 13:14 twice; 'ehi is separated from the following word "king" by the accent zakeph, and connected with 'epho' = now. It therefore means "Where now is thy king? (Hoshea)": the answer being "in prison" (see 2 Kings 17:4 ).
where is any other that may save thee . . . ? = to save thee, or that he may save thee.
11.
I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.
I gave thee, &c. Reference to 1 Samuel 8:7 ; 1Sa 10:19 ; 1 Samuel 15:22 , 1 Samuel 15:23 ; 1 Samuel 16:1 . Compare Hosea 10:3 . Or, literally "I give . . . and take him away", referring to a continued act, the violent deaths of Israel's then recent kings: Zachariah murdered by Shallum; Shallum by Menahem; Pekahiah by Pekah; and Pekah by Hoshea, who was now a prisoner in Assyria.
12.
The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid.
iniquity = perversity. Hebrew. avah. App-44 .
bound up = tied up, as in a bag. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 32:32 , Deuteronomy 32:35 ). App-92 .
hid = reserved.
13.
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.
shall come, &c. Isaiah 13:8 . Jeremiah 30:6 . Matthew 24:8 .
an unwise son. Note the Figure of speech Meiosis ( App-6 ), for emphasis, meaning a most foolish son.
stay long = linger.
in the place, &c.: i.e. in the act of being born. Compare 2 Kings 19:3 .
children = sons.
14.
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
ransom = redeem (with power). Hebrew. padah, to redeem by power in virtue of the legal right. See note on Exodus 13:13 .
from = out of.
the power = the hand: i.e. Sheol's power (to keep in its grasp).
the grave = Sheol. See App-35 .
redeem. Hebrew. ga'al, to redeem by purchase by assertion of the kinship right. Hence the other meaning of avenging. See note on Exodus 6:6 .
O death. Figure of speech Apostrophe , for emphasis. Quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:54 , 1 Corinthians 15:55 .
I will be = where [are], &c. See note on Hosea 13:10 .
thy plagues. Hebrew. deber = pestilence. Interpreted in 1 Corinthians 15:55 as "sting". First occurance. Exodus 5:3 .
repentance = compassion [on them], eyes. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 .
15.
Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
he. i.e. Ephraim.
fruitful. Used by Figure of speech Irony , his name being Ephraim = fruitful. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 41:52 ; Genesis 48:19 ).
an east wind. Hebrew. kadim ; not a scorching wind. shirocco (Genesis 41:6 . Jeremiah 18:17 . Ezekiel 17:10 ; Ezekiel 19:12 ).
wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .
his spring, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 33:28 ).
he shall spoil = he shall plunder. Fulfilled in Shalmaneser shortly after, and since that day this prophecy stands fulfilled. The book ends with hope, in the final section below.
16.
Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
Samaria. See 2 Kings 17:6 .
their. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Aramaean, Septuagint, and Syriac, read "and their".