1.
Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
the Lord. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .
children = sons.
a controversy = a judicial inquiry and cause. Compare Hosea 12:2 .Isaiah 1:18 , and Isaiah 3:13 , Isaiah 3:14 .Jeremiah 25:31 .Micah 6:2 .
mercy = lovingkindness, or grace.
knowledge: or, acknowledgement. See note on Hosea 2:20 . Compare Hosea 4:6 ; Hosea 5:4 .
2.
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
By swearing, &c. These are the evils which flow from a want of the knowledge of God. Compare Hosea 4:6 ; Hosea 2:20 . Rom 1:21 . 1 John 2:3 , 1Jn 2:4 ; 1 John 4:7 , 1 John 4:8 .
blood toucheth blood: or, murder follows murder; "blood" being put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), App-6 , for bloodshed.
3.
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
Therefore shall the land mourn. Compare Jeremiah 4:28 , and Jeremiah 12:4 .Amos 5:16 , and Amos 8:8 .
the beasts = the very beasts ( Beth essentioe).
be taken away = be gathered [into the ranks of the mourners].
4.
Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
let no man. The reason being given in Hosea 4:4 .
they that strive with the priest. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 16:1 , &c. Deuteronomy 17:12 ). App-92 .
5.
Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
fall = stumble.
in the day. Compare Jeremiah 6:4 , Jeremiah 6:5 and Hos 15:8 .
destroy = lay prostrate.
thy mother: i. e. the whole nation is referred to, as is clear from verses: Hosea 4:4 , Hosea 4:3 , &o.; Hosea 2:3 , Hosea 2:9 , Hosea 2:12 .
6.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
People are. Not "is", because the noun though singular is collective, with plural verb.
lack of knowledge. See note on Hosea 2:20 .
knowledge = the knowledge [of Me].
thou hast forgotten. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 32:18 ).
7.
As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
sinned. Hebrew chata'. App-44 .
therefore will I change their glory into shame. The Sopherim confess ( App-33 ) that they altered thus the primitive Hebrew text: which read "My glory have they changed into shame": i. e. they altered the verb hemiru (they have changed) to 'amir (I shall change); and, kebodi (My glory) to kebodam (their glory). This alteration was made from a mistaken reverence. It will be seen that the word "therefore" is not required.
8.
They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
eat up the sin = the sin-offering. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 6:30 ): i. e. those sin-offerings which should have been wholly burnt, and not eaten. See notes on Leviticus 6:26 , Leviticus 6:30 . App-92 .
Set their heart = lift up their soul: i. e. desire. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .
iniquity = wrong-doing.
9.
And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
like people, &c. Compare Isaiah 24:2 .Jeremiah 5:31 .
punish = visit.
reward = requite.
10.
For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
not have enough. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:26 ). The same words. App-92 .
shall commit = have committed.
whoredom = idolatry. See note on Hosea 1:2 .
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. (with ' eth) = Jehovah Himself. App-4 .
11.
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27 .
new wine. Hebrew. tirosh. App-27 .
heart. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for understanding. See Isaiah 28:6 .
12.
My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.
ask counsel = inquire of (habitually). Compare Jeremiah 2:27 . Habakkuk 2:19 .
stocks = idols made of wood.
staff, &c. Referring to divination by rods.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 . Compare Hosea 5:4 .Isaiah 44:20 .
gone a whoring: i. e. gone away into idolatry. Compare Ezekiel 23:5 .
from under = from under [the authority] of, &c, as Gomer had left Hosea. Compare Numbers 5:19 , Numbers 5:29 . Ezekiel 23:5 .
13.
They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
They sacrifice, &c. Compare Isaiah 1:29 , and Isaiah 57:5 , Isaiah 57:7 . Ezekiel 6:13 , and Ezekiel 20:28 . Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 12:2 ).
14.
I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.
daughters: who became Temple-women. See next verse.
themselves = [the men] themselves.
separated = secluded.
harlots. Hebrew. kedeshah = the Temple-women, consecrated to the unclean "worship" of the Canaanites, by which the foulest corruption became a holy duty. Reference to Pentateuch. Found only here and Genesis 38:21 , Genesis 38:22 , and Deuteronomy 23:17 . App-92 .
15.
Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.
harlot = wanton. Not the same word as in Hosea 4:14 , though the symbol is similar.
Judah. Compare Hosea 1:7 .
Gilgal. Jeroboam had erected an idolatrous temple there. See Hosea 9:15 ; Hosea 12:11 .Amos 4:4 ; Amos 5:5 . Compare Judges 3:19 . There, too, they had rejected Jehovah as king (1 Samuel 7:16 ; 1 Samuel 10:8 ; 1 Samuel 11:14 , 1 Samuel 11:15 ). See note on Hosea 9:15 .
Beth-aven = house of naught. Put for Beth-el (= the house of GOD), now profaned by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:28-33 ; 1 Kings 13:1 .Amos 3:14; Amos 3:14 ). The prophecy fulfilled in Jeremiah 48:13 . See also 2 Kings 10:29 ; 2 Kings 17:6-23 .Amos 7:13 .
nor swear, &c. Compare Amos 8:14 .Zephaniah 1:5 .
16.
For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.
slideth back = hath been stubborn, restive, or intractable, refractory.
a lamb = a young ram of more than a year old.
in a large place = an uninclosed space: i. e. the lands of the heathen.
17.
Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
joined = mated, or united to.
18.
Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
sour. Hebrew turned, turned back, thrust aside as having turned bad.
Give ye. By the Figure of speech Metallage ( App-6 ) the fact of continual whoredom (or idolatrous worship) is changed to the new thought of the rulers loving to continually command, "Give ye [sacrifices]", with contempt for the sacrifices Jehovah commanded. See Hosea 8:13 . Thus, the verse is not "untranslatable", as alleged.
19.
The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
wind, &c. = the spirit of whoredoms (Hosea 4:12 ) has bound itself up. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .
in her wings = in her skirts (so as to impede her gait).
they shall be ashamed. Compare Isaiah 1:29 . Jeremiah 2:26 . This verse is not "in confusion", as alleged. These verses (16-19) are not "scraps", as alleged, but are closely connected with the context. They are required by the Structure "Hosea 4:15-19 " and "Hosea 5:8-15 " on p. 1213.