1.
When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
spoileth = strippeth.
2.
And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
3.
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
consider not in = say not to. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Aramaean, Syriac, and Vnlg., read "say not in".
4.
They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneeded the dough, until it be leavened.
all = all of them (kings, princes, and People are idolaters). "All" is put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Genus), for the greater part.
adulterers: i.e. idolaters. See note on Hosea 1:2 .
as = [hot] like.
ceaseth = leaves off.
raising = stoking it.
after he hath kneaded, &c. = from [the time of] kneading the dough until it is ready for the fire. Then he heats the oven to stop the fermentation. Even so these idolaters. See note on "baker", Hosea 7:6 .
5.
In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
In the day of our king. See 2 Kings 15:10 .
day. Perhaps = [feast] day.
him. Supply "themselves" instead of "him".
sick, &c. Sick with the heat of wine.
wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27 .
6.
For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
they, &c. Like the baker in Hosea 7:4 .
their baker sleepeth = their anger smoketh: reading ye'shan 'apphem instead of yashen 'ophehem. Owing to the similarity in pronunciation and in the ancient form of Ayin ( ') and Aleph ('). these letters were interchanged. The Massorah contains lists of words where Aleph (= ') stands for Ayin (= ') and vice versa (see Ginsburg's Massorah, letter, vol. i, p. 57, 514; and letter, vol. ii, p. 390, 352, 360, &c). See notes on Isaiah 49:7 . Amos 6:8 . Zephaniah 3:1 , &c. The Aram, and Syriac preserve the reading of the primitive text: "their anger smoketh all night" (like the "oven" in Hosea 7:4 ).
it: i.e. the oven.
7.
They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
all their kings, &c. Compare Hosea 8:4 . Of the two houses of Omri and Jehu: Nadab, Zimri, Tibni, Jehoram, Zachariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, and Pekah were all slain by their successors, or others.
there is. Some codices, with two early printed editions (one Rabbinic in margin), read "and there".
8.
Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
people = peoples, or nations.
a cake not turned: i.e. a thin (pan)cake, burnt one side and moist the other, and therefore uneatable.
9.
Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
Strangers = Outsiders. Compare Hosea 8:7 .
here and there = sprinkled.
10.
And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
the pride of Israel. See note on Hosea 5:5 .
they do not return, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 4:29 ).
the Lord. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
11.
Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
silly = harmless, innocent. Ang. -Sax., saelig, happy they call, &c. See 2 Kings 15:19 ; 2 Kings 17:4-6 . Compare Hosea 5:13 ; Hosea 9:3 ; Hosea 12:1 .
12.
When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
When = Howsoever.
as their congregation hath heard. Those who know not the Pentateuch may call this "unintelligible"; but see Leviticus 26:14 , Leviticus 26:28 . Deuteronomy 27:14-26 .
congregation. Hebrew. 'edah is a technical Pentateuchal word which occurs in Exodus fourteen times, in Leviticus twelve times, in Numbers over eighty times, in Joshua fifteen times, in Judges four times, and twice in Kings and Jeremiah. Elsewhere used of any multitude only a few times.
13.
Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
transgressed = revolted. Hebrew. pash a', as in Hosea 14:9 . Not the same word as in Hosea 6:7 , and Hosea 8:1 .
I have redeemed them. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 7:8 ; Deuteronomy 9:26 ; Deuteronomy 15:15 ; Deuteronomy 21:8 ; Deuteronomy 24:18 ).
redeemed. Heb padah. See note on Exodus 6:6 , and Exodus 13:13 .
14.
And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
they have not cried. Compare Job 35:9 , Job 35:10 . Psalms 78:36 . Jeremiah 3:10 . Zechariah 7:5 .
with their heart. They cried with their voice.
assemble themselves. In their idol temples.
wine = new wine. Hebrew. tirosh. App-27 . Not the same word as in Hosea 7:5 .
rebel against = apostatized from.
15.
Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
Though I have bound = Though I, even I, have warned (or instructed). Compare Psalms 18:34 ; Psalms 144:1 .
16.
They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
to the Most High = to Him Who is on high. Compare Hosea 11:7 .
a deceitful bow. That disappoints the user, and cannot be depended upon. Compare Psalms 78:57 .
for = because of.
derision = ridicule.