The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 11

,1a'bhal, to prt>ss together into " mass, c-spc- hftd visited his people In giving them cially " round mRse. The mcaning of the bread; " sometimes It expresses a hostile word, then, is "two ook(III," thRl is, of dried intention, as iu Exoci. xx. 6, "I the Lord figs prcssl'd to~cthcr in lnmpB. It m11y be thy God am a jealoUB God, visiting the obser,·cd, in passing, thM the Greek ,ra),,J.9TJ iniquity of tho fRthors upon the ohllclren." ~ccms to <'ome from the Aramaic form In the present passa~e, n.e elsewhere in this d•l,haUa. b,· the omission of the initial daleth. book (see ob. ii. 13; iv. 9), it is t11.ken in But what is the mystic mraning which the the sense assigned it in the Authorized Ver- prophet ,·eils under the two names Commm• sion, with whioh the Septuagint and Syriao mntion and Compressed fig-ca.kes (cakes of are in accord. But what are we to under- compressed figs)? The one may hint not stand by the blood of Jezreel, which brought nh~rureh· <10nsummation in sin and in the down this vengeance on the house of Jehu? suffcring which is the ultimate consequence Somo suppose that the expression denotes nfsin; while the other may imply the sweet- the bloody deeds of AhRb's houRc, including, 11c~s of sensual indulgences, especially such not only the murder of Nt\both, but also n.s idolatrous celebrants were prone to. If, their bloody persecution of the servants and then. the ~ymbolical interpretntion of these prophets of Jehov11h, as we read in l Kings names be allowable. we may accept that xviii. i, that" Jezebel cut off the prophets given hy Jerome. He says, "Out of Israel of the Lord; " and in 2 Kings ix. 7, "Thou is t.aken typically by Hosea a wife co11sum- shalt smite tlie house of Ahab thy master, ,nated in fornication, and a perfect daughter that I may avenge the blood of my servants of 1,leasure which seems sweet and pleasant the prophets, and the blood of all the eer- to those who enjoy it." There is, moreover, ~·,rnts of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel." an obvious appropriateness in the names These and like deeds of blood brought down thus eymholically understood. The pro- retribution on the house of Ahab; Jehn, phet, whose name signifies" salvation," mar- the instrument of thiH retribution, was him- ries a woman who was a daughter of plea- self guilty of such enormities that the cry sure and a vota.rv of sin; this a.Ilia.nee of blood for vengeance wa8 repeated, and represents the relation into which J ehove.h., the criminality of the preceding dynasty with bis sating p,nrnr, had mercifully taken continuing, the ate of Jehu'e was redoubled. Israel; but that people, unmindful and un- This view appears to us both clumsy and thankful for such mercy, e.nd intent on the far-fetched. The plain meaning is tha.t indulgence of a sinfnl conrse, went from had which refers the blood of J ezreel to the to worse in apostasy and idolatry till God bloody wassacree of Jehu himself, when in o.t length left them in their impenitence e. single day he put an end to the dynasty and abandoned them to their fate. The con- of Omri and the wicked house of Ahab. On ception and birth of Gomer's son to the that memorable occasion he slew the queen- prophet, though several authorities omit motlier Jezebel, the seventy sons of Ahab, " him," give no countenance to the idea of and forty-two relatives of King Ahnziah, also the child being supposititious; and so far all the prophets of Baal, all his servants there seems to be some confirma.tion of the and all his priests. The royal house of opinion of Keil referred to under ver. 2. Israel he exterminated, for he " slew all Ver. 4.-And the Lord se.id nnto him, Call t!Jat remained of the house of Ahab in his name .Tezreel. The name which the Jezreel, and ail his great men, and his kins- people inherited from e. distinguished an- folks, and his p1·iests, until he left him none cestor was one of honour and dignity- remaining;" the royal house of Judah he Israel or Yismel, "prince with God ; " the brought at the same time to the very verge name imposed by their sins was one of or extinction. The slaughter of Ahab's reproach and diaaster-Izreel, or Yizreel, sons, of Jezebel and Joram, and tha.t whole "scattered by God." The Hebrews had e. royal line, wae,1it is true, in compliance with peculiar fondness for a paronomasia. of this God's express command; and, for the mea- kind ; thus Bethel, "house of God," be- sure of his obedience to that command, com0;, Bethaven, "house of vanity." Keil Jehu was rewarded by the promise of hie regrets tht: ~ppellative sense in this passage, family occupying the throne of Israel to und refers to the historical importance of the fourth generation. But what was the tLe place. The latter view seems fa\'oured motive that prompted this performance of by tu, succeeding explanation of the name. the Divine will? Was it really zeal for God, :For yet e. little while, and I will avenge as he pretended, and consequent diligence (viBil) the blood of Jezreel upon the ho1188 in obeyiug the Divine direction? Or did of .T the.. The verb here rt:nderc:d "avenge" human passion predominate and political i, lite, .... l!y to "visit," and is used sometimes advantage hurry him on? We trow not. in o. good sense, implying a benevolent pnr- Certain it is that hie subsequent career poac, as in Ruth i. li, "For Rhe bad heard rendered the purity of bis zeal more than iu the country of Moab Low that the Lord doubtful. He exterminated the idol11try of OJt, r. 1-11.] 'l'HE BOOK OF HOSEA.