The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 48

]oven, but she'1hall not overtake them; and eilver and -gold. The pe!'version of theso ehe ehe.11 seek them, but &hall not ftnd them. blessings consisted in her employment of Thi• portion of the verse expresses the them in the service of Be.a.I or of idolnll'y in <'nnaequence of the preceding. However genera.I. The sin of refusing to acknowledge en~erlyshe follows nftorthem-e.nd the form the Author of such manifold mercies w11s or tile ..-erb (Piol conjugation) expresses the.t grie,·ously augmented by this gross nlluse cngernPss--sbe shall only experience the of them. The la.et clnuse is II rclntive one, i ncffectunl nature of her efforts, and feel ashct·, e.s frequently being understood; while the impossibility of o,·crtnking the darling the words am labbaal do not signify that objec.ts of her pursuit. However earnestly theymade those metals into images of Be.al, she seeks them (here the Piel is used again), as implied in the Authorized Vorsion; nor ~he shall find every passage barred and yet tllat they offered them to Bae.I, according erery outlet obstructed. so that, unable to to Gesenius ; but tllat they prepared or find them, she she.II be forced to e.bandon her employed them in the worship of that idol search 11S utterly Ye.in and impossible. Then and tile service of idolatry in genera.I. she.11 she say, I will go and return to my first pi, rad. :ii,, to cover, multiply, i.e. multi- husband ; for then was it better with me the.n tude e.nd plenty covering over everything; now: The difficulties of her position, the comp. tego, ;;\i•n, rad. !iii•, take possession of distress in which she found herself. stimu- the bra.in in intoxicating: i;ii:•, rad. i:i:K', lated her to increased eagerness in ·pursuit to shine. Kimchi remarks as follows: "All of her lovers; but it WllS only for a brief the goodness in the possession of which she space, and the efforts were unsuccessful ; we.s, she had not except from me ; because I the means ns well llS opportunity for the sent my blessing on the corn e.nd wine e.nd sacrifices and services of idol-worsllip failed, oil, and sent my blessing upon the work of the obstacles placed in her we.y were insur- their hands, so that they he.d e.bundnnce of mountable. Or, rather, the disappointment silver and gold ; but Jeshurun waxed fat was so great and grievous, when all the e.nd ldcked." fondly cherished hopes of help, or succour, Ver. 9.-Therefore will I return, and take or support from those idols were frustrated e.we.y my oom in the time thereof, and my and found entirely vain, that, heart-sick e.nd wine in the see.son thereof, e.nd will reoover chagrined by unsuccess, she resolves on o. my ,wool e.nd my 11.u: given to oover her cllange of course. With mingled feelings nakedness. The abuse of the Di vine bounties of remorse and penitence she makes up her mentioned in the preceding verse fully justi- mind to retrace her steps. She recalls the fies the series of punishments that follow. better days, the happier time, the more God thus vindicates those penal inflictions. prosperous circumste.ncee, of fidelity to her Accordingly he three.tens them in this ninth fust and rightful husband e.nd head ; a.nd verse with the deprivation of the bounties now she is ju&t ready to return to him. She which they he.d misused e.s the means of is just now a.t tbe.t stage a.t which the idolatry and sin; in ver. 10 with disgrace; prodigal in the parable he.d a.rri ved "when in ver. 11 with the departure of all her he came to himself," a.nd when he said. merry-me.kings; in ver. 12 with the destruc- "How IllJl.ny hired servants of my father's tion of the sources whence the means of have bread enongll and to spa.re, end I perish idolatrous worship were supplied; e.nd in witll hunl('er I I will arise e.nd go to my ver. 13 with days of visitation proportion- father." Kimchi 1·eme.rks, " She will not say ate to the time of Jeclension and apostasy. this until she has borne the captivity e. con- The first clause of the verse under considera- sideraLle time." tion is better rendered (1) according to the Ver. 8.-For she did not know that I gave common Hebrew idiom, which employs two her corn, end wine, a.nd oil, and multiplied verbs to express one idea in e. modified sense, her silver and gold, whicll they prepared for the first denoting the manner, e.nd so equiva- lie.al. Fl-om vers. 6 to 13 inclusive, the lent to e.n adverb with us, e.nd the second sufftriug and sorrow consequent on, a.nd signifying the matter; and it is thus trans- occasioned by, her sine a.re enumerated; yet lated by Keil: "Therefore will I take back now o.ud a.gain certain aggravations of her my com." (2) We admit the vav consecu- guilt crop up. Here we have an e.ccount tive is opposed to this; e.nd the LXX. has of her ignore.nee of, e.nd ingratitude to, the bricr-rp•,j,"' ,cal ,coµwvµa, : e.nd Jerome, "re- true Autllor of her mercies, together with vertor et sume.m." The me.oner of the dis- her sinful misuse and sad abuse of tllose possession intensifies the punishment, just ruercies. The products of the earth which as their abuse of those possessions he.cl God bestowed on her were com and wine augmented their guilt. 'fhe food, refresh- and oil-o..l.l tllat was needed for food, re- ment, e.nd raiment ore to be taken owoy; freshment, and even luxury; the prosperity this certainly would be bad enough by itself, iu tr11de or commerce with which he favoured but tho suddenness of tho stroko u.dds her resulted iu the multiplied increase of poignancy to the infliction. Thu prospeot OU, U. 1-23.] THE BOOK OF HOSEA.