The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 50

only lurn<:d nairle to idols, but most stupidly plur11.l, hM respect to the variou9 forms of nnd most in<'xcus11.bly attribured the many the BRe.l-idoh1try,or modification of the Boal- merc.i<'a she enjoyed to the idols which she worship; for ex1tmple, Be.al-peor, Baal-bc- worahipperl. Like IL foul adulteress despis- rith, Bae.1-zebub, Baal-pere,z!m, Baal-zephon, ing th<' tokens of her husba.nd'e affection Baal-zamar, Baal-shalishu. The name of Dao.I nnil delighting in the rewe.rds of lewdness came to be used generally as the clesigu11tion rec,,ived from lioontions parnmours, Israel of any idol or false god. The days of the forfeited all her prh;Jegea, and forced the Daals were the days conseorated to Baal, Lotd to withdraw his bounties e.nd destroy and on which the worship of the true God their very source. J!i/1, rad. )El~. equivalent was transferred to that idol. It matters to pi, to be bent, from the aroh made by its little whether we render "wherein" or "to drooping boughs. ;i/~M, rad. JNM, equiva- whom," referring to '!l', in whioh case, how- lent to p;,, to extend from its length. ever, we should expect c:i, though the latter answers better to the meaning of the prepo- And I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. The sition z, in cn1,. After mentioning the objeot places where fig trees flourished and vines of their idolatrous worship, he specifies the u hounded shall be stripped of those trees, manner of it, which we.a the burniug of with I.heir plen.sant fruits-shall become a incense, the part of the process being em- forest. The .,-ineye.rds being no longer ployed by synecdoohe for the whole. Every hedged or fenced, no longer cultivated or mindul,nr meat offering, which we.a presented cared for, the beasts of the field shall, in by itself as a free-will offering was accom- consequence, find free ingress e.nd roo.m panied with frankincense; every day, morn- there e.t large, devouring and devastating ing and evening, incense was burnt in the at pleasure. The Septuagint translates the holy place; while on the great Day of Atone- first pa.rt of the abo.,-e sentence by ""l ef1uoµ.a, ment the high priest carried a censer of airro. .is µ.,,.p.,.6p,ov, "and I will make them coals from the golden e.lte.r in to the holiest a testimony,, thus reading, according to of all and there burnt incense before the Jerome, il7, instead of it'; while Cyril mercy-seat. But the-word hltB often e. wider sense than that of burning incense, and is comments.~n the words eo:read as follows: applied to the offe1-ing of e.ny so.crifice what- "For these things being taken e.way shall ever. Just as the festivals of Jehovah were testify as it were against Ismel's depravity, transferred to Be.al, so hie service we.e turned and render their punishment more sigua.l, into that of Baal. Time Ismel prostituted and make the =ath conspicuous." The herself and acted the part of e. spiri tue.l context, however, militates e.ge.inst the read- adulteress by her worship of idols. 'fhe ing in question, for in time of we.r or genera.I. so.me unsavoury fignre is resumed; and her devastation places, through neglect, grow assiduous efforts to worship the idol e.coept- trees and brushwood, where wild beasts lair e.bly and propitiate his favour is presented aud lay we.ate. The exple.ne.tion of the verse under the fignre of a whorish wome.n deck~ is well given by K.imchi in his commentary: ing herself with meretricious ornaments---'-' " Because she said,• These e.re the hire of my nose-rings and jewels, thus ma.king up by he.rlotry ; ' became slie ea.id that from the artificial means for the le.ck of natural beauty, hand of her lovers came the corn 8.lld must -to e.ttre.ct the •attention e.nd gain the and oil and all good things ;-I will make admimtion of her lovers. Thus Aben Ezre.: them e. desolation, that she may know "The meaning of ;vn1 is· metaphorical in whether iilie had those good things from me allusion to a whorish· woman who puts a or from them. mnK, because he he.a com- nose-ring in her nose. iii;id a ·necklace on her pared her to a harlot, he calls those good neck to make herself beautiful, in order to th.i.ugs mm<, equivalent to ro•1 pmt; while find favour in the eyes of the adulterer." their significe.tion is identica.l with _'ltln, and The word ii) has for its verbal root mv, to their root, n:in [extend, reach, give], the overstep the boundary, transgress, plunder, aleph being prosthetic. But Jonathan ren- ders ;"!JnN by iR.',, precio1111 things. And he draw to oue's &elf, put on; while ,;;7,:;i (mas- mentions the vine and the fig tree beoe.use culine 1 ',n) is from n',n, to rub, polish, be gra pee e.nd figs are the best part of the food smooth.· -But when all fails to draw lovers fJf man after the produce of the e.arth (i.e. unto her, she csi,ts aside the last remaining eorn); e.nd already he had said,• I will also fmgment of female delicacy, e.nd goes in take away my corn in its sea.son.'" pursuit of lovers. Thus did Isre.el. _She Ver. ! 3.-A.nd I will viait upon her the put Be.al or other idols in place of J ehove.h; days of Be.alim, wherein lhe burned inoen1e she made a transfer of Jebove.h's festivals to to them, and 1he deoked herself with her Be.e.l ; she burnt incense or offered sacrifice eaJ'd'inga and her jewel.I, and &he went after to her idol instead of the true God ; ehe her lovel'B, and forgat me, aaith the Lord. went to great pains to seoure the acceptance TLe name of Ba.e.lim, that iB, Ile.e.J.s in the of her fal8e <le1ties; "and me," says Jehovah Oil, II, 1~23.] THE BOOK OF HOSEA. 47