The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 89

EXPOSITION. marry a wife of whoredoms, and now he OHAPTER III. speaks to him another parable." Thie time he does not employ the ordinary and usual 'l'hi1 short chapter contains two sectiona, word "take," but" love.'' plainly implying of which the first, comprising vers. 1-3, is that he had already married her, so that a symbolic representation ; and tbe second, her unfaithfulness took place in wedlock; consisting of vers. 4 and 5, gives the expla- or rather indicating the object of the union. :Beloved of her friend, yet an adoltereu. nation. The prophet bestows his affections Her friend or companion is (I) her lawful on a worthless wife, who, notwithstanding husband, but contemporaneously and con- his tender love to her, proves utterly un• tinuously with her hmband's love to her are faithful and lives in adultery. He does not her adulteries with others, as i.8 implied by cast her off, but, in order to reclaim her and the participles. (2) J1J, being indefinite as bring her to repentance, he places her in not having article or suffix, is underatood by some to be an acquaintance or lover, and a position of restraint, where she is obliged preferred, 68 a milder term, to :l(:1~1?· The to renounce all intercourse with her par· contrast :was realized in Jehovah's love for amours. Thus it was with Israel. They Israel, notwithstanding their spiritual adnl- had had multiplied experience of God's tery in worshipping other gods. AeoordiJ!lr loving-kindness and tender mercies, but in to the love of the Lord toward the ehildre spite of all his benefits, great and manifold, of Israel who look (turn) to other goda. Two they were alike ungrateful and unfaithful. expressions in this clause recall, if they do not actually reflect, the words of two older The remainder of the chapter foretells the Scriptures; thus in Deut. vii 8 we read, long and sorrowful abandonment of Israel, " Because the Lord loved you ; " and in as though forgotten by God and forsaken Deut. xxxi 18, "They are turned unto other by man ; and closes with an outlook into gods." (3) The LXX. has ,,,wczitca a-,,cr,r.,a-av the far-off future, when Israel's correction woVT/pd, having probably read JI:! n~i:)11. would issue in their conversion, so that they And love ll.agons of wine (margin, (Jf'ape,). The term a.ahi3M, accordin~ to Bashi and would return to the Lord their God and Aben Ezra, means" bowls," that is, "bowls David their king in the latter days. of wine" (literally, "of grapes"). They Ver. 1.-The general meaning of this probably connected the word with the root verse is well given in the Chaldee Targu.m: shesh, six, a sextorius, and hence any other •• Go, utter a prophecy against the house wine-vessel. The Septuagint, however, of Israel, who are like a woman very dear renders the word woµµ.aTa. µ.,Ta. a-Ta.,pllios, to her husband, and who, though she is "cakes with dried grapes." This meaning unfaithful to him, is nevertheleH so greatly is to be preferred, whether we derive the loved by him that he is unwilling to put word from IZii;i~, io press together, or from her away. Such is the love of the Lord l!I~, fire; according to the former and correct towards Israel ; but they turn aside to the derivation, the sense being cakes of grapes idols of the nations." The word ,\y is in pressed together; according to the latter, contrast with 't•chillath, 68 the second part cakes baked with fire. Gesenius differen- of Jehovah's continued discourse. It is tiates the word from pID~, dried grapes, but erroneously and, contrary to the accents, con- structed with " said " by Kimchi and others not pressed together into a cake, and from (Ewald considers it admissible, Umbreit ;,~:;i;1, figs pressed together in to a cake. preferable). Kimchi's comment on this These raisin-cakes were regarded as luxuries verse is : "After the prophet finished his and used os delicsoies ; hence t> fondness words of consolation, he returns to words for such indicated a proneness to sensual of censure, turning to the men of his own indulgence, and flgumtively the sensuous time. And it is the custom of the prophets service belonging to idol-wars!.: ip. to intermingle reproofs with consohitions in Ver. 2.-So I bought (acq,iire,,) her to me their discourses. But l.te says yet (again), for fifteen pieces of ailver, and fur an homer bectAuse he had already co11U111nded l.tim to of barley ud an half-homer (mal'gin, lethe<"h)  of b&rley. In nnrrnting the prophet's com- l!tl.ppo~ed to be ill.' 'B CbtidU!on of dee))' dM J'Ii,mc-e with the Di'rine cotnmand, the word: pression or in clrcmnsm.nces Of grent tllatreea, tt'?tt is oonrle<-ted bf Aben EZl't\ with "1~) in .Thus the sum pa.id by the prophet for hill tho sense of mRking acquaint.~nce with;' .partner 1yn1balitc, the aetvile ete.te of Turnel bnt it is more correctly rctcrred by Kimchi when Jehovnh chose them for hie pcculiRr to ~,~ with daghesh euphonic in the caph people. 1LB i~- T)l:, shall meet thee. " The daghesh Ver. 8.-Thou ■halt abide for me many d&ya ; thou ehalt not play the harlot, and of the cnph is for euphony RS in miqdush, thou shalt not be for Rnothor man. 'l'he and the rticit is :,-,~" (Kimchi). The menn• prophet imposes certain restrictions of a. ing is then simply nnd naturally traced as very stringent character on his wife; ho follows: to dig, obtain by dif::ging, aC<J_nire: placos her in a state of isolation: 'liar po.st The price :pa.id for the ncq11isition in ·this excesses and bis purpose of effecting lien case was either the purchase money paid to reformation necessitate such measures, howr the pa.rents of the bride, as to Laban in the ever strict and severe or even hl\J"sh t4ey c~sc of Rachel cmd Lce.h by JMob, or the may appel\r. She ifnot to be nd1uitted into m1miage present po.id (mohar) to the bride full fellowship with her husbo.nd,nor 'is she herself. Another l"iew l'epresents the to be allowed tho possibility of futercollrs&' prophet paying the price to the woman's with others. From friend, tbo.t is, husband husband to whom she baa been unfaithful, and lovers, she is shut. OJ.It,; 1,\11 s,eXlll\l COil~ a..-id who in consequence resigned her for so nection, whether illicit . or •legiti~e,te, .. is. small e. sum. It remains for us to attend to peremptorily cut off. The 'clause:," thou the 11.IDount thus paid. Fifteen pieces of silver sllult abide [ ur, • sit 'still, ']"fot J\le/' "den'ote~ or Rhekels would be e.bolit one pound fifteen an ·attitude of -waiting,-· not iieoesearily 'in shillings, or one pound seventeen e.nd six- sorrow,. like the- captive nio.illen who befmret pence; while the price of the barley would marriage with,ihe,r .captQr ,bewailei;l .he, 1,c somewhere a.bout the .BILme. There were po.rents •for the period, of a mouth, but, :ii), fifty or sixty shekels in a maneh, Greek mi-na, patient expectation of her busbuni;I'e .. Nr; and Le.tin mina: while the maneh we.s one- tune e.nd favour, though in eeclusiu)l froni sixtieth of a talent (kildeer); e.nd thus three h1m; aealsi:J,exclusion of all othJrt• During thousand or three thouse.nd six hundred this lt>ug period of "many days" •she: iii' Bhekels in a talent. The homer, tbe largest not only debarred. the sQciety Qf he;r-lawJi((l of the Hebrew ,dry meo.snres, containe,I one purtuer, but forbidden either, to play tlj,o; cor or·ten ephe.bs (= ten baths of liquids==· harlot with several or to attach herself fo e. ten Attic µ.irupo,), and the half-homer o:r inngle paramour.· ·Jerome dir~cts attentiotf letJ,ec (htemi-wrM in LXX.) w1111 half a cor to the fe.ot that 'the word "an.oilier" has uo· or five ephe.bs. These fifteen ephe.hs, at a place in the origine.1 text; otherwise R ~hekel each-for under extraorcline.ry cir- would imply that she was prohibited:from, onmstanccs (2 Kings vii.•l) we read of" two ilj.wrcourse wi~h _any ot.her, than her:l;tll.11~. measnres of barley for a shekel"--.wouJd band, while tl:j.e ;real m11aning m11kes th!li be equivalent to .one pound fifteen or seven- prohibition o.bsolut~ and inclusive even or u,en shillings and aixpence. Both together conjugal connection' with her husband: ~-~· -the silver and the barley-would amount. will I also be •fot thee. ' 'The Hebrew' e:r1 to thirty shekels, or :three ponnds .a.nd ten or. positors, Aben Ezra and Kirnchi, reneat·'th'.e, fifteen shillings. Why tl,i.s euct amount?· negative froin the prece~ing'clause e.nd trnhs'.! and why such pe.rticul~.y in the reokon- late, "Nor she.II I even eonte to you,'.' .that1 ing? By turning to Exod. :ui. ~2 we is, for• marite.I' society; This' is not nece~~ learn tbe.t thirty sheke.ls w.ere the ,e.st1ID&ted sary to bring"out_ the hue· sense, wliich'.'i~. value pf a 111anservant or maidservant; for that, as she was·to be restrained from irlti!t1 it is there stated tbat '' if the ox shall pUBh course with anf e.n,,;V,every other mRn,.so'· he' e. IIlJlnservant ·or e.. mai<lservant, he shall himself also would 'aL~taih from interc:ol\rsW give unto their me.ster thirty shekels of with her.·· "A'nd alsd I will be for [ulit6] silver." The price paid by _the _prophet thee- [i.e. -thy husband] to preserve co~J•Y~/1:r.; partly in money and part1~ m kmd_ was fidelity to thee, but hold aloof from tlie'l exactly the price of an ordmary me.1dser- during thy de~ntio~." Thus ~epartLted from'-. \'ant. The be.rlcy (O')Jr~, plural, equivalent both lovers and husband, Isre;cl wou'ld' for ' to" grains of barley") may hint th_e woman's many a •long day suspend_ her ~orlihip 'of uuchaetity, 811 it was the offenng for- a idols, and be at the same time 1Jbut out from' wotnan suspected of adultery (Numb. v.) her covenant relation to Jeh:oval\.' 'I<;imchi'i The low esta1e of the person purchased is a comment amount~ to pretty mucldhe s0:1ne;, fogitima.te inference from all this. T•he as does also tho.t of ALcti E!zr~: • 'The c:li- wifo, for whom such a paltry sum should be plan1Ltion of the former is, "I· said to her;· pui<l, and paid in such a way, or to whom After thou bast committml adultery ugain~t;: such a petty gi!! would .be .odi,red, ~Wit b11. ,mo, thy punidh11lo11t ~hall be tl1L1t thou shalf OH, Ill. 1-6.] THE DOOK OF ll:JSEA. P.7