The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 105

1-'.on<l th"'.y did evil." He ;;l~o gives ne the ation, l\nd the explauation is-tho people are ,•xplnn0tion of o1hcl"B, "As l incrcRs<><i them like the priest e.nd the priest is lilto the i11 wealth ond riches, th,·v sin11<"d O"Rinet prople. And the_ meaning is that, o.B tho 111<>." Their glory will I change into e!u,me. peo1_1lc nnd the pnest are equal with respect '!'he" therefore,'' of the An1hnrized Yersion to sm, so shall they be equal in relation to is insert<'?- unnecessarily. Doth the Cllaldce punishment." _And _I will• ~lt npon him '""l Svr1ac ren<ler, "And they chnnged hil wa71, e.nd hill doings I 'Will bring baok 1hPir glory into shame; " as they took i'ON ~o him. The retribution· here three.toned for the inflniti\'e i'l;l~, and that in the scn·s; mclud':8 the wholo priestly order not people of the rretel'ite ; or the infinitive in the and priest as one man, nooordin~ to Pusey, ~erundi\'al sense : "chan):!ing their glory who, ho\Vever, makes the following excellent rnto shllJile." E:imchi explains the meaning comment on ,,',',yo : "The word tendered correctly : " Therefore I made them heads doinga signifies g1-eat doing& when UBed of on•r the people nnd cxpiators, yet if they do God, bold doinga on the,pa.rt of !llan. These (lot observe my Law I will change their glory bold ~resumptuoua doings age.inst the Law mto shame; and the people will contemn aud will of God, God will bring bock to the und despise them.." Their numbers multi- sinner's bosom," or rother, down ·overwhelm- plied with the multiplication of idols, and ingly upon hie head. 'l'he singular indi- the apostasy of the people kept pace with vidualizes; so both Aben Ezra and Kimohi: both ; . nnd now as a fit punishment they are "Upon every one of them." to be deprind of their priestly glory- their Ver. 10.-For the7 shall eat;and not have dignity and splendour. They eat up the enough : the7 shall commit whoredont, and sin or my people. The word ;,ii;ii:i may be shall .not incree.ae, This part of the verse understood in either of two senses ; and the states the punishment to be inflicted and 1oee.ning of the verse will correspond thereto. the reward to be received; it ie thus e.n It may either mean that these faithless exp_ansion of the closing clause of, the pro- 1,riests lived upon the sin of the people, oedmg verse, with an obvione allusion to the Jmfring their li¥elihood and pro.fit from the sin specified in the oighth verse. To eat 11cople's idolatrous practices; or that they and_ not be satisfied may occur in time of were delighted with their sin, Approving femme, or be tlio effect of disee.ae or the rather than repro¥ing them for the same. consequence of insatiable craving.. " Sincet 'l'he other expla.nation i;nde1·stands the word says Kimchi, "they' eat in an unlawful ••E. sin _offering, and is thus expressed by manner, their food· shall not be to 'them a lumchi : " They are only priests for ea.ting blessing." This was one of the punishments "l' the sin and trespe.ss offering which the threatened for violation of the Law, as we people offer on account of sins, not for tee.ch- read in Lev. xxvi. 26, "When I.have broken in:; the Law or right we.y." To their iniquity the staff of your bread, ten women. shall they lift up ( ea.eh one) hill soul. They set bake your bread in one oven, and they shall their heart upon and eagerly desire the con- deliver you your .brea.d e.gain by. weight: tinued practice of sin on the part of the and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied." Fur- J>eople that they may profit by the sacrifices. ther, the multiplication of wives or concu- Thus E:i1uehi explains this clause ir. ac- bines would not incree.se their posterity· cordance with his exposition of the former: Solomon long previously he.d been e. note.bi~ •· The priests lift up every one his soul to e:s:ew plification of this. '" So in their cohabi- 1 he, sin of the people, saying, When will they tation with their women, since it ie in e. ,in, and bring sin offering e.nd trespa.sa whorish manner, they she.II not increase, for offering that we ma.y ea.t?" they shall not have children by them; or, if Ver. 9.-Like pi;ople, like priest. As it ha.d they have, they shall die from the birth." fared wit!, the people who had siuned and 'l'he Hiph. hiznu he.a rather the intensive l,ad bec,i punished, a.e is stated in tile third sense of Qal than that of causing or en- and fifth ¥erses; so shall it be with the couraging whoredom. :Because the7 have priest or whole priestly order. He has in- left off to te.ke heed to the Lord. TJ:te verbal volved himself in sin and puuiehment like luhmor either (1) has Jehovah for its objoet, the people, nnd that as the consequence of as in the Authorized Version; or (2) durl,o his extreme unfaithfulness; whereas by or darkair may be supplied, ae ie done by Juil]Jful dealing with the people and dis- Kimchi and Aben Ezra. The former he.a cbarge of his duty he might have delfrered "To observe his ways, for they have n~ his own soul, as stated by Ezek. xxxiii. 9, d~light iu him and iu hie ways; to observe " N evertlJelees, if thou we.rn the wicked of hlB ways they have left off;" the latter hoe his way to turn from it; if he do not tum "'l'hey ho.ve foraaken Jeho>1ah, .to obsorv~ from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; his way or his Lawe." But (8) •Kimchi but thon liabt d1•1iv<:'Tcd thy soul." It is informs ns that "Sandie.h Go.on of blessed wdl cxpbiu2d by Kiwchi as tollows: "These mcwory has connected tho word with the IWu cuph• of li.k~ness a.re by way of e.bbrevi- verse that come" after it; thuy have for•  THE BOOK OF HOSEA.