The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 106

so.Icon tho Lord.; ttf observe whoredom and the way it fell determined theu collll!e. wine e.nd new wfoe." 1;'heophylact explainli'this meth6d of divina- Ver. U.-It makes no gre!lt difference tion ne follows: "They set up two rods, and whether we roge.rd this verse e.s concluding mutterer( some verses and enchantments· the foregoing or commencing e. new para- e.nd then th_e rode falling through the in~ gwph', though we prefer the le.tter mode of flnence of demons, they considered how they connecting it. It ate.tea the debasing influ- f~U, whether forward or be.ckwa.r<l, to the ence which debauchery e.nd drunkenness e.re right or the left, and so gave answers to the known to exercise over both head e.nd bee.rt; foolish people, nsing the fall of the rods for they dull the fe.culties of the former and signs." Cyril, who attribntes the invention deaden the e.ffections of the fatter. The of rabdomancy to t~e Cbaldeans, gives the heart is not only the seat of the e.ffections, se.me acconnt of this method of divination. as with us; it comprises also the intellect Herodotus m·entiona e. mode of divina.tion and "ill; while the word MP-,'. is not so much prevalent among the Scythians by means to take away e.s to captive.to the bee.rt. Raehl of willow roda; and Tacitus informs us that gives the former sense : "The whoredom the Germans divined by a rod cut from a. e.nd drunkenness to which they e.re devoted fruit-bee.ring tree. "'l'hey (the Germans) take away their heart from me." Kimchi's cut a twig from a fruit tree, and divide it explanation is judicious: "'rhe wboredom into sme.ll pieces, which, distinguished by to which they surrender themselves and the certain matka, are thrown promiscuously on constant drunkenness which they practise a white garment. Then the priest ot' the take their heart, so that they have no under- canton, if the occasion be public-if private, standing _to perceive what is the way of the ma.ster of the fe.mily-'-after a.n invoca- goodness along which they should 'go." He tion of the gods, with his eyes lifted up to further distinguishes the tirosh from the heaven, thrice takes out· each piece, and as yayin, remarking thut the former is the new they come up, interprets their signification wine which takes the heart and suddenly in- according to the marks fixed upon them." toxicates. The prophet, having had occe.sion '.£'he sin and folly of e.ny people consul ting an to m,ention the sin of whoredom in var. 10, idol of wood about the success or otherwise qiake~ ,e. general ~tateme~t about the collje• of an undertaking, or deciding whether by quences oY that sin coml:nned with drunken- a species of tero.phi.m or staff divination, is ness in ver. 10, e.e not only debasing, brit sn~ciently obvion~. But the great aggra- depriving men of the right use of their vation of Israel's sm arose from the circum- reason e.nd the proper exercise •of their stance not obscurely hinted by the possessive natural e.ffections. 'rhe following verses "my" attached to "people." That a people afford abundant evidence of e.11 this in the likeisrael;whomGod had chosen from among insensate conduct of Israel e.t the time re- the nations of the earth and distinguished ferred to. by special tokens of Divine favour, and to Vere. 12-14i-The first· of these verHes whoni. he_had given the ephod with the truly exhibits the p#vate life of the people e.s oracular Urim and Thummim, should for- depraved by sin and folly; the second their sake him and the means·be bad given them publie'life as deg!'1l.ded: by idolatry and lewd- of knowing his will, and turn aside to gods ness;· while the third points to the corre- of· wood, evinced at once stupidity unac- sponding chastisement and its cause; My conntable and sin inexcusable. "The people ask oounsel e.t t_heir atooks (lite?a.lly, prophet," says Calvin, "calls here the wood), and their staff deolareth unto them. Israelites the people of God, not to honour Rashi explains "stocks," or literally, "wood," them, but rather to increase their sin ; for to mean" a graven imagemndeoutof,vood;" the more heinous was the perfidy of the while ·Aben Ezra prefo.cea his exposition of people, that, having been chosen, they this by an observation which serves well na had afterwards forsaken their heavenly a Jirik of oonnection between the eleventh Father. . . . Now this people, that ought to and twclf'th verses. 'It is as follows: " The be mine, consult their own wood, and their ~ign tbe.t they are in ri:inlity without bee.rt, staff answers them I " For the spirit of 1s that my people tum to e.sk counsel of whoredoms he.th oausad them to err, and its stocks and wood/' Kimchi not unaptly they have gona a-whoring from under their rem11rks, '' They are like the blind man God. In this part of th<:: vel'l!e the prophut to whom hie staff points out the way ill e.ttempts to account for the extreme folly which he should go." The stupidity of and hoinous Bin of Ieru.el, as described in ~.dolatry and the sin of divination are here the first clause. It was an evil spirit, some coulbined: By ·the "wood" is meaut an demoniac power, that had inspired them with idol cO:rved out of· wood ; while the staff -nn insuper,1ble fondness fol' idolatry, which m11y likewiso ho.ve an imnge carved o.t the in proplietio lu.nguage is spiritual atlultcry. top for idollltrous purposes, or it runy denote 'l'hu consequence was a sa,l departure frolll 11, moue of divination by· e. stL1ff whieh by tho true Gtid IIJld e. siuful we.,alering away lM THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [oH, IV, 1--HI,