The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 170

Raid, He will oause his li~ht and hie goodness eon e.nd eon's son." Thus he reprovee them to shine over us." Hie comment on the for t.he euperflcie.l e.nd lleeting ch1m1oter of s~ond _Rimilitude is eque.lly e.pproprie.te: their goodness. The pe.rtioiples mashkim "He ,nil ('.ome to ue e.s the plentiful re.in, and holek are either co-ordinated nsynde• as the plentiful re.in which revives the dee.d tously, thus: "coming in the morning, going ple.nts; so man sunk in sorrow is like one 11.way;" or the J11ttor is subordinated to the de11d; hut. when deliverance comes to him former: "in the morning pnssing away." il is with him e.s ifhe revived out of his dee.d Kimchi takes the former word 11s a noun st11te." Th us he she.11 be to his people as after the form of makbir, equivnlont to "morning to the wee.ry wRtcher," and e.s "abundance" (Job xxxvi. 31); tho right " plentiful re.in to the parched ground." rendering is," as the dew early goingnwo.y." Yer. 4.-For your goodne11 is as a morning A somewhat different rendering is proposed cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. by Wiiusche, viz. "Your goodness goeth A new section here commences. God, away like e. morning cloud, nnd like the hn.-ing tried ve.rious expedients e.nd me.ny dew in the morning; " " goodness" being the ways to restore Israel to faithfulness, finds subject, "goeth e.way" the predice.te, "like all those methods nne.ve.iling; and now he morning cloud and dew " nearer definitions. nsks what farther meane of reclamation Yers. 5, 6.-The consequence of Israel's he ee.n resort to ; what farther punishment unsteadiness and inconstancy is here stated. he is to inflict. Thus in Isa.. i. 5, " Why Because of the 11.uetuating e.nd formal should ye be stricken any more? ye will nature of their religiousness, God cut them revolt more and more I" or what additional down (instead of rearing them up) through privileges can be vouchsafed? Thus in his prophets by fierce denunciations, and Isa. v. 4, "What could have been done more slew them (instead of reviving them) by to my vineyard, than I have not done in it?" the Divine word. Thejudgment of Jehovah The reason is then e.ssigned for such ques- went forth as the liglltning-fle.sh, or was as tioning; it was the brief duration of Israel's clear and conspicuous for justice e.s the light piety. It was eve.nesoent as the early cloud of do.y. Neither could outward services ex- which floe.ts e.aross e. summer's sky e.nd which piate their sins, when the proper feelings and the sun soon scatters for ever, or which pro- meet fruits were absent. I have hewed them mises a refreshing shower, but which is by the prophets; I have slain them by the exhaled by the sun's heat; it was transient words of my mouth. The langue.ge is as the dew which lies in pearly drops figurative-the first clause seems borrowed of beauty upon the grass, but which the from hewing hard wood and she.ping it eo foot of the passing traveller brushes as to assume the required form; so God awe.y in a moment. The propllet had, in dealt with Israel to bring them into she.pa the opening verses, referred to real repent-. morally symmetrice.l, and me.ke them ance; but now, turning to Israel, he reminds correspond to the character of a holy people. them of their repentance by way of con- The slaying is metaphorical, and consisted trast, showing them that it was neither of in the denunciation of death and destruc- tile consistency nor permanent character tion to the impenitent; in this way he required. Proofs of their deficiency lay on killed, but did not mo.ke alive. A different the pages of their national history. Heze- rendering of the clause is given by the kiah had done " that whlch was right in LXX. and also by Aben Ezra; the former the sight of the Lord ; " but his son and has, "Therefore have I mown down your successor, Manasseh, " wrought much wick- prophets; I he.ve slain them with the word edness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke of my mouth;" the latter he.s, "The sense him to e.nger." Josiah, again, was eminent is that be slew some of the prophets who for piety, so that" like unto him was there misled the people so that they did not turn no king before him, that turned to the Lord (repent)." But b• does not imply his hewing with e.ll his heart, and with all his soul, in among the prophets; it is instrumental. e.nd with all his might;" but his successors And thy judgmente a.re as the light that degenerated, for it is added, "neither after goeth forth. The judgmenta here spoken him arose there e.ny like him." '!'he con- of are the Divine judgments denounced nection and meaning are well given by against, or inflicted ou, the people. Another Kimch.i : " How shall I bee.I you, and how reading he.e the pronominal suffix of the shall I bind you up, e.e your repento.nce is first person: "My judgment goeth forth as Ly no means perfect? For if the kings of the light;" to which the Septuagint cor- Ismel did that which was right in the eight responds: ,cplµa. µou, equivalent to "my of the Lord, so have they soon turned to do judgment." 1 desired me1·cy (or, mercy 1 evil, like Jellu. And likewise the kings of delight in) .. , and the lmowledge of God J u<le.h, who in the de.ye of Joeie.h did thu.t more than burnt o_fferingB. The former is which was right in the eyea of the Lord, the right st11,te of the life, the latter the turned 11,gain to do evil in the days of his correct condition of tile he11,rt: the former OJI, VJ, 1-11,] THE BOOK OF HOSEA. ll,!}