The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 203

somewhat different rendering, and conse- wickedness may do its work, and completely quently different exposition, have much to pervade the minds into which it has been recommend them : " In their wickedness introduced, and until maUers are th(Jroughly they m11ke the king merry, and in theil' matured for action. Meantime th0 fire feigning the princes; " their wickedness barns stelldily e.nd sufficiently, until the- Wlll theil' clillbolic11l design to 11ss11ssinate oven requires to be more highly heated fo king o.nd princes ; with this object in view the well-prepared and perfectly leavenea they make the king merry with wine so dough. The use of the participle 1'l/c,i is that he might fa.II an easy and unsuspecting well explained by the principle stated by viotim; their feigning was their fell purpose Ewald as follows: "Just as the idea. of the of BSsBBsin11tion under the profession of verb • to be' is placed in immediate con- friendship. Suoh wae the desperate treachery struction with the word which more exactly of those miscreant conspir.i.tore. Thie view forms the predicate, so also may those verbs tallies well with the context. which describe a. somewhat more specific Vere. 4-7.-Vers. 4, 6, and 7 are linked kind of being, e.g. verbs which signify together by the figure of an " oven," common •commencing' to be, i.e. becoming . . . to them ; while 4 and 6 have also in common verbs of hastening, i.e. quickly becoming the figure of a "baker." Further, we are •.. and those of ceaaing to be, Hos. vii. 4. helped to the literal meaning of the meta- . . . The following verb, if such a word be phorical language of vers. 4 and 6 by vers. required for the more specific predicate, most 5 and 7 respectively. They are all adulterers, readily chooses the participial form ... verbs u an oven heated by the baker. Whether denoting contmuanu would be constructed the sin indicated was idolatry, which is in the same way." The particle 1l/, equiva- often represented as spiritual adultery, or lent to iuque ad, implies the completeness adultery in the literal sense, which was its of the leavening. frequent accompaniment; or in a larger Ver. 5.-In the day of our king. This sense faithlessness to solemn obligations may mea.n the anniversary of his birth-his such as treason, treachery, or perfidy in bixthda.y celebration, or the anniversary of general ; it was their habitual practice, as J,is accession or coronation; or it may have intimated by Piel participle in its iterative been used in an "mbiguollS sense, and to or intensive sense. The persons charged include the day of his destruction, like the with this sin were kullam, all of them- tragic irony or contrast between the know- sovereign and subjects, princes and people ledge of the spectator and the supposed alike. The traitors of the time referred to, ignorance of the actor. The expression or rather their heart heated witll lawless "our" is either a real acknowledgmeut of lust and pernicious paesion, is pictured by the kings of Israel, or rather the lip-loyalty the prophet as o.n oven : and the oven is of the traitorous princes who were com- heated by the baker, or more literally, passing his ruin. The prinoes have made burning from the baker. Who or what is him sick with bottles of wine. The literal represented by the baker? This may be a rendering is, have made sick the heat of personification of the spirit of treason like wine ; i.e. made him sick with heat from the spil'it of whoredoms (oh. v. 4), or evil wine. The construction resembles Micllh agency that impelled these men to their vi. 13, "I will make sick thy smiting;" i.e. nefarious deeda; or we mav understand by I will make thee sick through smiting thee. the "baker" those persons who were the The heat from wine repeats in some sort prime movers in such matters, and who the preceding figure of a heated oven. The instigated others to become their tools and object of these wretches was two[old-to execute their plans. In either case the intiame their passion, and nerve their hands burning, once commenced, continued of itself; for the bloody work on which they were the primary instigators h11d no difficulty in set; and to leave the king powerless, a Beouring agents ready and willing as them- helpless victim in theix hands. He stretched selves for such bad and bloody work, and out his hand with scorners. Whatever the who, once set agoing, needed no further real orio-in of this phrase may be, the impulse, but of their own motion delighted meaning° is plain-he joined in fellowship to carry it through. Who oeaseth from with those wicked princes, and took part ou raising after he hath kneaded the dough, terms of equality with them in their brutish until it be leavened. An interval of time debauoh and profane carousal. He stretched ,lapses between the inception and ex:eoution out his hand and hailed them BII boon- of the work. The baker ceo.soth from oompanions. raising, more litere.lly, from stir1·ing or Ver. 6.-For they have made ready their stoking; o.fter kindling the fire in the oven heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait : he lets it burn on and leaves off stirrino- it their baker sleepeth all the night ; in the until the lme11ded dough is fully fermented, morning it burneth as a tlaming tire. 'fheir This respite is allowed that the leflven of he~rt ill the oven, as ihe oomp&risoo here  202 THE BOOK OF BOSEA. [OH, VII. l...._18,