The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 243

oi all their tribes to pttt his Name th'llre of the depllrlure from Egypt : pm,epts, nn<l to aC"rcpt the o'lferinge of his peopl0, ratioMl injunctions, left, eo to s:iy, to our they multiplied altan contrar~• to the intclligcn~e, ns the unity of the Deity and express C"nrunrnnd of God ; while those the fnct of his being tho Ct·eator; nnrl judg- ultars whirh they erected in any places that ments, j~clici~l di1;ctions relitting to buying plensed them were not for the service of the e.ncl selling, rnher1tl\nccs, Bnd such like. true Gnd, but for the worship of idols, Vrrs. 13, 14.-For the aao1i.ftoe of mine the <'nl'i'es. Baal, and other '°anities of the oft'erings, they st10ritl.ce :flesh and eat it; but h,•athcn. Thus they multiplied their sin the Lord acoe11teth them not, The mention by e¥ery altnr they ree.red and every idol of nltitrs naturally suggests that of s11c·ri- they worshippc,d. Their altars, instead of ficcs. and, I\S a matter of fact, with the proving thl'ir piety. plunged them in greater multiplication of those altnrs they multi- sin and deeper guilt. I have written to plied their sacrifices, so that the latter kept 12.im the great things of my L11.w, but they pace with the former, and a due propor- were counted as a strange thing. For the tionateness mo.iutainc<l between them. And Atbenia.ns, whose city Paul fo11nd full of yet., numerous as those sacrifices were, they i,lols, e.nd which in e.ddition to its many were not reBI sacrifices; they were no more other altars had one to an unknown g()(l, and no better than slaying so many animals there was some excuse, for they were not and feasting on their flesh ; the spirit of pri,·ileged with e. revelation of the Divine devotion was o.bseut, therefore God did not will in a written Law ; but for Israel no accept thflm. Now will he remember their such apology was possible: This verse iniquity, and visit their sins : they shall proves plainly that., in their sinning by return to Egypt. The turning-point we.& multiplying idols and altars, they were now reached, their iniquity woe full, e.nd entirely without excuse. The kethio or the time of puuisument had 11rrived. God textual reading hu ribbo for n"bboth by the had delivered their fathers out of the omission of ta'I! e.nd equive.lent t.o ;,??7', the.t bondage of Egypt; now he will send their is, ten thousand, or myriads ; the Qeri or posterity into a bondage similar to or even Massoretic correction, •:i-,, plural of :ii, mul- worse than that of Egypt. For Israel hath titudes. The idea conv~yed ia the numerous forgotten his Maker, e.nd buildeth temple& directions, preceptive and prohibitive, of (or, palaces). Here Israel's sin, with the the Pentatench; the commandments, so foll consequent suffering, is traced to its source. and e:L:plicit, comprehending alike the great The origin of all was their forgetfulness things and the little ; the details, so minute of God and false confidence in me.n-them- as well e.s me.nifold, that there was no selves and others or both. And Judah hath possibility of mistake, prorided there was multiplied fenced cities. Israel forgot hi~ any mind to be informed. Still more, these Maker, and built shrines on high" places, commandments, directions, and details were "consecrating," as Jerome says, "whole not onlv commnnicated verbally and orally hills and mountains and shady trees· to to Israel: they were commit'.ed to writing, Baal and Ashtaroth and other idols." nnd thus placed perme.nently on record. Judah also, though aware that Israel had And yet, notwithstanding all this, 1he great renounced the love of Jehovah and had things of God's Law were regarded by many been punished for their sins, did not return or most of those to whom they were ad- to God, but trusted in fenced cities. llut I dressed e.s instructions foreign to their will send ·a fire upon his cities, and it shall intc>reat, with which they had no concern, devour the palaces thereof, To the word and which consequently had no claim on for "city" the masculine suffix is attached ; their attention and deserved no place in while with "pa.laces" the feminine suffix their recollection. The variety of names is employed, With the proper names of for the Divine commands ia very noteworthy. peoples either gender is used: (a) the mas- Tbere are commandmenu, equivalent to all culine with reference to the people or precepts of which the motives are assigned, population, and the feminine in relation as of circumstance to distiuguish Israel to the country ; or the reference may he to from other people; statutes, for which no Israel and Judah, the masculine referring• motives are assigned, as in the case of to their respective peoples, and feminine to the red heifer, prohibition against wearing their lands; though (b) Aben Ezra refers garments of mixed material, and ceremonial the feminine suffix of" pe.laces" to "1'11, city, Jm,,cripts in g-cneral : testimonies, precepts which is feminine. (o) The Septuagint has intern.bi to k-eep up the memory of ~ny 'T<& 8Ep.bua., foundations, instead of palBCes, l:rent or fact, as the Pa~sover to remwd orr. VllI. 1-14.J 'J.'f(E BOOK Ob' HOSEA,