The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 299

EXPOSIT!ON. profit;" Aben Ezl'B, "to 'beo.r" or "malie CHAPTER X. eq\11\l;" and Kimchl.infonns us thdt theoluor The concluding thought of the last chapter interpretors understood in the sense of is the commencing one of tl1is; while the "lying," aa if ~,ir, the whole pbmw tne!inlng, "the fruit will lie to him," IJIJat•is, deceive or sad subject of Israel's guilt being resumed fe.il him (likech.ix.2). Kimchi himselftakes continues in the first section (vera. 1-8) of the verb in the right sense, but, misled by the ohapter, e.nd that of their punishment his erroneous e:s:pl1mation of boq~, empty or in the second section (ve:s. 9-15), with a plundered, takes the clo.use interrogatively:, solemn caution to ma.ke a better use of .the "How shall he set on himself [equivnlent to future than they had done of the past. •field' any fruit~, s~noe he}s iis a plunder~~- nne; for the enemies he.ve_ plundered hun Ver. 1.-Israel is an empty vine. The and set him ns cm empty'vessol? how should oompa.rison of Israel to e. vine is frequent: he still thrive and become numerous in but the epithet boqeq is variously rendered; children and treasures?" It makes little (1) as" empty." Tilus Aben Ezi:aexplains it difference whether we take the second part os "empty in which there is 110 strength to ofthe first clause relatively or independently, bring forth fruit, nor fruit;" and thus also as the SiilSe amounts to, the same. The Kimchi explains it:" An empty Tine in which meaning of the two difficult and disputed there is not any life-sap ; " and in the same words then we take to be respectively; sense ,::1,:::i, "empty and sick,'' Nab. ii. 11. "lu:s:uriant" and "yield; " and t4e sense of Tliis. too, is the meaning of the· Authorized the whole is either '(I) o. comparison of tho. Version, but iR irreconcilable with the stat.e- former state of Israel to a vine Iuxiuie.ut ment in the following clause, "he bringeth and likely, as far CUI appearance .went, ·to forth fruit." The Chald<'e hlld preoeded in set forth fruit; but the luxlll'iance degene- giring the ward the aense of "plundered,'' rated into leafage, and the likelihood· 'of "empty," "w&Bte." But (2) some take boqe.q fruitage failed; or (2) Israel is compared ~o transitively, and e.tte.ch to it the signifi.ca- a vine luxuriant in growth and abundant m tion of "emptying out its fruit." In this way fruit-but only for itself. The former ex- Rashi explains it: "Tl,e Israelites resemble planation accords with that of Jerome when a ,ine which caste a.II its good fruit;" and he says," Unprurted vines.luxuriate in the· similarlv the marginal rendering of the juice e.nd leaves which t~ey oug~t to tr~n~-- Author1zcd Version h&B, "a ,ine emptying mnte into wine. 'fhey disperse in the ulle the fruit "'hich it giveth." There is (3) a ambitione show of leaves and branches.'1 signification derivable from the primnry The more abundantly e. fruit tree gives out meaning of boqeq more suitable than either its stren!!th in leaves and branches, the less' of the prooeding. From the primary sense of abundo.nt and the worse the quality of the •·pouring,"" pouring iaielf out,n or" poured fruit. Thus it was with the fig tree, with out," e.nd so over:fio'\\"ing, Pomes that of•· lurn- it.s abundant leaves e.nd no fruit, which our riant." Accordingly Ges.,nius translates," a Lord cursed. But with the same or a wide-spreading vine." This agrees with the similar rendering there is the altema.tive Septuagint euKAT/,u.aTovcra.," a vine wiLh goodly sense of prosperous growth e.nd, plenteous brancltPs," to which the Vulgate froudosa, fruit, but that fruit wasted on self or sin; "leaf)·," nearly corresponds. In 1ike man?er and thus the meaning in either case is much De ·w ctte renders it wucheri,der, "grow mg the same. The Septuagint favoura this by prosperously." It was thus a vine of vigorous oKap11'~S ,,;e,wwva~Tijs,equivo.lent to" its fruit growth, and extending its branches far o.od exuberant." Cyril favours thill. latter also wide ; a parallel expression is fou_nd i~ tb~ in baying, "When Isro.el still -~sely led _a, nri,b •; of Ezek. xvii.-6, "a spreading Vlile. life iu accordance with the D1vme Law, it Re ·crntber' it) bringeth forth. fruit nn~ ~ - was e.s a beautiful vino adorned with ael!. ( ii.self). The word ri,~; literollys1gn1fies brancl,es, which . even the neighbouriTI~ "to set to" or "onf' and ii! rightly rendered nation~ -admired.'' 1This was exactly · the byGesenius "to set".or "yieldfruit." ltis state of Israel in the days of J oaeh e.nd variously interpreted by tho Hebrew corn. Jeroboam 11: but their prosperity was m;,nintora, but roore or Jen erroneously by prostituted to purposes of ~dol~try. Je~~me thew all. Ra..!hi t ~ i.t in the Stnse of O to alsn, in auother pm _of Jue expos1t1on,  cm. x. 1-16.J THE BOOK OF HOSEA. 299