The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 330

for from their vooth onward I have loved they turned a deaf ear to those who were ibem, and delivered them out of the ha.nds their truest friends and best advisers. Pur- of their enemie8. But when they tmnsgress Slling their idolatrou1 prnoticee, they sacri- mv <'ommaudment.e it is incumbent on me to ficed to De.e.l, that ie to RRY, the various cliastise them as e. m1m chasti@es his son." representations of that idol1 and burned (1) The people of Istael is oalled God's eon incense to their images, whetner of wood or in Mn@equenC'e of God choosing them e.nd stone or precious metal. Thus Rimchi cor- bringing them into close relationship to rectly comments as follows: "The prophets him@elf, such e.s that or a son t-0 a father. wbiob I sent to them called to them morning The commencement w&S tho message to and e\'cuiug to turn to Jehovah, so (muoh Ph=h by Moees in the words, " Isrnel is the more) did they go away from them, not my son, even my firstborn: and I 1111y unto hearkening to their words nor desisting from thoo, Let my son go, that he may serve me." their evil works." The word p, even so, This sonship was sokmnly ratified by the denoting the mea.sure or rela.tion, corre- gi \"ing of the Ln w at Sine.i; and the rondition sponds to "l111N1 to be supplied iu the first clearly stated that, in the event of their pre- clause. The irnperfects imply continuance serving the knowledge of God, fulfilling his of action or a general truth. (4) The Sep- Law, and doing bis will, they would e.t all tuagint rendering, followed by the Syria.c, is times enjoy Divine protection, defence, and J,, 1rpotrrinro11 µ011· muTol, "from my presenoe: blessing, while from generation to generation they;" ae if they had read c;:i •;~?? instead o( they were addressed by that honourable title. (2) As the delirnrance from Egypt is always the present text. described llS a " leading" or "bringing out," Ver. 3.-1 taught Ephraim a.laoto go, tak- and never elsewhere as a "calling ont," some ing them by their arms ; but they knew not expositors maintain that the words, "out of that I hea.led them. Thie picture of God's Egypt," signify from the time Israel was in guiding and guarding ea.re of Ephraim is Egypt, and are pru-a.llel to "when Israel wa.s very touching and tender. It is that of e.n a child," both referring to time, the time of a:ffectione.te parent or tender nurse tea.ohing national infancy. From that period God e. child to walk by lea.ding-strings; ta.king it began to manifest his love, and in its mani- up in the arms when stumbling or me.king festation he called him by the endearing a false step; and in case it• fell curing the name of" son "-mv son. The words of this wound. Thus, nurse-like, God te.ught verse are applied ·by St. Matthew to the Ephraim, hie wayward perverse child, to use sojourn of Jesus in Egypt. 'l'heolder inter- his feet (so the original word imports), e.11 the preters refer (a) the first part of the verse while lending considerate help and season- to Israel and the second part typically to the e.ble aid. He took them by the hand to history of Meesinh's childhood, in whom that guide them, that they might not stra.y; he of Israel reached its completeness. Rather took them in hie arms to hold them up, that (b) the verse we.s applied typica.lly to Israel, they might not stumble and to help them and to Jesus ae the antitype; to the former over any obstacle that might lie in the way; primarily, and to the la.tter secondarily. and when, left to themselves during a short Thus the head and the members are com- season, and in order to test their strength, prehended in one common prediction. they did stumble and fall, he healed their Ver. 2.-A.s they called them, 10 they went hurt. And yet they did not apprehend nor from them : they 11&.Crineed unto Ba.a.lim, and appreciate God's gracious design and deal- burned incense to graven images. (1) Ad- ings with them in thus guiding and guarding verting to his own call mentioned in the first them, and iu healing their disee.see both verse, God here refers to the many subsequent temporal and spiritual. There is, perhaps, an calls which he addressed to them through his a.llusion to Exod. xv. 26, "I will put none of servants the prophets and other messengers. theee diseases upoo thee which I have (2) The subject of the verb is erroneously brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the understood by some, as, for example, Aben Lord tbe.t healeth thee." .Thie promise, it Ezra and Eichhorn, to be the idols, or their will be remembered, was vouchsafed imme- false priests or prophets; while (3) Jerome ie diately after the bitter waters of Marah had also mistaken in referring the words to the been sweetened by the tree which, according time of Israel's rebelling when Moses and t.o Divine direction, b.e.d been ea.et therein. Aaron v;ished to lea.<l them out of Egypt. The Thus Kimchi : "And they have not acknow- correct reference is that first stated, and tho ledged that I healed them of every siokness sense is that, instead of appreciating the and every affiiction, as he so.id, 'I will put invitations and monitions of the prophets of none of these diseases npon thee.' " The God, they showed their utter insensibility reference is rather to all those evidences of tt.nd thanklessness, turning away from them hie love which God manifested to them rn cc,ut.empt aud sC<",rn. Nay, the more the during their forty yeard' wandering in tho 1ucs,,:,nge1s c,f G"d called them, the more wilderness; or perhaps to bis guidance of  OH, :U, 1-12.] THE BOOK OF HOSEA. 331