The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 333

\,onilnge, where in tho present pMso.ge the word prererred by Gesenius. (c) Ewald typicnl sense i• inadmissible, owing to the nnderatanrls it in the sense of "fortreases," contrast with A•syrin. Into Egypt Israel especiftlly on the frontier, by which n J,.n,I Rhonl,I not return, Icat the object of tho Exo- ia shnt ngainst or opened to the enemy. ,lue might seem fruetro.te<l, but a worse lot (rl) Aben Ezra. l\nd Kimchi to.ke it to mP,rn )ny before them-o.nother and ho.r,ler bon<l- "hrnnchos," i.e. villages, e.nd are followed age o.waitc<l them; tho I{ing of Assyria hy the Anthorizerl Version. "The explanR- would be their king o.nd reign over tli em, tion of,::,," says Kimchi, "is 'branches,' and and all beco.use of their impenitence and it is e. figure for villages, for he hl\,l already refuse.I to return to Johovo.h. The following mentioned his cities; and villa.gees are re- ia thooxplo.no.tion of Kimchi: "They should lated to cities as branches to a tree; in like llOt ho.ve returned to the lo.ad of Egypt to manner they a.re called 'daughters,' being seek help; I ha<l already said to them,' Ye related to a city as daughters to a mother." shall henceforth return no more that way; ' (e) The LXX. render it by ~v -r11,, x•p<1lv for if they ho.d returned to me, they would 11b-rov, having read 1•:i:::i, as also the Syria.c. not have needed help from Egypt. And Because of their own counsel■, The ea.nee age.inst their will Assyria rules over them, of all their calamitous invasions, which city and they serve him and send him a. present gates barred and bolted could not shnt ont, yeo.r by year. And why is o.11 this? Be- was their evil counsels in departing from cause they refused, etc.; as if he said (they the Lord, as Kimchi correctly explains : refused) to return to me; for if they had "All this cnmes npon them in consequence returned to me, foreign kings (literally, of their evil counsel, because they have for- • kings of the nations') would not have ruled saken my service to serve other gods." over them, but they would have rule<l ornr Ra.shi draws attention to the peculiarity of the nations as they had done in the days of the accentuation-tasha and sellug-to Do.vid a.nd Solomon, when they did my sepe.rate it from the preceding word. The will ; a.nd so have I assured them, ' Thou Septuagint here again blunders, obviously shalt reign over many nations, bot they shall reading 1~7~, and translating, "And shall not reign over thee.'" The root of jND is eat (the fruit) of their evil counsel." cognate with JllD, to hold back, refuse ; the Ver. 7.-A.nd my people are bent to l• strengthens the connection of the objec- be.okalid.ing from me. This first clause of tival infinitive with the governing verb; the the verse ia -.;ery e:tpressi ve, every word ellipsis of•~~ is obvious. almost having an emphasis of its own. With nll their sinfulness and shortcomings, Ver, 6.-And the sword aha.11 a.bide on Israel was still the people of God-my his oities, a.nd shall oonsume his branohes, people; they were guilty of the sin of back- a.nd devonr them. A more accurate render- sliding, and of be.cksliding from God, the ing would be, and the sword shall sweep best of benefactors and their chief good. round in its cities, and destroy its bolts and Nor was it occasionally and after long devour. Nay, they could not free them- intervals of time that they ba.ckslided; it selves from invasion e.nd attack. The sword was their ho.bit, their tendency. They were of war would whirl down upon their cities suspended on, or rather fastened on, back- e.nd consume the branches, that is, the sliding. Though they called them to _the villages, or the city hara, or the strong Most High, none at all would exalt him ; warriors set for defence. Some understand margin, together they exalted him not. This the word so ve.riously interpreted in the second clause siguifies either (1) that the sense of "l ia.rs," e.nd refer it to the prophets, prophets called Israel from their _idols_ to priests, a.nd politicians who spe.ke falsehood the Most Hia-h, yet none exalted him (hte- and e.cted deceitfully. The word nSr. is rally, "together they did not o_r "'.ould not rendered (1) "the sword," as the principo.l exalt him") by ab11.n1lonmg their idols and weapon in ancient warfare and the symbol abstaining from backsliding; or, (2) "though of we.r's destructive power she.II S1oeep round they call him (fame!) upwards, yet not one in, circulate, or make the round of the oities of of them all will lift himself up," that is, Isrool; but (2) others," whirl down," "light they together-one and 11.ll-refuseil or neg- on;" thus both Ra.shi and Kimchi. Age.in, leoted to lift themselves upward towards D''I=! is, as already intime.ted, variously ren- God or goodness. The word o•:s1~n is equi- dered. The most e.ppropriate translation valent to 'l:l•ttSn the so.me e.s 0•1Sn, from :s'm, (a) is (literally," poles for currying the ark," Exod. xxv. 13) " bolts or bars" for securing equivalent ·t~ ';~~. so that it siguifics, ac- gBtes, the root being ,,::i, to separate. (b) cordina- to Keil, (1) "suspended," '' hun~ Some exple.in it e.s 11, figure for " mighty up" "hanging fast upon," "impaled on;" men;" so Jerome and the 'fargum, as also H;ngstenberg, (2) "swaying about from Rashi : 1' It destr~ys his heroes and con- inconstancy," 11.ud "in danger of falling aumee them." This is the mee.ninit of the e.way;" but Puaev seems to combine both in 334 THE BOOK OF HOSEA, [oR, XI, 1-12,