The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 362

<>111!'1 ,. nn,1 v11in, or no real worth or pl'llCtiolll a.nd ,~ m11y be dletingniRhed thus: tl10 J.,•11dil.. I. 'J'o foed on wind is to tflke former design11tca low lying 1111<\ frnn,lulout pl,•Mur" in or drl\w 1mstonn.nce from whflt dealing; while the latter exprcsRoa tl111t can really afford neither; while following brutal vlolonce by whloh dlahonc•t men un- nftcr the 011st wind is (1) to pursue Vllin scrupulouely tako poaaea■lon of tholr noigh- lio(l<'s and ideals which are unattuinable. bours' property. And they do make a. oove- Aceordin~ to this \"iew, the prominent idea nant with the A11yrlau, and oil ii oe.rried nf the ca~t wind is its fl<'()tness, which pMscd into Egypt. This fondneas for foroign into a proverb; thus Borneo says,•• Agente e.llie.nccs ie specified a.a 11 poaiti ve proof of nimhos Oeior l~uro." 'l'o outrun the swift their nposto.sy from, and wnnt of confldenco und stormy c>Ast wind would reprosPnt an in, Jehovah. This ia well oxplained by nnciertllking at once imprn<'ticablc and hope- Kimchi in the following comment: "But less. llut (2) it is rllther the blBBting influ- what doeth Ephraim? When oppression of ence or the eB.st wind th11t is referred to, so the onemy comes upon him, thoy make a that it is a figurative rcpreBOntation, not so covennnt with Assyria. for their assistance, much of whe.t is vain and hopeleSB, llB of e.nd likowiee with Egypt-one time with what is y,ernioious and destructive. ThUB this, another time with that." The expres- their course was not only idle, but injurious; sion n•,:i n-o, '' to cut a covenant," has its pe.- not only delusive, but destructive; not only rallol in the Greek ap1<la ,,-,µ.vi,11 and Le.tin frnitless, but fa.ta.I. Their career, which is jaJdua ferire, a.a o.lso in the Arabic, doubtleBB thus representod, included their idolatry and from the circumstance of slaying the victims foreign e.llie.nccs Kimchi explains this in its re.ti.flce.tion. The conduct here cen- cle.uee a.s follows : " In hie service of the sured is Ephro.im's fe.ithlessneas to the theo- calves he is like him who opens his mouth cratic covenant rather than their tree.cherons to the wind e.nd foeds on it, thongh he CBn- me.nmuvring in" playing off" Egypt e.g11inst 11nt suppm-t life thereby. • And followeth Assyria., and Assyria. against Egypt e.lter- uftcr tbe ca.st wind;' he repeats the sense in ne.tely. The land of Israel a.bounded in oil- different words, e.nd mentions the east wind olive e.nd honey, as we read in Dent. viii. l,cce.use it is the strongest and most injurioue 8 and elsewhere. The object of sending it ,,f winds to the sons of men. So with them : to Egypt was as a present to the Egyptians it is not enough that the idol.e.try of tbe to secure their interest e.nd help against co.I 1·c• does not profit them, but it actually A1Syri11. It is thus properly explained both ir,jurcs tucm." 2. The Septuagint render- by Re.ehi e.nd Kimchi. . The former says, i11g is ·o i; 'E4>pal,... 1J"OV1/pbv 7rVfU/J-a, illlc.,(E "And their oil they bring to Egypt to give Kau5wv4, equivalent to" Hut Ephraim is e.n it to them as a present ihat they may help evil spirit; he he.s chllBOd the east wind." them ; " the latter likewise, •• 'l'hey bring B.e daily (rather, all t}l,(J da11) i.ncreueth liet their oil to the Egypti11ns for e. present, for and cleaol&tian. Some understood these oil came to Egypt and to other lands out of words (1) e.e descriptive of Ephre.im's atti• the land of Israel The l.e.nd of Israel waa tude iowu.rds Jebovo.h; and thus what ia rich in olive oil." figuratively set forth iu the first clause is Ver. 2.-The Lord hath allo a. oontrover17 here represented literally. TJ,ue Kimchi with Judah, e.nd will punish (me.rgin, mait so.ye, "He does not turn be.ck from his upon) Je.oob according to hie we.ye. God wickedness, but o.11 the days he multiplies here preseuts himself at once e.s plaintiff lying. wuich is the worship of ihe calves, e.nd judge, widening the range of his plead- and so iucrei.ses the desolation and destruc- ings. The controversy with Israel takes a. tion that stall come e.s e. punihhment for wider sweep, and comprehends Judah cul- their service. And with e.11 this he does pable, though e.ppo.rently in a Ices degree. not perceive nor return from the worship of But though Judah comes in for a she.re of tbe ce.h-es to the worship of the blessed puuishment, that punishment shall be pro• God." But (2) we prefer understanding portiouate to their delinquencies-those like the ee,-ond clause of Epbraim'11 condur.t to- Judah that sinned less shall suffer less ; wardd hie neighbour or fellow-man. Thus, while the more heinous tranegressors, such liitzig, who shows that ,i:, cannot refer to ns Israel he.d proved to be, would oome in tl,cir conduct towards Jehovah, nor could for severer punishment. To Joeob, here their liei! e.nd desolation continue the whole em bro.cing the ten tribes of Israel und the c..luy ifreforred to his service. ,iiii cr;,i:,, '' vio- two of Judah, the cho.stisement would be kuce u.nd robLtry ,"or" spoil," a.re also joi11ed meted out in exe.ct uccordance with his ways. i11 a siwilar manner in Amos iii. 10 and Jcr. Tllo apparent contradiction between ver. 12 \'i. 7, to chu.racierize meu'e conduct towards of last chapter, where, as most tro.nslute it. 1!Jcir ueigLLours. In the passage b&fore us, Jwlah is represented 11s ruliug with God if \\'(; rcfer tlit words, " licii and <lel,ll)lation," nml hdng faithful with tho 11nints, and tho 1,ti we thiuk they ought io Le referred, to prcseut i11clueiou of Judah in controvc_l'wy 1-:1,l,rai1u'b couduct towards wcn, the ::;;::i wilh Jul101'ah, occusio11ctl (1) a rendenui; Olf, XII, 1-H.J 'l'lrn BOOK OF HOSKA.