The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 363

e.ncl oxpluno.tion of this vel'se whioh Aben Jnda.h e.nd lne.el, who 11ro both to be reoom• Ezro. cleclnrea to be both ungrl\mme.tioe.1 e.nd peneed, ee.oh according to his works. unBCripturo.1. "He," ao.ys Ahau Ezro.," who Ver. 3.-Ke took hi■ brother by the heel exple.ius tho.t Juclo.h is r.. ithful e.nd he Rhe.11 In the womb, and by hit ltrength he he.d bo reproving, nnd nsscrts that Scripture power (margin, wiu a priw,e, r,r, beha1Jed. mokos no mention of Johove.h h11ving e. con- hi1111Jelf princely) with God, In this verse and tl'oversy age.inst J uclah, but [employs] CJI, the the following the prophet looks awa.y be.ck suneo being thot Jehove.h and Juclah he.ve 11, into the far-distant pa..t; and tliill retro- strifu ngo.inet Ephrnim, errs from the we.y spect, which is sugg011tcd by the nnmf:s of Scripture and grammar, for the proph~ Jacob e.nd Israel, reminds him of two well- has written a.hove (ver. 13), •Juclah se.w_ his known events in the life of the patriarch. wound; ' • I will make Ephraim to ride: The meaning and intention of this reminis- Judah shall plough;' and in reference to ~oth cence e.re differently interpreted. The two of them he se.ys, • Ye sho.11 eat the fruit of lee.ding views are the following: (1) Some lies.' He also forgets ' The herdmen of are of opinion tha.t the prophet means to Gere.r did strive with (CJI) Isaac's herdmen:' give an example by way of warning, and ' And the people strove with Moses : ' and to mention a tra.it of Jacob'e overreaching we.ny other places [i.e. where CJI is foU11d cunning, e.nd likewise of his violence, and with the sense of• contending'), Therefore thereby show that Jacob had incurred guil.t he joins E'lhraim with Judo.h, and says, in a manner resembling that of the then • The Lord· hath also e. controversy with present generation; that is to say, hia con- Judah, and will punish Jacob according to dnct had been like to theirs in deceit, lying, hie ways,' because this name (i.e. Jo.cob) and violence. But (2) e.coording to others, comprehends them bot~ (~phr~im e.nd and we agree with them, the object of the Ju,lah)." (2) The meanmg 1_s given con- prophet in these verses is to admonish t~em cisely and oonectly by Raehl thus: '' He to imitate the conduct of their progemtor, (Jehovah) announces to them the words of o.nd to remir.d them of the distinction which hie controversy which their brethren of the he had obtained thereby, as an encourage-· house of Israel harl caused him: e.nd they ment to them to go and do likewise. (3) should not wonrler if he woulcl pu,iieh (lite- Another interpreto.tion, somewhat similar to rally,• visit on') Jo.cob according to hie v.:o.ye.''. (2), is that of tb.os~ who admit that ,!e.cob's 'l'he change in tbe ce.ee of Jwlah, K1mch1 laying hold of h!.3 bro_tber's h~l m the accounts for by reference to their subsequent womb is proposed to hlB postenty by the apostasy, especially the.t of their kings, o.s prophet for the purpose of emulation and follows : " Although he said, ' And J uclah encouragement, at the same time to exhibit yet rei!!Deth with God,' he meant, although God's electing grace from e_ternity. Thus be holds fe.et by the service of God in the Jerome: "While he was yet m the womb of house ol the sanctuary ; so o.fterwarde th~y Rebekah, he laid bold of hiB brother's heel, practised evil deeds as their kings were eVIl : not by his own strength, it iB true, who was therefore he said,• Jehovah has e. controversy ince.po.ble of perception, but by the mercy of nnd correction with Juclah and Jo.cob to visit God. who knows und loves those whom he upon them according to their doings, o.e their he.a preJestinated." So also Rasl,i: "All kings were evil, for they did not remember thid I have uoue to him; he took his brother my mercy with them and with their father by the heel for a sign that ~e wuuld prevail Jo.cob because the whole was for sake of hie over him.'' Calvin expl,uns more fully poste/ity ; and I showed him e. sign which thus: "Their ingratitude is showed in this, should be to his seed after him, if they gu.ve thu.t they did not o.cknowleJge thll.~ th~y their heart to me, . , . And the sign which had been antiripo.ted, in the person of theu I showed I.hem is only clone for so.ke of his father Jo.cob, Ly the gratuitous ruercy of seed. Dut they h11ve not acknowledged this, Gu<l. 'l'ho finit history is ind_eed r_eferreJ for if they bud o.cknow !edged this, they to fur this cou, that the poatenty of ,Ja.cob woultl huve cleaved to me and my service, inii:ht undcl'obn,l that they had beeu c\ectcJ nncl I would have ratified to them the blcse- by GoJ beforu tuey wcru_ born. For J ~cob in" of Jncob their fo.thcr.'" 'l'be infinitive did not, Ly choice o~ Je8~gn, by b?IJ ot thu with l• is not unfrequeutly employed in the hoel of b.is brother m his mothcr ~ womb; sense of our future, thus, ip,i',, it is to be but it wus an cxtraorJioe.ry thiui(. It w~, vi•itccl, equiv11lont to '' he ehull or must then GoJ who "uiJed the ho.nJ of tho infant Yi•it upon it." Thie idiom is common in ,rnd by this aig~1 testilie<l his _ncluptiou to be Sy1·io.c, but nlwuye with atill. Aooo1·din~ to gratuitous. In dhort, by suymg tl,o.t Jacob his doings will he reoompense him. The hel<l tuo foot of Lia brother iu hia muthcr·~ milder expression is appliccl to Juuuh-he woroL, tho aame thing is intcn<loJ. aa if !,us I\ conll'overay with him, but will punish Goel h:lJ rcrniude<l the Isrnclrtcs tl1;it they J acoL, l'uotrioled l,y ao1110 tll Ephrnim ~r tho did uot exci,I other pcupl,, l,y th, 11· """ 1uu lriLls. Detter u11,lcratu11d JllcuL oJ Lolli virtuo or that uf their 111.1rculs, L~,t tb.c.t l;uJ 864 TB.E BOOK OF HOSEA. LOH, XII, 1-14.