The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 395

EXPOSITION. against Solomon hard words, rLnd with terror CHAPTER XIIL Solomon WIL8 & great king." Pooocke's ex~ The flret eight verses of this chapter form position i.a in harmony with the Authorized the prcmisRcs from which the prophet, in Version, and is the following: "When the ninth verse, draws the conclusion that the Ephraim epakewith fear and trembling (like concluct of Iarael had bcCll suicidal; that they his forefather Jacob, in his humble supplica- tion toGod),he exaltedhimselfinlsmel." But !,ad brought on themselves the calamities {2) th~ rendering adopted by most modems, which they had experience<l, and ultimately 1s. decidedly preferable, as agreeing better thernin in which those calamities eventnnted. with the context, and much more in har- The various pa1iicoln.rs of their ai.n are enu- mo_ny _with tr)bal ~haracteristicsof Ephraim, merated, with the provocation cansed or the as mtimated m this very book, and exhibited elsewhere. The translation we thns prefer punishment incnrTed by each. Thna the is : "When Ephraim spa.ke, there was trem- idolatry of BIIBl stripped them of the autho- bling; he, even he, exalted himself in rity they once poeeeaeed, and issued in the IsraeL" Bnch was the fear inepi:recl, and clisaolntion of their state. After they h&d the deference paid to the authority of that been to some small extent reclaimed from powerful tribe. The word 'T"thefh, though not fonnd elsewhere, has a cognate root in this DBtional sin, and be.d somewhat retrieved .Aramaic, with the meaning here assigned to their position., their perseverance in the calf- it; for nn, is to fear, shudder, tremble; worship and the progress of their idol&tro111 there is also, in Jer. xlix. 24, the word cc, practicee provoked Jehovah so grievonsly &1 equivalent to "fear," similar in both ee~s; to threaten their sodden and entire destruc- and sound. The Chaldee supports this render- ing ; its paraphrase is : " When one of the tion. Then their gross ingratitude to God house of Ephrnim spake, trembling seized for his great goodness and long-eontinued the peoples." .Aleo Aben Ezra and Kimchi. mercies, followed by pride and haughtinese The former'& brief comment is: "Before hie and forgetfulness of the Most High. brought speaking the peoples were afraid ; and the down on their guilty he&ds fearful ven- word nn· has no analogue except in the .Aramaic." Kimchi's explanation ie': "From gennce. All these circnmste.nces justify the beginning, before Ephraim sinned, tho the conclusion to which he comes, that while fear of him w&a great over the peoples who God had been their Helper and Deliverer surrounded him : for when ho spake, fear ell along, they were ch11rgeable with their and trembling were wont to seize him who own destruction. heard him; and he was great and strong among the tribes of Iarael, as it was ea.id or Ver. I.- When Ephraim lpB.ke trembling, him, 'And bi.a seed shall be a multitude or he exalted himself in ma.eL '!'hi.a rendering nations.'" (3) 'l'he LXX. renders 'T"lheth by of the Aufborized Version (I) ia supported 11,,,,,_,,:,µ.a-ra, thus:" According to the word of by the Syri&c, which is: "When Ephraim Ephraim, he atloptecl ordinances for himself sp&ke trembling then he was, and waa great in brad," that is, when Ephru.im spoke, tho in lsl'IUIL" R11.11hi has a 11i.Jnilar rendering rest of the Israelites &asented to his orcli- of the word !"-the/,h, which is an G.1ra.( n11nces and rights, reverencing his authority, >..,-16JLE"""• and causes the diversity of so that the general sense clilfcrs little from the tri.Ulllution in this clu.use; but hiij exposi- Cha.Idec. (4) Rosonmliller constructs and tiun uf the whole 11entence is vague and un- explains diff:'crently; his exposition rune f.aiiofactory. Referring it to Jeroboaru of the somehow thus: " When Ephro.im apake, in- tribe of Ephraim, he expli.i.na as follow•: stituting that horrible worship of the calves, "When Jeroboam, zealous for God, spoke he hillll8lf boN' t.Jle sin of that horrible on. xm. 1-16.J THE BOOK OF HOSEA. 397