The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 429

draw near ,to God." As punishment we.a not from Y01J, when ye ~o t.o seek his favour, threatened ID ea.so of obstinate impenitonce, tre~suree or burnt otfermgs, only words with so moroy le promised on condition of :h1ch ye are to confess;" so also Kimchi: thorough rel?enta.nce. ll'or thou ha.at fallen He_ doe~ not require of you on your return by thine iniquity, A reuon ie here as- to hu~ silver. or gold or offering, which the eignecl for the preceding in vita.tion • lw- ~sraehtes lavished at gie!Lt expense on their Blialta is properly "thou hast stumbled" idols, hut good worke with which ye are to "ma.de a false step," fallen, yet so th~t confess yonr i~i~ui_tiee." Sa.y unto him, recovery we.a among future possibilities. T_ake away &I.I. 1D1q111ty, aud receive ue gra- '.rho ea.me thought may be included in the oionsly. On turning to the Lord with their fact that Jehova.b continues to ea.II his errirw whole h_eart, no~ with their lips only, they people by the honoured and houourabl~ are furnished with a. form of sound words na.11:1e of Israel, o.nrl to acknowledge himself which God by hie prophet puts intr> their their God. Further, many and grievous month. Eleewhero a formul& is prescribed were the calamities into which by their foll thus: "Publish ye, praise ye, &nd say, O they had been precipitated; neither were Lord, save thy people, the remnant of any to hie.me but themselves-their iniquity Isr~_l" (Jer. :uxi. 7); compare also Isa. or their folly was the ea.use, nor wae there xlvm. 20; Ps. !xvi. 3; 1 Chron. xvi. 35. any one to lift them up, now that they lay The position of ~~ before the verb creates a. prostrate, s'.1ve Jehovah .. After referring to the desolation of Samana and the ruthless difficulty and causes !1iveraity of rendering : ?eetrnction of its inhabita.uts, as portrayed for _exampl~, (1) besides the ordinary ren- ID the last verse of the previous chapter, denng, which takes kolas holding its pecu- Jerome adds, " All Israel is in vi tecl to re- liar .~osition b:y: an hypallage, there is a pentance, that he who has been debilitated modification of it : " A 11 take away of ini- or has fallen t headlong in bis iniquities' quity." (2) Some supply mem, and translate may return to the physician and recove; accordingly: "From all take away ini- health, o! that he who had fallen headlong quity." Kimchi explains it as a trans- ~ay beg:m to stand." The penitent is to position: "All iniq nity forgive," and drrect his thoughts to Jehovah; to him as compares Ezek. xxxix. 11; or, understandin"' Centre he is attracted, and in him he finds Z., "Forgive to. every one iniquity " Th~ his place of rest; nor is there other means object o_f the ae~aration may be for. greater of recovery or source of help. Thus Kimchi emphasIS. In hke manner, the foliowino says, "For thou seest that th.rouah thine clauee is o.lso subject to diversity of trans~ iniquity thou hast fallen, therefore it'°behoves lation ~d interpretation. There is (1) the thee to return to Jehovah, as nothing besides rendermg of the Authorized Version, whicil can raise ,thee from thy fall but thy return appears to supply l• before 101': "Receive ua to him." "There is none," says Aben Ezra f~r good," :U· i~ bO'nam parfem, or gra- ciously; or, receive_our payer graciously." "can raise thee from thy fall but the Eternai alone." (2) Another rendermg or exposition is : Ver. 2.-Tll,ke with you words, and turn "Ta.ke what is good ( of thine own to bestow to the Lord. (1) Some render this clause it on ~s);" thuein the sixty-eighth psalm at "Take with _you [i.e. forg!lt not, neglect the nmeteenth verse God is said to receive not, but receive with obedient spirit] my gifts e.mong mo,n, i.e. for distribution amon"' words." This rendering 'is obviously erro- men, and hence the apostle, in Eph iv. 8, sub~ neous. (2) The correct translo.tion is that stitutes (60,1<• for tl,a.fJ•, and thus expresses of the Authorized Version, and the words the sense. The Iitero.l sense (3) is the cor- , l'eferred to are such as express prayer for reot sense, namely, "and receive good : " pardon and confession of sin-the audible "And receive good," says Jerome, "for i;01ind of the heart's desires. There is an unless thou hadst borne away onr evil allusion, perhaps,' to the requirement of the things we could not possibly have any good Law: "None shall appear before me thing to offer thee, according to that which empty." _Not outward sacrifices, but words is written, • Cease from evil and do good.' " of confess1ou, were_ the offering to -be pre- Thus also the words are translated e.nd sented. Thus Cyril eloquently explains it: interpreted by Pusey: •• When then Israel "Ye shall propitiate the Deity not by and, in him, the penitent soul. is taught to ma!'ing offerings of riches, not 'by dedi- say, receive good, it can mean only the cating gold, not by honouring him with good which thou thyself hBl!t given; as silver vessels, not gladdening him by sacri- David says, 'Of thine own we have giver. fices of oxen, not by slaughtering of birds : thee;' " while he adds in a. note on these but ye shall give him discourses and words, "No one would have doubted that wish to praise the Lord of the universe c 1p means, 'receive good,' aejust before, ,, 'P appeo.sing him." To the so.me purport ~ means 'tll,ke words,' but for the eeenring diffi- the expo11ition of A.hen Ezro. ; " Jle desireii oulty-Wha.t good had they ? " So will we 482 THE BOOK OF HOSEA. [oH, XIV, 1-9.