The Pulpit Commentary — Hosea — Section 430

render the oalVM of our lipl, Thie is more God of the orphan haa bowel& of t.endermt aceurRtely rendered, (1) "So will we render oorupass~on. To the presumod prnyer of young bullocks, even our lips." The word the pcmtcnt o.n e.uswer overflowing witb ,hillem, to render, or repay, is almost ~ercy i;i promised o.t _once, aud by God technical in its e.pplioation to thank offer- himself m the next section, cousisling of- ings or 11acrifiOOB in fulfilment of a vow; Vcrs. 4-7.-I will heal their be.oksliding the beet animals for thank offerings were parim, or young oxen; but the lips, that is, I will love them freely : for mino anger ti turned away from him. The peuitentinl the utter&nces of the lips, consisting of prayer put in the mouth of the people prayers or praises, or both, are to take the receives in this verso R gracious response· ple.ce of the animal BRcrifices offered in words of contrite coufcssion a.re echoe<l back thanksgiving. Thus the psalmist BBys, " I in accents of compl\Ssion e.n<l consolation. will pr&ise the N&me of God with e. song, When thus penitent e.nd pre.yrrful they and will magnify him with thanksgiving. returned to the Lord, he promises them This also she.II please the Lord better than favour e.s well as forgiveness, so as to h,·e.l an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs." the more.I mo.lady under which they h11d (2) The Septuagint, reading ''.l!:l instead oC long laboured, remedy the evil effects of o•-;i~, renders by rctzp-rli11 xdA~,;,,,, to which their e.postnsy, ancl withhold the stripes ha the inspired author of Hebrews alludes, we.s going to inflicl M•shubhatham means " By him therefore Jet us offer the sacrifice (1) their turning e.we.y from God e.nd o.11 of praise to God continually, that is, the included therein-defection, rebellion, idol- fruit of our lips, giving thanks [margin, atry, a.nd other sins. The disease would be 'confessing') to his Name;" or per11aps the henled, and its consequences averted. (2) reference in Hebrews is t.o ISB. lvii. 19, "I Some, however, understand the word, in a. create the fruit of the lips." Further, as good sense, t.o mean " con version " or " the words of confession in ver. 2 ta.kc the converted," the a.bstre.ct being put for the place of BBCrifices of sin offerings, so here concrete ; the blessing is thus promised words of thanksgiving repla.oe BBCrifices of them when they turned or returned to thanki,giving. God. Thus the Syriac version. (3) The Yer. 3.-A..sahur aha1J. not aave us: we LXX. ago.in, connecting m•shubhah with will not ride upon hor11ea : neither will we yashav, to sit or dwell, render it by rca-ro,rcla11, aay any more to the work of our hands, that is, " I will heal their dwelling.'' There Ye a.re our goch: for in thee the f&therleu is little doubt that (I) is the correct trans- findeth meroy. This was the practical side lation, and it is generally e.ccepted e.e such. of Israel's repentance; this was bringing They are next nssured of God's love, e.nd forth fruits meet for repentance. Here was that spontaneously (i1?:;I?, the preposition l• a renunciation of all hope of sa.fety from the underst.ood) with ready willinghood and un- world-powers-both Assyria and Egypt. feignedly. God's love is (a) free, antici- They would never age.in have recourse to pating its objects, not waiting to be merited .Assyria for help, nor to Egypt for horses ; or purchased, without money e.nd without nor confide in their own unaided power or price ; it is (b) e.lBo purest e.nd most sincere proweBB; while this renunciation of worldly affection, altogether unlike that feigned power e.nd ea.me.I confidences implied, a.a its affection sometimes found among men, who opposite, nnfallering faith in the protect- profess much love while their hee.rt goeth ing power a.nd 811,Ving strength of Jehovah. after their covetousness, or e.fter some other All this was much, o.nd yet more was re- and different object from that pretended. qni:red; next to such renunciation of merely Then follows e.n assure.nee that there is no hurne.n a.id, e.s indicated, e.nd its contrary, barrier to the exercise e.nd no obstacle to the recognition of Divine assistance, comes the outgoing of God's love ; the turning the absolute a.nd complete abandonment of e.wa.y of God's anger from lere.el is the their ne.tiona.l a.nd besetting sin of idolatry. ground of such aseuranco. Some copies They have so far come to themselves e.nd read mimmeni, my anger is turned a.way received the right use of reason as to con- from me, instead of mimmena; this, however, fess tho.t the manufacture of man's hands is erroneous, though the sense is not much cannot be man's god, thue giving up with affected by it. The error me.y have a.risen feelings of contempt e.nd disgust the grovel- from a misunderstanding of Jer. ii. 35. ling sin of idolatry with its attendant vices. Rashi explains the verse correctly : "After ~till more, they a.re penetrated with the they have thus spoken before me: I will conviction that man without God is e. poor heal them of their apostasy, e.nd love them fatherless creature, in no better, if not in e. of my own free will; although they thom• worse, condition the.n that of e. weak orphan selves a.re not worthy of love, yet will child. They have the consolation e.t the I love them freely, for mine anger b11t same tim.e that for e.11 such, on their return turned e.we.y from them." Aben Ezrs to him, the father of the fatherless a.nd the ea.ye, "Backsliding is in the soul what on. xrv. 1-9.] THE BOOK OF HOSEA, 433