Hosea 10

Hosea 10:1-15 . ISRAEL'S IDOLATRY, THE SOURCE OF PERJURIES AND UNLAWFUL LEAGUES, SOON DESTINED TO BE THE RUIN OF THE STATE, THEIR KING AND THEIR IMAGES BEING ABOUT TO BE CARRIED OFF; A JUST CHASTISEMENT, THE REAPING CORRESPONDING TO THE SOWING.

The prophecy was uttered between Shalmaneser's first and second invasions of Israel. Compare Hosea 10:14 ; also Hosea 10:6 , referring to Hoshea's calling So of Egypt to his aid; also Hosea 10:4 Hosea 10:13 .

1. empty--stripped of its fruits [CALVIN], ( Nahum 2:2 ); compelled to pay tribute to Pul ( 2 Kings 15:20 ). MAURER translates, "A widespreading vine"; so the Septuagint. Compare Genesis 49:22 Psalms 80:9-11 Ezekiel 17:6 .
bringeth forth fruit unto himself--not unto ME.
according to . . . multitude of . . . fruit . . . increased . . . altars--In proportion to the abundance of their prosperity, which called for fruit unto God (compare Romans 6:22 ), was the abundance of their idolatry ( Hosea 8:4 Hosea 8:11 ).

2. heart . . . divided--( 1 Kings 18:21 , Matthew 6:24 , 4:8 ).
now--that is soon.
he--Jehovah.
break down--"cut off," namely the heads of the victims. Those altars, which were the scene of cutting off the victims' heads, shall be themselves cut off.

3. now, &c.--Soon they, deprived of their king, shall be reduced to say, We have no king ( Hosea 10:7 Hosea 10:15 ), for Jehovah deprived us of him, because of our not fearing God. What then (seeing God is against us) should a king be able to do for us, if we had one? As they rejected the heavenly King, they were deprived of their earthly king.

4. words--mere empty words.
swearing falsely in making a covenant--breaking their engagement to Shalmaneser ( 2 Kings 17:4 ), and making a covenant with So, though covenants with foreigners were forbidden.
judgment . . . as hemlock--that is, divine judgment shall spring up as rank, and as deadly, as hemlock in the furrows ( Deuteronomy 29:18 , Amos 5:7 , 6:12 ). GESENIUS translates, "poppy." GROTIUS, "darnel."

5. fear because of the calves--that is, shall fear for them.
Beth-aven--substituted for Beth-el in contempt ( Hosea 4:15 ).
it--singular, the one in Beth-el; after the pattern of which the other "calves" (plural) were made. "Calves" in the Hebrew is feminine, to express contempt.
priests--The Hebrew is only used of idolatrous priests ( 2 Kings 23:5 , Zephaniah 1:4 ), from a root meaning either "the black garment" in which they were attired; or, "to resound," referring to their howling cries in their sacred rites [CALVIN].
that rejoiced on it--because it was a source of gain to them. MAURER translates, "Shall leap in trepidation on account of it"; as Baal's priests did ( 1 Kings 18:26 ).
the glory thereof--the magnificence of its ornaments and its worship.

6. It . . . also--The calf, so far from saving its worshippers from deportation, itself shall be carried off; hence "Israel shall be ashamed" of it. to the king (whom they looked to as) their defender," or else avenger, whose wrath they wished to appease, namely, Shalmaneser. The minor states applied this title to the Great King, as the avenging Protector.
his own counsel--the calves, which Jeroboam set up as a stroke of policy to detach Israel from Judah. Their severance from Judah and Jehovah proved now to be not politic, but fatal to them.