Hosea 7:2

2 And lest they say in their hearts, that I have mind on all the malice of them, now their findings have compassed them, those be made before my face. (And lest they say in their hearts, that I only remember all their malice, now their own deeds have surrounded them, and they all be before me.)

Hosea 7:2 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 7:2

And they consider not in their hearts [that] I remember all
their wickedness
That is, the people of the ten tribes, and the inhabitants of Samaria, whose iniquity and wickedness are said to be discovered, and to be very notorious: and yet "they said not to their hearts" ^F13, as in the original text; they did not think within themselves; they did not commune with their own hearts; they did not put themselves in mind, or put this to their consciences, that the Lord saw all their wicked actions, their idolatry, falsehood, thefts, and robberies, and whatsoever they were guilty of; that the Lord took notice of them, and put them down in the book of his remembrance, in order to call them to an account, and punish them for them: now their own doings have beset them about;
or, "that now their own doings" ^F14; they do not consider in their hearts that their sins are all around them, on every side, committed by them openly, and in abundance, and are notorious to all their neighbours, and much more to the omniscient God: and that they are before my face;
so the Targum,

``which are revealed before me;''

were manifest in his sight, before whom all things are; but this they did not consider, and therefore went on in that bold and daring manner they did. Some understand these clauses of the punishment of their sins, which should surround them on every side, that they should not be able to escape, like persons closely besieged in a city, that they cannot get out; alluding to the future siege of Samaria, when it would be a plain case, though they did not now think of it, that all their sins were before the Lord, and were observed by him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (Mbbll wrmay lbw) "et non dicebant ad cor suum", Cocceius; "et non dicunt cordi suo", Schmidt.
F14 (Mhyllem Mwbbo hte) "quod circumdent ipsos opera eorum", Schmidt.

Hosea 7:2 In-Context

1 When I would heal Israel, the wickedness of Ephraim was showed, and the malice of Samaria was showed, for they wrought leasing. And a night thief entered, and robbed; (and) a day thief was withoutforth. (When I desired to restore the prosperity of my people, and to heal Israel, then the wickedness of Ephraim was shown, and the malice of Samaria, for they were all liars. And they entered inside like a night thief, and robbed; and outside, like a day thief, they stole from the people.)

2 And lest they say in their hearts, that I have mind on all the malice of them, now their findings have compassed them, those be made before my face. (And lest they say in their hearts, that I only remember all their malice, now their own deeds have surrounded them, and they all be before me.)

3 In their malice they gladded the king, and in their leasings the princes. (They gladdened the king with their malice, and the princes with their lies.)

4 All that do adultery, be as an oven made hot of a baker. The city rested a little from the meddling of sourdough, till all was made sour. (All of them who do adultery, or idolatry, be made hot like a baker's oven. Then the city rested a little from the mixing of the sourdough, until all was made sour.)

5 The day of our king, the princes began to be wild of wine; he stretched forth his hand with scorners. (On the day of our king's celebration, the princes began to be wild with wine; yea, he stretched forth his hand with mockers.)