When they shall go
That is, to Egypt or Assyria: I will spread my net upon
them;
bring them into great straits and difficulties; perhaps the
Assyrian army is meant, which was the Lord's net, guided, and
directed, and spread by his providence, and according to his
will, to take this silly dove in; and which enclosed them on all
sides, that they could not escape; see ( Ezekiel
12:13 ) . Hoshea the king of Israel was taken by the
Assyrian, and bound and shut up in prison; Samaria the capital
city was besieged three years, and then taken, ( 2
Kings 17:4-6 ) ; I will bring them down as the fowls of
the heaven;
though they fly on high, soar aloft, and behave proudly, and
fancy themselves out of all danger; yet, as the flying fowl, the
eagle, and other birds, may be brought down to the earth by an
arrow from the bow, or by some decoy so should they be brought
down from their fancied safe and exalted state, and be taken in
the net, and become a prey to their enemies: I will
chastise them, as their congregation hath heard;
what was written in the law, and in the prophets, were read and
explained in the congregations of Israel on their stated days
they met together on for religious worship; in which it was
threatened, that if they did not observe the laws and statutes of
the Lord their God, but neglected and broke them, they should be
severely chastised and corrected with his sore judgments, famine,
pestilence, the sword of the enemy, and captivity: and now the
Lord would fulfil his word, agreeably to what had often been
heard by them, but not regarded; see (
Leviticus 26:1-46 ) ( Deuteronomy
28:1-68 ) .
Hosea 7:12
