Hosea 8:3

3 Israel hat das Gute verworfen: der Feind verfolge es!

Hosea 8:3 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 8:3

Israel hath cast off [the thing that is] good
Or "rejected [him that is] good" F25; that is, God, as Kimchi observes; for there is none good but him, ( Matthew 19:17 ) ; he is the "summum bonum", "the chiefest good" to men, and is essentially, originally, and infinitely good in himself, and the fountain of all goodness to his creatures; and yet Israel has rejected him with detestation and contempt, as the word F26 signifies, though they pretended to know him, which shows their hypocrisy; and therefore it is no wonder that their prayers were rejected by him: or they rejected the good word of God, the law, or doctrine contained in it, and the good worship, service, and fear of God, and indeed everything that was good, just, and right. Cocceius renders it, "the good One", or he that is God, the good God, "hath cast off Israel". This reading of the words Drusius also mentions, and seems to like best, and as agreeing with what follows; so Rivet; but the position of the words in the Hebrew text, and the accents, do not favour it; the enemy shall pursue him;
who is before compared to an eagle, which flies swiftly, and pursues its prey with eagerness and fierceness: Shalmaneser is meant, who should invade the land, come up to Samaria, besiege and take it; nothing should stop him, nor should Israel escape from him, since they had cast off the Lord, and everything that was good. The Targum is,

``the house of Israel have erred from my worship, for the sake of which I brought good things upon them; henceforward the enemy shall pursue them.''

FOOTNOTES:

F25 (bwj larvy xnz) "deseruit Israel bonum, i. e. Deum", Vatablus, Munster, Tarnovius, Zanchius.
F26 "Abominatus est", Calvin, Zanchius.

Hosea 8:3 In-Context

1 Die Posaune an deinen Mund! Wie ein Adler stürzt er auf das Haus Jehovas, weil sie meinen Bund übertreten und gegen mein Gesetz gefrevelt haben.
2 Sie werden zu mir schreien: Mein Gott, wir kennen dich, wir, Israel! ...
3 Israel hat das Gute verworfen: der Feind verfolge es!
4 Sie haben Könige gemacht, aber nicht von mir aus; sie haben Fürsten eingesetzt, und ich wußte es nicht. Von ihrem Silber und von ihrem Golde haben sie sich Götzenbilder gemacht, damit es vernichtet werde.
5 Er hat dein Kalb verworfen, Samaria: mein Zorn ist wider sie entbrannt. Bis wann sind sie der Reinheit unfähig?
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