Hosea 11:6

6 War will sweep through their cities and break down the city gates. It will destroy my people because they do what they themselves think best.

Hosea 11:6 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 11:6

And the sword shall abide on the cities
Or "shall fall" {y}, and continue; meaning the sword of the Assyrians, whereby Ephraim should be brought into subjection to them, and the king of Assyria become king over them; his sword should be drawn, and rest upon them, not only on their chief city Samaria, besieged three years by him, but upon all their other cities, which would fall into his hands, with the inhabitants of them: and shall consume his branches, and devour [them];
that is, the towns and villages adjoining to the cities; which were to them as branches are to a tree, sprung from them, and were supported by them; and, being near them, prospered or suffered as they did: some render it, "his bars" ^F26, as the word is sometimes used, and interpret it of the great men and nobles of the land. So the Targum,

``and it shall slay his mighty men, and destroy his princes;''

with which Jarchi agrees; because of their own counsels;
which they took and pursued, contrary to the counsel of God, the revelation of his mind and will; particularly in setting up idolatrous worship, and continuing in it, notwithstanding all the admonitions, exhortations, counsels, and threatenings of God by his prophets; or else because of their counsels with the Egyptians, and their covenants with them, for help against the Assyrian, whose yoke they were for casting off, and refused to pay tribute to; which provoked him to draw his sword upon them, which made the havoc it did in their cities, and the inhabitants of them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (hlx) "cedet", Calvin; "incidet", Schmidt; "irruet", Zanchius, Drusius, Liveleus.
F26 (wydb) "vectes ejus", Schmidt. So some in Drusius.

Hosea 11:6 In-Context

4 I drew them to me with affection and love. I picked them up and held them to my cheek; I bent down to them and fed them.

5 "They refuse to return to me, and so they must return to Egypt, and Assyria will rule them.

6 War will sweep through their cities and break down the city gates. It will destroy my people because they do what they themselves think best.

7 They insist on turning away from me. They will cry out because of the yoke that is on them, but no one will lift it from them.

8 "How can I give you up, Israel? How can I abandon you? Could I ever destroy you as I did Admah, or treat you as I did Zeboiim? My heart will not let me do it! My love for you is too strong.