Hosea 10

Israel Is Punished

1 Israel [is] a luxuriant vine; he yields fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, [the more] he made numerous altars. The more his land prospered, [the more] he improved [his] stone pillars.

2 Their heart is false; now they must bear [their] guilt. He himself will break down their altars; he will destroy their stone pillars.

3 For now they will say, "We have no king; indeed, we did not fear Yahweh, and what can a king do for us?"

4 They utter words of vain oaths [when] {making covenants}, and judgment blossoms like a poisonous plant on the furrows of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, his people will mourn for it, and his idolatrous priests will wail over it-- over its glory because it has departed from it.

6 It will also be brought to Assyria, [as] tribute to [the] great king. Ephraim will obtain disgrace and Israel will be ashamed from his advice.

7 Samaria will be destroyed; her king [is] like a chip on the surface of the water.

8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars. They will say to the mountains, "Cover us," and to the hills, "Fall on us."

9 From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, [O] Israel; there {they have remained}. Will not war in Gibeah overtake them against the children of evil?

10 In my desire I will punish them; nations will be gathered against them when they are punished for {their double iniquities}.

11 Ephraim [was] a trained heifer, that loved to thresh [grain], and I myself {spared} the fairness of her neck; I will make Ephraim break the ground, Judah will plow, Jacob must till for himself.

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; {reap loyal love}. Break up for yourself fallow ground; [it is] time to seek Yahweh so he will come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, you have eaten the fruit of lies, because you have trusted in your strength, in the multitude of your warriors.

14 The tumult of war will rise up against your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel; on the day of war mothers were dashed to pieces with [their] children.

15 So it will be done to you, [O] Bethel, because of the evil of your wickedness; at dawn, the king of Israel will be utterly destroyed.

Hosea 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

The idolatry of Israel. (1-8) They are exhorted to repentance. (9-15)

Verses 1-8 A vine is only valuable for its fruit; but Israel now brought no fruit to perfection. Their hearts were divided. God is the Sovereign of the heart; he will have all, or none. Were the stream of the heart wholly after God, it would run strongly, and bear down all before it. Their pretences to covenant with God were false. Even the proceeding of justice was as poisonous hemlock. Alas, how empty a vine is the visible church even at this day! But all earthly prosperity is but a collection of bubbles, soon destroyed like foam upon the water. Sinners will in vain seek shelter from that Judge, whom they now despise as a Saviour.

Verses 9-15 Because God does not desire the death and ruin of sinners, therefore in mercy he desires their chastisement. The children of iniquity still remained in Israel. The enemies would be gathered against them. It is just with God to make those know what hardships mean, who indulge themselves in ease and pleasure. Let them cleanse their hearts from all corrupt affections and lusts, and be a broken and contrite spirit. Let them abound in works of piety towards God, and of justice and charity towards one another: herein let them sow to the Spirit. Seeking the Lord is to be every day's work, but there are special occasions when to seek him. Christ shall come as the Lord our righteousness, and grant us of it abundantly. If we sow in righteousness, we shall reap according to mercy; a reward not of debt, but of grace. Even the gains of sin yield the sinner no satisfaction. As our comforts, so our confidences in the service of sin will certainly fail us. Come and seek the Lord, and thy hope in him shall not deceive thee. See what cruel work war makes. Whatever mischief is done, it is sin that does it. What miseries men's sins bring on them, even in this world!

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "ravaged vine"
• [b]. Hebrew "they"
• [c]. Or "made beautiful"
• [d]. That is, "Yahweh himself"
• [e]. Literally "cutting covenant"
• [f]. Hebrew "inhabitant"
• [g]. Hebrew "calves"
• [h]. Or "rejoice"
• [i]. See 5:13; some translate literally "King Jareb"
• [j]. Or "counsel"
• [k]. Literally "they stood"
• [l]. The LXX translates "I will come"
• [m]. So Qere; Masoretic Hebrew text (Kethib) "their two eyes"
• [n]. Literally "passed over"
• [o]. Literally "reap according to loyal love"
• [p]. Hebrew "lie"
• [q]. Or "upon [their] children"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 10

This chapter is of the same argument with the former, and others before that; setting forth the sins of the ten tribes, and threatening them with the judgments of God for them; and exhorting them to repentance, and works of righteousness. They are charged with unfruitfulness and ingratitude; increasing in idolatry, as they increased in temporal good things, Ho 10:1; with a divided heart, and with irreverence of God, and their king; and with false swearing, covenant breaking, and injustice, Ho 10:2-4; and are threatened with a removal of their king, and with the destruction of their idols, and places of idolatry, which should cause fear in the common people, and mourning among the priests, Ho 10:1,5-8. It is observed, that their sin had been of long continuance, though the Lord had been kind and good unto them, in chastising them in love, giving them good laws, sending his prophets to exhort them to repentance and reformation, but all in vain, Ho 10:9-13; wherefore they are threatened with the spoiling of their fortresses, the destruction of the people, and the cutting off of their king, Ho 10:14,15.