@Ho 12:1-14. REPROOF OF EPHRAIM AND JUDAH: THEIR FATHER JACOB OUGHT TO BE A PATTERN TO THEM.
This prophecy was delivered about the time of Israel's seeking the aid of the Egyptian king So, in violation of their covenant with Assyria (see @Ho 12:1). He exhorts them to follow their father Jacob's persevering prayerfulness, which brought God's favor upon him. As God is unchangeable, He will show the same favor to Jacob's posterity as He did to Jacob, if, like him, they seek God.
1. feedeth on wind--(@Pr 15:14 Isa 44:20). Followeth after vain
objects, such as alliances with idolaters and their idols (compare
@Ho 8:7).
east wind--the simoon, blowing from the desert east of Palestine, which
not only does not benefit, but does injury. Israel follows not only
things vain, but things pernicious (compare @Job 15:2).
increaseth lies--accumulates lie upon lie, that is, impostures
wherewith they deceive themselves, forsaking the truth of God.
desolation--violent oppressions practised by Israel
[MAURER].
Acts which would prove the cause of Israel's own desolation
[CALVIN].
covenant with . . . Assyrians--(@Ho 5:13 7:11).
oil . . . into Egypt--as a present from Israel to secure Egypt's
alliance (@Isa 30:6 57:9; compare @2Ki 17:4). Palestine was famed
for oil (@Eze 27:17).
2. controversy with Judah--(@Ho 4:1 Mic 6:2). Judah, under Ahaz,
had fallen into idolatry (@2Ki 16:3, &c.).
Jacob--that is, the ten tribes. If Judah, the favored portion of the
nation, shall not be spared, much less degenerate Israel.
3. He--Jacob, contrasted with his degenerate descendants, called by
his name, Jacob (@Ho 12:2; compare @Mic 2:7). He took Esau
by the heel in the womb in order to obtain, if possible, the privileges
of the first-born (@Ge 25:22-26), whence he took his name, Jacob,
meaning "supplanter"; and again, by his strength, prevailed in wrestling
with God for a blessing (@Ge 32:24-29); whereas ye disregard My
promises, putting your confidence in idols and foreign alliances.
He conquered God, ye are the slaves of idols. Only have Jehovah
on your side, and ye are stronger than Edom, or even Assyria. So the
spiritual Israel lays hold of the heel of Jesus, "the First-born of many
brethren," being born again of the Holy Spirit. Having no right in
themselves to the inheritance, they lay hold of the bruised heel, the
humanity of Christ crucified, and let not go their hold of Him who is
not, as Esau, a curse (@Heb 12:16,17), but, by becoming a curse for
us, is a blessing to us.
power with God--referring to his name, "Israel," prince of God, acquired on that occasion (compare @Mt 11:12). As the promised Canaan
had to be gained forcibly by Israel, so heaven by the faithful
(@Re 3:21; compare @Lu 13:24). "Strive," literally, "as in the
agony of a contest." So the Canaanitess (@Mt 15:22).
his strength--which lay in his conscious weakness, whence, when his
thigh was put out of joint by God, he hung upon Him. To seek strength
was his object; to grant it, God's. Yet God's mode of procedure was
strange. In human form He tries as it were to throw Jacob down. When
simple wrestling was not enough, He does what seems to ensure Jacob's
fall, dislocating his thigh joint, so that he could no longer stand. Yet
it was then that Jacob prevailed. Thus God teaches us the irresistible
might of conscious weakness. For when weak in ourselves, we are strong
by His strength put in us (@Job 23:6 Isa 27:5 2Co 12:9,10).
4. the angel--the uncreated Angel of the Covenant, as God the Son
appears in the Old Testament (@Mal 3:1).
made supplication--@Ge 32:26; I will not let thee go, except thou
bless me."
he found him--The angel found Jacob, when he was fleeing from Esau into
Syria: the Lord appearing to him "in Beth-el" (@Ge 28:11-19 35:1). What
a sad contrast, that in this same Beth-el now Israel worships the golden
calves!
there he spake with us--"with us," as being in the loins of our
progenitor Jacob (compare @Ps 66:6, "They . . . we;"
@Heb 7:9,10). What God there spoke to Jacob appertains to us. God's
promises to him belong to all his posterity who follow in the steps of
his prayerful faith.
5. Lord God--JEHOVAH, a name implying His
immutable constancy to His promises. From the Hebrew root,
meaning "existence." "He that is, was, and is to be," always the same
(@Heb 13:8 Re 1:4,8; compare @Ex 3:14,15 6:3). As He was
unchangeable in His favor to Jacob, so will He be to His believing
posterity.
of hosts--which Israel foolishly worshipped. Jehovah has all the hosts
(saba) or powers of heaven and earth at His command, so that He is
as all-powerful, as He is faithful, to fulfil His promises
(@Ps 135:6 Am 5:27).
memorial--the name expressive of the character in which God was ever
to be remembered (@Ps 135:13).
6. thou--who dost wish to be a true descendant of Jacob.
to THY God--who is therefore bound by covenant to hear thy prayers.
keep mercy and judgment--(@Mic 6:8). These two include the
second-table commandments, duty towards one's neighbor, the most visible
test of the sincerity on one's repentance.
wait on thy God--alone, not on thy idols. Including all the duties
of the first table (@Ps 37:3,5,7 40:1).
7. merchant--a play on the double sense of the Hebrew, "Canaan,"
that is, a Canaanite and a "merchant" @Eze 16:3: "Thy birth is . . .
of Canaan." They who naturally were descendants of pious Jacob had
become virtually Canaanites, who were proverbial as cheating
merchants (compare @Isa 23:11, Margin), the greatest reproach
to Israel, who despised Canaan. The Phoenicians called themselves
Canaanites or merchants (@Isa 23:8).
oppress--open violence: as the "balances of deceit" imply
fraud.
8. And--that is, Notwithstanding.
Yet I am . . . rich--I regard not what the prophets say: I am content
with my state, as I am rich (@Re 3:17). Therefore, in just retribution,
this is the very language of the enemy in being the instrument of
Israel's punishment. @Zec 11:5: "They that sell them say . . .
I am rich." Far better is poverty with honesty, than riches gained
by sin.
my labours--my gains by labor.
they shall find none--that is, none shall find any.
iniquity . . . that were sin--iniquity that would bring down the
penalty of sin. Ephraim argues, My success in my labors proves that I am
not a guilty sinner as the prophets assert. Thus sinners pervert God's
long-suffering goodness (@Mt 5:45) into a justification of their
impenitence (compare @Ec 8:11-13).
9. And--rather, "And yet." Though Israel deserves to be cast off for ever, yet I am still what I have been from the time of My delivering them out of Egypt, their covenant God; therefore, "I will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles," that is, to keep the feast of tabernacles again in remembrance of a new deliverance out of bondage. Fulfilled primarily at the return from Babylon (@Ne 8:17). Fully and antitypically to be fulfilled at the final restoration from the present dispersion (@Zec 14:16; compare @Le 23:42,43).
10. by . . . the prophets--literally, "upon," that is, My spirit
resting on them. I deposited with them My instructions which
ought to have brought you to the right way. An aggravation of your
guilt, that it was not through ignorance you erred, but in defiance of
God and His prophets [CALVIN]. Ahijah the Shilonite, Shemaiah, Iddo,
Azariah, Hanani, Jehu, Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Joel, and Amos were "the
prophets" before Hosea.
visions . . . similitudes--I adopted such modes of communication,
adapted to man's capacities, as were calculated to arouse attention: I
left no means untried to reform you. The first, second, and third
chapters contain examples of "similitudes."
11. Is there iniquity in Gilead?--He asks the question, not as if the
answer was doubtful, but to strengthen the affirmation: "Surely they are
vanity"; or as MAURER translates, "They are nothing but iniquity."
Iniquity, especially idolatry, in Scripture is often termed "vanity."
@Pr 13:11: "Wealth gotten by vanity," that is, iniquity. @Isa 41:29: "They are all vanity . . . i
mag
es." "Gilead" refers
to Mizpah-gilead, a city representing the region beyond Jordan
(@Ho 6:8 Jud 11:29); as "Gilgal," the region on this side of Jordan
(@Ho 4:15). In all quarters alike they are utterly vile.
their altars are as heaps in the furrows--that is, as numerous as such
heaps: namely, the heaps of stones cleared out of a stony field. An
appropriate image, as at a distance they look like altars (compare
@Ho 10:1,4 8:11). As the third member in the parallelism answers to the
first, "Gilgal" to "Gilead," so the fourth to the second, "altars" to
"vanity." The word "heaps" alludes to the name "Gilgal," meaning "a heap
of stones." The very scene of the general circumcision of the people,
and of the solemn passover kept after crossing Jordan, is now the
stronghold of Israel's idolatry.
12. Jacob fled . . . served--Though ye pride yourselves on the great
name of "Israel," forget not that your progenitor was the same Jacob who
was a fugitive, and who served for Rachel fourteen years. He forgot
not ME who delivered him when fleeing from Esau, and when oppressed by
Laban (@Ge 28:5 29:20,28 De 26:5). Ye, though delivered from
Egypt (@Ho 12:13), and loaded with My favors, are yet unwilling to
return to Me.
country of Syria--the champaign region of Syria, the portion lying
between the Tigris and Euphrates, hence called Mesopotamia. Padan-aram
means the same, that is, "Low Syria," as opposed to Aramea
(meaning the "high country") or Syria
(@Ge 48:7).
13. by a prophet--Moses (@Nu 12:6-8 De 18:15,18).
preserved--Translate, "kept"; there is an allusion to the same
Hebrew word in @Ho 12:12, "kept sheep"; Israel was kept by God as His flock, even as Jacob kept sheep
(@Ps 80:1 Isa 63:11).
14. provoked him--that is, God.
leave his blood upon him--not take away the guilt and penalty of the
innocent blood shed by Ephraim in general, and to Moloch in particular.
his reproach shall his Lord return unto him--Ephraim's dishonor to
God in worshipping idols, God will repay to him. That God is "his Lord" by right redemption and special revelation to Ephraim only
aggravates his guilt, instead of giving him hope of escape. God does not
give up His claim to them as His, however they set aside His
dominion.