ASV
Hosea 9
1Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, like the peoples; for thou hast played the harlot, [departing] from thy God; thou hast loved hire upon every grain-floor.
2The threshing-floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail her.
3They shall not dwell in Jehovah's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.
4They shall not pour out wine-[ offerings] to Jehovah, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah.
5What will ye do in the day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Jehovah?
6For, lo, they are gone away from destruction; [yet] Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them; their pleasant things of silver, nettles shall possess them; thorns shall be in their tents.
7The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the man that hath the spirit is mad, for the abundance of thine iniquity, and because the enmity is great.
8Ephraim [was] a watchman with my God: as for the prophet, a fowler's snare is in all his ways, [and] enmity in the house of his God.
9They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree at its first season: but they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves unto the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.
11As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.
12Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, so that not a man shall be left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
13Ephraim, like as I have seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer.
14Give them, O Jehovah--what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
15All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters.
16Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb.
17My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
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Afflictions and Adversities: Obduracy In Hosea 9:17
My God will reject them because they have not obeyed Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
Assyria: Predictions Respecting: Conquest and Captivity of Israel By Hosea 9:3
They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.
Assyria: Prophecies of Captivity of Israelites In Hosea 9:3
They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.
Baal-Peor: An Idol of Moab Hosea 9:10
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.
Backsliders: Backsliding of Israel Hosea 9:1–17
Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor. / The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them, and the new wine will fail them. / They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.
Bereavement: from God Hosea 9:12
Even if they raise their children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe be to them when I turn away from them!
Birds: Rapid Flight of, Alluded To Hosea 9:11
Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird, with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.
Bread: Kinds of Bread of Affliction Hosea 9:4
They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD.
Burial: Followed by a Feast Hosea 9:4
They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD.
Canaan: Land of Called the Lord's Land Hosea 9:3
They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.
Christian Minister: False and Corrupt Hosea 9:7, 8
The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility. / The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman, along with my God, yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths. Hostility is in the house of his God!
Church: House of God Hosea 9:8
The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman, along with my God, yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths. Hostility is in the house of his God!
Day: A Time of Festivity Called A: Solemn Day Hosea 9:5
What will you do on the appointed day, on the day of the LORD’s feast?
Gibeah: of Saul: The People's Wickedness Hosea 9:9
They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.
Gilgal: Place of the First Encampment of the Israelites West of the Jordan River: Prophecies Concerning Hosea 9:15
All their evil appears at Gilgal, for there I hated them. I will drive them from My house for the wickedness of their deeds. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.
God: Love of, Exemplified Hosea 9:10
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.
Holy Land: Called: The Lord's Land Hosea 9:3
They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.
Holy Spirit: Withdrawn from Incorrigible Sinners Hosea 9:12
Even if they raise their children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe be to them when I turn away from them!
Hypocrisy: General Scriptures Concerning Hosea 9:4
They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD.
Idolatry: Warnings Against, and Punishments of Hosea 9:10
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.
Memphis: A Celebrated City of Egypt Hosea 9:6
For even if they flee destruction, Egypt will gather them and Memphis will bury them. Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles, and thorns will overrun their tents.
Mourning: Prevented offerings from Being Accepted Hosea 9:4
They will not pour out wine offerings to the LORD, and their sacrifices will not please Him, but will be to them like the bread of mourners; all who eat will be defiled. For their bread will be for themselves; it will not enter the house of the LORD.
Nettles: Figurative Hosea 9:6
For even if they flee destruction, Egypt will gather them and Memphis will bury them. Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles, and thorns will overrun their tents.
Prophecies Concerning Israel: Prophecies Concerning of Captivity, Famine, and Judgments Hosea 9:1
Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.
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Hosea 9:1-17 Warning against Israel's Joy at Partial Relief from Their
Troubles: Their Crops Shall Fail, and the People Leave the Lord's Land for Egypt and Assyria, Where They Cannot, If So Inclined, Serve God According to the Ancient Ritual: Folly of Their False Prophets.
Hosea 9:1 Verse 1
Rejoice not ... for joy--literally, "to exultation." Thy exultation at the league with Pul, by which peace seems secured, is out of place: since thy idolatry will bring ruin on thee. as other people--the Assyrians for instance, who, unlike thee, are in the height of prosperity. loved a reward upon every corn floor--Thou hast desired, in reward for thy homage to idols, abundance of corn on every threshing-floor (Ho 2:12).
Hosea 9:2 Verse 2
(Ho 2:9, 12). fail--disappoint her expectation.
Hosea 9:3 Verse 3
return to Egypt--(See on Ho 8:13). As in Ho 11:5 it is said, "He shall not return into ... Egypt." Fairbairn thinks it is not the exact country that is meant, but the bondage state with which, from past experience, Egypt was identified in their minds. Assyria was to be a second Egypt to them. De 28:68, though threatening a return to Egypt, speaks (De 28:36) of their being brought to a nation which neither they nor their fathers had known, showing that it is not the literal Egypt, but a second Egypt-like bondage that is threatened. eat unclean things in Assyria--reduced by necessity to eat meats pronounced unclean by the Mosaic law (Eze 4:13). See 2Ki 17:6.
Hosea 9:4 Verse 4
offer wine offerings--literally, "pour as a libation (Ex 30:9; Le 23:13). neither shall they be pleasing unto him--as being offered on a profane soil. sacrifices ... as the bread of mourners--which was unclean (De 26:14; Jer 16:7; Eze 24:17). their bread for their soul--their offering for the expiation of their soul [Calvin], (Le 17:11). Rather, "their bread for their sustenance ('soul' being often used for the animal life, Ge 14:21, Margin) shall not come into the Lord's house"; it shall only subserve their own uses, not My worship.
Hosea 9:5 Verse 5
(Ho 2:11).
Hosea 9:6 Verse 6
because of destruction--to escape from the devastation of their country. Egypt shall gather them up--that is, into its sepulchres (Jer 8:2; Eze 29:5). Instead of returning to Palestine, they should die in Egypt. Memphis--famed as a necropolis. the pleasant places for their silver--that is, their desired treasuries for their money. Or, "whatever precious thing they have of silver" [Maurer]. nettles--the sign of desolation (Isa 34:13).
Hosea 9:7 Verse 7
visitation--vengeance: punishment (Isa 10:3). Israel shall know it--to her cost experimentally (Isa 9:9). the prophet is a fool--The false prophet who foretold prosperity to the nation shall be convicted of folly by the event. the spiritual man--the man pretending to inspiration (La 2:14; Eze 13:3; Mic 3:11; Zep 3:4). for the multitude of thine iniquity, &c.--Connect these words with, "the days of visitation ... are come"; "the prophet ... is mad," being parenthetical. the great hatred--or, "the great provocation" [Henderson]; or, "(thy) great apostasy" [Maurer]. English Version means Israel's "hatred" of God's prophets and the law.
Hosea 9:8 Verse 8
The watchman ... was with my God--The spiritual watchmen, the true prophets, formerly consulted my God (Jer 31:6; Hab 2:1); but their so-called prophet is a snare, entrapping Israel into idolatry. hatred--rather, "(a cause of) apostasy" (see Ho 9:7) [Maurer]. house of his God--that is, the state of Ephraim, as in Ho 8:1 [Maurer]. Or, "the house of his (false) god," the calves [Calvin]. Jehovah, "my God," seems contrasted with "his God." Calvin's view is therefore preferable.
Hosea 9:9 Verse 9
as in the days of Gibeah--as in the day of the perpetration of the atrocity of Gibeah, narrated in Jud 19:16-22, &c.
Hosea 9:10 Verse 10
As the traveller in a wilderness is delighted at finding grapes to quench his thirst, or the early fig (esteemed a great delicacy in the East, Isa 28:4; Jer 24:2; Mic 7:1); so it was My delight to choose your fathers as My peculiar people in Egypt (Ho 2:15). at her first time--when the first-fruits of the tree become ripe. went to Baal-peor--(Nu 25:3): the Moabite idol, in whose worship young women prostituted themselves; the very sin Israel latterly was guilty of. separated themselves--consecrated themselves. unto that shame--to that shameful or foul idol (Jer 11:13). their abominations were according as they loved--rather, as Vulgate, "they became abominable like the object of their love" (De 7:26; Ps 115:8). English Version gives good sense, "their abominable idols they followed after, according as their lusts prompted them" (Am 4:5, Margin).
Hosea 9:11 Verse 11
their glory shall fly away--fit retribution to those who "separated themselves unto that shame" (Ho 9:10). Children were accounted the glory of parents; sterility, a reproach. "Ephraim" means "fruitfulness" (Ge 41:52); this its name shall cease to be its characteristic. from the birth ... womb ... conception--Ephraim's children shall perish in a threefold gradation; (1) From the time of birth. (2) From the time of pregnancy. (3) From the time of their first conception.
Hosea 9:12 Verse 12
Even though they should rear their children, yet will I bereave them (the Ephraimites) of them (Job 27:14). woe ... to them when I depart--Yet the ungodly in their madness desire God to depart from them (Job 21:14; 22:17; Mt 8:34). At last they know to their cost how awful it is when God has departed (De 31:17; 1Sa 28:15, 16; compare Ho 9:11; 1Sa 4:21).
Hosea 9:13 Verse 13
Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus ... in a pleasant place--that is, in looking towards Tyrus (on whose borders Ephraim lay) I saw Ephraim beautiful in situation like her (Eze 26:1-28:26). is planted--as a fruitful tree; image suggested by the meaning of "Ephraim" (Ho 9:11). bring forth his children to the murderer--(Ho 9:16; Ho 13:16). With all his fruitfulness, his children shall only be brought up to be slain.
Hosea 9:14 Verse 14
what wilt thou give?--As if overwhelmed by feeling, he deliberates with God what is most desirable. give ... a miscarrying womb--Of two evils he chooses the least. So great will be the calamity, that barrenness will be a blessing, though usually counted a great misfortune (Job 3:3; Jer 20:14; Lu 23:29).
Hosea 9:15 Verse 15
All their wickedness--that is, their chief guilt. Gilgal--(see on Ho 4:15). This was the scene of their first contumacy in rejecting God and choosing a king (1Sa 11:14, 15; compare 1Sa 8:7), and of their subsequent idolatry. there I hated them--not with the human passion, but holy hatred of their sin, which required punishment to be inflicted on themselves (compare Mal 1:3). out of mine house--as in Ho 8:1: out of the land holy unto Me. Or, as "love" is mentioned immediately after, the reference may be to the Hebrew mode of divorce, the husband (God) putting the wife (Israel) out of the house. princes ... revolters--"Sarim ... Sorerim" (Hebrew), a play on similar sounds.
Hosea 9:16 Verse 16
The figures "root," "fruit," are suggested by the word "Ephraim," that is, fruitful (see on Ho 9:11, 12). "Smitten," namely, with a blight (Ps 102:4).
Hosea 9:17 Verse 17
My God--"My," in contrast to "them," that is, the people, whose God Jehovah no longer is. Also Hosea appeals to God as supporting his authority against the whole people. wanderers among ... nations--(2Ki 15:29; 1Ch 5:26).