[1] Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
As other people — With feastings, triumphs, and sacrifices of thanksgiving.
A reward — Such as is given by adulterers to lewd women; thou hast loved to see thy floor full, and hast said thy idols gave thee this plenty.
Verse 2
[2] The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.
The floor — The corn which is gathered into the floor.
The wine-press — The wine that is prest out in it.
Shall not feed — Shall not nourish and strengthen the idolaters.
Shall fail — Samaria and all Israel expect a full vintage, but they expect it from their idols, and therefore shall be disappointed.
Verse 3
[3] They shall not dwell in the LORD's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
Ephraim — Many of Ephraim shall fly into Egypt.
And they — The residue shall be carried captive into Assyria.
Verse 4
[4] They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, 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 for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.
Wine-offerings — These were appointed to be offered with the morning and evening sacrifice, the sacrifice representing Christ, and pardon by him; the wine-offering, the spirit of grace: the sacrifice repeated, daily continued their peace and pardon. All this shall be withheld from these captives.
Pleasing — If any should venture to offer.
As the bread of mourners — It shall as much pollute them and displease God as if one mourning for the dead, and forbidden to sacrifice, should venture to do it.
Their bread — Their bread which they were bound to offer with their sacrifices, they will now have no opportunity of bringing to the Lord's house.
Verse 5
[5] What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?
What will ye do — You will not then be suffered to observe any of them.
Verse 6
[6] For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.
They are gone — Some are already withdrawn from the desolation that cometh.
Egypt — In Egypt they hope to be quiet and survive these desolations, but they shall die in Egypt.
The pleasant places — Their beautiful houses built for keeping their wealth in.
Nettles — Shall be ruined, and lie in rubbish, 'till nettles grow in them.
Verse 7
[7] The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.
The prophet — The false prophet.
The spiritual man — That pretends to be full of the spirit of prophecy.
For thine iniquity — God began his punishments in giving them over to believe their false prophets.
The great hatred — Which God had against your sins.
Verse 8
[8] The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
The watchman — The old true prophets indeed were with God.
My God — The God of Hosea.
The prophet — The false prophets have, as well as the people, left God.
Is a snare — Their pretended predictions are but a snare, such as fowlers lay.
And hatred — Such prophets are full of hatred and malice: yea, they are hatred itself.
Verse 10
[10] I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
I found Israel — The Lord speaks of himself in the person of a traveller, who unexpectedly in the wilderness finds a vine loaded with grapes; such love did God bear to Israel.
Your fathers — Whom I brought out of Egypt.
As the first-ripe — As the earliest ripe fruit of the fig-tree, which is most valued and desired.
Separated themselves — Consecrated themselves to that shameful idol.
Their abominations — Their idols, and way of worshipping them.
As they loved — As they fancied.
Verse 11
[11] As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
Their glory — Their children or posterity, which was the glory of Israel.
Shall fly — It is proverbial, and speaks a sudden loss of children.
From the birth — As soon as born.
From the womb — Their mothers shall not bring their fruit alive into the world.
The conception — Their wives shall not conceive.
Verse 12
[12] Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
Not a man left — There shall be a total extirpation of them.
When I depart — To compleat their misery, I will depart from them. It is sad to lose our children, but sadder to lose our God.
Verse 13
[13] Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.
To the murderer — He will send them forth in mighty armies; but it will be sending them out to the slaughter.
Verse 14
[14] Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
Give then — It is an abrupt but pathetic speech of one that shews his trouble for a sinking, undone nation.
A miscarrying womb — It is less misery to have none, than to have all our children murdered.
Verse 15
[15] All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.
All their wickedness — The chief or beginning.
There I hated them — As there they began to sin so notoriously, there I began to shew that I hated them.
Hosea 9 Bible Commentary
John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes
Verse 1
[1] Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
As other people — With feastings, triumphs, and sacrifices of thanksgiving.
A reward — Such as is given by adulterers to lewd women; thou hast loved to see thy floor full, and hast said thy idols gave thee this plenty.
Verse 2
[2] The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.
The floor — The corn which is gathered into the floor.
The wine-press — The wine that is prest out in it.
Shall not feed — Shall not nourish and strengthen the idolaters.
Shall fail — Samaria and all Israel expect a full vintage, but they expect it from their idols, and therefore shall be disappointed.
Verse 3
[3] They shall not dwell in the LORD's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
Ephraim — Many of Ephraim shall fly into Egypt.
And they — The residue shall be carried captive into Assyria.
Verse 4
[4] They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, 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 for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.
Wine-offerings — These were appointed to be offered with the morning and evening sacrifice, the sacrifice representing Christ, and pardon by him; the wine-offering, the spirit of grace: the sacrifice repeated, daily continued their peace and pardon. All this shall be withheld from these captives.
Pleasing — If any should venture to offer.
As the bread of mourners — It shall as much pollute them and displease God as if one mourning for the dead, and forbidden to sacrifice, should venture to do it.
Their bread — Their bread which they were bound to offer with their sacrifices, they will now have no opportunity of bringing to the Lord's house.
Verse 5
[5] What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?
What will ye do — You will not then be suffered to observe any of them.
Verse 6
[6] For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.
They are gone — Some are already withdrawn from the desolation that cometh.
Egypt — In Egypt they hope to be quiet and survive these desolations, but they shall die in Egypt.
The pleasant places — Their beautiful houses built for keeping their wealth in.
Nettles — Shall be ruined, and lie in rubbish, 'till nettles grow in them.
Verse 7
[7] The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.
The prophet — The false prophet.
The spiritual man — That pretends to be full of the spirit of prophecy.
For thine iniquity — God began his punishments in giving them over to believe their false prophets.
The great hatred — Which God had against your sins.
Verse 8
[8] The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
The watchman — The old true prophets indeed were with God.
My God — The God of Hosea.
The prophet — The false prophets have, as well as the people, left God.
Is a snare — Their pretended predictions are but a snare, such as fowlers lay.
And hatred — Such prophets are full of hatred and malice: yea, they are hatred itself.
Verse 10
[10] I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
I found Israel — The Lord speaks of himself in the person of a traveller, who unexpectedly in the wilderness finds a vine loaded with grapes; such love did God bear to Israel.
Your fathers — Whom I brought out of Egypt.
As the first-ripe — As the earliest ripe fruit of the fig-tree, which is most valued and desired.
Separated themselves — Consecrated themselves to that shameful idol.
Their abominations — Their idols, and way of worshipping them.
As they loved — As they fancied.
Verse 11
[11] As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
Their glory — Their children or posterity, which was the glory of Israel.
Shall fly — It is proverbial, and speaks a sudden loss of children.
From the birth — As soon as born.
From the womb — Their mothers shall not bring their fruit alive into the world.
The conception — Their wives shall not conceive.
Verse 12
[12] Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
Not a man left — There shall be a total extirpation of them.
When I depart — To compleat their misery, I will depart from them. It is sad to lose our children, but sadder to lose our God.
Verse 13
[13] Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.
To the murderer — He will send them forth in mighty armies; but it will be sending them out to the slaughter.
Verse 14
[14] Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
Give then — It is an abrupt but pathetic speech of one that shews his trouble for a sinking, undone nation.
A miscarrying womb — It is less misery to have none, than to have all our children murdered.
Verse 15
[15] All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.
All their wickedness — The chief or beginning.
There I hated them — As there they began to sin so notoriously, there I began to shew that I hated them.