geneva - Hosea:1-4

geneva@Hosea:1:1 @ The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days (note:)Also called Azariah, who being a leper was disposed from his kingdom.(:note) of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, So that it may be gathered by the reign of these four kings that he preached about eighty years. kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The Argument - After the ten tribes had fallen away from God by the wicked and subtle counsel of Jeroboam, the son of Neba, and instead of his true service commanded by his word, worshipped him according to their own imaginings and traditions of men, giving themselves to most vile idolatry and superstition, the Lord from time to time sent them Prophets to call them to repentance. But they grew even worse and worse, and still abused God's benefits. Therefore now when their prosperity was at the highest under Jeroboam, the son of Joash, God sent Hosea and Amos to the Israelites (as he did at the same time send Isaiah and Micah to those of Judah) to condemn them for their ingratitude. And whereas they thought themselves to be greatly in the favour of God, and to be his people, the Prophet calls them bastards and children born in adultery: and therefore shows them that God would take away their kingdom, and give them to the Assyrians to be led away captives. Thus Hosea faithfully executed his office for the space of seventy years, though they remained still in their vices and wickedness and derided the Prophets, and condemned God's judgments. And because they would neither be discouraged with threatening only, nor should they flatter themselves by the sweetness of God's promises, he sets before them the two principal parts of the Law, which are the promise of salvation, and the doctrine of life. For the first part he directs the faithful to the Messiah, by whom alone they would have true deliverance: and for the second, he uses threatenings and menaces to bring them from their wicked manners and vices: and this is the chief scope of all the Prophets, either by God's promises to allure them to be godly, or else by threatenings of his judgments to scare them from vice. And even though the whole Law contains these two points, yet the Prophets moreover note distinctly both the time of God's judgments and the manner.

geneva@Hosea:1:2 @ The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife (note:)That is, one that has been a harlot for a long time: not that the Prophet did this thing in effect, but he saw this in a vision, or else was commanded by God to set forth under this parable or figure the idolatry of the Synagogue, and of the people her children.(:note) of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, [departing] from the LORD.

geneva@Hosea:1:3 @ So he went and took (note:)Gomer signifies a consumption or corruption, and rotten clusters of figs, declaring that they were all corrupt like rotten figs.(:note) Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

geneva@Hosea:1:4 @ And the LORD said unto him, Call his name (note:)Meaning that they would no longer be called Israelites, which name they boasted because Israel did prevail with God: but that they were as bastards, and therefore should be called Jezreelites, that is, scattered people, alluding to Jezreel, which was the chief city of the ten tribes under Ahab, where Jehu shed so much blood; (1Ki_18:45).(:note) Jezreel; for yet a little [while], and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of I will be avenged upon Jehu for the blood that he shed in Jezreel: for even though God stirred him up to execute his judgments, yet he did them for his own ambition, and not for the glory of God as the intended goal: for he built up that idolatry which he had destroyed. Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

geneva@Hosea:1:5 @ And it shall come to pass at that (note:)When the measure of their iniquity is full, and I will take vengeance and destroy all their administration and strength.(:note) day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

geneva@Hosea:1:6 @ And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And [God] said unto him, Call her name (note:)That is, not obtaining mercy: by which he signifies that God's favour had departed from them.(:note) Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly For the Israelites never returned after they were taken captives by the Assyrians. take them away.

geneva@Hosea:1:7 @ But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will (note:)For after their captivity he restored them miraculously by the means of Cyrus; (Ezr_1:1).(:note) save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

geneva@Hosea:1:8 @ Nowe when she had wained Lo-ruhamah, shee conceiued, and bare a sonne.

geneva@Hosea:1:9 @ Then said [God], Call his name (note:)That is, not my people.(:note) Loammi: for ye [are] not my people, and I will not be your [God].

geneva@Hosea:1:10 @ Yet the number of the (note:)Because they thought that God could not have been true in his promise unless he had preserved them, he declares that though they were destroyed, yet the true Israelites who are the sons of the promise, would be without number, who consist both of the Jews and the Gentiles; (Rom_9:26).(:note) children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye [are] not my people, [there] it shall be said unto them, [Ye are] the sons of the living God.

geneva@Hosea:1:11 @ Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be (note:)That is, after the captivity of Babylon, when the Jews were restored: but chiefly this refers to the time of Christ, who would be the head both of the Jews and Gentiles.(:note) gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great [shall be] the The calamity and destruction of Israel will be so great, that to restore them will be a miracle. day of Jezreel.

geneva@Hosea:2:1 @ Say ye unto your (note:)Seeing that I have promised you deliverance, it remains that you encourage one another to embrace this promise, considering that you are my people on whom I will have mercy.(:note) brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

geneva@Hosea:2:2 @ Plead with your (note:)God shows that the fault was not in him, that he forsook them, but in their Synagogue, and their idolatries; (Isa_50:1).(:note) mother, plead: for she [is] not my wife, neither [am] I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries Meaning that their idolatry was so great, that they were not ashamed, but boasted of it; (Eze_16:25). from between her breasts;

geneva@Hosea:2:3 @ Lest I strip her naked, and (note:)For even though his people were as a harlot for their idolatries, yet he had left them with their dress and dowry and certain signs of his favour, but if they continued still, he would utterly destroy them.(:note) set her as in the day that she was When I brought her out of Egypt. {{See Eze_16:4}} born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

geneva@Hosea:2:4 @ And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they [be] the (note:)That is bastards, and begotten in adultery.(:note) children of whoredoms.

geneva@Hosea:2:5 @ For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my (note:)Meaning the idol which they served, and by whom they thought they had wealth and abundance.(:note) lovers, that give [me] my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

geneva@Hosea:2:6 @ Therefore, behold, I will hedge up (note:)I will punish you so that you may then test whether your idols can help you, and bring you into such straightness that you will have no lust to play the harlot.(:note) thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

geneva@Hosea:2:7 @ And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find [them]: then shall she say, (note:)This he speaks of the faithful, who are truly converted, and also shows the use and profit of God's punishments.(:note) I will go and return to my first husband; for then [was it] better with me than now.

geneva@Hosea:2:8 @ For she did not know that I (note:)This declares that idolaters defraud God of his honour, when they attribute his benefits to their idols.(:note) gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, [which] they prepared for Baal.

geneva@Hosea:2:9 @ Therefore will I return, and take away (note:)Signifying that God will take away his benefits, when man by his ingratitude abuses them.(:note) my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax [given] to cover her nakedness.

geneva@Hosea:2:10 @ And now will I discover her (note:)That is, all her service, ceremonies, and inventions by which she worshipped her idols.(:note) lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.

geneva@Hosea:2:11 @ I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast daies, her newe moones, and her Sabbathes, and all her solemne feasts.

geneva@Hosea:2:12 @ And I wil destroy her vines & her figtrees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my louers haue giuen mee: and I will make them as a forest, and the wilde beasts shall eate them.

geneva@Hosea:2:13 @ And I will visit upon her the days of (note:)I will punish her for her idolatry.(:note) Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her By showing how harlots trim themselves to please others, he declares how superstitious idolaters set a great part of their religion in adorning themselves on their holy days. earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

geneva@Hosea:2:14 @ Therefore, behold, I will (note:)By my benefits in offering her grace and mercy, even in that place where she will think herself destitute of all help and comfort.(:note) allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

geneva@Hosea:2:15 @ And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley (note:)Which was a plentiful valley, and in which they had great comfort when they came out of the wilderness, as in (Jos_7:26), and is called the door of hope, because it was a departing from death and an entry into life.(:note) of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall She will then praise God as she did when she was delivered out of Egypt. sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

geneva@Hosea:2:16 @ And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, [that] thou shalt call me (note:)That is, my husband, knowing that I am united to you by a covenant which could not be violated.(:note) Ishi; and shalt call me no more That is, my master: which name was applied to their idols. Baali.

geneva@Hosea:2:17 @ For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their (note:)No idolatry will come into their mouth at all, but they will fear me purely according to my word.(:note) name.

geneva@Hosea:2:18 @ And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the (note:)Meaning that he will so bless them that all creatures will favour them.(:note) beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and [with] the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

geneva@Hosea:2:19 @ And I wil marry thee vnto me for euer: yea, I will marry thee vnto me in righteousnes, and in iudgement, and in mercy and in compassion.

geneva@Hosea:2:20 @ I will even betroth thee unto me in (note:)With a covenant that will never be broken.(:note) faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

geneva@Hosea:2:21 @ And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear (note:)Then will the heaven desire rain for the earth, which will bring forth things for the use of man.(:note) the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;

geneva@Hosea:2:22 @ And the earth shall heare the corne, & the wine, and the oyle, and they shall heare Izreel.

geneva@Hosea:2:23 @ And I will sowe her vnto me in the earth, and I will haue mercie vpon her, that was not pitied, and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; they shal say, Thou art my God.

geneva@Hosea:3:1 @ Then said the LORD unto me, (note:)In this the Prophet represents the person of God, who loved his Church before he called her, and did not withdraw his love when she gave herself to idols.(:note) Go yet, love a woman beloved of [her] friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and That is, gave themselves wholly to pleasure, and could not stop, as those that are given to drunkenness. love flagons of wine.

geneva@Hosea:3:2 @ So (note:)Yet I loved her and paid a small portion for her, lest she would have perceived the greatness of my love, and abused me, and not been under duty: for fifteen pieces of silver was but half the price of a slave; (Exo_21:32).(:note) I bought her to me for fifteen [pieces] of silver, and [for] an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:

geneva@Hosea:3:3 @ And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for (note:)I will try you a long time as in your widowhood, whether you will be mine or not.(:note) me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for [another] man: so [will] I also [be] for thee.

geneva@Hosea:3:4 @ For the children of Israel shall (note:)Meaning not only all the time of their captivity, but also until Christ.(:note) abide many days without a king, and without a That is, they would neither have administration nor religion, and their idols also in which they put their confidence, would be destroyed. prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and [without] teraphim:

geneva@Hosea:3:5 @ Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and (note:)This is meant of Christ's kingdom, which was promised to David to be eternal; (Psa_72:17).(:note) David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

geneva@Hosea:4:1 @ Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD (note:)Because the people would not obey the admonitions of the Prophets, he accuses them before the judgment seat of God, against whom they chiefly offended; (Isa_7:13) (Zec_12:10; Mic_6:1,2).(:note) hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because [there is] no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

geneva@Hosea:4:2 @ By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and (note:)In every place appears a liberality to most wicked vices, so that one follows right after another.(:note) blood toucheth blood.

geneva@Hosea:4:3 @ Therefore shall the land mourne, and euery one that dwelleth therein, shall be cut off, with the beasts of the fielde, and with the foules of the heauen, and also the fishes of the sea shall be taken away.

geneva@Hosea:4:4 @ Yet (note:)As though he would say that it was in vain to rebuke them, for no man can endure it: indeed, they will speak against the prophets and priests whose office it is chiefly to rebuke them.(:note) let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people [are] as they that strive with the priest.

geneva@Hosea:4:5 @ Therefore shalt thou fall in the (note:)You will both perish together as one, because the former would not obey, and the other, because he would not admonish.(:note) day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy That is, the synagogue in which you boast. mother.

geneva@Hosea:4:6 @ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because (note:)That is, the priests will be cast off, because for lack of knowledge they are not able to execute their charge, and instruct others; (Deu_33:3; Mal_2:7).(:note) thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing Meaning the whole body of the people, who were weary with hearing the word of God. thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

geneva@Hosea:4:7 @ As they were (note:)The more I was beneficial to them.(:note) increased, so they sinned against me: [therefore] will I change their glory into shame.

geneva@Hosea:4:8 @

geneva@Hosea:4:9 @ And there shall be, like people, like (note:)Signifying that as they have sinned together, so will they be punished together.(:note) priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.

geneva@Hosea:4:10 @ For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall (note:)Showing that their wickedness will be punished in all ways: for even though they think by the multitude of wives to have many children, yet they will be deceived of their hope.(:note) commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.

geneva@Hosea:4:11 @

geneva@Hosea:4:12 @ My (note:)Thus he speaks by derision in calling them his people, who now because of their sins they were not his people: for they sought help from stocks or wooden images and sticks or idols.(:note) people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the They are carried away with madness. spirit of whoredoms hath caused [them] to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

geneva@Hosea:4:13 @ They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof [is] good: therefore your daughters shall (note:)Because they take away God's honour, and give it to idols: therefore he will give them up to their lusts, so that they will dishonour their own bodies; (Rom_1:28).(:note) commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.

geneva@Hosea:4:14 @ I will not (note:)I will not correct your shame to bring you to proper living, but will let you run headlong to your own damnation.(:note) punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people [that] doth not understand shall fall.

geneva@Hosea:4:15 @ Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, [yet] (note:)God complains that Judah is infected, and wants them to learn to return in time.(:note) let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto For even though the Lord had honoured this place by his presence, yet because it was abused by their idolatry, he did not want his people to resort there. Gilgal, neither go ye up to He calls Bethel, that is, the house of God, Bethaven, that is, the house of iniquity, because of their abominations set up there, signifying that no place is holy, where God is not purely worshipped. Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

geneva@Hosea:4:16 @ For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a (note:)God will so disperse them, that they will not remain in any certain place.(:note) lamb in a large place.

geneva@Hosea:4:17 @ Ephraim is ioyned to idoles: let him alone.

geneva@Hosea:4:18 @ Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers [with] shame do love, (note:)They are so shameless in receiving bribes, that they command men to bring them to them.(:note) Give ye.

geneva@Hosea:4:19 @ The wind hath (note:)To carry them suddenly away.(:note) bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

geneva@Hosea:5:1 @ Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment [is] toward you, because ye have been a (note:)The priests and princes caught the poor people in their snares, as the fowlers did the birds, in these two high mountains.(:note) snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.