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John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 4:9

Verse 9 The Prophet here again denounces on both a common punishment, as neither was free from guilt. As the people, he says, so shall be the priest; that is “I will spare neither the one nor the other; for the priest has abused the honor conferred on him; for though divinely appointed over the Church for this purpose, to preserve the people in piety and holy life, he has yet broken through and violated every right principle: and then the people themselves wished to have such teachers, that is,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 4:10

Verse 10 I now return to that passage of the Prophet, in which he says, They shall eat and shall not be satisfied, and again, They shall play the wanton and shall not increase; because Jehovah have they left off to attend to. The Prophet here again proclaims the judgment which was nigh the Israelites. And first, he says, They shall eat and shall not be satisfied; in which he alludes to the last verse. For the priests gaped for gain, and their only care was to satisfy their appetites. Since then... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 4:11

Verse 11 The verb לקח lakech, means to take away; and this sense is also admissible that wine and wantonness take possession of the heart; but I take its simpler meaning, to take away. But it is not a general truth as most imagine, who regard it a proverbial saying, that wantonness and wine deprive men of their right mind and understanding: on the contrary, it is to be restricted, I doubt not, to the Israelites; as though the Prophet had said, that they were without a right mind, and like brute... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 4:12

Verse 12 The Prophet calls here the Israelites the people of God, not to honor them, but rather to increase their sin; for the more heinous was the perfidy of the people, that having been chosen, they had afterwards forsaken their heavenly Father. Hence My people: there is here an implied comparison between all other nations and the seed of Abraham, whom God had adopted; “This is, forsooth! the people whom I designed to be sacred to myself, whom of all nations in the world I have taken to... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 4:13

Verse 13 The Prophet shows here more clearly what was the fornication for which he had before condemned the people, — that they worshipped God under trees and on high places. This then is explanatory, for the Prophet defines what he before understood by the word, fornication; and this explanation was especially useful, nay, necessary. For men, we know, will not easily give way, particularly when they can adduce some color for their sins, as is the case with the superstitious: when the Lord... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 4:14

Verse 14 He then who worships not God, shall have at home an adulterous wife, and filthy strumpets as his daughters, boldly playing the wanton, and he shall have also adulterous daughters-in-law: not that the Prophet speaks only of what would take place; but he shows that such would be the vengeance that God would take: ‘Your daughters therefore shall play the wanton, and your daughters-in-law shall be adulteresses;’ and I will not punish your daughters and your daughters-in-law; that is, “I... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 4:6-10

Priestly neglect and its consequences. This section deals with the sin and punishment of the priests, as the preceding one had described the sin and punishment of the people. The priests here referred to were probably Levitical priests still scattered through the northern kingdom, since God speaks of them as his priests; while those which Jeroboam appointed out of other tribes than that of Levi, and from all, even the lowest, ranks of society, were rather priests for the worship of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 4:6-11

Priests and people. The prophet addresses himself in this section to both priests and people, but chiefly to the priests, whom he regards as mainly responsible for the people's defection. I. PRIESTS AND PEOPLE ALIKE IN THE REJECTION OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD . ( Hosea 4:6 ) 1. The tack of the knowledge of God . Israel possessed this knowledge of God once. It did not possess it now. There was little right knowledge of God's character, of God's Law, and of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 4:6-14

Israel's guilt and punishment. Priests and people were guilty alike, and would be overtaken by one common doom. I. THE SIN OF THE PRIESTS . 1. They rejected the knowledge of God ( Hosea 4:6 ). They did not engage in the study of the Divine Law, and their lives were a violation of its precepts. 2. They consequently failed to teach the Law to the people ( Hosea 4:6 ). 3. They connived at the national idolatry, on account of the material profit which they obtained... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 4:7

Secular prosperity. "As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame." The "increase" referred to in the text is in all probability an increase in the number of the population. Israel had become a numerous people. But it might also refer to their increase in wealth; this is the application that we shall make of it, and notice three points. I. SECULAR PROSPERITY ATTAINED BY THE WICKED . They were an idolatrous and rebellious... read more

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