Hosea 12:1

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 12:1

‘Ephraim feeds on wind, and pursues the east wind, he continually multiplies lies and desolation, and they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt.’ To feed on wind is to feed on what is insubstantial. The idea is that Ephraim, instead of feeding on the Law of God, had rather chosen to follow lies. To pursue the east wind is to pursue the scorching desert wind which sweeps in from the east, a symbol of judgment and desolation. Before the east wind nothing lives, who then... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 12:1-7

YHWH Makes A Further Appeal To Ephraim And Judah On The Basis Of What Their Ancestor Jacob Did (Hosea 12:1-7 ). Having first stressed Ephraim’s total folly and unacceptable deceitfulness, and the fact that they will be punished if they do not mend their ways, Hosea calls on them to remember their ancestor Jacob and the vigour that he showed in his dealings with God, and how he three times thereby prevailed with God, firstly when he seized Esau by the heel (Genesis 25:26), later obtaining for... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 12:1-14

AN APPEAL IS MADE TO JACOB’S EXAMPLE WHICH SIMPLY SERVES TO REVEAL ISRAEL’S PARLOUS STATE AND GUARANTEES THE COMING JUDGMENT OF DESTRUCTION AND THE EXILE BUT IT IS WITH THE PROMISE OF FINAL RESTORATION AND FRUITFULNESS IN VIEW (Hosea 12:1 to Hosea 14:9 ). These words were probably mainly spoken during the latter part of the reign of Hoshea, with the destruction of Samaria threatening on the horizon. After a further appeal for repentance Israel is seen to be finally doomed, with any hope that... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 12:1-14

Hosea 11:12 to Hosea 12:14 (= Hebrews 12:1-Ezra :). Ephraim’ s Infidelity Traced from the Beginning.— This is one of the most difficult passages in Hosea. In the text Judah also is mentioned; but this may be due to a later hand. Hosea 12:4 f., Hosea 12:12 f. are probably additions. The chapter-division is wrong in EV and right in the Heb. Israel’ s sins of treason and deceit as it were surround Yahweh (nor has Judah been faithful). Ephraim loves (see note) wind, symbol of worthlessness and... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Hosea 12:1

Ephraim feedeth on wind: it is a proverbial speech, denoting; the self-flattery of Ephraim, his supporting himself with hopes as unfit to sustain him, as the wind is to feed the body and nourish it; in his religious pretensions he did, hypocrite like, compass God with lies, and now in his civil concerns he compasseth himself with lies. Followeth after the east wind: in those countries the east winds were most vehement, dangerous, and blasting, Psalms 48:7; Jonah 4:8; a very apt emblem to... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - Hosea 12:1-2

CRITICAL NOTES.] Hosea 12:1. Feed] To eat or graze. Wind] What is empty and vain; to hunt after nothing, labour in vain. East] A fierce and destructive wind, oppressive and violent (Job 27:21); figurative of that destruction which sinners bring upon themselves. Increaseth] i.e. continually, multiplies lies and violence by their sins (ch. Hosea 4:2), by which the kingdom is desolated. To this they add gifts, to win alliance with Assyria and Egypt, but all in vain. God will visit both kingdoms.... read more

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - Hosea 12:1-14

Chapter 12Ephraim feeds on the wind, and follows after the east wind: he daily increases lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians ( Hsa Hosea 12:1 ),They tried to escape the destruction of God by making a covenant with the Assyrians and by buying mercenaries from Egypt, sending down oil to Egypt. But all of these devices failed.The Lord also has a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him ( Hsa... read more

Joseph Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - Hosea 12:1-14

Hosea 12:4-5 . He found him in Bethel. Christ, the angel, the mystical angel, or the Angel the Word, as St. Clemens of Alexandria calls him: so indeed do all the orthodox fathers. The church knows of no exception, till the time of Arius. See bishop Bull’s defence of the faith of the Nicene fathers. This work has been reprinted in Holland, and it has the first of claims to the study of all ministers. There he spake with us, even the Lord God of hosts. The name here designates the Speaker,... read more

Joseph Exell

The Biblical Illustrator - Hosea 12:1

Hosea 12:1Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation.The east wind in PalestineComing from Arabia and the far East, over large tracts of sandy waste, is parching, scorching, destructive to vegetation, oppressive to man, violent and destructive on the sea, and by land also, having the force of the whirlwind. “The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth, and as a whirlwind hurleth him out of his place” (Job 27:21). In leaving God and... read more

John Trapp

John Trapp Complete Commentary - Hosea 12:1

Hos 12:1 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt. Ver. 1. Ephraim feedeth on wind ] Slender feeding; unless Ephraim were of the chameleon kind: quippe nec cor auro satiatur nec corpus aura. Wind fills, but feeds not, Isaiah 55:10 . Ephraim had sowed the wind, Hosea 8:7 , but to what profit? He that ministereth seed to the sower, and bread to the eater,... read more