Hosea 10:8 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Hosea 10:1-8

Observe, I. What the sins are which are here laid to Israel's charge, the national sins which bring down national judgment. The prophet deals plainly with them; for what good would it do them to be flattered? 1. They were not fruitful in the fruits of righteousness to the glory of God. Here all their other wickedness began (Hos. 10:1): Israel is an empty vine. The church of God is fitly compared to a vine, weak, and of an unpromising outside, yet spreading and fruitful; believers are branches... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 10:8

The high places also of Aven ,.... Bethel, which is not only as before called Bethaven, the house of iniquity; but Aven, iniquity itself; the high places of it were the temple and altars built there for idolatrous service, which were usually set on hills and mountains: the sin of Israel shall be destroyed ; that is, which high places are the sin of Israel, the occasion of sin unto them; and where they committed sin, the sin of idolatry, in worshipping the calves; these should be thrown... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 10:8

The high-places - Idol temples. Of Aven - Beth-aven. The thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars - Owing to the uncultivated and unfrequented state of the land, and of their places of idol worship, the people being all carried away into captivity. "And they shall say to the mountains, Cover us, And to the hills, Fall on us." "This sublime description of fear and distress our Lord had in view, Luke 23:30 , which may be a reference, and not a quotation. However, the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 10:8

Verse 8 We see how much the Prophet dwells on one thing: but, as I have already said, there was need of a strong hammer to beat this iron; for the hearts of the people were iron, or even steel. This hardness could not then be broken except with violence. This is the reason why the Prophet goes on with his threatening and places before their eyes in so many forms the vengeance of God; of which it would have been enough for him briefly to remind them, had they not been so perverse. And first he... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:1-8

The calves and the kings. The "burden" is still the same—Israel's guilt and punishment. But in the verses before us these are dealt with mainly in their external and national aspects. The most prominent thought of the passage centers in the calves and the kings. I. THE NATIONAL SIN . Although the prophet handles his theme in this strophe for the most part on its external side, yet in one or two expressions he refers to the root of the evil in the hearts of the people. "We feared... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:4-8

Israel's sin, sorrow, shame, and suffering. These verses exhibit them with marvelous conciseness and great impressiveness. I. ISRAEL 'S SIN OF UNFAITHFULNESS . Israel's unfaithfulness at the period of which the prophet speaks was of the most reckless kind. It took the form By their idolatry they renounced the covenant of their God, which had the seal of circumcision; their promises of reformation, when they made such, were falsified; the vows wrung from them in distress or... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:4-8

The end of calf-worship. The people were preparing the way for their own punishment by their false dealing with Assyria. Vengeance would overtake them. The calf in which they trusted would be carried away captive. The kingdom would be overthrown. Their altars would grow up with thorns and thistles. They would be glad of death to relieve them of their misery. "Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel." I. A SOWING OF JUDGMENT . ( Hosea 10:4 )... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:8

The high places also of Avon, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. By Aven is generally understood Beth-aven, that is, Bethel; but some take the word as an appellative, and thus bamoth-aven would signify the "high places of iniquity." These unlawful places of sacrifice and unholy places of iniquity are further characterized by the appositional "the sin of Israel." By constructing and frequenting such places Israel had primarily and grievously sinned. By sacrificing to and worshipping... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:8

Despair. The picture of the text is awful in the extreme. The condition of those to whom destruction and annihilation would be a relief is appalling to contemplate. What fearful vengeance must be overtaking those, what indescribable forebodings must have taken possession of their nature, who cry, "Mountains, cover us I Rocks, fall upon us!" It is the language of despair! I. THE CAUSES OF DESPAIR . Much must have transpired before such a state of mind could exist. There must have... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Hosea 10:8

The high places of Aven - that is, of vanity or iniquity. He had before called “Bethel, house of God,” by the name of “Bethaven, house of vanity;” now he calls it “Aven, vanity” or “iniquity,” as being the concentration of those qualities. Bethel was situated on a “hill,” the “mount of Bethel,” and, from different sides, people were said to “go up” (Joshua 16:1; 1 Samuel 13:2; above Hosea 4:13; Genesis 35:1; Judges 1:22; 1 Samuel 10:3; 2 Kings 2:23) to it. “The high place” often means the... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Hosea 10:1-8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 10:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 10:8

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 10:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:1-8

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:4-8

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:4-8

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 10:8

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Hosea 10:8

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