John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 12:4
Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed ,.... This is repeated in different words, not only for the confirmation of it, it being a very extraordinary thing, and difficult of belief; but to direct to the history here referred to, where the person Jacob prevailed over is called a man, and here the angel; and so Josephus F21 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 1. c. 20. sect. 2.) calls him a divine Person; not a created angel, not Michael, as the Rabbins say, unless the Messiah is meant by him;... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Hosea 12:1-6
In these verses, I. Ephraim is convicted of folly, in staying himself upon Egypt and Assyria, when he was in straits (Hos. 12:1): Ephraim feeds on wind, that is, feeds himself with vain hopes of assistance from man, when he is at variance with God; and, when he meets with disappointments, he still pursues the same game, and greedily pants and follows after the east wind, which he cannot catch holy of, nor, if he could, would it be nourishing, nay, would be noxious. We say of the wind in the... read more