Hosea 14:1-9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Hosea 14:1-3

Here we have, I. A kind invitation given to sinners to repent, Hos. 14:1. It is directed to Israel, God's professing people. They are called to return. Note, Conversion must be preached even to those that are within the pale of the church as well as to heathen. ?Thou are Israel, and therefore art bound to thy God in duty, gratitude, and interest; thy revolt from him is so much the more heinous, and thy return to him so much the more necessary.? Let Israel see, 1. What work he has made for... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Hosea 14:4-7

We have here an answer of peace to the prayers of returning Israel. They seek God's face, and they shall not seek in vain. God will be sure to meet those in a way of mercy who return to him in a way of duty. If we speak to God in good prayers, God will speak to us in good promises, as he answered the angel with good words and comfortable words, Zech. 1:13. If we take with us the foregoing words in our coming to God, we may take home with us these following words for our faith to feast upon;... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Hosea 14:8-9

Let us now hear the conclusion of the whole matter. I. Concerning Ephraim; he is spoken of and spoken to, Hos. 14:8. Here we have, 1. His repentance and reformation: Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? As some read it, God here reasons and argues with him, why he should renounce idolatry: ?O Ephraim! what to me and idols? What concord or agreement can there be between me and idols? What communion between light and darkness, between Christ and Belial? 2 Cor. 6:14, 15.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 14:1

O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God ,.... From whom they had revolted and backslidden; whose worship and service they had forsaken, and whose word and ordinances they had slighted and neglected, and had served idols, and had given into idolatry, superstition, and will worship; and are here exhorted to turn again to the Lord by repentance and reformation, to abandon their idols, and every false way, and cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart; and the rather, since he was their God;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 14:2

Take with you words, and turn to the Lord ,.... Not mere words without the heart, but such as come from it, and express the true sense of it; words of confession, as the Targum; by which sin is acknowledged, and repentance declared, and forgiveness asked. Kimchi's note is a very good one; "he (that is, God) does not require of you, upon return, neither gold nor silver, nor burnt offerings, but good works; therewith confessing your sins with your whole hearts, and not with your lips only;' ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 14:3

Ashur shall not save us ,.... This is still a continuation of the words repenting and returning Israel are directed to make use of before the Lord, declaring they would not do any more as they had done; to Assyria, or the kings of Assyria, as the Targum, for help, and desire assistance, and expect deliverance and salvation from thence; see Hosea 5:13 ; we will not ride upon horses ; to seek for help elsewhere; or go to Egypt for them, as they had done; or put their trust in them for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 14:4

I will heal their backslidings ,.... This and what follows is the Lord's answer to the above prayer; and this clause particularly is an answer to that petition, "take away all iniquity", Hosea 14:2 ; sins are diseases, natural and hereditary, nauseous and loathsome, mortal, and incurable but by the grace of God, and blood of Christ; backslidings are relapses, which are dangerous things; Christ is the only Physician, who heals all the diseases of sin, and these relapses also; he will do it,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 14:5

I will be as the dew unto Israel ,.... To spiritual Israel, to those that return to the Lord, take with them words, and pray unto him, whose backslidings are healed, and they are freely loved; otherwise it is said of apostate Israel or Ephraim, that they were "smitten, and their root dried up, and bore no fruit", Hosea 9:16 . These words, and the whole, context, respect future times, as Kimchi observes; even the conversion of Israel in the latter day, when they shall partake of all the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 14:6

His branches shall spread ,.... As the well rooted cedars in Lebanon; see Numbers 24:6 . This respects the propagation of the church of God, and the interest of Christ in the world, as in the first times of the Gospel, and will be in the latter day; when the Gospel shall be spread everywhere; churches set up in all places; the Jews converted, and the fulness of the Gentiles brought in; and these like spreading branches, and fruitful boughs, abounding in grace and good works. The Targum is,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 14:7

They that dwell under his shadow shall return ,.... Either under the shadow of Lebanon, as Japhet and Jarchi; the shadow of that mountain, or of the trees that grew upon it; or under the shadow of Israel, the church, to which young converts have recourse, and under which they sit with pleasure; or rather under the shadow of the Lord Israel was called to return unto, and now return, Hosea 14:1 ; as the Israelites will in the latter day. So the Targum, "and they shall be gathered out of... read more

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