Hosea 8:12

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

It was the honour and happiness of Israel that they had but one God to trust to and he all-sufficient in every strait, and but one God to serve, and he well worthy of all their devotions. But it was their sin, and folly, and shame, that they knew not when they were well off, that they forsook their own mercies for lying vanities; for, I. They multiplied their alliances (Hos. 8:9): They have hired lovers, or (as the margin reads it) they have hired loves. They were at great expense to purchase... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 8:12

I have written to him the great things of my law ,.... Which was given by Moses to Israel at the appointment of God, in which were many commands, holy, just, and true; a multiplicity of them, as the Targum, relating to the honour of God, and the good of men; many excellent and useful ones of a moral nature, and others of a ceremonial kind; and particularly concerning sacrifices, showing what they should be, the nature and use of them, and where and on what altar they should be offered; and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 8:12

I have written to him the great things of my law - I have as it were inscribed my laws to them, and they have treated them as matters in which they had no interest. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 8:12

Verse 12 The Prophet shows here briefly, how we ought to judge of divine worship, and thus intends to cut off the handle from all devices, by which men usually deceive themselves, and form disguises, when at any time they are reproved. For he sets the law of God, and the rule it prescribes, in opposition to all the inventions of men. Men think God unjust, except he receives as good and legitimate whatever they imagine to be so; but God, as it is said in another place, prefers obedience to all... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 8:5-14

Sin its own punishment. These verses exhibit But perhaps the most prominent thought in the passage is that of the self-punishing nature of sin, as illustrated in the early history and the later fortunes of Ephraim. We see this fact reflected— I. IN THE NATIONAL CALF - WORSHIP . ( Hosea 8:5-7 ) Samaria had "cast off good" ( Hosea 8:3 ) by departing from the pure ritual which Jehovah had prescribed; and therefore the "calf" which she had set up, and in which she gloried,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 8:9-13

The justice of the judgments threatened with further additions. Their errand to Assyria added to their sin; they sought heathen helpers to uphold them in their apostasy and idolatry, increasing their sin. I. ONE SINFUL ACT IS PROLIFIC OF MANY MORE . One sinful course draws on another, just as one lie necessitates one or more to make it plausible, or prop it up or cloak it. The revolt from the Davidic dynasty was a wrong step and a sinful one; the idolatry Of the calves... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 8:11-12

These two verses are closely connected with the preceding verse and with each other. Hosea 8:11 not only accounts for, but justifies, the threat of punishment announced in Hosea 8:10 by reference to Ephraim's sin; and Hosea 8:12 shows the inexcusableness of Ephraim in thus sinning. Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin. Instead of the one sanctuary with its altar in the place which the Lord their God would choose out of all their tribes to put... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 8:11-12

Perversion of worship "Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin." Israel was to have only one altar, and that in the place where the Lord would reveal his Name ( Deuteronomy 12:5 ). But, instead of that, Ephraim had built a number of altars in different places to multiply the sin of idolatry, and thereby heap more and more guilt upon itself (Delitzsch). The passage leads us to notice the perversion of worship . This is one of the oldest, the most prevalent, and most baneful sins... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 8:11-14

Religion become sin Israel's holiest things became sin to them through their disregard of God's commandments. I. THE ALTAR BECOME SIN . ( Hosea 8:11 ) The law required that there should be but one altar, and that in the place where God had put his Name ( Deuteronomy 12:1-32 ). Ephraim disregarding this command, multiplied altars, and so committed sin. The worship at local altars was at most but tolerated in the days of the judges, of Samuel, and the early kings, in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Hosea 8:12

Holy Scripture, and man's neglect of it. The complaint contained in this verse may reasonably be addressed to multitudes still. With even more reason, indeed, than to Ephraim seven centuries before Christ; for our completed Bible contains a much richer revelation of Divine truth than those earlier Scriptures which are here referred to. I. GOD 'S GREAT GIFT OF HOLY SCRIPTURE . "I have written to him the great things of my Law." 1. What is God ' s " Law ."? The word... read more

Group of Brands