Hosea 10:1-7

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 10:1

Israel is an empty vine ,.... The people of Israel are often compared to a vine, and such an one from whence fruit might be expected, being planted in a good soil, and well taken care of; see Psalm 80:8 ; but proved an "empty vine", empty of fruit; not of temporal good things, for a multitude of such fruit it is afterwards said to have; but of spiritual fruit, of the fruit of grace, and of good works, being destitute of the Spirit of God, and his grace; and, having no spiritual moisture,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 10:2

Their heart is divided ,.... Some say from Hoshea their king, who would have reformed them from their idolatry, and returned them to the true worship of God; but of that there is no proof; better from one another, their affections being alienated from each other, by their discords and animosities, their conspiracies against their kings, and the murders of them, and the civil wars among themselves; they also not being of one mind, but disagreeing in their sentiments about their idols; some... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 10:3

For now they shall say, we have no king ,.... This they would say, either when they had one; but by their conduct and behaviour said they had none; because they had no regard unto him, no affection for him, and reverence of him; but everyone did what was right in his own eyes: or during the interregnum, between the murder of Pekah, which was in the twentieth year of Jotham, and the settlement of Hoshea, which was in the twelfth of Ahaz; see 2 Kings 15:30 ; or when the land of Israel was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 10:4

They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant ,.... Those are other crimes they were guilty of, for which the wrath of God could not be awarded from them by a king, if they had one, or by any other. They had used vain and idle words in their common talk and conversation; and lying and deceitful ones to one another in trade and commerce, in contracts and promises; and so had deceived and overreached one another: they had belched out many "oaths of vanity" F21 אלות שוא ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 10:5

The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven ,.... Or, "the cow calves" F23 לעגלות "vaccas, V. L. "ad. vitulas", Pagninus, Montanus; "propter vitulas", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "ob vitulas, Cocceius. , as in the original; so called by way of derision, and to denote their weakness and inability to help their worshippers; and so Bethel, where one of these calves was, is here, as elsewhere, called Bethaven; that is, the house of iniquity, or of an... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 10:6

It shall also be carried unto Assyria for a present to King Jareb ,.... Or, "he himself" F26 גם אותו "etiam ipsemet", Pagninus, Montanus; "etiam ipse", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "etiam ille", Cocceius; "etiam ille ipse", Schmidt. ; not the people of Samaria, or of Bethaven, or of the calf, but the calf itself; which, being all of gold, was sent a present to the king of Assyria, here called Jareb; either Assyria, or the king of it; See Gill on Hosea 5:13 ; this was done... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hosea 10:7

As for Samaria ,.... The metropolis of the ten tribes of Israel, and here put for the whole kingdom: her king is cut off ; which some understand of Pekah, who was killed by Hoshea; others of several of their kings cut off one after another, very suddenly and quickly, as the metaphor after used shows; or rather Hoshea the last king is meant, who was cut off by the king of Assyria; the present tense is used for the future, to denote the certainty of it. Aben Ezra thinks the verb "cut... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 10:1

Israel is an empty vine - Or, a vine that casteth its grapes. He bringeth forth fruit - Or, he laid up fruit for himself. He abused the blessings of God to the purposes of idolatry. He was prosperous; but his prosperity corrupted his heart. According to the multitude of his fruit - He became idolatrous in proportion to his prosperity; and in proportion to their wealth was the costliness of their images, and the expensiveness of their idol worship. True is the homely saying of old... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hosea 10:2

Their heart is divided - They wish to serve God and Mammon, Jehovah and Baal: but this is impossible. Now God will do in judgment what they should have done in contrition, "break down their altars, and spoil their images." read more

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