Hosea 1

THE word Or the command, and the thing commanded; or the prediction expressed in the very words God suggested by his Spirit to the Prophet, and the things too which are now foretold; for holy Men of God spake as they were moved, &c. 2 Pet. 1.21. and the things that were shortly to come to pass were revealed also (in the words of Rev. 1.1.) Hosea shewes the things, and speaks them in words which God has suggested to him. of the LORD that came to Hosea A name that carrieth most comfortable news in the letter and signification of it, being the same with Ioshua or Iesu, and his word or message from God to the good was comfortable, it was assurance both of preservation and salvation, as will appear in process of his Prophesie., the son of Beeri Though some would have this Beeri to be the same with Be ra, 1 Chron. 5.6. it has no probability, the Names being different; beside that Beerah was carried captive by Tiglah Pilneser, and 'tis probable his Family was carried away with him; or if Hosea had escaped his Fathers mishap, he would have given us at least some ground to believe by his words that he resented the unhappiness of his Family in that respect, but we know the name of the Prophets Father, we know not his Tribe or Countrey, or of what quality he was, where he lived, or when he died., in the days of Uzziah Vzziah called A riah, 2 Kings 14.21. and Ozias, Mat. 1.8.8. the beginning of whose Reign is very variously ghessed at, and after all is left uncertain, but this is clear that Ieroboam was contemporary with Vzziah who began to Reign in the twenty seventh year of Ieroboam reckoning thence to the forty first year of his Reign, which was the last of Ieroboam, there will be fourteen years of Vzziahs Reign in which Hosea prophesied; but if there was (as for ought I find there might be) some years of Viceroyship in which Amaziah reigned with his Father Ioash, and the like between Ieroboam and his Father, then a longer synchronisme ariseth between Vzziah and Ieroboam, and a larger space of time for Hosea to prophesie in their days which I search not into., Jotham Who succeeded Vzziah as Governour and judged the people while Vzziah being a Leper, was according to the Law retired from conversing with men, and dwelt in a separate house, retained the Royal Title and Authority; but it is uncertain how many years this was. Some say 15 years, others say four years (for we read 2 King. 15.33. that he reigned 16 years; and in ver. 30 we have his twentieth year. Now the four here mention'd seem to be those years of his Viceroyship, or Government for Vzziah) yet others say his Governours power was of shorter date, and that Vz iah was struck with the plague of Leprosie in the last year of his age and reign, this seems scarce consistent with the report of Io tham's being over the house of the King, judging the people; and the Leper-king dwelling in a separate house, till the day of his death, 2 King. 15 5. and 2 Chron. 26.21. they mistake. I think, who place this stroke of Leprosie so late; and they do as much mistake who place it at the twenty fifth of Vzziah, and make him a Leper, and seclude him 27 years. Io ham has the character of a good King, 1 Chron. 27.2, 6. but he could not make his subjects good, 2 Chron. 27.2., Ahaz The worst Son of a good Father, yet the Father of one of the best of Kings. He sinn'd more in his distress, 2 Chron. 28.22. and hastned Gods Judgments on him and his., and Hezekiah Who reformed Iudah, and walked so with God that above any of the Kings of Iudah he was protected and rescued by the immediate hand of Heaven. How long H sea prophesied in this Kings Reign appears not, but that he did prophesie a great while is most apparent, whether 50, or 65, or 70, or 75, or 90, which different computations have some to assert them, I determine not., kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam The Great-Grandson of Iehu, of whose greatness, and sins you read, 2 King. 14.24.25, 26. he was of the Religion of Ieroboam son of Nebat. the son of Joash Whose story you meet with 2 King. 13.5, 10. though a great Idolater, and reproved for it no doubt by Eli ha, yet gave a Visit to the dying Prophet, and with tears bewail'd the publick loss by Elisha's death, and by the Prophet had a Legacy given him, three Victories over the Syrlans; and more they should have been, had not Ioash been sparing too much to his own great loss. I remember not any single Visit so Nobly and Magnificently repay'd. king of Israel Kingdom of the Ten Tribes, contra-distinguish'd to Iudah, by this then it appears, H sea was sent to prophesie against the sins of Israel or the Ten Tribes, as well as against the sins of Iudah; against Israel he prophesied during Ieroboams times, (and afterward left them to their obstinacy) but he continued to prophesie to Iudah until his death..

The beginning This say some gives Hosea the precedence of all the Prophets which perhaps may be allow'd to him among all the Prophets that have written distinct Books of their Prophesies, but simply first of all the Prophets he was not; in Davids and Solomons times we meet with Nathan and Ahijah the Shilonite. Or this Beginning, may be as our ordinary phrase, so soon as God spake, or, at the very first of Gods speaking to Hosea, he commanded him to take such a wife, &c. of the word of the LORD Vide ver. 1. let. b. by Hosea In Hosea; denoting the impulse of the Spirit of Prophesie; the internal motions and influence of the Spirit in the Prophe Vid. ver. 1. let. c.: and the LORD said Directed and commanded him, this was warrant to him, doing which, otherwise was unseemly for a Proph to have done. unto Hosea, Go, take This was, say some, done in Vision, and was to be told to the people as other Visions were: It was Parabolically propos'd to them, and this might be sufficient to convince the Iews, would they have considered it well, as David considered Natha s Parable. Others say, it was Really acted, and that the Prophet did, as commanded, marry one who had been a Strumpet, or that proved to be so after she was married. And though this would have been unseemly in the Prophet, had he done it without this particular direction, now the scandal ceaseth, and it is very sit God be obeyed, and the Prophet may with credit enough do what God had by his command made a necessary duty to him and marry one known to be a lewd whore. unto thee a wife of whoredoms An openly noted whore, a notorious one so the Heb. phrase ife of whoredoms, as, a Man of bloods, or man of sorrows; a woman of many whoredoms and very lively emblem of Idolatrous Israel. and children of whoredoms Either, that born of such a mother, are, as she, addicted to lewdness; or else, with the Mother made his Wife, he is to receive and maintain the children she had by her Adulterers. And thus understood, it may lead our thoughts to Gods Rich Mercy towards their Ancestors, who were (Abraham himself not excepted) Idolaters when they dwelt on the other side the River, Iosh. 24.2, 3. yet God took them, and married them to himself, and did show wonderful kindness to them, and theirs, all which is slighted and forgotten by their Posterity by you, O Idolatrous Israelites! Or it may refer more expresly to what God did for Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt and made Covenant with them in Horeb, which was as a solemn Espousing them to God. The Lord found them tainted with Egyptian Idolatries, yet, as the Prophet here, married them to himself, and covenanted with them to be faithful to him, but they broke the Covenant.: for the land Land, i. e. the people of the Land, intimating the universal spreading of this sin, all or most of all so infected. has committed great whoredom The phrase Heb. playing the harlot, has played the harlot, speaks the continuance of this Idolatry among them, as well as the greatness of the whoredom. From their forefathers they had been Idolaters, while God was giving them his Law (from the Nuptial day to Hoseahs tim) they committed spiritual whoredom, and first made, next worshipp'd the Golden alf., departing from the LORD So they left their first husband, and doted on Adulterers, on Idols, as chap. 2.5..

So he went and took As commanded, so he did, whether you take it parabolically or literally. Gomer If you take it literally, this Gomer will be some known harlot, and perhaps she was famous for her beauty, and skill in the Curtisans Art, as her name may import. If you take it as a parable, we must take this name for a made name assumed for its signification; both in the best sense Israel was perfect with the perfection which God did put upon her, Ezek. 16.14. he made her Gomer; and in the worst sense she had made her self Gomer, one who was drawing to her end, who had undone and consumed her self, thus the word, Psal. 12.1. and so in one word, Gods bounty and Mercy, and Israels ingratitude and sin is set forth, together with her punishment hastening upon her. the daughter of Diblaim Literally understood, this Diblaim must be either Father or Mother of this Gomer, or else the name of the place where she was born. Parabolically understood, Diblaim, bunches of dried figs, may imply the deliciousness of her provision made of God, such as was made for great Feasts. 1 Sam. 25.18. so 1 Chron. 12.40. thus 'twill sute chap. 2.5, 9. and the places where the Fig is mentioned as fruit with which God had blessed Israel. All which abused to Luxury and sin, will now make her a daughter of Diblaim, of wilderness, desolate., which conceived and bare him a son This seems to favour the literal acception of all this as really done, and not only as represented in Vision, Parable or Hiemglyphic. But while either way it will be well apply'd to the purpose in hand, I shall leave it to the choice of every judicious Reader, to interpret and apply as best likes him..

And the LORD said unto him Hosea the Prophet who as in taking to wife an Adulteress, so in giving name to his son by her, was to presignifie Israels future Calamities., Call his Thy Son now born. name Jezreel The word is, The seed of the Lord, or the arm of the Lord, or the Lord will scatter; so it may insinuate that God by his own arm will scatter among the people, i. e. the Assyrians those who were his people or seed. But we have a surer guide to lead us through this, i. e. the history of what was by Iehu done in Iezreel; of which more presently.; for This is the reason why the Prophets Son is so called. yet a little while and I will avenge 'Twas four generations of Iehu God promised the Throne to, and now the third that is now running, how near to an end we know not, but are sure 'twas within 28 years; for Ieroboam began his reign in the fifteenth of Amaziah, and so 13 years of his 41 are spent ere Vzziah comes to the Throne, 2 King. 14.23. this one account, but 2 King. 15.1. accounteth Ieroboams 27th. to be the first of Vzziah, and then there are not above 14 years to come, so little a while was this here spoken of, for in six moneths after Ieroboams death, Shallum conspired against Zechariah and slew him, and reigned a moneth; so Iehu's seed was cast out of the Throne. Enquire after and punish these Crimes, which were committed in Iezreel. Heb. I will visit, i. e. as a just and impartial Judge I will require an account, and execute punishments, the blood Murthers committed are in Scripture expressed thus by Blood, here are particularly meant the slaughters made by Iehu's hand or by his Order, 2 King. 9.10, 11. and 10.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. in Iezreel, where he did with a Treacherous Mind, and aiming at his own Greatness, destroy Ahabs house, and slew Ahaziah King of Iudah also, This was the just judgment of God upon that wicked house by Iehu executed, but he did it not with that Mind God requir'd. of Jezreel The Town which Ahab chose above others to dwell in; where the dogs lick'd up Ahab's blood, when his chariot was wash'd and cleans'd of the blood of that slain King, and where dogs did eat Iezabel, as the Prophet threatned, 1 King. 21.23. upon the house of Jehu Which had now possessed the Throne (Iehu usurp'd) through the Reigns of Iehoaha, Iehoash and Ieroboam, but the Usurper, and his Successors adhering to the Idolatry of Ieroboam the Son of Nebat, and adding other sins to it had now provoked God to declare a sudden extirpation of the Family, which God will in his just revenge make as like to Ieroboam's Family as Ahabs, and they had made themselves like them in sin; all which came to pass when Shallum conspir ing against Zechariah, slew him, 2 King. 15.10., and will cause to cease the kingdom Not immediately, but soon after the death of Zechariah, the Kingdom of Israel did cease first to be free, for Menahem made it tributary to strengthen himself; so it is like it continued for ten years during his life, and two years during his son Pekahiahs Reign, after him Pekah the Conspirator and Murtherer usurp'd the Throne for twenty year, and probably was Feudatary to Tiglath Pileser; to be sure Ho hea was so, and in his ninth year this word was fulfill'd in the Letter of it, the Kingdom of Israel after one and forty years tottering, ell to utter ruine and has so continued to this day. of the house of Israel Or the ten Tribes divided from the house of David..

And it shall come to pass Most certainly this shall be effected. at that day When my vengeance has overtaken the house of Iehu, when his great great Grandson shall be slain., that I will break Weaken and by degrees quite break, i. e by the Conspiracies, Seditions, and Civil Wars which will arise among themselves. the bow This was a warlike weapon they much used and were skilful in; this one weapon put for all their warlike provision, power and skill, possibly it may allude to the bow of Ieh who slew Ioram with an arrow, and usurp'd his Throne, but now the bow of the house of Iehu and of Israel shall be broken. of Israel See ver. 4. let. o. in the valley of Jezreel Next to Samaria, Iezreel was chief City of the ten Tribes, a very strong and fortified Town, and both scituated in the large and pleasant valley that has from Ioshua's, time been known by this name, valley of Iezreel. Iosh. 17.16. In this valley it is probable the bloodiest battels in the Civil Wars were fought between Zechariah and Shallum, 2 King. 15.10. and between Shallum and Menahem, 2 King. 15.14, between Pekahiah and Pekah, 2 King. 15.25. and Pekah and Hoshea, the reason whereof probably might be this, because whoever carried the victory in this place, were soon masters of Samaria and Iezreel, and consequently carried the Kingdom too..

¶ And she Gomer, the Hieroglyphick Wife, who was to be a sign to Israel. conceived again Whether Vi ionally or really, it comes to one. and bare a daughter Which is to be a sign too, as was her Mother. It is too nice which Ribera observes, that the state grew weaker, as appear'd by the bringing forth of one of the weaker Sex. This Daughter was fit to be an Emblem, and therefore 'tis a daughter rather than a Son, though 'twill be next a Son and no Daughter. But Lo-ruhamah is Feminine, and in congruity of speech it must be a Female who bears this name.; and God said unto him As before God imposed, so now again he imposeth a name, signifying what he would do with Israel. Though God direct what it shall be, the Prophet is to give the name., Call her name Lo-ruhamah Not pitied. Israels name had been through many Ages Ruhamah, i. e. Pitied. God had with marvellous Patience forborn them, and with tender bowels pitied them, and saved them from Enemies, but now Israel should be no more pitied as formerly, God would throw them up to the Rage of Usurpers, and to the merciless hands of prosperous Conspirators, so Menahem merciless ript up women with child in Tiphsah, 2 King. 15.16. And God gave up this bloody Tyrant into the hand of Tiglath Pileser.: for I will no more have mercy I was wont to add Mercy unto Mercy for Israel, I was never weary of showing them Mercy, but I will do no more so for them; my pity saved them in Ieroboams time and raised them to a great height and glory, but now they shall, unpitied by me, sink lower and lower; Restraints of Divine Pity are sure fore-runners of destruction. Ier. 13.14. upon the house of Israel This to me seems a qualifying of the former threat; though the house of Israel as a body politick, as a Kingdom, under this character, shall no more be as it has been, pitied, yet many among them may obtain Mercy in the days of Gospel Grace, and many of them had mercy showed to them by the Lord, when they join'd with Iudah in the return from Babylons Captivity, but the whole house, the families of the ten Tribes, united in a Kingdom, shall no more be to God Ruhamah, but ever Lo-ruhamah, Thus it has been through the long series of 2400 years and more.: but I will utterly take them away Taking away, I will take away, till the whole Kingdom is utterly overthrown, and removed out of the land wherein it once had flourished. Thus some were taken away by the sword of Civil wars, some ruined by oppression of the prevailing Faction in those divided times, whole Cities and all the Land of Naphtha i was taken away by Tiglath Pileser, 2 King. 15.29. and at last all swept away by Salmaneser, 2 King. 17.3, 4, 5..

But Or and, or yet. I The Lord who threatneth Israel; proud, flourishing, secure and sinful Israel: He promiseth mercy to poor, oppressed, and impoverished Iudah. will have mercy Prolonging that Kingdom 132 years after Israel ceased to be a Kingdom, preserving them from the combined powers of the King of Syria and the King of Israel, who combine to destroy them; raising them up to greatness and glory in the Reign of Hezekiah, in whose days the house of Judah was saved by a Miracle, beside all these, Judah's Captivity was for 70 years, I ra 's for ever; Judah returned to their own Land. Israel never did. By this as the Prophet would abate the Pride of Israel, so possibly he would secretly direct the best among Israel whither to go to find Mercy. on the house of Judah Including Benjamin, and such of the L vites as adhered constant to Gods Law and Worship, and as many of the other Tribes, as renounced the Calves, Baal, and all Idolatrous Worship, and worship God alone as he requir'd, all these, in this case are included in Judah, and so we find many such returning with Judah., and will save them Preserve, that violence do not swallow them up, nor length of Captivity do not wear them our; and this preserved remnant shall return and be planted in their own land, and there kept in safety. This promise does seem to point out such temporal Salvation, but as a Type of a far better and more glorious Salvation. by the LORD their God Either by Me siah, who is the Lord and their God, or by God himself, as their God whom they did not as Israel forsake utterly. This passage bids us look to that extraordinary miraculous deliverance of Hezekiah and Jerusalem. Vid. Isa. 37.36. and 2 King. 18.13. and 2 Chron. 32.1., and will not save them by bow Here God removeth all force and might, whether their own or their Allies, all that might Eclipse the Glory of God in this Salvation. Now this was very fully performed in H z kiah's time, when Senacherib's Army was, Isa. 37.35, 36. cut off in one night by an Angel, and in Cyru time, and Darius the Captive Jewes saw 'twas not by Power nor by Might, but the Lord saved them, so should it be here, as Psal. 44.5, 6. Isa. 43.7, 15. Zech. 4.6., nor by sword, nor by battel, by horses nor by horsemen.

¶ Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah Though some wrest the words to an Allegorical Sense. I think the Prophet keeps the Decorum in the similitude, and therefore, as women ordinarily conceive not whilest they give suck, so this Gomer, weaned her daughter er'e the conceived the Son which is to be an Emblem of the final re ection of the ten Tribes., she conceived and bare a son To be a third sign to this incorrigible and self-undoing Kingdom..

Then said God To the Prophet as before, ver. 4. and ver. 6., Call his name The name of this new born son, the sign, or Type of the Ten Tribes who had rejected God and would not be reclaimed. Loammi Not my people, though once you were a peculiar people, you are so no more in my Account, you are cast off as you deserved., for ye Whole house of Apostate Israel, who first cast off the house of David, and my Temple, and at last rejected me that I should not be your God. are not my peoples, and I will not be your God To protect you against dangers and enemies, or to replenish you with Blessings, the fruits of my wonted Goodness, or to pity you when you do either want or smart, or to counsel you in difficulties, or to hear your Cries, or pardon your sins, or accept an offering at your hand as you have long and long refused me and I have tried all ways for to prevent your final self undoing obstinacy, so now I do for ever reject you O house of Israel, and will be a God to you, no more than to any of the heathen Nations. This God executed when he gave them up into the hands of Salmaneser, who sent them where none now can find them; they are lost to Men, they know not where they are; they are lost to God, he loves not nor careth for them.. Though circumcised, yet have you cast of my Covenant, you neither worship me, nor come up to my Temple, nor keep my Law; Baal, the Calves, and the Idols of your Neighbours are your Gods, ye a e their people, ye are neither mine as to the Civil Constitution, you made you Kings, and I knew it not, Hos. 8.4. without my leave or liking. Nor as to Church Constitution are ye mine, for your whole Worship is the Politick contrivance of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. You have forgotten your Maker and build Temples, Hos. 8.14. ye count the great things of my law strange things to you, I must count you strangers to me.

¶ Yet the number of the children of Israel Not Israel after the flesh, not those very Persons, Families that are carried Captive (though for ought I know, or any can tell to the contrary, these may be so increased for Abrahams sake) but the Israel of God according to the Faith, the spiritual seed of Abraham, consisting both of Iews and Gentiles. shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measur'd nor numbred Innumerable, expressed by an elegant Proverbial Speech, alluding to the immenseness of the sands, Isa. 10.22, 23. and Rom. 9.27.; and it shall come to pass The time is fixed, and the thing shall certainly be, God will bring it about in his time., that in the place As we read it, 'tis plain, that in those places or Countries, where a people dwelt who knew not God, were not his people: There should be a people that should both be called, and e his people; the Heathen should be called into the Church, and in every place God should have his people. Or else thus, instead of being called the people of God, you shall be called the Children; so blessed a change, that who were once far off, and not a people, shall now be more then people, they shall be children. where it was said unto them The Gentiles and Iews unconverted., Ye are not my people In the state of unconverted ones, are far from God, without his Covenant, and no people., there it shall be said Known, declared, men shall confess it, God will own it himself, and make it known to others. unto them, Ye are the sons Grace shall be enlarged, your relation nearer and sweeter, you shall be sons, not servants; have Communion with God as with your Father; and this shall be the common, or equal priviledge of this whole Israel of God: This is fulfilled in the Kingdom of the Messiah under the Gospel, as the Apostle argueth it R. 9.25, 26. of the living God Who is the fountain of life to all his children, and who giveth them lively affections to serve him, to offer living Sacrifices to the living God. So are we called, Rom. 12.1, 2 and 1 Thes. 1.9..

Then In the type and history when the Babylo i h Captivity is dissolved, and the Captives are loosed. shall the children of Judah The children of the two Tribes, who adhered to the house of David, who were carried Captives, but under promise of a Redemption from it. and the children of Israel Some of the ten Tribes who either went over to, and did incorporate with the Kingdom of Iudah, and so were carried captives with them, or some of the ten Tribes which the children of Iudah found in the Kingdom of Babylon, which having swallowed up the Assyrian Monarchy, and now the ten Tribes captives to their conquering sword. Thus in Type, but it is spiritually and mystically to be understood of the whole Israel of God, Iew and Gentile, redeem'd by, and converted to Christ, in the day of his power. be gathered together By the power of Go, y the decree of Cyrus, by each other heartening one another to return; so the Type, in the Antitype shall be gather together by the Spirit of God, the Preaching of the Go pel and mutual ins u tion, exhortation and encouragement of each other., and appoint themselves one head Ze bb bel in Type, who was appointed by Cyrus, yet with full approbation of the people, putting themselves under his conduct, to carry them up to Ierusalem. But in the An pe Christ appointed by the Father head of his Church, whom Believers heartily accepting, may in large sense be said to appoint to themselves., and they shall come up out of the land Literally out of Babylon, spiritually out of Captivity of sin and Satan.: for great Good, joyous and comfortable. shall be the day of Jezreel Of the Seed, or people of God, the Son of God once dispersed, but now gathered by the Gospel.. This verse without doubt has in it both an Historical sense, and a Mystical or Spiritual sense, it looketh somewhat to the return out of the Babyloni h Captivity, and to their setling in Canaan; But it looketh farther to a more glorious deliverance from a more miserable Captivity.