Verse 1 Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor. For judgment — God’s controversy is with you all. A snare — You, O priests and princes, have ensnared the people by your examples. Mizpah — By idolatries acted at Mizpah, a part of Libanus. On Tabor — Here, as in Mizpah, idolatry catched men as birds are taken in a net.
Verse 2 And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all. The revolters — All those that have cast off the law of God. Profound — Dig deep to hide their counsels, and to slay the innocent. Though I — Hosea.
Verse 5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. Doth testify — Is an evident witness against him.
Verse 6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them. To seek the Lord — The Jewish doctors tell us, that under Hosea, Israel had liberty of bringing their sacrifices to Jerusalem. Shall not find him — God will not be found of them. Hath withdrawn himself — For their impenitency.
Verse 7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions. Have begotten — They have trained up their children in the same idolatry. A month — Possibly it may refer to Shallum’s short time of usurpation, which lasted but a month; the Assyrians shall make a speedy conquest over you. With their portions — With all their substance.
Verse 8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin. Blow ye — Ye watchmen, sound the alarm, the enemy cometh. After thee, O Benjamin — After thy cries. After thee, O Beth-aven, let Benjamin also cry aloud: for they shall also fall for their sin.
Verse 9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be. Ephraim — The whole kingdom of the ten tribes. Rebuke — When Salmaneser shall besiege, sack and captivate all thy cities, rebuked for their sins. Of Israel — To the house of Israel openly. Made known — By my prophets.
Verse 10 The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water. The bound — The ancient bounds which limited every one, and prevented the encroaching of covetous men. Like water — Like an overflowing flood.
Verse 11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment. Ephraim — The ten tribes are by seditions, civil wars, unjust sentences, and bloody conspiracies eaten up already. After the commandment — To forbear going to the temple, and to worship the calves at Dan and Bethel, as Jeroboam the son of Nebat commanded.
Verse 12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. A moth — Moths leisurely eat up our clothes; so God was then, and had been, from Jeroboam’s death, weakening the ten tribes. As rottenness — Secretly consuming them.
Verse 13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. His sickness — Weakness, like a consumption, threatening death. Then went — Made application. The Assyrian — Particularly to Israel or Pul.
Verse 14 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him. Will tear — Divine vengeance by the Assyrians, shall be as a lion tearing his prey.