English · KJV

Richard Challoner

Reformation and later · AD 1500 onward · d. AD 1781 · 798 passages across 38 books

Commentary

561–580 of 798
Hosea 4:15

Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

Not into Galgal, and come not up into Bethaven: Places where idols were worshipped. Bethel, which signifies the house of God, is called by the prophet, Bethaven, that is, the house of vanity, from Jeroboam's golden calf that was worshipped there.

Hosea 5:1

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.

O priests: What is said of priests in this prophecy is chiefly understood of the priests of the kingdom of Israel; who were not true priests of the race of Aaron; but served the calves at Bethel and Dan.

Hosea 5:7

They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.

Children that are strangers: That is, aliens from God: and therefore they are threatened with speedy destruction.

Hosea 5:10

The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

As they that take up the bound: That is, they that remove the boundary, encroaching on the property of their neighbours: figuratively: going beyond the boundary of the laws of God.

Hosea 6:8

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.

Supplanted with blood: that is, undermined and brought to ruin, for shedding of blood: and, as it is signified in the following verse, for conspiring with the priests (of Bethel) like robbers, to murder in the way such as passed out of Sichem to go towards the temple of Jerusalem. Or else supplanted with blood, signifies flowing in such manner with blood, as to suffer none to walk there without imbruing the soles of their feet in blood.

Hosea 7:3

They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.

Made the king glad: To please Jeroboam, and their other kings they have given themselves up to the wicked worship of idols, which are mere falsehood and lies.

Hosea 10:5

The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

The kine of Bethaven: The golden calves of Jeroboam.

Hosea 10:6

It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

Itself also is carried: One of the golden calves was given by king Manahem, to Phul, king of the Assyrians, to engage him to stand by him.

Hosea 10:10

It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.

Their two iniquities: Their two calves.

Hosea 10:14

Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

As Salmana was destroyed, by the house: Salmana, king of the Midianites, was destroyed by the house, that is, by the followers of him that judged Baal; that is, of Gideon, who threw down the altar of Baal; and was therefore called Jerubaal. See Judges 6 and 8.

Hosea 11:1

When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

I called my son: Viz., Israel. But as the calling of Israel out of Egypt, was a figure of the calling of Christ from thence; therefore this text is also applicable to Christ, as we learn from Matthew 2. 15.

Hosea 11:2

As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

They called: Viz., Moses and Aaron called; but they went away after other gods and would not hear.

Hosea 11:8

How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.

Adama: Adama and Seboim were two cities in the neighbourhood of Sodom: and underwent the like destruction.

Hosea 12:11

Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.

If Galaad be an idol: That is, if Galaad with all its idols and sacrifices be like a mere idol itself, being brought to nothing by Theglathphalasar: how vain is it to expect, that the idols worshipped in Galgal shall be of any service to the tribes that remain.

Hosea 14:1

O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

Perish, because she hath stirred up her God to bitterness: It is not a curse or imprecation, but a prophecy of what should come to pass.

Joel 1:1

The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

JOEL, whose name, according to ST. JEROME, signifies THE LORD GOD: or, as others say, THE COMING DOWN OF GOD: prophesied about the same time in the kingdom of Judea, as OSEE did in the kingdom of Israel. He foretells under figure the great evils that were coming upon the people for their sins: earnestly exhorts them to repentance: and comforts them with the promise of a TEACHER OF JUSTICE, viz., CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD, and of the coming down of his holy SPIRIT.

Joel 1:4

That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

That which the palmerworm hath left: Some understand this literally of the desolation of the land by these insects: others understand it of the different invasions of the Chaldeans, or other enemies.

Joel 2:1

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

The day of the Lord: That is, the time when he will execute justice upon sinners.

Joel 2:2

A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

A numerous and strong people: The Assyrians, or Chaldeans. Others understand all this of an army of locusts laying waste the land.

Joel 2:20

But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

The northern enemy: Some understand this of Holofernes and his army: others, of the locusts.

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