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Commentary on Hosea 11 verses 8–12
In these verses we have,
I. God's wonderful backwardness to destroy Israel (Hos 11:8, Hos 11:9): How shall I give thee up? Here observe,
1.God's gracious debate within himself concerning Israel's case, a debate between justice and mercy, in which victory plainly inclines to mercy's side. Be astonished, O heavens! at this, and wonder, O earth! at the glory of God's goodness. Not that there are any such struggles in God as there are in us, or that he is ever fluctuating or unresolved; no, he is in one mind, and knows it; but they are expressions after the manner of men, designed to show what severity the sin of Israel had deserved, and yet how divine grace would be glorified in sparing them notwithstanding. The connexion of this with what goes before is very surprising; it was said of Israel (Hos 11:7) that they were bent to backslide from God, that though they were called to him they would not exalt him, upon which, one would think, it should have followed, "Now I am determined to destroy them, and never show them mercy any more." No, such is the sovereignty of mercy, such the freeness, the fulness, of divine grace, that it follows immediately, How shall I give thee up? See here, (1.) The proposals that justice makes concerning Israel, the suggestion of which is here implied. Let Ephraim be given up, as an incorrigible son is given up to be disinherited, as an incurable patient is given over by his physician. Let him be given up to ruin. Let Israel be delivered into the enemy's hand, as a lamb to the lion to be torn in pieces; let them be made as Admah and set as Zeboim, the two cities that with Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone rained from heaven upon them; let them be utterly and irreparably ruined, and be made as like these cities in desolation as they have been in sin. Let that curse which is written in the law be executed upon them, that the whole land shall be brimstone and salt, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, Deu 29:23. Ephraim and Israel deserve to be thus abandoned, and God will do them no wrong if he deal thus with them. (2.) The opposition that mercy makes to these proposals: How shall I do it? As the tender father reasons with himself, "How can I cast off my untoward son? for he is my son, though he be untoward; how can I find in my heart to do it?" Thus, "Ephraim has been a dear son, a pleasant child: How can I do it? He is ripe for ruin; judgments stand ready to seize him; there wants nothing but giving him up, but I cannot do it. They have been a people near unto me; there are yet some good among them; theirs are the children of the covenant; if they be ruined, the enemy will triumph; it may be they will yet repent and reform; and therefore how can I do it?" Note, The God of heaven is slow to anger, and is especially loth to abandon a people to utter ruin that have been in special relation to him. See how mercy works upon the mention of those severe proceedings: My heart is turned within me, as we say, Our heart fails us, when we come to do a thing that is against the grain with us. God speaks as if he were conscious to himself of a strange striving of affections in compassion to Israel: as Lam 1:20, My bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me. As it follows here, My repentings are kindled together. His bowels yearned towards them, and his soul was grieved for their sin and misery, Jdg 10:16. Compare Jer 31:20. Since I spoke against him my bowels are troubled for him. When God was to give up his Son to be a sacrifice for sin, and a Saviour for sinners, he did not say, How shall I give him up? No, he spared not his own Son; it pleased the Lord to bruise him; and therefore God spared not him, that he might spare us. But this is only the language of the day of his patience; when men have sinned that away, and the great day of his wrath comes, then no difficulty is made of it; nay, I will laugh at their calamity.
2.His gracious determination of this debate. After a long contest mercy in the issue rejoices against judgment, has the last word, and carries the day, Hos 11:9. It is decreed that the reprieve shall be lengthened out yet longer, and I will not now execute the fierceness of my anger, though I am angry; though they shall not go altogether unpunished, yet he will mitigate the sentence and abate the rigour of it. He will show himself to be justly angry, but not implacably so; they shall be corrected, but not consumed. I will not return to destroy Ephraim; the judgments that have been inflicted shall not be repeated, shall not go so deep as they have deserved. He will not return to destroy, as soldiers, when they have pillaged a town once, return a second time, to take more, as when what the palmer-worm has left the locust has eaten. It is added, in the close of the verse, "I will not enter into the city, into Samaria, or any other of their cities; I will not enter into them as an enemy, utterly to destroy them, and lay them waste, as I did the cities of Admah and Zeboim."
3.The ground and reason of this determination: For I am God and not man, the Holy One of Israel. To encourage them, to hope that they shall find mercy, consider, (1.) What he is in himself: He is God, and not man, as in other things, so in pardoning sin and sparing sinners. If they had offended a man like themselves, he would not, he could not have borne it; his passion would have overpowered his compassion, and he would have executed the fierceness of his anger; but I am God, and not man. He is Lord of his anger, whereas men's anger commonly lords it over them. If an earthly prince were in such a strait between justice and mercy, he would be at a loss how to compromise the matter between them; but he who is God, and not man, knows how to find out an expedient to secure the honour of his justice and yet advance the honour of his mercy. Man's compassions are nothing in comparison with the tender mercies of our God, whose thoughts and ways, in receiving returning sinners, are as much above ours as heaven is above the earth, Isa 55:9. Note, It is a great encouragement to our hope in God's mercies to remember that he is God, and not man. He is the Holy One. One would think this were a reason why he should reject such a provoking people. No; God knows how to spare and pardon poor sinners, not only without any reproach to his holiness, but very much to the honour of it, as he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and therein declares his righteousness, now Christ has purchased the pardon and he has promised it. (2.) What he is to them; he is the Holy One in the midst of thee; his holiness is engaged for the good of his church, and even in this corrupt and degenerate land and age there were some that gave thanks at the remembrance of his holiness, and he required of them all to be holy as he is, Lev 19:2. As long as we have the Holy One in the midst of us we are safe and well; but woe to us when he leaves us! Note, Those who submit to the influence may take the comfort of God's holiness.
II. Here is his wonderful forwardness to do good for Israel, which appears in this, that he will qualify them to receive the good he designs for them (Hos 11:10, Hos 11:11): They shall walk after the Lord. This respects the same favour with that (Hos 3:5), They shall return, and seek the Lord their God; it is spoken of the ten tribes, and had its accomplishment, in part, in the return of some of them with those of the two tribes in Ezra's time; but it had its more full accomplishment in God's spiritual Israel, the gospel-church, brought together and incorporated by the gospel of Christ. The ancient Jews referred it to the time of the Messiah; the learned Dr. Pocock looks upon it as a prophecy of Christ's coming to preach the gospel to the dispersed children of Israel, the children of God that were scattered abroad. And then observe, 1. How they were to be called and brought together: The Lord shall roar like a lion. The word of the Lord (so says the Chaldee) shall be as a lion that roars. Christ is called the lion of the tribe of Judah, and his gospel, in the beginning of it, was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. When Christ cried with a loud voice it was as when a lion roared, Rev 10:3. The voice of the gospel was heard afar, as the roaring of a lion, and it was a mighty voice. See Joe 3:16. 2. What impression this call should make upon them, such an impression as the roaring of a lion makes upon all the beasts of the forest: When he shall roar then the children shall tremble. See Amo 3:8, The lion has roared; the Lord God has spoken; and then who will not fear? When those whose hearts the gospel reached trembled, and were astonished, and cried out, What shall we do? - when they were by it put upon working out their salvation, and worshipping God with fear and trembling, then this promise was fulfilled. The children shall tremble from the west. The dispersed Jews were carried eastward, to Assyria and Babylon, and those that returned came from the east; therefore this seems to have reference to the calling of the Gentiles that lay westward from Canaan, for that way especially the gospel spread. They shall tremble; they shall move and come with trembling, with care and haste, from the west, from the nations that lay that way, to the mountain of the Lord (Isa 2:3), to the gospel-Jerusalem, upon hearing the alarm of the gospel. The apostle speaks of mighty signs and wonders that were wrought by the preaching of the gospel from Jerusalem round about to Illyricum, Rom 15:19. Then the children trembled from the west. And, whereas Israel after the flesh was dispersed in Egypt and Assyria, it is promised that they shall be effectually summoned thence (Hos 11:11): They shall tremble; they shall come trembling, and with all haste, as a bird upon the wing, out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria; a dove is noted for swift and constant flight, especially when she flies to her windows, which the flocking of Jews and Gentiles to the church is here compared to, as it is Isa 60:8. Wherever those are that belong to the election of grace - east, west, north, or south - they shall hear the joyful sound, and be wrought upon by it; those of Egypt and Assyria shall come together; those that lay most remote from each other shall meet in Christ, and be incorporated in the church. Of the uniting of Egypt and Assyria, it was prophesied, Isa 19:23. 3. What effect these impressions should have upon them. Being moved with fear, they shall flee to the ark: They shall walk after the Lord, after the service of the Lord (so the Chaldee); they shall take the Lord Christ for their leader and commander; they shall enlist themselves under him as the captain of their salvation, and give up themselves to the direction of the Spirit as their guide by the word; they shall leave all to follow Christ, as becomes disciples. Note, Our holy trembling at the word of Christ will draw us to him, not drive us from him. When he roars like a lion the slaves tremble and flee from him, the children tremble and flee to him. 4. What entertainment they shall meet with at their return (Hos 11:11): I will place them in their houses (all those that come at the gospel-call shall have a place and a name in the gospel-church, in the particular churches which are their houses, to which they pertain; they shall dwell in God, and be at home in him, both easy and safe, as a man in his own house; they shall have mansions, for there are many in our Father's house), in his tabernacle on earth and his temple in heaven, in everlasting habitations, which may be called their houses, for they are the lot they shall stand in at the end of the days.
III. Here is a sad complaint of the treachery of Ephraim and Israel, which may be an intimation that it is not Israel after the flesh, but the spiritual Israel, to whom the foregoing promises belong, for as for this Ephraim, this Israel, they compass God about with lies and deceit; all their services of him, when they pretended to compass his altar, were feigned and hypocritical; when they surrounded him with their prayers and praises, every one having a petition to present to him, they lied to him with their mouth and flattered him with their tongue; their pretensions were so fair, and yet their intentions so foul, that they would, if possible, have imposed upon God himself. Their professions and promises were all a cheat, and yet with these they thought to compass God about, to enclose him as it were, to keep him among them, and prevent his leaving them.
IV. Here is a pleasant commendation of the integrity of the two tribes, which they held fast, and this comes in as an aggravation of the perfidiousness of the ten tribes, and a reason why God had that mercy in store for Judah which he had not for Israel (Hos 1:6, Hos 1:7), for Judah yet rules with God and is faithful with the saints, or with the Most Holy. 1. Judah rules with God, that is, he serves God, and the service of God is not only true liberty and freedom, but it is dignity and dominion. Judah rules, that is, the princes and governors of Judah rule with God; they use their power for him, for his honour, and the support of his interest. Those rule with God that rule in the fear of God (Sa2 23:3), and it is their honour to do so, and their praise shall be of God, as Judah's here is. Judah is Israel - a prince with God. 2. He is faithful with the holy God, keeps close to his worship and to his saints, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose steps they faithfully tread in. They walk in the way of good men; and those that do so rule with God, they have a mighty interest in Heaven. Judah yet does thus, which intimates that the time would come when Judah also would revolt and degenerate. Note, When we see how many there are that compass God about with lies and deceit it may be a comfort to us to think that God has his remnant that cleave to him with purpose of heart, and are faithful to his saints; and for those who are thus faithful unto death is reserved a crown of life, when hypocrites and all liars shall have their portion without.
"Ephraim surrounded me with his falsehood, and the house of Israel and Judah with his deceitfulness. But now God has perceived them, and they will be called people of God's sanctuary." The Hebrews tell a story of this kind: In the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, when on one side there was a mountain, on the other the Red Sea, and Pharaoh's army surrounded them, and the trapped people were held, the other tribes despairing of salvation and either wishing to return to Egypt or wanting to fight, only Judah faithfully entered the sea. Hence, he deserved to receive the kingdom and this is what is now called "Juda testis sermonum Dei," and an approver and defender he descended with God into the sea, and among the saints he was the most faithful, that he might believe the words of God's command. They say this to him. Let us follow the order of the explanation undertaken, which surrounded Ephraim, the royal tribe, and the house of Israel, the people who served the royal tribes, and surrounded him in denial or falsehood, while they denied the Lord and confessed idols. But Judah, that is, the two tribes which had the Temple, the Law, the Prophets, and kept the legal precepts, were witnesses, and walked faithfully with God and with the holy ones. We can say the saints or the angels, the patriarchs and prophets, and others who served God's command. For in comparison to that time when these things were being said, Ephraim had completely gone astray and Israel had been deceived into the worship of idols; only Judah remained, who was engaged in the worship of God and his testimonies, and was able to go down with him, or be strong with strength: for "root" signifies both descent and strength, for which reason Aquila translated the term as "dominion." Heretics surround the Lord with falsehood, even with denial, according to their deduction. Whatever they say, it is a denial, rather a lie: and they surround Him in deceit or in the impiety of the house of Israel; while all things they pretend, they compose with an artful speech and speak impiety against the Lord. But Judas, that is, the ecclesiastical man, does not boast, he is not inflated with heretical pride, but he humbles himself with God, and with the faithful and strong choir of the saints he builds his house upon a rock which is shaken by no storm. (Matt.) They translated the Septuagint much differently: Ephraim and the house of Israel and Judah had surrounded God with lies and impiety, and God's mercy is so great that he does not cut off hope of salvation from them. But he recognizes them and is prepared to call the holy people and the people of God, who are now corrupted by impiety. Similarly, God desires heretics to be saved, and sinners in the church, and that all may be called by his name. "But he who is truly holy, does not surround God with a lie, but with truth, as the psalmist says: 'You are powerful, Lord, and your truth surrounds you'" (Psalm 88:9).
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SUMMARY
Hosea 11:12 serves as a poignant summary of the spiritual state of the divided kingdom during the prophet's ministry, contrasting the profound apostasy of the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim/Israel) with the comparatively better, though still imperfect, faithfulness of the Southern Kingdom (Judah). It encapsulates God's lament over Israel's pervasive deception and spiritual treachery, while acknowledging Judah's continued, albeit tenuous, alignment with divine principles and its association with those consecrated to God.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Hosea 11:12 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message. Parallelism is evident in the initial clauses, where "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies" is echoed and intensified by "and the house of Israel with deceit," creating a synonymous and intensifying effect that emphasizes the pervasive nature of their apostasy. This is immediately followed by a stark Contrast between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, highlighting Israel's complete spiritual rupture versus Judah's relative, if imperfect, faithfulness. The verse also uses Personification, as God is depicted as being "compassed" or surrounded by the lies and deceit of His people, conveying a sense of being overwhelmed and betrayed by their actions. This personification deepens the emotional impact of God's lament throughout the chapter.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Hosea 11:12 powerfully articulates the theological principle of divine discernment and the consequences of covenant faithfulness versus apostasy. It reveals God's intimate knowledge of the spiritual state of His people, distinguishing between outward profession and inward reality. While God's love is steadfast and longs for reconciliation, as seen throughout Hosea, His justice also recognizes and responds to persistent rebellion. The verse underscores that true relationship with God requires integrity and a genuine commitment, not merely ritualistic observance or political maneuvering. It highlights the tragic irony of a people called to be a light to the nations, instead surrounding their God with falsehood, contrasting with a remnant that, despite its flaws, maintained a measure of fidelity. This distinction foreshadows the different paths and fates of the two kingdoms, ultimately pointing to God's sovereign hand in history, allowing for both judgment and preservation based on His people's response to His covenant.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hosea 11:12 serves as a timeless mirror for self-examination, urging us to consider the authenticity and depth of our own relationship with God. The stark contrast between Ephraim's pervasive lies and Judah's relative faithfulness challenges us to confront any areas where our words, actions, or allegiances might be characterized by spiritual deceit rather than genuine devotion. Are we truly "ruling with God," allowing His principles to govern our lives, or are we, like Ephraim, surrounding Him with empty promises, superficial worship, or reliance on worldly solutions? This verse reminds us that God sees beyond outward appearances and knows the true state of our hearts. It calls us to cultivate a faith marked by integrity, transparency, and unwavering trust in Him, recognizing that spiritual compromise inevitably leads to separation and severe consequences. Our faithfulness is not about perfection, but about a sincere, consistent turning towards God and His truth, aligning our lives with His holy character and His enduring covenant.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is Ephraim used interchangeably with Israel in this verse and throughout Hosea?
Answer: In the context of the divided kingdom, "Ephraim" frequently serves as a metonym for the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel. Ephraim was the largest and most influential tribe in the north, often providing the ruling dynasty and being a center of religious and political life, including the site of the golden calves at Bethel. Therefore, referring to "Ephraim" was a common prophetic shorthand to designate the Northern Kingdom, particularly its dominant spiritual and political characteristics, as seen in Hosea 5:3. The use of both "Ephraim" and "the house of Israel" in Hosea 11:12 functions as a poetic parallelism, emphasizing the widespread nature of the Northern Kingdom's apostasy.
What does "Judah yet ruleth with God" imply about Judah's spiritual state?
Answer: The phrase "Judah yet ruleth with God" (or "wanders with God," depending on the interpretation of the Hebrew verb rûwd) suggests that Judah, unlike the Northern Kingdom, maintained a connection to the divine order and a measure of adherence to the covenant. While Judah was not without its own periods of unfaithfulness and idolatry, it preserved the Davidic kingship and the central worship at the Jerusalem Temple, which symbolized God's presence and covenant with His people. This implies that Judah, at the time of Hosea's prophecy, still had a foundational, though sometimes strained, relationship with Yahweh, allowing for periods of reform and a continued, albeit imperfect, governance aligned with divine principles. This contrasts sharply with the complete spiritual rebellion of the North, as seen in 2 Kings 18:3-7.
Who are "the saints" that Judah is faithful with?
Answer: The Hebrew word qâdôwsh (H6918), translated as "saints," refers to those who are "sacred" or "holy." In this context, it can refer to several possibilities, all of which underscore Judah's distinctiveness. It could refer to: 1) God Himself, the ultimate Holy One, implying Judah's faithfulness was "with God, the Holy One." 2) The righteous remnant within Judah, those who remained faithful to the covenant despite the prevailing unfaithfulness. 3) The Levitical priests and consecrated individuals who maintained the purity of Temple worship. Regardless of the precise interpretation, the phrase signifies Judah's continued association with and adherence to sacred principles and those consecrated to God, setting them apart from the idolatrous practices of the Northern Kingdom. This concept of God's holy people is echoed in passages like Psalm 16:3.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hosea 11:12, with its lament over Israel's lies and deceit juxtaposed with Judah's relative faithfulness, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in Jesus Christ. Israel's failure to "rule with God" and their pervasive unfaithfulness highlight humanity's inability to perfectly keep the covenant. Jesus, however, is the true and faithful Israelite, the Son called out of Egypt (Matthew 2:15), who perfectly embodies the obedience and faithfulness that Israel lacked. He is the one who perfectly "rules with God," not through human strength or deceit, but through His divine nature and perfect submission to the Father's will (Philippians 2:6-8). In Him, all the "lies" and "deceit" of humanity are exposed and atoned for, as He lived a life without sin (Hebrews 4:15) and offered Himself as the spotless Lamb. Through His sacrifice, believers are reconciled to God, no longer characterized by deceit but by truth and faithfulness in Him. He establishes a new covenant, creating a new "house of Israel" and a new "Judah" composed of all who believe, who are now truly "faithful with the saints" – consecrated and set apart in Christ, the ultimate Holy One (1 Peter 2:9-10).