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Commentary on Hosea 11 verses 1–7
Here we find,
I. God very gracious to Israel. They were a people for whom he had done more than for any people under heaven, and to whom he had given more, which they are here, I will not say upbraided with (for God gives, and upbraids not), but put in mind of, as an aggravation of their sin and an encouragement to repentance. 1. He had a kindness for them when they were young (Hos 11:1): When Israel was a child then I loved him; when they first began to multiply into a nation in Egypt God then set his love upon them, and chose them because he loved them, because he would love them, Deu 7:7, Deu 7:8. When they were weak and helpless as children, foolish and froward as children, when they were outcasts, and children exposed, then God loved them; he pitied them, and testified his goodwill to them; he bore them as the nurse does the sucking child, nourished them, and suffered their manners. Note, Those that have grown up, nay, those that have grown old, ought often to reflect upon the goodness of God to them in their childhood. 2. He delivered them out of the house of bondage: I called my son out of Egypt, because a son, because a beloved son. When God demanded Israel's discharge from Pharaoh he called them his son, his first-born. Note, Those whom God loves he calls out of the bondage of sin and Satan into the glorious liberty of his children. These words are said to have been fulfilled in Christ, when, upon the death of Herod, he and his parents were called out of Egypt (Mat 2:15), so that the words have a double aspect, speaking historically of the calling of Israel out of Egypt and prophetically of the bringing of Christ thence; and the former was a type of the latter, and a pledge and earnest of the many and great favours God had in reserve for that people, especially the sending of his Son into the world, and the bringing him again into the land of Israel when they had unkindly driven him out, and he might justly never have returned. The calling of Christ out of Egypt was a figure of the calling of all that are his, through him, out of spiritual slavery. 3. He gave them a good education, took care of them, took pains with them, not only as a father or tutor, but, such is the condescension of divine grace, as a mother or nurse (Hos 11:3): I taught Ephraim also to go, as a child in leading-strings is taught. When they were in the wilderness God led them by the pillar of cloud and fire, showed them the way in which they should go, and bore them up, taking them by the arms. He taught them to go in the way of his commandments, by the institutions of the ceremonial law, which were as tutors and governors to that people under age. He took them by the arms, to guide them, that they might not stray, and to hold them up, that they might not stumble and fall. God's spiritual Israel are thus supported. Thou has holden me by my right hand, Psa 73:23. 4. When any thing was amiss with them, or they were ever so little out of order, he was their physician: "I healed them; I not only took a tender care of them (a friend may do that), but wrought an effectual cure: it is a God only that can do that. I am the Lord that healeth thee (Exo 15:26), that redresseth all thy grievances." 5. He brought them into his service by mild and gentle methods (Hos 11:4): I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. Note, It is God's work to draw poor souls to himself; and none can come to him except he draw them, Joh 6:44. He draws, (1.) With the cords of a man, with such cords as men draw with that have a principle of humanity, or such cords as men are drawn with; he dealt with them as men, in an equitable rational way, in an easy gentle way, with the cords of Adam. He dealt with them as with Adam in innocency, bringing them at once into a paradise, and into covenant with himself. (2.) With bands of love, or cartropes of love. This word signifies stronger cords than the former. He did not drive them by force into his service, whether they would or no, nor rule them with rigour, nor detain them by violence, but his attractives were all loving and endearing, all sweet and gentle, that he might overcome them with kindness. Moses, whom he made their guide, was the meekest man in the world. Kindnesses among men we commonly call obligations, or bonds, bonds of love. Thus God draws with the savour of his good ointments (Sol 1:4), draws with lovingkindness, Jer 31:3. Thus God deals with us, and we must deal in like manner with those that are under our instruction and government, deal rationally and mildly with them. 6. He eased them of the burdens they had been long groaning under: I was to them as those that take off the yoke on their jaws, alluding to the care of the good husbandman, who is merciful to his beast, and will not tire him with hard and constant labour. Probably, in those times, the yoke on the neck of the oxen was fastened with some bridle, or headstall, over the jaws, which muzzled the mouth of the ox. Israel in Egypt were thus restrained from the enjoyments of their comforts and constrained to hard labour; but God eased them, removed their shoulder from the burden, Psa 81:6. Note, Liberty is a great mercy, especially out of bondage. 7. He supplied them with food convenient. In Egypt they fared hard, but, when God brought them out, he laid meat unto them, as the husbandman, when he has unyoked his cattle, fodders them. God rained manna about their camp, bread from heaven, angels' food; other creatures seek their meat, but God laid meat to his own people, as we do to our children, was himself their caterer and carver, anticipated them with the blessings of goodness.
II. Here is Israel very ungrateful to God.
1.They were deaf and disobedient to his voice. He spoke to them by his messengers, Moses and his other prophets, called them from their sins, called them to himself, to their work and duty; but as they called them so they went from them; they rebelled in those particular instances wherein they were admonished; the more pressing and importunate the prophets were with them, to persuade them to that which was good, the more refractory they were, and the more resolute in their evil ways, disobeying for disobedience-sake. This foolishness is bound in the hearts of children, who, as soon as they are taught to go, will go from those that call them.
2.They were fond of idols, and worshipped them: They sacrificed to Baalim, first one Baal and then another, and burnt incense to graven images, though they were called to by the prophets of the Lord again and again not to do this abominable thing which he hated. Idolatry was the sin which from the beginning, and all along, had most easily beset them.
3.They were regardless of God, and of his favours to them: They knew not that I healed them. They looked only at Moses and Aaron, the instruments of their relief, and, when any thing was amiss, quarrelled with them, but looked not through them to God who employed them. Or, When God corrected them, and kept them under a severe discipline, they understood not that it was for their good, and that God thereby healed them, and it was necessary for the perfecting of their cure, else they would have been better reconciled to the methods God took. Note, Ignorance is at the bottom of ingratitude, Hos 2:8.
4.They were strongly inclined to apostasy. This is the blackest article in the charge (Hos 11:7): My people are bent to backsliding from me. Every word here is aggravating. (1.) They backslide. There is no hold of them, no stedfastness in them; they seem to come forward, towards God, but they quickly slide back again, and are as a deceitful bow. (2.) They backslide from me, from God, the chief good, the fountain of life and living waters, from their God who never turned from them, nor war as a wilderness to them. (3.) They are bent to backslide; they are ready to sin; there is in their natures a propensity to that which is evil; at the best they hang in suspense between God and the world, so that a little thing serves to draw them the wrong way; they are forward to close with every temptation. It also intimates that they are resolute in sin; their hearts are fully set in them to do evil the bias is strong that way; and they persist in their backslidings, whatever is said or done to stop them; and yet, (4.) "They are, in profession, my people. They are called by my name, and profess relation to me; they are mine, whom I have done much for and expect much from, whom I have nourished and brought up, as children, and yet they backslide from me." Note, In our repentance we ought to lament not only our backslidings, but our bent to backslide, not only our actual transgressions, but our original corruption, the sin that dwells in us, the carnal mind.
5.They were strangely averse to repentance and reformation. Here are two expressions of their obstinacy: - (1.) They refused to return, Hos 11:5. So much were they bent to backslide that, though they could not but find, upon trial, the folly of their backslidings, and that when they forsook God they changed for the worse, yet they went on frowardly. I have loved strangers, and after them I will go. They were commanded to return, were courted and entreated to return, were promised that if they would they should be kindly received, but they refused. (2.) Though they called them to the Most High. God's prophets and ministers called them to return to the God from whom they had revolted, to the most high God, from whom they had sunk into this wretched degeneracy; they called them from the worship of the idols, which were so much below them, and the worship of which was therefore their disparagement, to the true God, who was so much above them, and the worship of whom was therefore their preferment; they called them from this earth to high and heavenly things; but they called in vain. None at all would exalt him. Though he is the most high God they would not acknowledge him to be so, would do nothing to honour him nor give him the glory due to his name. Or, They would not exalt themselves, would not rise out of that state of apostasy and misery into which they had precipitated themselves; but there they contentedly lay still, would not lift up their heads nor lift up their souls. Note, God's faithful ministers have taken a great deal of pains, to no purpose, with backsliding children, have called them to the Most High; but none would stir, none at all would exalt him.
III. Here is God very angry, and justly so, with Israel; see what are the tokens of God's displeasure with which they are here threatened. 1. God, who brought them out of Egypt, to take them for a people to himself, since they would not be faithful to him, shall bring them into a worse condition than he at first found them in (Hos 11:5): "He shall not return into the land of Egypt, though that was a house of bondage grievous enough; but he shall go into a harder service, for the Assyrian shall be his king, who will use him worse than ever Pharaoh did." They shall not return into Egypt, which lies near, where they may hear often from their own country, and whence they may hope shortly to return to it again; but they shall be carried into Assyria, which lies much more remote, and where they shall be cut off from all correspondence with their own land and from all hopes of returning to it, and justly, because they refused to return. Note, Those that will not return to the duties they have left cannot expect to return to the comforts they have lost. 2. God, who gave them Canaan, that good land, and a very safe and comfortable settlement in it, shall bring his judgments upon them there, which shall make their habitation unsafe and uncomfortable (Hos 11:6): The sword shall come upon them, the sword of war, the sword of a foreign enemy, prevailing against them and triumphing over them. (1.) This judgment shall spread far. The sword shall fasten upon their cities, those nests of people and store-houses of wealth; it shall likewise reach to their branches, the country villages (so some), the citizens themselves (so others), or the bars (so the word signifies) and gates of their city, or all the branches of their revenue and wealth, or their children, the branches of their families. (2.) It shall last long: It shall abide on their cities. David thought three months flying before his enemies was the only judgment of the three that was to be excepted against; but this sword shall abide much longer than three months on the cities of Israel. They continued their rebellions against God, and therefore God continued his judgments on them. (3.) It shall make a full end: It shall consume their branches, and devour them, and lay all waste, and this because of their own counsels, that is, because they would have their own projects, which God therefore, in a way of righteous judgment, gave them up to. Note, The confusion of sinners is owing to their contrivance. God's counsels would have saved them, but their own counsels ruined them.
"Just as the morning passes, the king of Israel passes away: for Israel is a boy, and I have loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt: they called them: so they went from their presence: they sacrificed to Baalim, and offered sacrifices to idols." LXX: "They have cast off the morning, the king of Israel has been cast off, because Israel is a little one, and I have loved him, and have called his sons out of Egypt. As I called them, so they went away from my face: they immolated to Baalim, and burnt incense to idols." He explains the same idea in different ways. As he previously said: "He made his king pass over Samaria like foam on the surface of the water", because foam and bubbles that float on the surface of water rapidly dissolve; now he puts the same thing in another comparison. Just as the dawn and the beginning of the day, which is called morning, quickly passes between the night and the vicinity of the sun; so that the night is finished and daybreak comes: so the king of Israel, that is, of the ten tribes, will pass quickly. And He explains the benefits that God had conferred upon himself. He says: "While I was still a young boy and a captive in Egypt, I loved him so much that I sent my servant Moses to call my Son out of Egypt, of whom I spoke in another place, 'My firstborn Son, Israel' (Exodus IV). And because Israel is singularly spoken of, but understood in a plural sense, like both the people and Ephraim and Judah: since there are many in number who are included in this number, an old history recalls that He had called them through Moses and Aaron, who had called them to leave Egypt: but those who were called by them left them, turning their backs on them and indicating by bodily gesture the stubbornness of their minds. Nor was it enough for them to despise those who called upon them unless they sacrificed to Baal and their idols, or offered incense to their images. We read that Baal was first worshipped under Achab, king of Israel, who took as his wife the daughter of the king of Sidon, and transferred the idol of Babylon and the Phoenicians to Samaria. Thus, he combines sins separated by time into one discourse: how they were first called from Egypt and named sons, then withdrew from God in the wilderness, worshipping Beelphegor more than God, and afterwards served Baalim and Astaroth, and other idols in the holy land. And we understand heretics passing by like the dawn, and their king as the devil or heresiarch, whom in infancy (when they believed in the Church, and were little ones, and were considered in Christ's name) God loved, and called them out of the tribulation and darkness of Egypt. He called through the apostles and teachers of the Church. But when they were called by my leaders, they turned away from them, and worshiped Beelphegor, that is, they served their vices and lust, and afterwards sacrificed to Baalim and idols, which they had fashioned for themselves. For each heretic has his own gods, and they worship whatever they have made as if it were an idol or a statue. As for what we have said, "Out of Egypt I have called my Son" (Matth. II), the Septuagint translated it to "Out of Egypt I have called his sons," which is not in the Hebrew; there is no doubt that Matthew took this testimony according to the Hebrew truth. Therefore, those who disparage our translation should provide Scripture from which the Evangelist took this testimony, and it should be interpreted in the Lord and Savior, when he was brought back from Egypt to the land of Israel. And when they cannot find (it), they cease to ask respectfully, arch their eyebrow, curl their nostrils, and snap their fingers. Julian Augustus vomited (slanders) against us Christians in this place, in the seventh volume, and says: that which is written of Israel, Matthew the evangelist translated to Christ, in order to mock the simplicity of those who believed from the nations. We will respond to this briefly: Firstly, that Matthew published the Gospel in Hebrew letters, which the Hebrews alone could read. Therefore, he did not do it to mock the Gentiles. But if he wanted to mock the Hebrews, he was either foolish or ignorant: foolish, if he concocted an obvious falsehood; ignorant, if he did not understand what he was saying. The work itself excuses any foolishness, since it is prudently and carefully arranged; we cannot call him ignorant, since we know from other testimony of the Scriptures that he had knowledge of the Law. It remains for us to say that those things that precede in others typologically are related to Christ according to truth and fulfillment: which we know the Apostle did in the two mountains, Sinai and Zion, and in Sarah and Hagar. For neither is Sinai now, nor is it Zion: neither was it Sara, nor was it Agar; because the Apostle Paul said these things with respect to the two Testaments (Gal. IV). Therefore, what is written: "A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a perfect nation: I the Lord will suddenly do this thing in its time," is indeed said of the people of Israel, who are called forth from Egypt, who are loved, who at that time, after the error of idolatrous worship, are called like infants and little ones: but it is also perfectly referred to Christ. For Isaac also was a figure of Christ in that he carried the wood for his own sacrifice (Gen 22); and Jacob, because he had a wife whom he did not love (Leah) and one whom he did (Rachel) (Gen 29). In Leah, the elder sister, we may understand the blindness of the Synagogue; in Rachel’s beauty, the glory of the Church. Yet those who in some degree are figures of the Lord’s Saviourship, are not in every detail to be believed to have done the same things in a figure. For a type indicates a part: but if the whole precedes in the type, it is no longer a type, but should be called the truth of history. We said this briefly in the Commentaries; now let us return to the rest.
They called: Viz., Moses and Aaron called; but they went away after other gods and would not hear.
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SUMMARY
Hosea 11:2 starkly illustrates Israel's persistent spiritual rebellion against Yahweh, despite His tender and consistent efforts to draw them into faithful relationship. The verse portrays a tragic pattern where divine summons are met with human turning away, culminating in widespread idolatry through the worship of Baalim and the burning of incense to graven images, a direct affront to God's covenant.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Hosea 11:2 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of Israel's profound unfaithfulness. The most prominent is Contrast, where God's loving and persistent "calling" is juxtaposed with Israel's immediate and consistent "going from them." This highlights the stark disparity between divine grace and human rebellion. There is also an implicit Irony in Israel's actions; the very people called by the true God for a unique relationship turn to powerless, man-made idols for blessing. The phrase "went from them" suggests Personification, portraying Israel as a wayward child or an unfaithful spouse, actively choosing to stray despite the loving parent's or husband's entreaties. The mention of "Baalim" (plural) and "graven images" serves as Symbolism, representing the widespread and deeply entrenched nature of Israel's spiritual idolatry and their complete rejection of monotheistic Yahwism for polytheistic paganism. The structure of the verse, moving from God's action to Israel's reaction and then to the specific acts of idolatry, creates a sense of Tragic Progression, illustrating the downward spiral of unfaithfulness.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Hosea 11:2 profoundly underscores the biblical theme of God's unwavering covenant faithfulness contrasted with humanity's persistent unfaithfulness. Despite God's tender and repeated initiatives to call His people, Israel consistently chose to turn away, engaging in idolatry that was tantamount to spiritual adultery. This verse reveals the heinous nature of idolatry not merely as a ritualistic error, but as a deep betrayal of relationship, demonstrating a heart that prioritizes created things or false gods over the Creator. It highlights the tragic consequence of rejecting divine love and instruction, leading to spiritual barrenness and judgment, yet implicitly setting the stage for God's ultimate plan of redemption and restoration, which is always rooted in His character, not human merit.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hosea 11:2 serves as a timeless mirror for our own spiritual lives, inviting profound reflection on our responsiveness to God's continuous call. Just as God called Israel, He calls each of us into a relationship of love and obedience, through His Word, His Spirit, and His community. The critical question for us is how we respond. Do we, like ancient Israel, find ourselves "going from them" – subtly or overtly turning away from His voice when it challenges our comfort, our desires, or our cultural norms? Modern idolatry rarely takes the form of physical graven images, yet it is equally insidious. Anything that takes precedence over God in our hearts – be it career, wealth, relationships, reputation, comfort, or even self-worship – can become a "graven image" to which we "burn incense" by investing our time, energy, and devotion. This verse powerfully reminds us that true spiritual health is found in consistently turning towards God, heeding His call, and prioritizing our relationship with Him above all else, lest we fall into the same pattern of unfaithfulness that brought such sorrow to Israel.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "Baalim" refer to, and why was its worship so problematic for Israel?
Answer: "Baalim" (H1168) is the plural form of Baal, referring to the various local manifestations of the Canaanite storm and fertility god. Its worship was problematic because it represented a direct violation of the first commandment, which strictly forbade Israel from having any gods before Yahweh. Baal worship often involved immoral fertility rites, child sacrifice, and a syncretistic blending of religious practices that corrupted Israel's unique covenant relationship with the one true God. It was seen as spiritual adultery, a betrayal of their divine Husband.
How does Israel's "going from them" relate to the concept of free will and divine sovereignty?
Answer: Hosea 11:2 highlights the tension between God's sovereign call and human free will. God actively "called them," demonstrating His initiative and desire for relationship. However, Israel freely chose to "go from them," exercising their will to reject God's invitation. This illustrates that while God's love and calling are constant, He allows humanity the freedom to respond, even if that response is rebellion. Yet, even in their turning away, God's ultimate redemptive plan, rooted in His sovereignty, would still unfold, as seen in His eventual promise of restoration in Hosea 14.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hosea 11:2, with its lament over Israel's persistent rebellion and idolatry despite God's tender calling, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. Israel, as God's "son" called out of Egypt, failed to live up to its covenant responsibilities, constantly turning away to Baalim and graven images. This profound unfaithfulness, detailed in Hosea, underscores the desperate need for a perfect, obedient Son who would truly fulfill God's will. Jesus Christ is that perfect Son. He is the true Israel, the one who perfectly heeded the Father's call, never "going from" Him but always doing His will (John 6:38). Where Israel failed in its worship, sacrificing to idols, Christ offered the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Himself on the cross, taking away the sin of the world and providing the means for true worship in spirit and truth (Hebrews 9:26; John 4:23-24). Through His atoning work, those who were once "far off" in their idolatry and rebellion can now be brought near to God, reconciled through the blood of the Lamb, and enabled by the Holy Spirit to respond to God's call with faithful obedience, fulfilling the very relationship Israel consistently rejected (Ephesians 2:13).