10 1 Against Israel and his idols. 14 His destruction for the same.

Israel is a [a]empty vine, yet hath it brought forth fruit unto itself, and according to the multitude of the fruit thereof he hath increased the altars: according to the [b]goodness of their land they have made fair images.

Their heart is [c]divided: now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars; he shall destroy their images.

For now they shall say, We have no [d]King because we feared not the Lord: and what should a King do to us?

They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making [e]a covenant: thus [f]judgment groweth as wormwood in the furrows of the field.

The inhabitants of Samaria shall [g]fear because of the calf of Beth Aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the [h]Chemarims thereof, that rejoiced on it for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.

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

Of Samaria, the king thereof is destroyed, as the foam upon the water.

The high places also of [i]Aven shall be destroyed, even the sin of Israel: the thorn and the thistle shall grow upon their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, (A)Cover us, and to the hills, Fall upon us.

O Israel, thou hast [j]sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they [k]stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not [l]touch them.

10 It is my desire [m]that I should chastise them, and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall gather themselves in their two [n]furrows.

11 And Ephraim is as a heifer used to delight in [o]threshing: but I will pass by her [p]fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride: Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.

12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness: reap after the measure of mercy: [q]break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 But you have plowed wickedness: ye have reaped iniquity: you have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thine own ways, and in the multitude of thy strong men,

14 Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy munitions shall be destroyed, as [r]Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in the day of battle: the mother with the children was dashed in pieces.

15 So shall Bethel do unto you, because of your malicious wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel be destroyed.

Footnotes

  1. Hosea 10:1 Whereof though the grapes were gathered, yet ever as it gathered new strength, it increased new wickedness, so that the correction which should have brought them to obedience, did but utter their stubbornness.
  2. Hosea 10:1 As they were rich and had abundance.
  3. Hosea 10:2 To wit, from God.
  4. Hosea 10:3 The day shall come that God shall take away their king, and then they shall feel the fruit of their sins, and how they trusted in him in vain, 2 Kings 17:6, 7.
  5. Hosea 10:4 In promising to be faithful toward God.
  6. Hosea 10:4 Thus their integrity and fidelity, which they pretended, was nothing but bitterness and grief.
  7. Hosea 10:5 When the calf shall be carried away.
  8. Hosea 10:5 Chemarims were certain idolatrous priests, which did wear black apparel in their sacrifices, and cried with a loud voice: which superstition Elijah derided, 1 Kings 18:27, read 2 Kings 23:5.
  9. Hosea 10:8 This he speaketh in contempt of Bethel, read Hos. 4:15.
  10. Hosea 10:9 In those days wast thou as wicked as the Gibeonites, as God there partly declared: for thy zeal could not be good in executing God’s judgments, seeing thine own deeds were as wicked as theirs.
  11. Hosea 10:9 To wit, to fight, or the Israelites remained in that stubbornness from that time.
  12. Hosea 10:9 The Israelites were not moved by their example to cease from their sins.
  13. Hosea 10:10 Because they are so desperate, I will delight to destroy them.
  14. Hosea 10:10 That is, when they have gathered all their strength together.
  15. Hosea 10:11 Wherein is pleasure, as in plowing is labor and pain.
  16. Hosea 10:11 I will lay my yoke upon her fat neck.
  17. Hosea 10:12 Read Jer. 4:4.
  18. Hosea 10:14 That is, Shalmaneser in the destruction of that city spared neither kind nor age.

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