Bible Commentaries
Hosea 13

Verses 1-14

In the second movement Jehovah set the present sin in the light of His present love. The sin of Ephraim and the sin of Judah, if the marginal reading be adopted, are both declared. The sin of Ephraim is then more distinctly stated, and its pride and impertinence declared. Yet love would triumph over all. Jehovah declared Himself to be the God who had delivered Israel from Egypt, and who would yet again deliver, being true to the messages of the prophets, to the visions of seers, to the similitudes of the ministry of the prophets.

Finally, the present condition of Israel is set in the light of the future love of Jehovah. Opening with the question, "Is Gilead iniquity?" He immediately answered by declaring, "They are altogether vanity," "they sin more and more," charging them with determined persistence in idolatry. Because of abounding sin, judgment was absolutely unavoidable. Yet love would triumph by the way of the wilderness. They had sinned against love in the strength of love's gifts. Jehovah would therefore come against them in terrible judgment, and that because Israel was against God. The sin of Ephraim would create His sorrow. Nevertheless, at last the almighty strength of love would overcome even death and the grave.

Verses 1-16

Turning from this main line of the divine message, we now examine the prophet's interpolations. These set forth the history of Israel indicating their relation to Jehovah, and pronounce judgment. They form a remarkable obligato accompaniment in a minor key to the majestic love song of Jehovah, and constitute a contrast ing introduction to the final message of the prophet.

The first of them reveals the prophet's sense of Jehovah's controversy with Judah, and his just dealings with Jacob.

The second was reminiscent of Jacob's history, and made a deduction and an appeal.

The third traced the progress of Israel to death, beginning with the flight to the field of Aram, through the exodus from Egypt and preservation to the present, in which Ephraim was exalted in Israel, offended in Baal, and died.

The last declared the doom. It was indeed the Iast word of man, the pronouncement of awful judgment, and constituted the plea of "guilty," to which the answer of Jehovah as revealed in His message was of the victory of love.