Bible Commentaries
Hosea 10

Verses 1-11

Hos 10:1-11

REPROVING—ISRAEL FELL INTO ANARCHY

TEXT: Hosea 10:1-11

Israel’s prosperity was only a veneer giving an outward appearance of well-being. Inside she was corrupt, lawless, idolatrous and in the throes of anarchy.

Hosea 10:1 Israel^H3478 is an empty^H1238 vine,^H1612 he bringeth forth^H7737 fruit^H6529 unto himself: according to the multitude^H7230 of his fruit^H6529 he hath increased^H7235 the altars;^H4196 according to the goodness^H2896 of his land^H776 they have made goodly^H3190 images.^H4676

Hosea 10:1 ISRAEL IS A LUXURIANT VINE . . . The KJV has it, “Israel is an empty vine . . .” Practically all scholars of the Hebrew texts consider this “a palpable inaccuracy.” Lange says, “a thriving vine.” Keil says, “a running vine.” The translators of both the ASV and the RSV translated “a luxuriant vine.” Hosea was probably using satire or irony in so addressing Israel. Israel waxed prosperous, it is true, in spite of national calamities. But what kind of fruit was Israel producing? Fruit of its own choosing, of its own pleasure, instead of the fruit for which God looked. The figure of the vine is an old and familiar figure (cf. Psalms 80:8 ff; Isaiah 5:1-10; Jeremiah 2:21; Ezekiel 15:1 ff; Ezekiel 17:6 ff; John 15:1 ff). In Jesus’ day the great gate of the Temple, the outer gate, had emblazoned upon it a golden vine. It was the symbol of national life. Isaiah tells us (Isaiah 5:1 ff) what fruit God expected to find on His vine (the covenant people). God expected justice and righteousness but found instead oppression and iniquity. God was not judging them because they were prosperous—but because they misused their prosperity. They were selfish. They spent it on their own pleasure—on vain and ungodly practices. The more their wealth increased, the more they spent on idolatry and sensuality. More wealth, less dependence upon God and more self-worship. Hosea uses more irony in calling their pillars “goodly” pillars. They were probably obelisks erected to pagan deities. They were probably very artistic and expensive. According to their prosperity they had built themselves ornate idols; God was lost, mislaid, and instead of Him there were ornate pillars, obelisks, stones. This certainly strikes a familiar note. America has become a “luxuriant vine,” but she produces fruit unto herself. She has forgotten God and built altars to “power,” “reason,” “progress,” “humanism” and is no longer dependent upon the Creator.

Zerr: Hosea 10:1. The thought of this verse may well be expressed by the one word, “selfishness.” It is illustrated by supposing a vine to retain the substance of its fruit within itself instead of depositing it on the outside in clusters where the owner could make use of it. The situation is made worse by the wrong use the vine makes of this substance that is retained. It would be bad enough were the vine to convert the substance into grapes and then consume the fruit selfishly. But this vine diverted it into unlawful uses, literally referring to idolatrous altars in the application of the parable. According to the goodness, etc. The more prosperous Israel became, the more corrupt she became with idolatry.

Hosea 10:2 Their heart^H3820 is divided;^H2505 now^H6258 shall they be found faulty:^H816 he^H1931 shall break down^H6202 their altars,^H4196 he shall spoil^H7703 their images.^H4676

Hosea 10:2 THEIR HEART IS DIVIDED . . . The Hebrew word chalag should be translated “smooth, treacherous,” rather than “divided.” Jeroboam was very solicitous for the care and convenience of his dear people (1 Kings 12:27-28); all the while he was thinking of his own desires to set up and secure an apostate nation. The people were happy to follow the same deceit—professing with their lips to belong to Jehovah but rejecting His law and worshipping idols. The “spirit of harlotry” was in Israel’s heart (Hosea 5:4). If it were not so tragic it would be amusing to behold Israel trying to deceive Jehovah. Surely they would be aware of the many times in their past history when every man and woman who tried to deceive God was inevitably caught!

Zerr: Hosea 10:2. Heart is divided denotes that Israel mixed his devotions, giving most of them to the idols but professing to be serving the true God. Continuing the illustration of a vine, this nation produced faulty or objectionable fruit An owner of a vineyard would reject such a plant and remove it from his soil. Likewise the Lord threatened to break down the altars of the idolaters.

Hosea 10:3 For^H3588 now^H6258 they shall say,^H559 We have no^H369 king,^H4428 because^H3588 we feared^H3372 not^{H3808 (H853)} the LORD;^H3068 what^H4100 then should a king^H4428 do^H6213 to us?

Hosea 10:3 SURELY NOW SHALL THEY SAY, WE HAVE NO KING . . . As Pusey points out, “These are the words of despair, not of repentance; of men terrified by the consciousness of guilt, but not coming forth out of its darkness; describing their condition, not confessing the iniquity which brought it on them.” Israel had rebelled against the kingship of God and asked for a king of their own (cf. Hosea 8:3-4). God gave them Jeroboam. Now, after all the years of gradual political, moral and civil decay and degeneration—to the point of anarchy—surely they will be compelled to confess that they no longer have a king. Yes, they confess it! They also admit that they have no fear of Jehovah. But that is not such a problem as the present king they do have. If we had a king like the Jeroboams, they probably wail, we might hope for better times; but now? The king we have now; it’s all his fault. Their hearts are not only deceitful, they are deceived! This is the oldest trick of sin and Satan—deceiving man into blaming others for the consequences of their own sins! When man blames others for his sins, he is in no mind to repent.

Zerr: Hosea 10:3. This verse is a prediction that Israel was to be deprived of a king. It was fulfilled when the Assyrians took the ten tribes into captivity as recorded in 2 Kings 17. What then should a king do to us? The words are put into the mouths of the Jews by the Lord, signifying that it would do them no good to have a king as long as they had no fear for the Lord.

Hosea 10:4 They have spoken^H1696 words,^H1697 swearing^H422 falsely^H7723 in making^H3772 a covenant:^H1285 thus judgment^H4941 springeth up^H6524 as hemlock^H7219 in^H5921 the furrows^H8525 of the field.^H7704

Hosea 10:4 THEY SPEAK VAIN WORDS . . . JUDGMENT SPRINGETH UP AS HEMLOCK . . . No man’s word could be trusted (cf. Jeremiah 9:5-9; Micah 7:5-7). Their deceitful, smooth, treacherous hearts manifested themselves in their business dealings. What a man is down deep within his heart soon appears in his deeds (cf. Mark 7:21-23). These people of Israel were conducting their business like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day (cf. Matthew 23:16-22). Honor, duty, justice, righteousness, truth have all long since ceased to be. Law and order ceases to be right. Might becomes right. Judges are bribed; debtors are sold into slavery; covenants are broken. Right has been made to be wrong and wrong has been made to be right, (cf. Isaiah 5:20-23; Micah 3:2). Right has degenerated into bitter wrong—justice is so perverted it covers the land like the poisonous weed hemlock (cf. Amos 5:7). Hemlock, the reader will remember, was what Socrates was forced to drink to induce his death, There was plenty of so-called justice in the land—but what kind of justice? Judgments as bitter and fatal as hemlock, (cf. Habakkuk 1:4).

Zerr: Hosea 10:4. The people of Israel were not sincere when they made their vows. They would swear to serve the Lord, then break that oath at the first opportunity for worshiping at an altar. As a punishment for this impure manner of life, the Lord predicted that He would bring judgment upon the people that would be likened to poisonous weeds in their fields.

Hosea 10:5 The inhabitants^H7934 of Samaria^H8111 shall fear^H1481 because of the calves^H5697 of Bethaven:^H1007 for^H3588 the people^H5971 thereof shall mourn^H56 over^H5921 it, and the priests^H3649 thereof that rejoiced^H1523 on^H5921 it, for^H5921 the glory^H3519 thereof, because^H3588 it is departed^H1540 from^H4480 it.

Hosea 10:6 It shall be also^H1571 carried^H2986 unto Assyria^H804 for a present^H4503 to king^H4428 Jareb:^H3377 Ephraim^H669 shall receive^H3947 shame,^H1317 and Israel^H3478 shall be ashamed^H954 of his own counsel.^{H4480 H6098}

Hosea 10:5-6 . . . SAMARIA SHALL BE IN TERROR FOR THE CALVES OF BETH-AVEN: . . . IT ALSO SHALL BE CARRIED UNTO ASSYRIA . . . These two verses, although predicting the behavior of Israel at the time of her captivities in the future, are exact representations of how she reacted. First, Israel was concerned for the safety of her national temples, obelisks and calf-idols. What was to become of them. Then, as the reality of the captivity came immediately upon them they began to wail, perform ritual dances, imploring their idol to help them. But their gods were deaf and dumb. There were no answers; no actions. The Assyrians defeated Israel, plundered her spacious buildings from the smallest to the greatest, and the calf-god of Israel they carried off helpless and silent to be given to the Assyrian king as a present. The calf-god of Israel appears to have been included in the Assyrian pantheon of gods and placed in the temple of Marduk (cf. 2 Kings 18:33-35; 2 Kings 25:13-16; Ezra 1:7-11). Cyrus, king of Persia, restored all these gods to their original homes. Israel is disgraced! Shame and ridicule is now her lot. Why has all this happened? Because Israel trusted in her own pride—in her own vain counsel. She would not listen to the law of God nor to His prophets. She made kings after her own desires; she made gods according to the lust of her heart; she joined herself to pagan countries for protection and became their vassal. Now all this shameful self-counseling is paying its wages—shame!

Zerr: Hosea 10:5. The gist of this verse is a prediction that Israel will come to regret the whole practice of idolatry. The calves of Bethaven is an indirect reference to the idol calves that Jeroboam reared up in Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:29), which became a signal for a national corruption that finally resulted in the exile of the ten tribes into the land of the Assyrian Empire. Hosea 10:6. The antecedent of it is “glory” in the preceding verse, and it was to be carried into Assyria as a present. Strong’s lexicon says that Jareb was a symbolical name for Assyria. That country will be the victor in the conflict with the people of Israel whose capital city was Samaria,

Hosea 10:7 As for Samaria,^H8111 her king^H4428 is cut off^H1820 as the foam^H7110 upon^{H5921 H6440} the water.^H4325

Hosea 10:7 AS FOR SAMARIA, HER KING IS CUT OFF, AS FOAM UPON THE WATER . . . Not only is her calf-god useless to help her, Israel’s king cannot help. The word translated “foam” would have been more literally translated, “splinter, or small stick.” The king was like one of those little sticks or straws which float in countless numbers on the surface of the ocean or streams, give the image of lightness, emptiness, a thing too light to sink, but driven impetuously and unresistingly, hither and thither, at the impulse of the torrent which hurries it along. Hoshea, their last king, was just so easily swept by the flood which broke on Israel from Assyria.

Zerr: Hosea 10:7. Foam is a figure to illustrate the lightness and lack of importance of the kingdom of Israel. Foam is also something that denotes a frothy discharge, making more of a threatening show than possessing real strength or merit.

Hosea 10:8 The high places^H1116 also of Aven,^H206 the sin^H2403 of Israel,^H3478 shall be destroyed:^H8045 the thorn^H6975 and the thistle^H1863 shall come up^H5927 on^H5921 their altars;^H4196 and they shall say^H559 to the mountains,^H2022 Cover^H3680 us; and to the hills,^H1389 Fall^H5307 on^H5921 us.

Hosea 10:8 THE HIGH PLACES . . . OF AVEN . . . SHALL BE DESTROYED . . . “Aven” is a pun. “Aven” means, “worthless, vile, useless.” Bethel, seat of their idolatrous worship, was called Beth-aven. Here, “Aven” probably also means Bethel. “High place” is from the Hebrew word bamah or ramah and means simply, “elevation.” We quote here from Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, edited by Merrill C. Tenney, pg. 354:

“It seems to be inherent in human nature to think of God as dwelling in the heights. From earliest times men have tended to choose high places for their worship, whether of God, or of the false gods which men have invented. In Canaan these high places had become the scenes of orgies and human sacrifice connected with the idolatrous worship of these imaginary gods; and so when Israel entered the Promised Land they were told to be iconoclasts as well as conquerors. . . . (Numbers 33:52). These figured stones bore upon themselves crude carvings, sometimes more or less like geometrical figures, or else talismans, or other signs presumably understood by the priests and used to mystify or terrorize the worshippers. Israel partly obeyed but largely failed in this work . . . Later some godly kings like Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 31:1) destroyed the high places, while others like Manasseh relapsed and rebuilt them (2 Chronicles 33:3). After Manasseh had been punished and had repented, he was restored to his throne, and resumed the temple worship, but the people ‘sacrificed still in the high places, but only unto Jehovah their God’ (2 Chronicles 33:17). Through Manasseh’s early influence, the people had gone so far into apostasy that they could not repent, but through the godliness of Josiah, especially after he had heard the law read (2 Kings 22:8-20), the judgment was delayed till after the death of Josiah.”

Zerr: Hosea 10:8. Avert, is an abbreviation of Bethaven, and that name refers to the idolatrous practices at Bethel. It is predicted here that the sin was to be destroyed, and that was fulfilled by the exile. The land was to be deserted by its idolatrous inhabitants so that the thorn and thistle could grow up over the spots where the false worship had been conducted. Say to the mountains , . . fall on us is figurative and refers to the dejected state of mind that Israel was to have as a result of the national corruption of idolatry.

The “high places” came to be specifically noted for idolatrous worship. So the title was transferred from the elevation to the sanctuary on the elevation and so came to be used of any idolatrous shrine, whether constructed on an elevation or not (cf. 2 Kings 16:4; 2 Kings 17:9; 2 Chronicles 21:11; 2 Chronicles 28:4; Isaiah 36:7; Amos 7:9; Micah 1:5; Micah 4:1; Jeremiah 7:31; Jeremiah 19:5; Jeremiah 32:32; Ezekiel 6:3-6; Ezekiel 16:16; Ezekiel 20:29; Ezekiel 43:7, etc.). All these places in Israel were utterly destroyed and made desolate and deserted when Israel was taken captive. Weeds and thorns grew up where thousands once performed heathen religious rites in the name of Jehovah. Their ruins are there today to be seen and pondered! The deluded, shamed people, forsaken by their helpless gods and impotent kings shake with terror as they see God’s judgments coming upon them. Clothed in the filthy garments of sin, they are totally unprepared to meet God (cf. Amos 4:13). There is no place to hide when the Day of the Lord comes (cf. Amos 5:18-20; Amos 9:2-4). They cry out for the mountains and the hills to fall upon them and cover them from His terrible wrath (cf. Revelation 6:16). Only those who have washed their robes white in the blood of The Lamb will not be ashamed on that final great and terrible Day of the Lord! Have you been washed, my brother? Prepare to meet thy God!

Hosea 10:9 O Israel,^H3478 thou hast sinned^H2398 from the days^{H4480 H3117} of Gibeah:^H1390 there^H8033 they stood:^H5975 the battle^H4421 in Gibeah^H1390 against^H5921 the children^H1121 of iniquity^H5932 did not^H3808 overtake^H5381 them.

Hosea 10:9 . . . THOU HAST SINNED FROM THE DAYS OF GIBEAH . . . From the very days when the people of Gibeah sinned against the concubine of the Levite (cf. Hosea 9:9), Israel has continued in the same sin. But whereas those sinners were punished and destroyed by war, you still live on in the same sin without having similarly been destroyed.

Zerr: Hosea 10:9. Israel is used in the sense of a nation, and this institution had Saul for its first king. But he committed a grievous sin and set the example of disobedience for the generations following. Gibeah was an important city connected with the public life of Saul, hence the reference to the place in connection with the evils carried on by the nation over which he was the first king.

Hosea 10:10 It is in my desire^H185 that I should chastise^H3256 them; and the people^H5971 shall be gathered^H622 against^H5921 them, when they shall bind^H631 themselves in their two^H8147 furrows.^H5869

Hosea 10:10 WHEN IT IS MY DESIRE, I WILL CHASTISE THEM . . . Yes, the wheels of God’s justice grind slow, at times, but very fine! When the time comes within the omniscient plan and purpose of God for it to be, He will punish Israel for her sins just as surely and completely as He punished the Gibeahites! God never acts without intelligent, fore-planned purpose. Every event of history has a time and a place foreknown in the purpose of Almighty God and man can neither hinder it nor speed it. Furthermore, God uses whatever secondary agents He desires in carrying out His purposes. In Israel’s case He chose to use “the peoples,” or Gentile nations, to carry out His wrath upon this recalcitrant nation (cf. Isaiah 10:5 ff).

Zerr: Hosea 10:10. The purpose of the distress that God was going to bring upon his people is expressed in the words that I should chastise them. The people who were to be gathered against them were the Assyrians. Two means twofold and furrows means misconduct or transgressions. Their iniquity was twofold in the sense of being great or more than ordinary. It also was literal in that the chief national evil (idolatry) was begun with the two idols which Jeroboam reared up when he led away the ten tribes and formed the kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 12:29).

The “two transgressions” of Israel which will cling to them and bind them like seaweed strangles a drowning man are: (a) Their idolatry; (b) Their making kings according to their own desires. These two specific rebellions against the Holy God will haunt them and plague them all the rest of their days as they “wander” over all the face of the earth.

Hosea 10:11 And Ephraim^H669 is as an heifer^H5697 that is taught,^H3925 and loveth^H157 to tread out^H1758 the corn; but I^H589 passed over^H5674 upon^H5921 her fair^H2898 neck:^H6677 I will make Ephraim^H669 to ride;^H7392 Judah^H3063 shall plow,^H2790 and Jacob^H3290 shall break his clods.^H7702

Hosea 10:11 AND EPHRAIM IS A HEIFER THAT . . . LOVETH TO TREAD OUT THE GRAIN . . . Having been trained and provided for by the Lord, growing fat and sleek, Ephraim (Israel) loved to “thresh.” Like the young ox, walking leisurely over the corn, permitted to eat her fill (Deuteronomy 25:4), Israel loved to do work which to him seemed pleasant, productive, profitable, neglecting and forgetting the training of his Master; resenting His instructions when they ran counter to his own desires; shirking the arduous duty of self-discipline (Deuteronomy 32:15-18) demanded by Jehovah. “Passed over her fair neck,” says Keil, means “rushing in upon a person.” The actual idea is that of putting a heavy yoke upon the neck. No longer will Israel be treated like a privileged and petted heifer, but she will be yoked to a plow to do servile, exhausting labor (in captivity). So Judah, too, because of her sins will be taken captive. Israel (like Jacob) will be driven out of their homeland into exile, into hard labor of slavery.

Zerr: Hosea 10:11. Cattle were used for two purposes in Biblical times; to tread out corn and to pull the plow. The former was much easier and any heifer would prefer that work. Ephraim (Israel) is likened to a heifer that desired to be left at that work because she was taught or accustomed to it. But her owner was going to make her get into the yoke and help pull the plow. This is the meaning of passed over upon her fair (arched or proud) neck. Hide means to go forward into the work of pulling the plow. Of course this is all figurative and means that Israel had been blessed with the comparatively easy task of serving God in their home land (likened to the treading out of the grain), but now she is going to be forced into exile (likened to the heavier task of pulling the plow). And while in the figure, a few words are used to include Judah (the 2-tribe kingdom) in the prediction, since that kingdom also was destined to go into captivity as a punishment for its idolatry.

Questions

1. What is the meaning of likening Israel to a “luxuriant vine?”

2. What are the “goodly pillars?”

3. Why did Israel cry, “We have no king . . . what can he do for us?”

4. Why is “judgment springing up like hemlock?”

5. How and why did the people “mourn over” their calves of Bethaven?

6. What are the “high places” of Aven?

7. Whose “desire” is spoken of in Hosea 10:10?

8. How is Israel like a “heifer” that loves to tread out the grain?

Verses 12-15

Hos 10:12-15

REMONSTRATING—RENOVATE “FALLOW GROUND”

TEXT: Hosea 10:12-15

A last hour call to repentance and reformation of life is given. Unheeded, it calls forth inevitable destruction at the hands of Shalmaneser.

Hosea 10:12 Sow^H2232 to yourselves in righteousness,^H6666 reap^H7114 in^H6310 mercy;^H2617 break up^H5214 your fallow ground:^H5215 for it is time^H6256 to seek^{H1875 (H853)} the LORD,^H3068 till^H5704 he come^H935 and rain^H3384 righteousness^H6664 upon you.

Hosea 10:12 SOW . . . RIGHTEOUSNESS, REAP . . . KINDNESS . . . BREAK UP YOUR FALLOW GROUND . . . Sowing and reaping are favorite Oriental and Semitic figures of speech to use in expressing spiritual and moral conduct (cf. Job 4:8; Psalms 126:5; Jeremiah 4:3; Matthew 13:3 ff; Luke 8:5 ff; Proverbs 6:14; Proverbs 6:19; Proverbs 11:18; Proverbs 22:8; Hosea 8:7; John 4:36-37; 1 Corinthians 9:11; 2 Corinthians 9:6; 2 Corinthians 9:10; James 3:18, etc.) Here, it is evident, the prophet is exhorting the people to “sow deeds of righteousness” toward one another, in order that they may “reap kindness” from one another. Some commentators, in their attempt to belittle the idea that man must do righteous deeds in order to be pleasing to God, have misinterpreted this text by saying, “It is not a man-made righteousness, but that righteousness which the Lord is ready to grant abundantly as a gift of His grace to all that seek Him and His righteousness . . . Hence, sow toward righteousness—seek the Lord and His righteousness, prepared for you without any merit on your part by the Lord and sent by Him as freely, graciously, and abundantly as the rain from heaven.” Now we agree that man can never earn or attain, through his own meritorious deeds, the righteousness which God’s Holy Law demands. Man must, however, respond to the revealed will of God by doing righteous deeds in order to come into covenant relationship and remain in covenant relationship with God through Christ. Faith in God can be efficacious only if it issues forth in an obedient life of righteous deeds. “My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (cf. 1 John 3:1-24). There is only one way to be righteous. By the powerful motivation of faith in God through Christ to do the righteous will of God as it is revealed in His word! There is only one way to reap kindness—that is to actively sow righteousness. To do this, the people of Israel must have a change of mind, a change of heart, a conversion—they must “break up the hard, weed-infested soil of their sinful hearts.”

Zerr: Hosea 10:12. This verse is an exhortation based on the familiar illustration of sowing and reaping, that "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Righteousness (the thing sown) will bring the reaping of mercy. Break up your fallow ground means to make use of the ground that is capable of producing good crops but which has been allowed to lie uncultivated. The writer offers his own explanation of this figure in the words time to seek the Lord. The figure is then resumed in the words rain righteousness, since it is necessary to have rain to produce a crop.

How is this “fallow ground” to be broken up? By “seeking Jehovah” with the whole heart, (cf. our comments on Hosea 6:1-3). Jeremiah gives the same exhortation in Jeremiah 4:1-4. God will not “rain righteousness” down upon men until they have done something about their relationship to God’s commandments! God’s love, mercy, faithfulness, power, have all been demonstrated and revealed. God’s covenant terms have all been revealed, Now it is up to man to willingly, actively make the proper response.

The time for man to make such a response is always “Right Now” with God. It is always “Today” with God! For the man who chooses to live by faith in God it is also always “Today!” The man of God lives always in the present tense—yesterday is past and un-reclaimable, tomorrow is future and only God knows tomorrow, and so Today is the day of salvation (cf. Hebrews 3:7-19; 2 Corinthians 6:2; James 4:13, etc.), Men must seek the Lord while He may be found (cf. Isaiah 55:6-9), and call upon Him while he is near by forsaking their wicked ways and returning to His commandments!

Hosea 10:13 Ye have plowed^H2790 wickedness,^H7562 ye have reaped^H7114 iniquity;^H5766 ye have eaten^H398 the fruit^H6529 of lies:^H3585 because^H3588 thou didst trust^H982 in thy way,^H1870 in the multitude^H7230 of thy mighty men.^H1368

Hosea 10:13 YE HAVE PLOWED WICKEDNESS . . . REAPED INIQUITY . . . EATEN THE FRUIT OF LIES . . . Israel not only sowed wickedness, they cultivated it! They actually nurtured evil like a farmer would a crop of grain by cultivating and fertilizing it. But what was their harvest? Crime, anarchy, distrust, immorality, falsehood, all flourished in high places and low places. Their whole society was built on the crumbling foundation of lies. They deceived others, were deceived by others, but worse than all the rest, they deceived themselves and knew they were doing so all the time! You see, they trusted in their own counsel by which they deliberately deluded themselves; they trusted in their military and economic prowess which they knew from history was not equal to the power of God. How relevant the prophets are for twentieth century society!

Zerr: Hosea 10:13. Plowing and reaping is again used figuratively, and this time it pertains to the evil kind of products. The things sowed (plowed) is wickedness and the harvest is iniquity, and the particular kind of iniquity is lies. Israel was deceived by the leading men in the nation, who were selfish and unscrupulous in their teaching.

Hosea 10:14 Therefore shall a tumult^H7588 arise^H6965 among thy people,^H5971 and all^H3605 thy fortresses^H4013 shall be spoiled,^H7703 as Shalman^H8020 spoiled^H7701 Betharbel^H1009 in the day^H3117 of battle:^H4421 the mother^H517 was dashed in pieces^H7376 upon^H5921 her children.^H1121

Hosea 10:14 THEREFORE SHALL A TUMULT ARISE AMONG THY PEOPLE . . . Tumult is the word used to describe the noise and din of war. Right in the middle of their prosperous but decadent unconcern shall suddenly come war. They will suddenly be besieged and invaded by a foreign power. Their so-called impregnable fortress will be torn asunder. Their cities and villages will be burned and plundered. There will be many thousands slain, thousands of others taken captive and deported to a faraway land. Their invaders will be the cruel, blood-thirsty Assyrians who destroyed Beth-arbel (very likely the modern Kirbeth Irbid, about six miles southwest of Magdala in Galilee). Their king will be “Shalman” who is to be identified as the Shalmaneser II of 2 Kings 17:3-6. Not even women and innocent children will be spared.

Zerr: Hosea 10:14. The tumult threatened was to be the result of the Assyrian invasion. Shalman is another form for Shalmaneser the Assyrian king who came against Israel in a hostile manner and finally overcame the nation (2 Kings 17:3).

Hosea 10:15 So^H3602 shall Bethel^H1008 do^H6213 unto you because^{H4480 H6440} of your great wickedness:^{H7451 H7451} in a morning^H7837 shall the king^H4428 of Israel^H3478 utterly be cut off.^{H1820 H1820}

Hosea 10:15 SO SHALL BETH-EL DO UNTO YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR GREAT WICKEDNESS . . . And all this destruction and blood-letting is a consequence of Israel’s stubborn rebellion against a merciful God. Their rebellion is manifested most openly at Bethel where the temple and altar to the golden-calf is located and where the nation made pilgrimage constantly to bow down before its idols. All this will bring sudden, swift (“at daybreak”) destruction of the ruling monarch and of the nation. Israel will perish suddenly! She will be taken away quickly—there will be no long, extended expiration or wasting away. Her oblivion will come rapidly and completely!

Zerr: Hosea 10:15. The reference to Bethel is because of the idol that was set up there by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:29), which started the 10-tribe kingdom on its national record of idolatry. Bethel do unto you denotes that the ruin of the nation was to be as a chastisement for its constant worship of idols, beginning with the one placed at Bethel. Morning is used figuratively, meaning that the king of Israel would be overthrown in a short time after his country was invaded.

Questions

1. How does Hosea intend Israel to “sow righteousness?”

2. How is “fallow ground” to be broken up?

3. To what extent did Israel “plow” wickedness?

4. What were the consequences of plowing wickedness?

5. Who is “Shalman” and what did he do to Israel?

6. Where is Beth-arbel?

7. How long did it take for Israel to disappear from history?