Bible Commentaries
Hosea 11

Verse 1

Hos 11:1. This verse is both history and prophecy. Its first meaning is history, for in chapter 2: 15, the time when Israel literally came out of Egypt is called the days of her youth. That is virtually the same language as our present verse. And we know It Is prophecy also, for Mat 2:15 quotes it and says that the calling of Jesus out of Egypt was a fulfillment of the words of the prophet. The moral of the statement is that God cared for His people when they were the most helpless, bringing them out of a condition from which they could not have escaped by their own strength.

Verse 2

Hos 11:2. God sent the call to Israel, but it was done through representatives, and the pronoun they refers to them. The entire history of Israel is a record of rebellion against the true prophets and other leaders sent by the Lord to warn them against the evil nations around them. Baalim was the name of the invisible or imaginary gods, and the graven images were the ones carved out of wood, stone and metal.

Verse 3

Hos 11:3. The Lord offered his teaching to Ephraim (Israel), but he did not profit thereby. Taking them by their arms denotes the tender care and assistance that God extended to them. Knew not that 1 healed them means that the people of Israel did not realize the benefit that would have been enjoyed by them if they had accepted the offers of mercy from God.

Verse 4

Hos 11:4. Cords of a man and bands of love denote the same thing. God was kind and tender with his people and did not use harsh cords with which he might draw a beast along. Take off the yoke is stated with the same significance, meaning that He would relieve his people of the hardships that an enemy would have imposed upon them. He not only lifted the load from their bodies, but offered food for their nourishment.

Verse 5

Hos 11:5. The backsliding ways of Israel would have entitled him to be sent back into the bondage in Egypt, but the Lord would not use that form of punishment this time. However, he must have some form of chastisement, hence the decree was to suffer the Assyrian king to invade the land and take its people away into exile.

Verse 6

Hos 11:6. There was not much actual warfare between Assyria and Israel, but the sword of the invader was present as a threat, and hence made the invasion effective.

Verse 7

Hos 11:7. People are bent means they are inclined to backsliding. They is explained at verse 2. The people were so interested in their idols that they paid very little attention to the call for worship of the true God.

Verse 8

Hos 11:8, The gist of this verse is a lamentation of the Lord over the unfaithfulness of His people. He regrets that he will need to give them up and deliver them into the hands of a foreign nation for punishment. Admah and Zeboim were two of the cities that were destroyed in the days of Lot (Gen 14:2; Gen 19:25). It does not mean that Israel was to be literally destroyed as were those cities, but the rejection was to be as certain. Turned means changed or reversed; repentings means compassion or leniency; kindled means to contract or be reduced. The sentence denotes that God’s attitude is changed toward the people of Israel because of their unfaithfulness.

Verse 9

Hos 11:9. Not execute the fierceness of mine anger denotes that if they were treated as they deserved they would be destroyed. But God is more long- suffering than man, hence He will chastise his people and give them an-other chance. Not enter into the city ns a destroying enemy, but He will suffer their cities to be taken over by the foreign army in order to have them chastised.

Verse 10

Hos 11:10. When the people have been chastised they will walk after the Lord. Be (the Lord) shall roar refers to the expressive threatening that will be heard by the sinful nation, and tremble is from a word that virtually means the same as response, The one subject is continued through the verse, which is the good effect the chastisement will have on the people. Tremble, means to respond to the treatment received from God. The West is somewhat indefinite, but as it is used here the indication is that a general response will be given to the Lord’s call for repentance.

Verse 11

Hos 11:11. The bulk of the citizens of the 10-tribe kingdom was to be carried into Assyria, but some of them were scattered here and there in other countries. Hence this "trembling" (response) will be in evidence in Egypt as well as in Assyria. Place them in their houses is a prediction of the return from the captivity. The historical fulfillment of this prediction is quoted with the comments on Isa 14:1 in volume 3 of this COMMENTARY. The Biblical fulfillment may be seen in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Verse 12

Hos 11:12, Ephraim and house of Israel means the same people. The lies and deceit refers to the false prophecies of the unfaithful teachers in the country. Judah yet ruleth means that at present the 2-tribe kingdom was In a fairly favorable relation with God, not having gone so far into idolatry.