Osea 12:8 Commento

In this chapter we have, I. A high charge drawn up against both Israel and Judah for their sins, which were the ground of God's controversy with them (Hos 12:1, Hos 12:2). Particularly the sin of fraud and injustice, which Ephraim is charged with (Hos 12:7), and justifies himself in (Hos 12:8). And the sin of idolatry (Hos 12:11), by which God is provoked to contend with them (Hos 12:14). II. The aggravations of the sins they are charged with, taken from the honour God put upon their father Jacob (Hos 12:3-5), the advancement of them into a people from low and mean beginnings (Hos 12:12, Hos 12:13), and the provision he had made them of helps for their souls by the prophets he sent them (Hos 12:10). III. A call to the unconverted to turn to God (Hos 12:6). IV. An intimation of mercy that God had in store for them (Hos 12:9).

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 12 This chapter contains complaints and charges both against Israel and Judah, and threatens them with punishment in case they repent not, which they are exhorted to: and first Ephraim is charged with idolatry, vain confidence in, and alliances with, foreign nations, Hos 12:1; and then the Lord declares he has a controversy with Judah, and will punish the inhabitants of it for their sins, Hos 12:2; which are aggravated by their being the descendants of so great a man as Jacob, who got the advantage of his elder brother, had much power with God, and received favours from him, and they also, Hos 12:3; and therefore are exhorted to turn to God, wait on him, and do that which is right and good, Hos 12:6. Ephraim is again in his turn charged with fraudulent dealing in trade, and with oppression, and the love of it; and yet pretended he got riches by his own labour, without wronging any, Hos 12:7; nevertheless, the Lord promises them public ordinances of worship, and joy in them, and the ministry of his prophets, Hos 12:9; though for the present they were guilty of gross idolatry, Hos 12:11; which is aggravated by the raising of Jacob their progenitor from a low estate, and the wonderful preservation of him, and the bringing of them out of Egypt, Hos 12:12; and the chapter is closed with observing Ephraim's bitter provocation of God, for which his reproach should return unto him, and his blood be left upon him, Hos 12:14.

And Ephraim said, yet I am become rich,.... Notwithstanding they took such unjust methods, as to use deceitful balances, they prospered in the world, got abundance of riches; and therefore concluded from thence that their manner of dealing was not criminal, at least not so bad as the prophets represented to them; and so promised themselves impunity, and that what they were threatened with would not come upon them; and, as long as they got riches, they cared not in what manner; and inasmuch as they prospered and succeeded in their course of trading, they were encouraged to go on, and not fear any evil coming upon them for it. According to Aben Ezra and Kimchi, the sense is, that they became rich of themselves, by their own industry and labour, and did not acknowledge that their riches, and power to get them, were of God. They gloried in them as their own attainments; and which they had little reason to do, since they were treasures of wickedness, and mammon of unrighteousness, which in a day of wrath would be of no service to them; I have found me out substance; they found ways and means of acquiring great riches, and large estates, by their own wisdom and cunning, and all for themselves, for their own use, to be enjoyed by them for years to come; and they were reckoned by them solid and substantial things, when a mere shadow, emptiness, and vanity; and were not to be employed for their own use and advantage only, but should have been for the good of others; nor were they to be attributed to their own sagacity, prudence, and management, but to the providence of God, admitting they had been got in ever so honourable and just a manner; in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin: here again Ephraim, or the people of Israel, vainly ascribe all their wealth and riches to their own labour, diligence, and industry, and take no notice of God and his providence, or of his blessing upon them; and pretend to be very upright and honest in their dealings, and that what they got were very honestly got, and would bear the strictest scrutiny; and that if their course of trade was ever so narrowly looked into, there would be nothing found that was very bad or criminal, that they could be justly reproached the; only some little trifling things, that would not bear the name of "sin", or deserve any correction or punishment; so pure were they in their own eyes, so blinded and hardened in sin, and fearless of the divine displeasure; like the adulterous woman, wiped their mouths when they had eaten the sweet morsels of sin, and said they had done no wickedness, Pro 30:20; or which was involuntary, and not done knowingly, as Kimchi and Abendana: or rather, as Ben Melech renders it, "no iniquity and sin"; and so others: or, best of all, "no iniquity or sin", as Noldius (a); no iniquity, or any kind of sin at all. Thus, as Ephraim was charged before with idolatry and lies in religion, so here with fraudulent dealings, and getting riches in an illicit way in civil things; and of whose repentance and reformation there was no hope. (a) Concord. Ebr. Part. p. 104. No. 522.

"Canaan in his hand deceitful balance, he loved calumny, and Ephraim said: Nevertheless, I have become rich, I have found myself an idol, all my labors will not find me the iniquity which I have sinned." LXX: "Canaan in his hand is the weight of iniquity, he loved to oppress through power, and Ephraim said: But I have become rich, I have found rest for myself, all his labors will not find him, for the iniquities in which he sinned." Judah had been warned to turn to the Lord his God, to keep mercy and judgment, and to hope in the Lord always, whether he approached him constantly. Now the discourse is turned to Ephraim, that is, to the ten tribes, which he calls Canaan, according to what Daniel speaks to the elder who was certainly of the seed of Judah: 'The seed of Canaan and not of Judah has deceived thee.' And in Ezekiel we read that it is said to Jerusalem: 'Thy father was an Amorite and thy mother a Hethite.' And in Isaiah it is said to the tribe of Judah: 'Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.' In the last verse of Zechariah we read: "And there shall be no more Canaanite in the house of the Lord" ((or "in the city")) (Zech. XIV, 21). But the Scripture says that Canaan, that is Ephraim, holds a deceitful or unjust balance in his hand, commanding, "Thou shalt have Just balances" (Leviticus XIX); not only does he have an unjust and deceitful balance, but he loves calumny and oppresses men by his power. And in case we might think Canaan referred to someone else, the Scripture more clearly shows who this Canaan is. Ephraim said: "Nevertheless, I have become rich;" and the meaning is: It does not matter where I possess, as long as I possess. Many suffer from this disease, about which it is written: "Wealth gathered unjustly will be vomited up again" (Job 20:15) "For the ransom of a life is costly, no payment is ever enough" (Proverbs 13:8). Hence we are commanded to make friends for ourselves with wicked mammon, who can receive us into eternal dwellings (Luke 16:9). But Ephraim, who boasts and says, "Nevertheless, I have become rich, I have found myself an idol," or, "useless," that is, Aven, which will not profit the possessor, has sweated in vain labor. But just as the gluttonous and luxurious belly is a god, so the greedy person worships the idol of gold, and says in his heart: 'I have found what I was looking for' but he will hear: 'You fool, this night your soul will be required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' (Luke 12:20). And when his eyes have once been blinded - not to speak of a brightness, but a blindness - by the wealth, he says: 'All my work will not find my iniquity, in which I have sinned.' And the sense is: whatever I may have sinned, if I have had wealth from those who need my help, it cannot be imputed to me, according to what is written: 'And he who behaves badly is blessed' (Ps. IX): For there are many friends of the rich. Therefore, this also refers to heretics themselves. "Canaan" can in fact be interpreted as "those who move." And note that he said, "as if moving" ((Al. "moving")), not "moving." They are moving, those whom they have deceived, as if moving, those whom they have tempted. But because they are founded on the rock (Matth. VII), they cannot be shaken by any storm, nor can they change the course of their feet. In the hand of this kind of Canaan, that is, in his works, the deceitful and unjust balance is; for whatever the heretic speaks, he does not have the justice of God, and is full of deceit and fraud; therefore, they love slander when they depress the innocent or oppress them by force. The poor cleric is overwhelmed by verbosity and clever arguments of heretics, who having deceived some people, often say: 'We have become rich, we have a large following; a crowd of disciples follows us; we have found an idol or a source of refreshment for ourselves.' For this reason, especially, heresies are formed, to consume the homes of widows who are always learning, but never coming to the knowledge of truth (2 Timothy 3). And fittingly, he says, 'I have found an idol for myself.' For all the inventions of heretics are nothing but idols and images of the heathen: and they differ little in impiety, though seeming to differ in name. And they are accustomed to say that whatever I do, whatever I accomplish, cannot be imputed to me: for I have my riches, the teachings of the philosophers; I have the multitude of the people, who whoever looks upon me will not consider me to be at fault.

The prophet, in very pointed terms, describes the unprofitableness and destruction attending vicious courses; particularly such as Ephraim pursued, who forsook God, and courted the alliance of idolatrous princes, Hos 12:1. Judah is also reproved, Hos 12:2. He is reminded of the extraordinary favor of God to his father Jacob, in giving him the birthright; and exhorted, after his example, to wrestle with God (the Angel of the covenant, the same unchangeable Jehovah) for a blessing; and to love mercy and execute justice, Hos 12:3-4. Ephraim is accused of pursuing practices that are deceitful, although pretending to integrity, Hos 12:7, Hos 12:8. God then threatens to deprive this people of their possessions, Hos 12:9, as they had rejected every means of reformation, Hos 12:10, and given themselves up to gross impieties, Hos 12:11. And, as an aggravation of their guilt, they are reminded from what humble beginnings they had been raised, Hos 12:12, Hos 12:13. The Divine judgments about to fall upon Israel are declared to be the result of great provocation, Hos 12:14.

I am become rich - They boasted in their riches, notwithstanding the unjust manner in which they were acquired. In all my labors they shall find none iniquity in me - This is frequently the language of merchants, tradesmen, etc. None are so full of professions of equity and justice, while all the time they are endeavoring to overreach, both in buying and selling. "Sir, I cannot afford it at that price." "It is not mine for that money." "I assure you that it cost me more than you offer." "I am sorry I cannot take your money; but if I did, I should lose by the article," etc., etc., etc. I have heard such language over and over, when I knew every word was false. Truth is a sacred thing in the sight of God; but who regards it as he should? There are, however, many noble exceptions among merchants and tradesmen. Bp. Newcome gives another turn to the subject, by translating: - "All his labors shall not be found profitable unto him, For the iniquity wherewith he hath sinned."

REPROOF OF EPHRAIM AND JUDAH: THEIR FATHER JACOB OUGHT TO BE A PATTERN TO THEM. (Hos 12:1-14) This prophecy was delivered about the time of Israel's seeking the aid of the Egyptian king So, in violation of their covenant with Assyria (see Hos 12:1). He exhorts them to follow their father Jacob's persevering prayerfulness, which brought God's favor upon him. As God is unchangeable, He will show the same favor to Jacob's posterity as He did to Jacob, if, like him, they seek God. feedeth on wind-- (Pro 15:14; Isa 44:20). Followeth after vain objects, such as alliances with idolaters and their idols (compare Hos 8:7). east wind--the simoon, blowing from the desert east of Palestine, which not only does not benefit, but does injury. Israel follows not only things vain, but things pernicious (compare Job 15:2). increaseth lies--accumulates lie upon lie, that is, impostures wherewith they deceive themselves, forsaking the truth of God. desolation--violent oppressions practised by Israel [MAURER]. Acts which would prove the cause of Israel's own desolation [CALVIN]. covenant with . . . Assyrians-- (Hos 5:13; Hos 7:11). oil . . . into Egypt--as a present from Israel to secure Egypt's alliance (Isa 30:6; Isa 57:9; compare Kg2 17:4). Palestine was famed for oil (Eze 27:17).

And--that is, Notwithstanding. Yet I am . . . rich--I regard not what the prophets say: I am content with my state, as I am rich (Rev 3:17). Therefore, in just retribution, this is the very language of the enemy in being the instrument of Israel's punishment. Zac 11:5 : "They that sell them say . . . I am rich." Far better is poverty with honesty, than riches gained by sin. my labours--my gains by labor. they shall find none--that is, none shall find any. iniquity . . . that were sin--iniquity that would bring down the penalty of sin. Ephraim argues, My success in my labors proves that I am not a guilty sinner as the prophets assert. Thus sinners pervert God's long-suffering goodness (Mat 5:45) into a justification of their impenitence (compare Ecc 8:11-13).

3. Israel's Apostasy and God's Fidelity - Hosea 12-14 For the purpose of proving that the predicted destruction of the kingdom is just and inevitable, the prophet now shows, in this last division, first that Israel has not kept the ways of its father Jacob, but has fallen into the ungodly practice of Canaan (Hos 12:1-14); and secondly, that in spite of all the manifestations of love, and all the chastisements received from its God, it has continued its apostasy and idolatry, and therefore perfectly deserves the threatened judgment. Nevertheless the compassion of God will not permit it to be utterly destroyed, but will redeem it even from death and hell (ch. 13-14:1). To this there is appended, lastly, in Hos 14:2-9, a call to conversion, and a promise from God of the forgiveness and abundant blessing of those who turn to the Lord. With this the book closes (Hos 14:1-9 :10). Thus we find again, that the contents of this last division fall very evidently into three parts (Hos 12:13, Hos 12:14, and Hos 14:2 -10), each of which is still further divisible into two strophes. Israel's Degeneracy into Canaanitish Ways - Hos 12:1-14 (Eng. V. 11:12-12:14). The faithlessness of Israel and Judah's resistance to God bring righteous punishment upon the entire posterity of Jacob (11:12-12:2); whereas the example of their forefather ought to have led them to faithful attachment to their God (Hos 12:3-6). But Israel has become Canaan, and seeks its advantage in deception and injustice, without hearkening to its God or to the voice of its prophets, and will be punished for its idolatry (Hos 12:7-11). Whereas Jacob was obliged to flee, and to serve for a wife in Aram, Jehovah led Israel out of Egypt, and guarded it by prophets. Nevertheless this nation has excited His wrath, and will have to bear its guilt (vv.12-14). The two strophes of this chapter are 11:12-12:6 and 7-14.