wrest *. 11. They shall hurry like the sparrow from Egypt, and like the dove from Assyria † a and I will settle them in their own houses, saith the Lord. 12. Ephraim hath compassed me about with treachery, and the house of Israel with deceit. But Judah shall yet obtain dominion with God, and shall be established with the Holy Ones §.

COM

fi.e. the children, for to what antecedent can they be referred except the children?) do mean the natural Israel in the second case it will follow therefore, that children (the antecedent of they) must mean another branch of the natural Israel in the first case. Or, è converso, if children in the one case do not mean part of the natural Israel; then neither can they (the children) in the other case mean part of the natural Israel. Mr. Lowth understands the passage as I do.

* Shull hurry from the west.] Isaiah similarly predicts the return of Judah. "They shall lift up their voice; they shall "exult in the majesty of the Lord; they shall shout from the "west. Wherefore glorify ye the Lord by Urim, the name of "the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea." (Isaiah xxiv. 14, 15.) And again: "Surely the isles shall wait for me, and "the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far." Isaiah Ix. 9.

They shall hurry-from Egypt-and Assyria.] Thus Isaiah foretells the restoration of those that were lost in Assyria and `were outcasts in the land of Egypt. See Isaiah xxvii. 12, 13. and comparé xi. 15, 16.-xix. 23, 24, 25: and Zechar. x. 10, 11. See Mr. Lowth in loc.

Obtain dominion.]

A promisory allusion to a final resto. "ration of the Jewish monarchy." Bp. Horsley in loc.

§ Established with the Holy Ones.]"The word 'established (6 may signify either the constancy of Judah's fidelity to the Holy "Ones; or the firmness of the support which he shall receive

"from

COMMENTARY.

This prophecy relates to the restoration of the whole house of Israel, for both Judah and Ephraim are particularized in it. Long as the captivity of Judah has been, longer yet as the captivity of Ephraim has been; yet God will never forget or abandon his people Israel. In due season they shall surely walk after the Lord, notwithstanding they now seem to be forsaken by him. When that season arrives, twice will he exalt his voice, and roar aloud. At the first roaring, children shall hurry from the west: the converted Jews shall be rapidly brought back from the western regions of Europe by the instrumentality of the great maritime power. At the second roaring, other children shall hurry like the sparrow from Egypt, and like the dove from Assyria: the converted Israelites shall return from the countries of their dispersion, and particularly from the land of Assyria whither they were originally carried, and in the neighbourhood of which they are now lost. Thus, notwithstanding their former treachery and deceit, God will settle them in their own houses, and establish them with the Holy Ones.

"from them. The Holy Ones, the Holy Trinity. By the use "of this plural word the prophecy clearly points to the con"version of the Jewish people to the Christian faith. Even the "Jewish expositors, R. Tanchum and Kimchi, understand "this plural word in this place as signifying God." Bp. Horsley in loc.

VOL. II.

M

PRO

PROPHECY XXX.

The restoration and conversion of Israel-His rejection of Antichrist.

Hosea xiv. 1. Return, O Israel*, unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 2. Take with you words, and return unto the Lord. Say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and accept good. So will we render thee bullocks, our own lips . 3. The Assyrian shall not save us; we will mount no cavalry, and no more we will say, Our gods are ye, to the work of our own hands: inasmuch as with thee the fatherless obtaineth fond protection. 4. I will restore their conversion .

* Return, O Israel.] "The whole family of Israel, in both "its branches, is addressed." Bp. Horsley in loc.

+ Bullocks, our own lips.] Lips are here put for praises and thanksgivings uttered by the lips. This kind of metonymy, "which puts the cause or instrument for the effect, is very fre"quent with the sacred writers. By calling vocal devotions "bullocks, the phraseology shews, that this form of supplication "is prepared for those times, when animal sacrifices will be "abolished, and prayer and thanksgiving will be the only "offering." Bp. Horsley in loc.

Their conversion.] "That is, their converted race. I take "conversion as a collective noun for converts; like captivity, "for the captives and dispersion, for the dispersed. The con"verted nation God promises to restore to his favour, and to a situation of prosperity and splendour." Bp. Horsley in loc.

I will love them gratuitously; for mine anger is departed from me. 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, and strike his roots like the forest trees of Lebanon. 6. His suckers shall spread farther and farther; and he shall be like the olive tree, for his beauty; and a smell shall be in him like the smell of Lebanon. 7. They shall return. Sitting under his shadow, they shall abound in corn. They shall germinate like the vine, and be famous as the wine of Lebanon. 8. Ephraim ! What have I to do any more with idols *? I have answered him. And I will make him flourish like a green fir-tree. From me thy fruit is supplied.

9. Who is wise †? for he will consider these things; intelligent? for he shall comprehend them. For straight and even are the ways of the Lord, and the justified shall proceed in them, but revolters shall stumble therein ‡.

COM

*

·Ephraim-idols.] · "An exultation of Jehovah over idols. "Ephraim! Even he is returned to me. I have no more contest "to carry on with idols. They are completely overthrown. "My sole Godhead is confessed." Bp. Horsley in loc.

+ Who is wise?] This passage exactly tallies with what Daniel says relative to the same awful period. See Dan. xii. 10.

Revolters shall stumble therein.] "To the incorrigible "enemies of God the very scheme of mercy itself will be a "cause of error, confusion, and ruin. The word yw expresses a degree and enormity of disobedience far beyond

66

COMMENTARY.

Hosea concludes his prophecies with declaring in the strongest terms, that God will surely restore the converted race of Israel, Ephraim no less than Judah, and bless them in their own land with a wonder

any thing contained in the notion of transgressors, prevari"cators, or any other denomination of guilt, by which the "word is rendered in our English Bible. It denotes rebels, in "the highest sense of the word; such as rise in opposition to "the authority of a sovereign, because he is by right a sove“ reign; and in a religious sense, such as wilfully, with pre"meditation, disobey God from hatred of his authority-wa "is a bold avowed rebellion, or revolt, disowning the authority "of the sovereign, and having for its end the overthrow of his

sovereignty. But it will be said; Who ever was so mad, as "to avow or entertain a design or hope of overthrowing the "sovereignty of God? I say, Numbers in all ages of the world. "Atheists, Deists, Idolaters, and secular powers that persecute "revealed religion. Many of these indeed retain the name of

፡፡

a God, or Gods, as signifying, in their conceptions, an "Animus mundi, or physical powers in different parts of the "material world. But they all disown and oppose the God of "the Old Testament, and the New; the God of Jews, and of “Christians. And they endeavour what they can to overthrow "his authority, by uniting their efforts (in vain, but much in "earnest) for the extirpation of the Christian religion. If "those, who, in the present day, are most forward, and most "powerful, in this work of impiety, affect a partiality for the "Jews; it is, because they hope to draw them in to take a "part in the demolition of Christianity: and, when that is ef "fected, they expect to find in Judaism an easy conquest. "Whether any part, or what part, of the Jews may be drawn