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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
Idolatry of Israel; The Prophet's Remonstrances; Promises to the Penitent. (b. c. 760.)
IDOLATRY OF ISRAEL; THE PROPHET'S REMONSTRANCES; PROMISES TO THE PENITENT. (B. C. 760.) Some think that this chapter refers to Judah, the two tribes, as the adulteress the prophet married (Hosea 1:3) represented the ten…
The Sinfulness of Israel. (b. c. 758.)
THE SINFULNESS OF ISRAEL. (B. C. 758.) Here is, I. The court set, and both attendance and attention demanded: "Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for to you is the word of this conviction sent, whether y…
Grounds of God's Controversy with Israel; The Sins of the Priests and People. (b. c. 758.)
GROUNDS OF GOD'S CONTROVERSY WITH ISRAEL; THE SINS OF THE PRIESTS AND PEOPLE. (B. C. 758.) God is here proceeding in his controversy both with the priests and with the people. The people were as those that strove with t…
The Sins of the Priests and the People; Warning to Judah. (b. c. 758.)
THE SINS OF THE PRIESTS AND THE PEOPLE; WARNING TO JUDAH. (B. C. 758.) In these verses we have, as before, I. The sins charged upon the people of Israel, for which God had a controversy with them, and they are, 1. Spiri…
Charge against Israel and Judah; Judgments Threatened. (b. c. 758.)
CHARGE AGAINST ISRAEL AND JUDAH; JUDGMENTS THREATENED. (B. C. 758.) Here, I. All orders and degrees of men are cited to appear and answer to such things as shall be laid to their charge (Hosea 5:1): Hear you this, O pri…
Threatenings of Judgment. (b. c. 758.)
THREATENINGS OF JUDGMENT. (B. C. 758.) Here is, I. A loud alarm sounded, giving notice of judgments coming (Hosea 5:8): Blow you the cornet in Gibeah and in Ramah, two cities near together in the confines of the two kin…
Penitential Resolutions; Promises. (b. c. 758.)
PENITENTIAL RESOLUTIONS; PROMISES. (B. C. 758.) These may be taken either as the words of the prophet to the people, calling them to repentance, or as the words of the people to one another, exciting and encouraging one…
Promises and Expostulations; The Crimes of the People. (b. c. 758.)
PROMISES AND EXPOSTULATIONS; THE CRIMES OF THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 758.) Two things, two evil things, both Judah and Ephraim are here charged with, and justly accused of:— I. That they were not firm to their own convictions,…
Charge Drawn up against Israel; The Crimes of the Princes. (b. c. 750.)
CHARGE DRAWN UP AGAINST ISRAEL; THE CRIMES OF THE PRINCES. (B. C. 750.) Some take away the last words of the foregoing chapter, and make them the beginning of this: "When I returned, or would have returned, the captivit…
The Crimes of the People; Infatuation of Ephraim; Ephraim's Obstinate Rebellion; Ephraim's Hypocrisy. (b. c. 750.)
THE CRIMES OF THE PEOPLE; INFATUATION OF EPHRAIM; EPHRAIM'S OBSTINATE REBELLION; EPHRAIM'S HYPOCRISY. (B. C. 750.) Having seen how vicious and corrupt the court was, we now come to enquire how it is with the country, an…
Sin and Punishment of Israel; Crimes Charged against Israel; Sottish Idolatry of Israel. (b. c. 745.)
SIN AND PUNISHMENT OF ISRAEL; CRIMES CHARGED AGAINST ISRAEL; SOTTISH IDOLATRY OF ISRAEL. (B. C. 745.) The reproofs and threatenings here are introduced with an order to the prophet to set the trumpet to his mouth (Hosea…
The Sins of Israel; The Crimes of the People. (b. c. 745.)
THE SINS OF ISRAEL; THE CRIMES OF THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 745.) It was the honour and happiness of Israel that they had but one God to trust to and he all-sufficient in every strait, and but one God to serve, and he well wor…
Threatenings of Judgment. (b. c. 740.)
THREATENINGS OF JUDGMENT. (B. C. 740.) Here, I. The people of Israel are charged with spiritual adultery: O Israel! thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, Hosea 9:1. Their covenant with God was a marriage-covenant, by w…
Threatenings of Judgment. (b. c. 740.)
THREATENINGS OF JUDGMENT. (B. C. 740.) For their further awakening, it is here threatened, I. That the destruction spoken of shall come speedily. They shall have no reason to hope for a long reprieve, for the judgment s…
Threatenings of Judgment. (b. c. 740.)
THREATENINGS OF JUDGMENT. (B. C. 740.) In the foregoing verses we saw the sin of Israel derived from their fathers; here we see the punishment of Israel derived to their children; for, as death entered by sin at first,…
Degeneracy of Israel; Threatenings of Judgment. (b. c. 730.)
DEGENERACY OF ISRAEL; THREATENINGS OF JUDGMENT. (B. C. 730.) Observe, I. What the sins are which are here laid to Israel's charge, the national sins which bring down national judgment. The prophet deals plainly with the…
Threatenings of Judgment. (b. c. 730.)
THREATENINGS OF JUDGMENT. (B. C. 730.) Here, I. They are put in mind of the sins of their fathers and predecessors, for which God would now reckon with them. It was told them (Hosea 9:9) that they had corrupted themselv…
God's Goodness to Israel; The Ingratitude of Israel; God's Displeasure with Israel. (b. c. 730.)
GOD'S GOODNESS TO ISRAEL; THE INGRATITUDE OF ISRAEL; GOD'S DISPLEASURE WITH ISRAEL. (B. C. 730.) Here we find, I. God very gracious to Israel. They were a people for whom he had done more than for any people under heave…
The Divine Forbearance. (b. c. 730.)
THE DIVINE FORBEARANCE. (B. C. 730.) In these verses we have, I. God's wonderful backwardness to destroy Israel (Hosea 11:8-9): How shall I give thee up? Here observe, 1. God's gracious debate within himself concerning…
The Crimes of Israel and Judah; Expostulations with Israel. (b. c. 723.)
THE CRIMES OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH; EXPOSTULATIONS WITH ISRAEL. (B. C. 723.) In these verses, I. Ephraim is convicted of folly, in staying himself upon Egypt and Assyria, when he was in straits (Hosea 12:1): Ephraim feeds o…
Reproof for Sin; Judgment Threatened; Memorials of Divine Mercy. (b. c. 723.)
REPROOF FOR SIN; JUDGMENT THREATENED; MEMORIALS OF DIVINE MERCY. (B. C. 723.) Here are intermixed, in these verses, I. Reproofs for sin. When God is coming forth to contend with a people, that he may demonstrate his own…
Reproofs and Threatenings. (b. c. 722.)
REPROOFS AND THREATENINGS. (B. C. 722.) Idolatry was the sin that did most easily beset the Jewish nation till after the captivity; the ten tribes from the first were guilty of it, but especially after the days of Ahab;…
Ingratitude of Israel. (b. c. 722.)
INGRATITUDE OF ISRAEL. (B. C. 722.) We may observe here, 1. The plentiful provision God had made for Israel and the seasonable supplies he had blessed them with (Hosea 14:5): "I did know thee in the wilderness, took cog…
The Folly of Israel; Promises of Mercy. (b. c. 722.)
THE FOLLY OF ISRAEL; PROMISES OF MERCY. (B. C. 722.) The first of these verses is the summary, or contents, of all the rest (Hosea 14:9), where we have, 1. All the blame of Israel's ruin laid upon themselves: O Israel!…