In this chapter, the prophet seems to rebuke the false prophets who draw the people, who had already been converted to God by Hosea, back to idols, who persuade the princes and the people that the king of Assyria is far away, that they have a gracious God and the right worship, and so they make every word of this prophet vain. These [false prophets] the prophet now attacks with the similitude of the oven and the baker who bakes bread, as if to say: You false prophets turn the people away and lead them to a false hope. You will be like the flour that the baker leavened and prepared the oven, heating it and baking bread, when the king of Assyria is already ready, comes and eats the bread. So you also will be food for the king of Assyria.
V. 1. howbeit they among themselves with thieves 2c. (Et fur ingressus est [spolians, latrunculus foris]).
Some interpret this from the enemies who rob secretly and in secret. But it seems to be related to the false teachers
who deal in lies, stealing and robbing by innumerable lies, and disguise themselves as angels of light. They enter under a shining guise and first darken the hearts, after that they kill. "Go thieves in and murderers 1) out." They steal in the house, outside they rob, that is, they make it their business to take away your goods.
V. 4. and are all adulterers.
The oven is heated by the Beckers and the dough is prepared for baking. This is the likeness of their adultery. For the ungodly teachers heat this oven, that is, they inflame the heart of the people, that they cleave to the lie against the prophet. - "When he hath kneaded out." 2) The opinion is: "When
1) Instead of "against" in the original we have" assumed "murderer" according to the previous writing. This is also suggested by Weimar.
2) In the original, the keyword here is: Osssavit sxvitars. Actually should have been put: Huisvit should have been put, because that is Luther's correction of the reading of the Vulgate. The old translator, who did not recognize this, puts "V. 6. ihr Becker schläft die ganze Nacht" as a keyword.
the oven is prepared, then the dough is kneaded and leavened, then it stands still until [the] morning, then bread is made from it." The translation makes the text dark. The prophet now wants to say: The people are prepared by the godless teachers to be food for all the Gentiles. They are safe because of all things, because the coming of the king is delayed. Then the oven is heated, that is, if we now think that we are safe, then the king comes and takes away us and all our goods.
V. 8 Ephraim mingled with the nations.
That is, Ephraim is mixed among the nations. A nation breaks over them, and it will be scattered on all sides, [it] "snatches (Reyß) everyone from them". For it has become the food of all nations, and there will be no change with it, that is, this does not cease, so that the opinion is: As long as the idols will not cease, so long will I not cease to afflict (vorare - devour) you.
V. 11. For Ephraim is like a tempted dove that does not want to notice anything.
The opinion is: It is seduced by the false prophets, so that it has no more insight (cor). Thus you have in short words the summa of the whole trade: All arbitrary things are persuaded to the poor people, but in such a way that they judge nothing. For those false prophets have deprived the people of all judgment, and have assigned the same to themselves, as has happened to us today by the popes and priests. - "Now they call Egypt." They will give gifts to the Egyptians and the Assyrians in order to defend themselves through them, and they will sit in security, so that 1) they will think that they already ruled. I will make them small, so that they will be caught unawares, and when they will think that they are well armed by the help of men, I will suddenly bring the king of Assyria, who will capture them.
V. 12. I will punish them as one preaches in their gathering.
1) Instead of et we have assumed ut, because otherwise the conjunctive xutsnt would not be explicable.
The "preaching" (auditus) here can be taken in an active or in a suffering way. Jerome has taken it in an active way, so that the meaning is: I will chastise them, because they rather hear one another than me. For they said, Why should we not do so? The king, the prince, the priest, the whole multitude of the people do so. God answers: I will chastise both those who hear and those who teach. The meaning can also be a passive one: I will chastise them according to what has been heard, that is, according to the words with which I have threatened them, so that the meaning is: As I have said through the prophets that they will perish, so it will happen; I will not change anything in my judgment, since they will not change anything in their lives.
V. 14. So they do not call me either.
Since you do not call from the heart, it is a real howl before me, however holy and godly what you shout may be. If it does not come from the heart, you mock and blaspheme me through it. - "For corn's sake and Moshi's." This passage has been twisted by the sophists to the sacrament of the altar, who immediately refer everything that is only about wine and bread to it. The opinion is: "All their striving is that they seek the temporal. Their crying does not seek my honor, but their belly, as David clearly describes in the 4th Psalm [v. 8].
V. 15. I teach them and strengthen their arm.
Until now they have learned from me, sought advice from me; I have given everything that was needed. But now they teach themselves new doctrines and new laws, they strengthen themselves with their arm and flesh, and seek help from Egypt.
V. 16. They are like a false bow.
The expression that the people are called a bow occurs frequently in Scripture. We are a bow of the Lord, if we walk in pure faith and have the word of the Lord. Therefore, when He fights through us against the ungodly and unbelieving, we are a bow and arrow to Him. Therefore
this is the opinion of this passage: The people have completely alienated themselves from me, so that I cannot use them against the ungodly, but they, themselves have already become ungodly from godly people, so much so that I needed others, whom I would like to use as a bow. - "Their princes shall fall by the sword." Because they let me call in vain through my prophets, not only will the people fall, but also the
Most select, both princes and elders. - "Their dread shall become mockery." Jerome interprets it of the sin in Egypt. But I understand it thus: they will fall on the sword of the Assyrians; it will not help them that they want to protect themselves with human counsel against God. "Behold, these are the Junkers, who [are] forsaking Egypt. So they will be mocked," because they wanted to bring help from Egypt against the Assyrians.