In the fifth chapter, he will deal with a special service. The prophet did not write this at once and at the same time, nor did he preach it in one and the same year. The Assyrian captivity happened while Hosea was still alive. He prophesied for a long time, almost forty years and more. If this is taken into account, the understanding of the prophecy is all the easier etc.
V. 1. Hear now this etc.
Like ses] "shall not be there". 2) This is a magnificent speech, it demands attentive listeners. In no book of the kings the history is described etc. One sees that they made a council to set up a new idolatry to propitiate God against the king of Assyria, who was already in the country etc., "wanted to pretend to be pious", while they should have kept the law of God and his word, and not set up a new worship etc. Seeing this, the prophet is prompted [to cry out against them] 3) etc. Full of spirit and boldness, this speech of the prophet chastises. - "Who have become a snare to Mizpah." That this [Mizpah] must be the proper name of a place, none of the interpreters saw. "Is this not a tentation?" Mizpah is a well-known place and a very famous city etc.
2) In the original: "kient sal nicht do sein. The meaning will be: Hear now this, how it shall not be with you.
3) Added by us after the next scripture.
So you must read: "For you became a rope at Mizpah and a net stretched out at Thabor." One must guess this history, because it is not written etc. Where something special (res egregia) happens, we set up an idol; so also the Jews or the Israelites etc. Because Samuel anointed Saul at Mizpah, therefore we will set up a new worship here. Of Thabor, a famous mountain, see the fifth chapter of the book of Judges [Judges 4:6]. 4) That they have established a service there, the prophet says. You have become a snare and a vexation to all the people because you have established a new worship service. As if he wanted to say: It was not enough that you have established worship on the mountains and high places, now you are establishing a new one etc.
V. 2. with battles.
The prophet speaks with very hateful words. Out of displeasure he calls it a slaughter or a meat market, he does not deign to call it sacrifice etc. The Hebrew text has: Aversi profundastis [XXXXXX XXXX == the
Transgressions have made them deep^. He means the pretense and the larva with which they deceived or wanted to deceive the people and the right prophets etc. Note: if the popes were intent on reformation, they would "deepen" (profundarent) thus etc. "Woe,
4) Here the Weimar edition has a comma, the Erlangen one no punctuation mark.
who want to be hidden" (qui estis profundi corde), says Isaiah [Cap. 29, 15.]. - Et aversi victimas fecistis profundas [and in your turning away you have made the sacrifices profound], that is, under the very beautiful semblance of your reformation you hide the sacrifices etc. and think that we will be deceived; this will not happen, nor will you deceive God etc. Therefore, God says, "Therefore, I must punish them all," as if to say: To the people you will throw a rope, but I will be an avenger, before me you will not hide.
V. 3. That Ephraim is now a harlot.
"Nor do they do it more."
V. 4. [They do not think about it.]
Instead of cogitationes it would be better: studia. They stay with their idols and do not think about turning to their God.
V. 5. Therefore the court of Israel shall be humbled.
He prophesies of the future calamity. That is, finally the conscience will come and put it to shame. "Challenge teaches to remember the word" [Is. 28, 9], "it is right for me", I have well deserved it. "Ephraim" is the tribe, the land. - "Judah also shall fall." This is to be understood according to the figure of synecdoche: not the whole of Judah, but a large part shall fall. Above Cap. 1, 7. he said it will not fall etc.
V. 6. But do not find.
It must be read [cum gregibus instead of] 1) in gregibus [in the Vulgate]. He says [: "With sheep,"] not: with sacrifices; it is only sheep and cattle etc. - s "He turned from them."] From the false prophets he is taken away by false and ungodly doctrines.
V. 7. foreign children.
Idolaters, which is most displeasing to the Lord, that they do not raise their children in the fear of God, but in idolatry.
1) Inserted by us. This is what Luther wrote in his Latin translation.
and ignorance of God etc. - Cum partibus, better: with their corners. - "New moon" (mensis), a definite time for an indefinite one, as if he wanted to say: "It is about a moon", then he will devour them etc. Partes are actually called the allotted inheritances, as if he wanted to say: The king of Assyria will take away both the citizens and the possessions in one month etc.
V. 8. blow trumpets etc.
The prophet is dark. From the location of the holy land you know that Benjamin is in the middle between the tribes of Israel and Judah. Among the cities of Benjamin these two cities "Gibeah" and "Nama" are counted. See the book of Joshua [Cap. 7, 2.] after about "BethAven" etc. I do not know if the prophet wants to be understood here 2) etc. He seems to me to be speaking here of the utter and general ruin of the people, both of Israel and Judah etc. This should be the beginning of a new chapter. 3) The prophet has in mind that the people of Israel shall be destroyed both by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, and shall finally be afflicted in captivity until they go into themselves through the plague and seek the face of God etc. Thus he passes from the carnal kingdom of Israel to the spiritual kingdom of Christ. - BethAven, which is behind your back, O Benjamin, that is, behind you in the borders of Judah, 4) "calls you to (zcu) battle, you may well be." He begins with a glorious summoning of the people, as if he is going to say something great, namely [it is
2) namely "this or that", which is not indicated here. The next following scripture offers: I do not know what the prophet wants to be understood.
3) Here still follow in the original (without preceding punctuation mark) the words: us^ue aousounre vellet. which we have left untranslated because we could not get any sense from them. Possibly with these words the new sentence could begin. The subject of this sentence would be totus populus.
4) Here in the manuscript and the printings is still q. 6. - "as if he wanted to say", which seems to us too much, or there is a gap in the manuscript here. According to the Hallic manuscript and the next following manuscript, instead of "ruft" it is "Rüstet euch". The former offers: Kentoutia: prnepnrattz vos nd bell um; the latter: ut sit senttzntia: Rüstend üch an stryt.
1) your death or destruction and the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. With the trumpet or with trumpets the people were called together for the battle.
V. 9. Ephraim.
This is the resolution: "It is over, may cry, whistle" etc. "It will soon be over, will not return, over, over!". - Among the tribes of Israel I will make known (my reliability) (should read] 2) instead of: ostendi fidem. Fidem, that is, certainty. "I will prove that my words will be true," I will show that my prophets have spoken the truth, they will feel it by experience that I am true in my words: "I will have once true."
V. 10. The princes of Judah etc.
Now it deals with Judah. - "Like water," that is, exceedingly abundant.-Assumentes, that is, "those who move." See the passage in the fifth book of Moses (Cap. 19, 14.) that one should not move the boundaries of the widows, "the fence wider, the neighbor's closer" etc. Judah and Israel had a deadly hatred for each other; they fought on and on, Judah wanting Israel to be utterly destroyed. The cause of this was the borders, which soon took these and soon those etc., as now our princes fight for land and people etc. - "I will pour out." "They shall also go away." It is one and the same final judgment on Judah and on Israel etc.
V. 11. Ephraim suffers violence etc. (Calumniam etc. )
This seems to be understood by the people who were in captivity, what they had suffered there. Now he summarizes both kinds of people. It is certain that they were treated badly as strangers. "One must suffer violence," Ephraim is exposed to the violence of all. - ("It serves him right." (Vulg. Fractus judicio.)) Fractus, that is, crushed, that is, whose
1) Inserted by us.
2) Inserted by us.
Right no one judges, if he also has just cause. "Must rather be crushed" as is now done with the poor even in righteous causes. - "For he hath given himself" etc. Quia coepit abire post praeceptum, so the Jews take it, but I stay for the time being with Jerome, who reads (instead of praeceptum] sordes. And it is the opinion: He suffers violence and has no continuation of his cause and his right, because they follow their impurity and pure filth. It reads harshly: "According to the commandment of men", but better is: sordes, "becomes a pagan".
V. 12. I am a moth to Ephraim.
That is, I consume them daily, like a moth, as they become heathens every day.
V. 13. And when Ephraim felt his sickness.
The punishments we feel, the guilt rarely. Ephraim sees its sickness, but it does not feel its blight; it does not know how to remedy its pain. Instead of vinculum (in the Vulgate) would be better, "wounds" (dolorem).-"Went Ephraim to Asshur." Ephraim sees his misery and joins with the king of Assyria, "that is, Gracious Junker," I will do what you will. Here one must counsel (divinandum). The king of Assyria is called "the king of Jareb", either of a city or of a castle etc. He (Ephraim) sent envoys for help (to the king,) (where we have (instead of: "Jareb", in the Vulgate) ultorem). 3) As if to say, "But he could not help you" etc. I will gnaw you and consume you and you shall feel no help etc.
V. 14. For I am as a lion to Ephraim.
As if he wanted to say: Mine is the punishment. I, who am otherwise a gentle savior and merciful, am a lioness and a young lion to you; with impetuosity I will execute the punishment on you. - "I, I tear them" is how the word "I" is repeated in Hebrew.
V. 15. Again I will go to my place.
That is, I have been with you, you have had my prophets, the law and all etc.
3) These brackets are set by us.
Now I will depart from you, you shall have no prophets until Christ, neither in captivity nor after, and I will leave you. Then the traditions began to reign. - "Until they realize their guilt." Until you condemn yourselves
or judge, that is, until you feel your iniquities and your guilt, and so, since your iniquities oppress you, seek my face. What follows is about the kingdom of Christ; now is the transition from captivity to the kingdom of Christ etc.