"This is also a dark chapter." The opinion is briefly this: He seems to be dealing with the fact that, since he had punished until now and might have brought both the king and the people to repentance, he is confronted by the false prophets who stir up the people against the good prophet and make the word vain, as is also happening now. Hereupon he comes "on baking", he becomes a baker or bread kneader (pinsor), as if he wanted to say: With your teachings you will bring it to the point that the people will provoke God to anger, and Ephraim will become what the Assyrian can eat from 2c.
V. 1. If I will heal Israel.
Namely, from the idolatry through my prophets, "the people had almost been brought to justice", but the princes of Samaria "cause a new calamity", a new lie, instruct the people how they should behave against the Lord and how they should seek peace with the Assyrian. No one instructs the people to trust 2c. - "For though they be troubled among themselves with thieves" 2c. This seems to me the prophet is referring to the godless teachers. They disguise themselves into an angel of light 2c., "thieves go in and murderers go out." He also accuses them of theft and robbery. So I can say of our priests: as thieves they go in, as murderers they go out; one should give against the Turk 2c. And he does not speak of the adversaries who enter in any way 2c. The ungodly doctrines judge corrupters
They are in the conscience as well as in the goods. And they do not even think that I have all their evil before my eyes, they act securely and present their lies 2c. "just [as] if the Lord were dead" and not even watching 2c.
V. 2. Yet they will not notice 2c.
Forte [in the Vulgate] is to be erased. That is, they do not even consider that I remember all their wickedness. - "Which they do everywhere" [Nunc circumdederunt etc.). "Through and through again, around and around," that is, everywhere there is such activity among them, and I have them before my eyes. With these beautiful lies they smear the mouths of the kings and the people, as in the day is with the indulgence 2c. They have all the right names, pretenses and appearances, that the Turks must be subdued and the brethren liberated. This is a lie.
V. 3. They put off the king by their wickedness 2c.
This is so that the king will not grieve over his sins and turn to repentance; the evil prophets turn him away 2c. They comfort them, they make them obdurate, so that the kings do not recognize their sins. The princes also serve them for a mockery. These make the princes confident, and they hear these people gladly 2c.; and this is done so that it may come to light that the word is protected by the power of GOD and stands by its own power, lest they boast that they receive it by their power.
V. 4. and are all adulterers 2c.
"A heavy text." - A coquente, better: that the Becker heats. We want to see if we can "hit". That is, all, the princes and the people, are turned away, they commit adultery, namely spiritual. "Like" indicates a like. Clibanus, a baked rose, heated by the becker, is the likeness of their adultery 2c. The ungodly teachers are heating this oven, that is, they are setting the heart of this people on fire to cling to the foolish lie that these people brought up against the prophet Hosea. - Instead of quievit it should read: He has stopped working the kneaded dough until it is leavened. 1)-Note the manner and form of preparation for baking 2c. The whole likeness is taken from the baker. He speaks of bread for food (cibario), not of delicious bread (regio) 2c.; he speaks of common bread, "Freßbrod", not for pleasure 2c. The godless teachers are the baker. - The heart is the oven. It is kindled that marriage may be broken with you, "kneading" is as living as the heart is kindled by false teaching. "Standing the dough and running out" is to expect the king of Assyria until through lies and false persuasions the whole nation is caught, that is, the nation believes you and lives so until it is all leavened. Paululum is not in the Hebrew. That inflaming makes you puffed up and confident 2c.
V. 5. Today is the feast of our king 2c.
As if he wanted to say: You do this baking on the feast day of the king, that is, on the day of our king you did all this, when the princes began to become mad from the wine, the princes, namely, inflamed by you. - This is how he (the king) draws the scoffers to him," that is, the false prophets who deceive the people.
1) Here already, at least erroneously, in the manuscript and in the prints the first half of the fifth verse is given as keyword. The remark made about xuululurn is in particular proving; this stands in the fourth verse. - "The heart" is highlighted as a keyword in the prints and is labeled "v. 6." by the Erlanger in the margin. This is inverted. "The oven" is Subject; the heart, the spiritual interpretation of the same, is Predicate. All this belongs to the fourth verse.
V. 6. But their becker sleeps all night.
That is, meiue (namely the false) prophets are now safe, like a Becker, "who has preserved". - "Of the morning," that is, in the following time, when all are persuaded. The meaning is clear 2c. The king of Assyria "shall eat the cake and the bread".
V. 7. They are still so hot with devotion 2c.
Hosea, "the liar there," said that we will perish; that is nothing. - "The judges," who judge rightly, "must perish." - "All their kings," as if to say, "Is it not a pity" that all kings fall? "they all fall." They cry out under my name, but not to me 2c.
V. 8. Ephraim.
This is the application of the parable: Ephraim is mixed among the nations, "everyone eats him", and he is scattered everywhere. Instead of subcinericius, it is better to put common bread (cibarius); that is, Ephraim has become the food of all nations, especially of the king of Assyria. - "Which no one turns over", that is, with which no change takes place 2c., always it is eaten.
V. 9. but strangers devour his strength 2c.
That is, everything that was in his forces 2c. of wine, of land, of grain, "eat other people". - Instead of nescit is to read: "he does not recognize it", that is, he is close to his downfall, "it is over, has lived its best time".
V. 10: And the hope of Israel is humbled before their eyes (Et humiliabitur etc.).
Thus it says above [Cap. 5, 5. Vulg.]: Et respondebit superbia in facie ejus. Both [both humiliabitur and humiliabitur can stand. Respondebit I like better: "to say one thing after another," to say alternately; that is what the Hebrew word means. One humiliation after another will follow 2c. - "They are not yet converted" 2c. The prophets did everything for the sake of the first commandment and faith 2c. As the highest sin the prophets punish unbelief, as now 2c. - "In all this." Although Israel was torn apart, and its wickedness was brought before its an-
it has not returned to the Lord 2c. Note how it went with the godless king Ahaz: the more he was beaten, the more altars he erected 2c. So do ours 2c. We have heaped sin upon sin when we would avert and forbid the plagues.
V. 11. For Ephraim is we a tempted dove 2c.
That is, easily seduced and persuaded, or simple-minded, that is, seduced by its false prophets and not judging their teachings. Behold, the cause of all error. We are yet a dove that believeth easily; we believe men, GOtte not likewise 2c. He adds: "who does not want to notice anything" (sine corde), otherwise it would be a praiseworthy tractability (persuasio). Thus our popes have taken away from us the paying attention (cor), they have taken away from us the judging and reserved the same for themselves. "Now they call Egypt", namely after the advice of the godless prophets and guided by their own unbelief and godlessness. 1) But why not the Lord? 2) Because they are persuaded by the false prophets 2c., that is, they trust in human advice, which is against the first commandment 2c.
V. 12. But as they run to and fro 2c.
Everything is figuratively spoken. "Let them go." When they will sit in safety and seem to reign, I will pull them down 2c. Unawares a bird is caught 2c. Suddenly I will bring the king of Assyria upon them, and bring them where they cannot escape. - "I will punish them" 2c. This is a grand making of the same prophecy and a repetition. In the whole fourth chapter he prophesies against the return of the people. 3) This is a dark passage? This
1) Instead of impE we have assumed imxiotatis.
2) Erlanger: äsna instead; äomsinuir^.
3) The following to: "that they will be brought captive to Assyria" is added in the manuscript under the same keyword in Cap. 8, 4. with the remark: okmissuin [st in xra666<l6nti capits. - Both the Erlangen and Weimar editions (p. 38s) erroneously refer to it as an addendum to "oav. 7 v. II", but the latter has it here in the correct place as a note.
Preaching (auditus) can be taken in an active and in a suffering way. I do not dislike Jerome's opinion, namely: "I will punish them as one preaches (secundum auditionem) in their gathering", that is, I will chastise them, 4) because they rather hear each other than me, and have made idols after the manner of their gatherings and communities. It can also stand in a suffering way, namely like this: 5) I will chastise them, as has been heard in their gathering, that is, according to my word, which I have threatened them 2c. So [stands auditus also] Isa. 53, 1. and Habakkuk [Cap. 3, 1.] 2c., according to the rumor, or according to that which has been said in their bands. But it has been preached that they will be taken captive to Assyria 2c.
V. 13. woe to them that they depart from me]. 6)
"To depart from God is to worship God with a worship other than the right worship. As long as this sin of idolatry remains, I will destroy it. I am the redemption of Israel, who redeem and have often redeemed this people; from me it should also proceed; they deceive and deceive me 2c. So also the Holy Spirit is charged (cogitur) that he has done many things on the concilia 2c.
V. 14. Neither do they call upon me from the heart.
"I should be the GOD" who led them back, and whom they should call 2c., but they take refuge elsewhere 2c. You listen well to me, but you do not call, namely "from the heart" 2c. There is no faith; with your works and your doings you cry out, which is only a mere howling and a "tumult" (tumultus), since the holy word of God is sung without the heart being present. This alone is seen by the prophetic spirit 2c. - "They gather for the sake of grain and moses" 2c. Note that this passage also often
4) In the manuscript: knZmirn (which is also offensive to the Weimar), for which we have assumed eaMZabo sos after the next writing.
5>. The colon, which stands in front of it in our template, we have put after it. - Immediately following we have assumed suru instead of eos.
6) This piece has drawn "di" Weimarsche still with to V. 12.
[perverted] is drawn to the sacrament of the altar. But see their righteousness 2c. - Ruminabant [in the Vulgate] I want to be taken as a word which means "to gather." "For grain 2c. sake," that is, their striving is that they seek only temporal things; their ungodly and unbelieving clamor seeks not my glory, but their belly, that they may have abundance on the earth. Ps. 4, 8.: They have plenty of grain and wine, they become great 2c., [they are glad] "if they have to eat and drink", but I rejoice from the heart 1) 2c. They worship the belly as a god and leave me. - Instead of recesserunt, they depart from 2) me, is better: they flee me.
V. 15. I teach them.
This is a grandstanding of the same unbelief: I do it and should do it, but they teach themselves with new doctrines and laws. They seek Pharaoh and other kings, human help. - "But they think evil of me." What they think against the prophet, they also think against God. They do nothing but condemn the teaching of the prophet and establish their own 2c. I am ready to teach them, to save them, to protect them, but they are ready to teach themselves 2c., "rejecting me".
V. 16. they are converted. 3)
Instead of reversi sunt, it should read revertuntur. - Absque jugo or "free," that is, they turn away of their own free will, so as not to be under me, so as not to suffer my word. Hence comes children Belial, "unruly kin-.
1) These words: Keä laetor in eorcis etc. are erroneously highlighted as a new keyword in the Erlangen and Weimar editions, but they refer to the Psalm passage just mentioned (Vulg. Ps. 4, 7.).
2) In deelilinnt ras, as the Erlanger has done, an a will never have to be put in front of it.
3) In the Vulgate, to which the interpretation refers, this verse reads thus: Reversi [nnb, ut esssut ubsMAO, iueti 8UQt Hunsl nrons äolosus, eaäent in Siuäio xrinoiptzs sorum, u knrors linAULS 8NÄ6. I8tu sudsumiubio sorurn in tsrra
that is, they do not want to submit in faith to my counsel and be subject to me. - "A false bow." This is a figure of speech in Scripture. It is more common in the prophets for the Lord to call his people 4) a bow, a preacher an arrow, as in the Psalm. We are a bow of the Lord, when we walk in his word as it were in weapons, when he fights through us against the unbelievers and the godless. Then we are called his bow, he fights through his word. Therefore we are both bow and arrow. They become a false bow against me. Those through whom I should have dealt with ungodliness, they turn their pretensions against godliness. "A deceitful bow," because the appearance is there as if they were fighting for godliness, but under this appearance they are fighting against godliness 2c., that is, a deceitful instrument, of which I should have made use against ungodliness, they turn that under a good appearance against godliness. - "They shall fall," 2c., namely, because they let me call in vain, and fight against godliness, not only the people shall fall, but also the elect, kings 2c. -
A furore, from the wrath of their tongue. This may be referred either to God, from the evil which he inflicts on them by their tongue 2c., that is, their ungodly tongue is a wrath of God 2c., or to the fact that the wrath of princes is against his people 2c. - Ista subsannatio, "there will be a mockery of it," as it is said in the Psalm [Ps. 79, 4.] Those who did not put their hope in God are the "Junkers" who relied on Egypt 2c. Everywhere "they will be mocked". I do not like Jerome's opinion here 2c. He has to do with the fact that he would like to raise up the people to faith and to draw them away from the apparent service of God 2c. The "unholy appearance" makes hypocrites.
4) In the original: in xopnluin 8nnm. We consider that in is too much. In the following writing it is not.