A commentary on the prophecy of Hosea by Edward Pococke.

V. 12. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up: his sin is hid.

Usually such things as are bound up or tied together, and hid or laid up in some safe or secret place, are not neglected or forgotten, but therefore laid aside that they may be, when occasion shall serve or require, forth∣coming and produced. God therefore in these terms expressing his dealing with Israel as to their sins, manifestly declares that though his judgments threatned to them for their sins do not presently seize on them, yet this ought not to make them grow secure, as if he were not regardfull of their doings, or did not see iniquity in them. However he seem to con∣nive at them, or bear with them for a while, yet their iniquity is well known to him, and not forgotten by him; it is as a thing bound up and kept close with him, which he will in due time discover and bring to light, and by his punishments inflicted on them for it, make known and evident, that he did all along know it. The folly of men (such as that of Israel is intimated to have now been) in thinking that z 1.1 because sentence is not executed speedily against their evil works, they may securely run on in doing evil, as if God were either pleased with their doings, or did not a 1.2 see or take notice of them, and what will be the ill consequents thereon, is well expressed Psalm 50.21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altoge∣ther such a one as thy self: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. The expressions here used, may be illustrated by the like Deut. 32.34, 35. Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? to me belongeth vengeance and recompence, their foot shall slide in due time &c. and Job 14.17. my transgression is sealed up in a bog, and thou sowest up mine iniquities. The meaning of the verse in this way is perspicuously given by the Chaldee Paraphrast 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the sins of Ephraim are laid up, or b 1.3 treasured up, they are kept that vengeance may be executed, or that I may take vengeance, on all their sins. To the same purpose do other of the Jews expound it; so Aben Ezra by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tsarur, is bound up, saith to be meant 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 It is in my heart, I will not for∣get it, or him, as they have forgotten me, v. 6. So Kimchi also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. It is kept with, or by, me, as a thing that is kept in a bag, according to that expression in Job forecited, and by the iniquities and sins, he saith is meant, the iniquity of the calves, which they committed in worshipping them. The MS. Arab. renders it by a word of the same root with the Hebrew c 1.4 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is had in remembrance; for as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tsarar,

in Hebrew, so also is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tsarar, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sarra, in Arabick, to knit, or bind up, as any thing in a purse or bag; as also in Syriack, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tsar, whence the Syriack Interpreter also here putteth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tsarir. R. Tanchum rendring it by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 explaineth it by a convenient word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 mohassal, which will import both what is gathered together, and also what remaineth, or what is produced and made present, or manifest. He would have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tsarur, here to be of the same notion which the root hath Prov. 30.4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which ours render, who hath bound the waters in a garment? The same meaning do both the Vulgar Latin and Jerom's Commentary, with most other of the Latin and other mo∣dern Expositors, give; the Vulgar rendring, colligata est iniquitas Ephraim, absconditum pec∣catum ejus, to which our translation word for word agrees, and others though differing in words, do in meaning most of them agree; as whether they render the first word by, d 1.5 li∣gata, obsignata, or e 1.6 constricta; or as Junius and Tremellius, servatur in fasciculo, or the like. They manifestly concur both in the significa∣tion of the words, and in the import of them, that it is to ascertain, that though their sins be yet unpunished, and therefore seem to them to be not taken notice of by God, or for∣gotten, yet the matter is far otherwise: he knows them, and remembers them all, and will after his long forbearance in due time bring on them what they have deserved.

They likewise agree as to the person by whom their sins were bound up and reserved, in memory, viz. that it is God: and this as it is the most obvious and by most embraced meaning of the words, so seems the most ge∣nuine, yet are there who choose another. The occasion is not from any dubiousness or dif∣ference in the signification of the words which are expressed, but from a different supply or assignation of the person to whom they are to be applied, and by or with whom the iniquity and sin of Ephraim are bound up and hid, which is not expressed. He according to the former way (as we have seen) is God; ac∣cording to these, Ephraim himself: which dif∣ference in assigning the person will also neces∣sarily cause a different meaning of the words. According to the first they will import a con∣cealing of their sins by God, so as not at pre∣sent to take notice of them, but yet keeping them in mind, so as afterwards to take ac∣count of them. According to the second, an hiding them so as to hope that they shall not at all be taken notice of. The meaning there∣fore in this way by them given, is, that Ephraim wraps up and conceales his iniquity, and hides his sin, so flattering himself that no iniquity should be found in him, c. 12.8. wherein how he deceives himself, the next verse will shew, wherein is declared how it will at last necessarily be brought to light. This way among the Jews Abarbinel, though having mentioned the former, prefers, and among Christians, Rupertus, and Arias Mon∣tanus. Not far from these seems to be the in∣terpretation of Castalio, Ephramitae arctum crimen, intimum peccatum est, the fault of the Ephramite is close [joined to him,] his sin very inward; only that whereas they express his concealing or keeping close of it, he seems to express withall his love and affectionate ad∣hering to it.

At a farther distance yet from what we follow, seems to be the rendring of the LXX, who according to the reading in most copies, render the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tsarur, by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is by Nobilius rendred, conglobatio, a gathe∣ring round, or in a round, together, and so may answer to the no••n tseror, as it is taken for, fasciculus, a bundle, or the like, rather than to the participle, tsarur, bound up in such a bundle. But those copies then differ among themselves, some reading (as the London Po∣lyglot following the Roman copy) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the accusative case; others 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the no∣minative. If it be put in the accusative case, some verb must be understood, which must as so govern it, and without some such under∣stood cannot begin a sentence, as in that edi∣tion it is made to do; and therefore Cyril so reading it, makes it not to begin this, but to end the preceding verse, and to be governed of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, viz. thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which the Latin Translator of him renders, Sed in ira dedi principem, & habui in furore meo con∣gregationem iniquitatis, but in anger I gave a prince, or governour, and had in my fury a, or the, congregation of iniquity. Others, that it may the better begin a verse, read it in the no∣minative case, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, so as to found, a ga∣thering together, or knot of iniquity is Ephraim, as if they were 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their abounding in it so termed, as much as to say, as Theodoret ex∣plains it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. that Ephraim heaps up iniquity, and continually in∣creaseth it, following ill counsel: and by their sins being hid, he thinks meant, that sin is wholy fixed in him. Or what if it may found, there is a bundle, or gathering together, of the iniquity of Ephraim? So would it be much in sense the same as to say, the iniquity of Ephraim is knit and bound together in a bundle. Some copies instead of it read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; the ancient Latin version of it, congregatio, may accord

with either. The printed Arabick, which as hath been more than once observed, follows in these books the Greek, seems to have readd here otherwise than any of the known ordi∣narily copies do, expressing a preposition which is in none of them extant, while what they read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he renders 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which the Latin Transla∣tor renders, propter sceleratam vitae rationem, leaving out the affixe, ejus; we may render it, for his exercising himself in injustice, or ini∣quity, i. e. his wicked or injurious conversa∣tion. He seems to distinguish the words as Cyril above cited doth, and to refer these words to what was before said of the king, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and I took him in mine anger, viz. because of his wicked conversation, and then will follow as a distinct clause 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ephraims sin is hid, or else they may, being severed from the former, but not so plainly, make one clause with it, because of his wicked conversation Ephraims sin is hid.

This variety of reading in the Greek makes a confusion, and leaves it doubtfull what they mean••; but we need not be sollicitous about it, having from the versions which more exact∣ly follow the Hebrew, a much more perspi∣cuous meaning, especially from the first way which we have seen, according to which we have a plain passage from this verse to the next, and an evident connexion between them. If the iniquity of Ephraim be bound up f 1.7 with God, not neglected nor g 1.8 remitted; if their sin be hid, and reserved, and trea∣sured up against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5. it cannot but be expected, that in that day, in the time b•• God appointed for the revela∣tion of his righteous judgment, who will render to every one according to his deeds, they should be laid open, and the punishment which was not inflicted for them singly, be in∣flicted for them all together in a severer man∣ner and measure, The certainty of which pu∣nishment, and the nature of it, is in the next words declared. Much the same connexion will be also between the two verses, in the second way of expounding this first, which we saw to understand the words of Ephraims own hiding and concealing his sins: their folly therein shall be manifested by such pu∣nishments, whereby what they thought to keep secret, shall one day to their greater shame and sorrow be necessarily discovered.

Notes

• z 1.1

  Eccl. 8.11.
• a 1.2

  Ps. 73.11.
• b 1.3

  The same word is in the Chaldee used Deut. 32.34. compare Rom. 2.5. and James 5.3.
• c 1.4

  Madhcuraton, so I take it to be, though in the Hebrew characters it might seem to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 madhburaton.
• d 1.5

  Pag.
• e 1.6

  Calv. Cocc.
• f 1.7

  Apud me, Pag.
• g 1.8

  Ligata peccata dicuntur quae non remissa in poenam retinentur, as Matt. 16.19. Rivet.