A commentary on the prophecy of Hosea by Edward Pococke.

V. 6. According to their pasture so were they filled, they were filled, and their heart was exalted: therefore have they forgotten me.

Those great benefits of God to them in the former words intimated, were so far from making and keeping them humble, faithfull and diligent in thankfull obedience to him, that they made them to themselves an occa∣sion of growing insolent against him, and for∣getfull of him, from whom they had all that they enjoyed. It may well be to the aggra∣vating of their sin in them, that they were from the beginning, even then when they were in the wilderness, before they came to the full possession of those good things which cor∣rupted them, cautioned against it, viz. that when they enjoyed them, and had eaten, and were full, they should be ware least they should forget the Lord, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage: but that they should fear the Lord their God, and should serve him, and sweare by his name, and should not go after other gods, Deut. 6.12, 13, 14. and again more at large m Deut. 8.11, 12, &c. to which place respect may seem to be here had, where to the like caution is added a threat upon their disobedience, It shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day, that ye shall surely perish, v. 19. because ye would not be obe∣dient to the voice of the Lord your God. Yet when God had made good unto them all his promises, and they had eaten and were full, how little either thankfulness to him for his benefits, or fear of his threats did prevaile with them to keep them mindfull of him or obedient to him, appears through the whole history of them. How early they began so perversly to behave themselves appears out of what is recorded Ex. 35. that Aaron at their instance having made a molten calf, they said, these be thy Gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and offered burnt∣offerings and peace-offerings, and sate down to eate and to drink, and rose up to play, v. 6. So did they forget God, even then while they were immediatly fed by hand from him in the wilderness, that land of great drought. How afterwards they behaved themselves, when they were by him brought into the promised land where they had plenty of all things, is n described by Moses even before hand, God having revealed it to him, as if they had al∣ready done, what he saw they would do, in words much agreeing with these here, Jesu∣run waxed fat and kicked; thou art waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fat∣ness: then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation, and Deut. 32.15. &c. Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindfull, and hast forgotten God that formed thee, v. 18. This perverse humor, as if they had taken that for a command, which was spoken by way of prediction and caution, appeared predominant in them in all their ge∣nerations; so that these words here might well be applied to them. But we shall not mention what their forefathers did, while they were all the twelve tribes one people; but

look on them as more concerning the ten here more peculiarly spoken of, after they became a kingdom distinct from Judah, as shewing how they continued still so behaving them∣selves, o filling up the measure of their fa∣thers, as if such rebe••lion were hereditary to them, and they ought to improve it, notwith∣standing they had seen and heard how great∣ly God was displeased with their fathers for it, and he had all along testified against them by all the Prophets, and all the Seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways &c. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the necks of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God, 2 Kings 17.13, 14. So that by him are here accused, not only their fathers, but themselves of the present wicked generation, who as in the present words, so in other places of this Prophet are taxed as guilty of what is here expressed, that forsaking and forgetting the Lord, they said, I will go after my lovers that gave my bread and my water, my wool and my flaxe, mine oyle and my drinke, c. 2.5. for she did not know that God gave her corn and wine and oyle, and multi∣plied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal, v. 8. that as they were increased, so they sinned against him, c. 4.7. that they had forgotten their maker, and built temples to Idols, c. 8.14. that according to the multitude of their fruits they increased altars, according to the good∣ness of their land they made goodly images, c. 10.1. that they were bent to backssliding from God, and though they (the Prophets) called them to the most high, none at all would exalt him, c. 11.7. yet Ephraim said, I am become rich, c. 12.8. These expressions assert what is said here of them, that as they were filled with all plenty by the bounty of God, so their heart was exalted, they grew proud and insolent, and forgat God, who by his benefits had obliged them to know him, and acknowledge him for their God and none but him, and for their Saviour and none beside him.

As to the scope of the words, it is easily perceived, and by all agreed on, that it is to taxe Israel for their proud, insolent, and un∣thankfull behaviour towards God. The words in the expression have that in them, which may seem not so easy to be rendred literally in other languages, and so occasion some little variety among interpreters; as particularly for the first words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cemaratham vayisbau sabeu vayarom libbam, which ours render, according to their pasture so were they filled, they were filled, and their heart was exalted. The Chaldee thus pa∣raphraseth them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 when I had fed them, they were fed to saturity, and their heart was exalted. The LXX render, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; and the printed Arab. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 according to their pa∣stures and they were filled to satiety, and their hearts were exalted. The Syriack 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and I fed them, and they filled their bellies, and their hearts were lifted up, or when they had filled their bellies, as the Latin Translator renders it, their heart was lifted up: the Vul∣gar Latin, juxta pascua sua adimpleti sunt, & saturati sunt, & levaverunt cor suum: the Do∣way English according to other copies read∣ing, elevaverunt, for & levaverunt, ••ender, according to their pastures they were filled, and were made full, they have lifted up their heart, without the copulative and, or any thing that may answer to the Hebrew 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ve. The MS. Arab. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 at their feeding, or when they were fed, they were filled, and when they were filled, their heart was lifted up. These more ancient translations, though they do not pre∣cisely agree with the letter of the Hebrew nor among themselves, yet give almost one meaning, as do likewise the more modern versions; as the Interlineary, which is more express according to the Hebrew words. Juxta pascuum suum saturati sunt, saturati sunt, & elevatum est cor eorum, according to their pasture they were filled, they were filled, (or they were filled, I say) and their heart was lifted up; or as in other editions of Pagnin, saturati sunt inquam. Junius and Tremellius to give the meaning and force of that repetition of that verb, supply, simul ac, rendring, prout erant pas••ua eorum, saturati sunt, simul ac sa∣turati sunt, elatus est animus eorum, according as their pastures were, they were filled, as soon as they were filled, their mind was lifted up. The same word doth Castalio also in his rendring make use of, though in another place, viz. putting it in the beginning as the im∣port of the first particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ce, and thus gives a perspicuous paraphrase, rather than a literal rendring of the words: Qui simul ac pastu sa∣turati sunt. saturati animum extulerunt, who as soon as they were filled with feeding, being full they lifted up their mind. It may be ob∣served in these and other of the versions men∣tioned, that there is no regard had of the con∣junction 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ve, in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 veyisbau, which would literally sound, and they were filled: and p Rivet therefore notes of it, that,

videtur redundare, it seems to be superfluous, without any regard to be had of the signifi∣cation of it, unless it be taken, pro nota si∣militudinis, for a note of similitude, and be rendred, sic, so; and so we see ours take it, rendring, so were they filled; and the Geneva English also, as in their pastures, so were they filled. Perhaps he might have better said for, ••icut, as, and it be rendred, as, or and as, they were filled. So R. Tanchum seems to take it, expounding, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 when they were fed, so as that, or till, they were filled, by which he saith is metaphori∣cally meant their enjoying of their worldly pleasures: and so Abarbinel, This people did not kick against me, but by reason of the great good which I multiplied to them, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. for when I brought them into good pasture, so as that they were filled, (and that is that good and large land) they were filled, and their heart was lifted up, and they forgat me. And in this way of explication, I think may well take place that distinction which Rivet notes some to observe between the same verb here repeated in the first and second place; namely that in the first place it denotes or re∣spects, beneficium Dei, the bounty of God, who filled them, giving them that fruitfull land; but in the second place, ipsorum sce∣lus quo affluentia illa bonorum abusi sunt ad luxuriam, their wickedness in abusing that plenty of good things to luxury, or that bad effect that that fulness had in them, who being glutted therewith, grew proud and insolent, as men in such condition, q usually do, as if they were sufficient to themselves, and needed no dependance on God, nor were, nor need be, beholding to him, which is meant by their forgetting him; their pride, the usual effect of satiety, being caused by their fulness, and their forgetfulness and contempt of God by their pride. The illative 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 al-cen, therefore, shewing their forgetfulness of God to proceed as an effect from the pride of their heart, which was caused in them by saturity or being glutted with plenty, is quite omitted in the Vulgar Latin, though necessarily understood.

But what difference soever be in the seve∣ral translations, as to the expressions, we find them all to concur in the same meaning, which is, as we said, a minding Israel of God's great favours to them, and taxing them of their great unthankfulness and perverse beha∣viour toward him, and to shew whence this proceeded in them. Under the Metaphorical term of pasture, with which they were filled, is expressed God's great bounty to them in giving them in that fat land of Canaan all things richly to enjoy, which are more particu∣larly expressed in the forecited Deut. 6.10, 11. and c. 8.7, 8, 9. and 12, 13. and by saying that they were then filled, and their heart was exalted, and therefore they have forgotten him, is shewed their unthankfulness and perverse be∣haviour to him, con••rary to what those his great benefits should have obliged them to, and wrought in them. Their pride is there ex∣pressed likewise by their heart being lifted up, v. 14. v. 17. by their saying in their heart, my power and the might of my hand hath••g••••tten me this wealth. Their forgetting of him there, v. 11. by not keeping his commandments, and judgments, and his statutes, and v. 19. b walking after other Gods, and serving them, and wor∣shipping them, in which kinds they were now manifestly guilty.

These their perverse manners God had long born with, expecting their amendment and repentance, to which he continually called them by his Prophets, which seeing his long suffering cannot bring them to, but they sin more and more, he will now no longer for∣beare: seeing they will not change their be∣viour, he will change his: from a gracious fa∣ther and benefactor, he will become an ene∣my, a severe judge and revenger, and execu∣tor of wrath to them. Which with what ri∣gour he will do, he expresseth in the next fol∣lowing words, by comparisons taken from those fiercest creatures in dealing with such weaker ones, that are not able to resist them.

Notes

• m

  And see Deut. 31. from v. 16. to 20.
• n

  Deut. 31.16.
• o

  Matt. 23.32.
• p

  Or, saith he, pro van conversivo, fer u that turns the future into the preter tense: so Trem. in sensu ipso redundat, ac tantum fuiurum in praeter••••um canvert••.
• q

  Least I be full and deny thee, Prov. 30.9.