A commentary on the prophecy of Hosea by Edward Pococke.

13. And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burnt incense to them, and she decked her self with her Ear-rings, and her Jewels, and she went after her Lovers, and for∣gat me, saith the Lord.

V. 13. And I will visit upon her the days of Ba∣alim, wherein she burnt incense to them, &c. That the word visit is used somtimes in good part, somtimes in ill, somtimes for shewing mercy, somtimes for expressing wrath and displeasure; and that to visit upon men such a thing, is to punish them for it, is by the frequent use thereof in Scripture manifest: and that in this place it is in that last sence used, cannot be doubted. That which he threatens to visit upon her, i.e. upon the congregation of Israel, and to punish them for, are the days or times of Baalim, viz. when they m 1.1 worshipped Baalim, that is, those Sins committed by them in those times wherein they served those their Idols or false Gods, days being taken for the Sins, or so as to include the Sins in them committed, and Baalim being the plural number of Baal, signifying Baals, and so denoting either more false Gods called by that name, or more imag∣es dedicated to him, whom they so called, as hath been noted on verse the 8. The Chalde ren∣ders it in more general terms, in which she serv∣ed Idols. And so an Arab. Trans•• MS. I will call her to an account for the time in which she served Idols. By these days of Baalim n 1.2 some under∣stand all that time from the death of Josue, until the day of their destruction, wherin all along there were among them such as worshipped Idols, so that now he should threaten to visit upon them both the Sins of their Fathers and their own, according to that denounced in the Law o 1.3 that he would Visit the iniquity of the Fa∣thers upon the Children of them that hate him. How could they Idolatrous Sons of Idolaters but ex∣pect to bear both their own and their Fathers iniquities? yet considering that what is spoken here, is spoken more particularly of the people of the ten Tribes of Israel separated from the other two, it may perhaps be convement to understand the time after their separating from the Tribe of Judah and quite forsaking the tem∣ple, wherein they fell to more gros, and general Idolatry; and then we may understand by days of Baalim that time in general, or more e∣specially, with others, the more signal parts of that time, their festival solemn days dedicated to the honour of those Idols, which the former mention of their solemmties which God said he would cause to cease, and the following words wherein is described what they did in those days for shew of pompe and respect to

the Idols, may seem to favour. It will come all to one pass: but so to interpret the words as St. Jerom doth, that he would cause that in those very feast days she should be punished, may seem too nice, and that which the construction of the words will not be so well restrained to.

That, for doing which in those days God is so highly provoked, is described by what is ad∣ded, wherein she burnt incense to them. It was part of the outward way of religious worship in those times, which, as appears out of the Law, consisted much in offering sacrifices, and other offerings, and burning incense. Such rites were used in Gods own worship, and that by his prescription and command, and were so also by Idolaters, in heir service of their Idols, that they might perform to them that which should have been performed to God alone. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Taktir, though it more properly signifies the burning of Incense, yet is p 1.4 observ∣ed to be used in a greater latitude, for the of∣fering any burnt offering, or the parts thereof, as Levit. 1.9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Vehi∣ktir Haccohen Eth haccol, and the Priest shall burn all and c. 3.16. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Vehiktiram Hacoohen, and the Priest shall burn them, viz. the parts of the offerings before mentioned v. 14.15. but there is no reason here to render it otherwise then in its proper signification, as it is by our Trans∣lators done. q 1.5 The naming of one part of the service they did, will import all; they that burnt incense, would not be wanting in their sacrifices and other oblations: & with what pompe and shew of the greatest devotion they did it, the next words declare.

And she decked her self with her Ear-rings, and her Jewels, and went after her Lovers, &c. * 1.6 She, i. e. the Israelitish Synagogue or congregation having been all along compared to an adulte∣rous whorish woman, here is expressed as re∣sembling one; they usually, that they may r 1.7 seem more lovely and shew respect to, and gain respect from, those whom they love, so a∣dorn themselves; she, that she might shew re∣spect, honour, and love to her lovers, and as she thought, gain love and favour from them. So the Chalde expresseth the comparison. She was like unto a Woman which forsaking her Husband, adorned with her ear-rings and ornament of her Pearls, went astray after her lovers; so the congre∣gation of Israel loved to serve Idols, and forsook my service, saith the Lord. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Nezem rendred Ear-rings both here and elsewhere s 1.8 is observed more properly to signifie a Nose-Jew∣el, and it is probable that of old in those parts it was their custome for ornaments sake, to put Rings or Jewels in their Noses as to this day it is used; but it may not be improbable that any Jewel t 1.9 about any part of the face, nose, forehead or ears, was by it meant. And the other word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chelyatah, rendred, her Jew∣les, may, * 1.10 according to the use of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 also in the Arabick tongue, signifie more generally any ornament, such as Jewels or the like. It is sufficient for us to understand that she decked her self in the gayest manner she could in honour of her Lovers, her Idols whom she loved and served, and went or ran a whor∣ing after. In reverence of their Idols, saith Ri∣bera, the inhabitants of Jerusalem (he should here rather have said, of Samaria) adorned themselves as the Catholicks do in the feasts of their Saints. Being so adorned, it is said, And she went after her Lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord.

Of the title or appellation of her Lovers, mention hath been already made, v. 5. after them she went; to them she addicted her self; to them she paied her devotions; diligently served and honoured them, and acknowledged them for her patrons and benefactors, ascribing to them what was not at all due to them; but God her only be∣nefactor she forgat, neglected his service, did not acknowledge his benefits, so behaved her self as if she had no dependance on him, nor had receiv∣ed, or expected to receive good from him. Such her behaviour is called forgetting of him: and thus these words shew that the chief of them, the leading party and the generality did, though in the mean while many of them doubtless did remember him, and adhere to him, as we learn from that answer of God to Eliah, Rom. 11.4. out of 1 Kings 19.18. I have reserved to my self seven thousand men in Israel who have not bow∣ed the knee to Baal. A like expression to this have we, Jer. 23.27, Their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.

This may well suffice for the explaining this verse and the termes thereof; yet may it not be besides our purpose to see what some of the Jews say for expounding these daies of Baalim, and the punishment threatned for them. R. David Kimchi's Exposition is this, u 1.11 For trans∣gressions of their iniquity in their Captivity I will visit upon her the time in which she served Baa∣lim, and I will long detain them in captivity, for punishment, because they left my service, and served other Gods, and upon the Children of their Children shall be this punishment, al∣though they do not serve strange Gods in their captivity. So shall be the judgment or man∣ner, of their punishments, because their Chil∣drens Children shall not be perfect in the ser∣vice of God and his commandments, in their captivity; therefore shall the iniquity of their fathers which served Idols, be joyned with their

iniquity; so saith he in the Law, w 1.12 Levit, 26.40. And they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their Fathers, with their trespasses which they have trespassed against me. So sound his words. Abarbinel thus give••h his thoughts; It is known that Israel served Baalim (or Baals) in the days of the Judges, and also in the days of all the Kings of Israel, and in the days of the Kings of Judah, which did evil in sinning, and concerning that time it is said, and I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burnt incense to them: As for the time of the second temple, it is true that there was not therein among them the service of Baalim, but they provoked God to anger with their vanities, both in their mighty Acts and their Wars, while they sought not the Lord, and also by their league with the Romans, and their love to them, for which cause followed those evils and that destruction which have seiz∣ed on them, wherefore he saith here, prosecut∣ing his comparison, And she decked her self with her Ear-rings and her Jewels, and went after her Lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord. His mean∣ing is, that for long time they put their confi∣dence in their own might and valour, which they bound as Crowns to themselves in the days of the Hasmoneans (or Maccabees) and another while, they put their confidence in the Romans, and called them to their help, but they were a snare unto them; and they forgat the Lord which was their true defence. Thus he. Now that which we may observe and ought to be aware of in these Expositions of theirs, is a strange blending and confounding of things, viz. the Prophecies and the fulfilling of them, in such a manner as that plainly enough their aim and end is to per∣swade themselves, and those of their perswa∣sions, that Christ or the Messiah is not yet come. That which is here spoken, Kimchi (as Mercer observes) would have to belong to the ••aptivity or dispersion that the Jews are now under, and so manifestly enough Abarbinel; or rather, both to the destruction and captivity of the Israelites by the Assyrians, and of the Jews by the Baby∣lonians, and also that afterwards by the Ro∣mans; so that all these should be for the Ido∣latry of their forefathers and for some other misdemeanors of their posterity, who though they were not Idolaters as they of old were, yet did not cleave wholly to God as they ought to have done; and so the iniquities that they are to confess, they will have to be the Idolatry of their Fathers, and some Sins of their own; but of their rejection of Christ and Crucifying him, and their persevering in the denial of him, and allowing the deeds of their Fathers, which manifestly was the reason of the final destructi∣on of Jerusalem and their nation, and Gods judgments ever since as at this day upon them, no mention do they at all make; yea, would have none to be made, and therefore shuffle such things together which ought to be distin∣guished: and though the words which are spok∣en of the one and belong properly thereto, may be applyed to the other propter similitudinem, as we before said, by reason of a likeness that is between them (the like Sins pulling on men like punishments) yet in a close and literal Expo-si∣tion of one or another, ought they heedfully to to be distinguished and not confounded, which that we may here observe, no doubt the present words are to be expounded of those judgments threatned to the ten Tribes, and to be executed on them shortly after by the Assyrians, who laid their Countries wast, and carryed them away captives: and do not properly belong to any other which they mingle with them. This must we be wary of in dealing with the Commenta∣ries of the Jews, who, as we shall all along see, so labour to confound things, as that they may prevent all acknowledgment of the Mes∣siah's being come, or our Christ to have been him. To return from this digression and make way to our farther proceeding; We have hitherto in this chapter had severe judgments in words savouring of great displeasure denounced a∣gainst Israel: the following part consists of gra∣cious promises and words of mercy and conso∣lation, and those, some at least of them, of so large extent, as not only to concern Israel a∣lone so properly called, but all others also of other nations who had all along been, as they now had made themselves, without God, and alliens from him, all of them Idolaters, and al∣together at that present comprehended under one common Title or appellation of Lo-Ammi not my People; yea, and the good things which he promiseth to give, to be greater and of more excellent nature, then these which he now threa∣tens to take away; as in going over the words order we shall in due place see.

Notes

• m 1.1

  Grot. Rivet.
• n 1.2

  Zanch.
• o 1.3

  Exod. 20.5. Deut. 6.9.
• p 1.4

  See Pet. a Fig. & Rivet.
• q 1.5

  Ar. Mont. Zanch. Rivet.
• * 1.6

  See R. Salomo.
• r 1.7

  See R. Dav. Kimchi.
• s 1.8

  Drus. & Rivet.
• t 1.9

  Nic. Fuller Cap. Conc••rd.
• * 1.10

  See R. Salomo.
• u 1.11

  A MS. copy leaving out these first words, hath only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Be∣galuth, in captivity, or with captivity will I visit, &c.
• w 1.12

  Pet. à Fig. citing this place, adds the 38. and 39. verses, which is not done in the usual Editions, nor MS.