A commentary on the prophecy of Hosea by Edward Pococke.

4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.

And I will not have mercy upon her children, &c.] It hath been already observed that by the notion of Mother is understood the whole Nation or Church of Israel, and so by her children the particular persons of that Nation or Church, those who joyntly made the Mo∣ther. For though the whole joyntly, and par∣ticulars severally, be compared to a natural mother and children, yet is there this diffe∣rence betwixt those who are so by nature, and these who in a political or spiritual man∣ner are called by those names, that in the first acception the mother and children are really different and diverse, in this second it is not so; but the mother and children are all one; all taken together make the mother; taken severally, they are called the children of that mother: differing no otherwise then the whole and its parts. And children here being thus un∣derstood, if it be asked, why they are here distinctly threatned, seeing they being the same with the mother, were before under those threats denounced against her, comprehended; it will be an easy answer, because when ge∣neral Judgements are threatned against a whole Nation, diverse particulars will be apt to think they may yet escape them, and shall not be reached by them. Here now by this extend∣ing them to particulars also, he cuts off from them that false hope, or self deceit, and they are given every one to look on them as con∣cerning himself in his particular. But here may be farther enquired whither or no are concerned the men of that present generation, or those that should be born to them? To both the name will agree, and both may it well include; r 1.1 not only those that were now to go into captivity, but those also which should be there born of them, threatning to the one that they should be carried away captives; to the other that they should not be restored from it. By children (saith Kimchi) may be under∣stood, either the particular persons, in respect to whom the whole Congregation is as a mo∣ther, or else such as were born in every genera∣tion, and took the same way that the first ido∣latrous generation did. Why this is threatned against them, that God would not have mer∣cy on them, it is subjoyned as a reason, Be∣cause they be children of whoredoms; A ba∣stard brood born and bred up in Idolatry (as that is expressed all along under the name of whoredom, and so children s 1.2 of a strange God, which God therefore will not own to himself, but intitles them t 1.3 to their mother (her chil∣dren) and dooms them to her doom. The expression, children of whoredoms, may de∣note either such as were born of whoredom, or else such as were given to whoredom; both which seem appliable to those here spoken of, who sucked in Idolatry from the breasts of u 1.4

that idolatrous Church, and themselves grew up in it, and followed it; which the Chalde Paraphrast takes it here to denote, rendring, for their children have committed idolatry. So, doubtless, those of that present time, did; but supposing that they after their being carried a∣way captive, or those that were afterwards born of them did not so; yet (saith Abarbinel) because their forefathers (comprehended here under the name of their mother) when they were in their own Land did, their children shall now bear their iniquity, (it is agreeable to what is denounced in Exod. 20.5.) We may add that though by reason of the general cor∣ruption it be spoken as of all, that they are children of whoredoms, yet we cannot doubt but that there were among them such who served God and adhered to him, (according to that w 1.5 answer of God to Eliah, when he complained that he was left alone, a servant of the true God) and of them here is no par∣ticular mention, except what may be under∣stood, ver. 2. (according to the Exposition which we have there seen) that they are bid to plead with their mother, and call on her to repent; nor is here any exception given for them from the common destruction threatned, that they should not be involved in the out∣ward calamity thereof; yet it cannot be doubt∣ed, but that if they did stand and hold out for God, he would own them for his, and take particular care of them to order the end of what they suffered not through their own fault, for good to them. How he did it, the words do not here give us occasion farther to enquire; but only tell us what he threatens to that sinful mother and her children, that Church in general, and the particular Mem∣bers of it. And what we have said, taking the names of Mother and Children, in that way which we have mentioned, will hold alike, if according to x 1.6 others we take by Mother to be meant the Princes, Priests, and Magistrates, such as governed affairs in the Nation or Church, the representative thereof, and by children, the rest of the ordinary People: in this way also it denotes that none of any con∣dition shall escape when God comes to visit their iniquities.

It is by y 1.7 some observed, that whereas God in the foregoing verse put her (i. e. the Na∣tion or Congregation of Israel) in mind of her condition in the wilderness, and threatens to bring her again, except she repent, to the like; he doth here declare that the misery that they shall now be brought to, shall be even greater then that: The Fathers were then consumed in the wilderness, but their children were preserved and brought to the possession of the promised Land: but here he threatens not only destruction to the mo∣ther; but that he will neither have mercy on her children: so z 1.8 increasing and exagge∣rating the punishment, which is signified by not having mercy, by the extending it to her posterity; which should certainly have moved the present generation, if not, for their own sakes, yet in compassion to their posterity to have sought by repentance to have averted Gods judgement from them. These things are threatned against them, because, they are children of whoredoms; why they are deservedly branded with that infamous name, the next words declare, wherein is expressed the wic∣kedness of their mother in that kind, and in what her whoredoms appeared.

Notes

• r 1.1

  Aben Ezra.
• s 1.2

  Malach, 2.11.
• t 1.3

  Ar. Mont.
• u 1.4

  See ch. 1.2.
• w 1.5

  1 King. 19.14. and Rom. 11.3.4.
• x 1.6

  Za••ch. & Rivet.
• y 1.7

  Abarb. & Tarn.
• z 1.8

  Rivet.