A commentary on the prophecy of Hosea by Edward Pococke.

v. 2. And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about, they are before my face.

And they consider not in their hearts, or, say not to their hearts, as in the Margin, literally an∣swering to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Vebal yomeru lilbabam. These are both one, and to say to the heart, or, in the heart, as g 1.1 others, (as if it were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bilbabam,) and to think or con∣sider h 1.2 in the heart, the same thing; that I remember all their wickedness; the Particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ci, that, being supplied, whereas in the He∣brew it is only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Zacarti, I remember, without, that, i.e. take notice of and know, so as to call them to an account, or punish them for it. R. Tanchum to the same purpose ex∣presseth it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, so as that they say not (or, without saying) to their souls (or selves) that I know their evil doings. And the Chaldee, They think (or, consider) not in their hearts, that all their evil doings are revealed and open before me; which will be all one in sense as to say, as Aben Ezra gives it, that they said or thought in their heart, that I did not see them, or take notice of their evil doings. And in this way they are a description of their security and inconsidera∣tion in committing those evils which they did; and then the following words discover the root of all their wickedness, viz. that they were or proceeded to be so wicked, because they thought not that God took notice of it, or thought that he did not take notice of it, and the folly and ill consequents of such not d 1.3

thinking that he did, or thinking that he did not; the words being, Now their own doings have beset them about, they are (or, have been) before my face. In the Original they are, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which literally sound, as they are by ours rendred, have beset them; but are by some rendred, do beset them; by o∣thers, (as the Chaldee,) k 1.4 shall beset them; as if what should now, i.e. shortly be, to l 1.5 ex∣press the certainty of it, were said to be al∣ready done.

By their iniquities besetting them about, or incompassing them, may be meant, either their being so m 1.6 many and visible, that none could look on them, but he must needs perceive them, they being as it were surrounded on all parts with them, as with a ring of fol∣lowers, and on all parts committing them; and so will it shew their folly in thinking that they could pass without his taking notice of them, they being visible to all, and so, necessarily before his face, i. e. apparent to him; they are as manifest as the theft of a thief that is taken with the goods which he had stoln, a∣bout him. And so is it manifest folly in them to think, that God remembers them not, or is ignorant of them; or else by their besetting them about, may be meant, their so inclosing them, that they cannot escape God's pu∣nishments for them, so under the name of works comprehending the reward due to them, as sin is oft under the punishment of siu And then if the Verb be rendred in the Present, or Preter tense, it will import, that those evils that n 1.7 do beset them, or have beset them, or seized on them, were from their own evil works as the cause: or if in the Future, shall beset them, then is it a menace to them for their security in which they run on to sin, and their evil thoughts of God, that he will send on them that, by which he will make it evident, that he took notice all along of their evil doings, and that they are, and always were before his face; and so argues still both the folly and wickedness of their not laying to heart, that he remembred, or took notice of, all their wickedness, or their thinking that he did not. To which purpose Kimchi explains it; They think not in their heart that I remember all their wickedness. Now shall encompass them their evil works which were before my face, and not hidden from me; and when they shall receive punishment, they shall know that I knew all, and that I am he that return their recompence on their heads. Aben Ezra, with some alteration of the words, though to the same purpose; And they think that I see them not, and do not know that their works encompass them, (or beset them about) and are before my face. And R. Salomo, They do not lay to their hearts, th•• all their wick∣edness is written for a memoria•• before me. In that expression, have beset them about, is by some thought an allusion to be, to o 1.8 enemies laying siege to a place, and so surrounding it, as that none can escape out, and that he doth allude to the siege of Samaria, which should ere long be; or to p 1.9 thieves surrounding a passenger, that he cannot get from them; or to q 1.10 Sergeants or guards that compass about a malefactor, till they bring him to be judged for his offence; or to one r 1.11 entangled with ropes and snares that he cannot get free. Ac∣cording to all will be meant the same thing, viz. that they so beset them, as to keep them that they shall not be able to escape punish∣ment. And this form of speech may be com∣pared with that Prov. 5.22. His own iniqui∣ties shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins, and with that, Ps. 49.6. The iniquity of my heels shall compass me about. To what is said of them in the first words, that they did not consider, or think, that God remembred their wicked doings, to shew how in that they deceived themselves, is opposed in the last, as a certain truth on the other side, that they were before his face, always taken no∣tice of by him; and they were much to blame, for not considering and thinking of it, or for thinking otherwise; the event shall shew it to be so, in their being called to ac∣count for them all, and s 1.12 they shall fall heavy on them.

In what we have hitherto said, the Particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bal, is taken as a simple negative, not; as denying them to have considered. But Abar∣binel takes it as a particle of forbidding, forbid∣ding them to think what the former way de∣nies them to have considered or thought; viz. that God remembred all their wickedness, i.e. as he expounds it, that he remembred, as if he wrote in a book all the evils that they did; that he might declare their shame, (according to what Job saith, that thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and search∣est after my sin, Job 10.6.) for behold now their doings have encompassed (or, do encompass) them, and they need not calling to remembrance; and they have not done them in secret, for, hey have been before my face; neither do they deny them, for be∣hold they do glory in them, &c. according to what follows. In this exposition he differs not much from what the Vulgar Latin hath, which ren∣ders, Et ne forte dicant in animis suis, &c. i.e. as the Doway Translation hath it, And lest per∣haps they may say in their hearts, that I have re∣membred all their malice, (or, wickedness.) Now have their own inventions compassed them, they * 1.13

have been done before me. The greatest differ∣ence between them is, that whereas the Jew makes the Particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bal, to be for prohi∣bition, or plain forbidding to think so; the Latin puts ••t as serving for prevention: the one forbidding them to say that, by reason of the manifestness of their evil works, which the other saith ought to prevent and hinder them from saying, that the Lord called to mind all their wickedness They fall in much to the same purpose, one with the other; and t 1.14 those that follow the Latin expound much like as he doth the words, that I remember all their wickedness, by, that I call to mind, and severe∣ly inquire into all their old sins, and the sins of their forefathers, out of hatred and cruelty to them rather, than out of desire of doing good to them, and healing them. Lest they should say, he thus remembreth all their wick∣edness, he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a reason to hinder them from so saying, because these many evil deeds for which he threatens them, are of later date; they do still even 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Attah, now beset, or compass them, they continually and openly commit them in his sight; they cannot hide them, or deny them. And what is to say, that the set∣ting before them thus their deeds, ought to be a reason to prevent them from so saying in their hearts, but the same as to say, Let them not say so in their heart, because their deeds are manifestly so, as is mentioned; v 1.15 which is all one with what that Jewish Do∣ctor saith.

In all these ways which we have yet seen, we have an intelligible meaning, and there is none of them but may be well enough accom∣modated to the Hebrew, and they are recon∣cileable one with another, all retaining the same signification of the words, though some∣thing differing in the applying of them; and especially of the Negative particle in the be∣ginning, which directs the construction and meaning of the rest. But in the Greek, accor∣ding to the copies thereof usually found a∣mong us, there is a strange difference both from the Hebrew, and all the others, and such a rendring as is not easily intelligible as to the meaning, (especially of the first words, for in the last they are agreeable enough.) It is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉(or otherwise, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: This reading is ancient; St. Jerom hath it, and expounds it, That they may sing together as they that sing in their hearts, and saith, that it is to be referred to what is said, That therefore the thief is come in, or the robber hath spoiled abroad, lest remaining in their ancient riches, and garments, they should repel the consent of the chief and robber; but when they are spoiled, they may sing together with them, and become of one heart; therefore they shall receive what they have done, and all their thoughts and works shall not deserve my looking on, or respect. Which ex∣position of his I confess I understand not; though by w 1.16 some, as to the first part, made plainer, thus: That they may agree with them, viz. with the thief and robber, and in their heart agree in the same song, and be companions of thieves and robbers. The Greek Fathers also follow it, but expound it x 1.17 some of them far otherwise, "That they having had experience of so many oppressions, may make mournful songs and lamentations, not with their voice, lest the enemies should hear, and be angry, but in their heart, with secret sobbs and greans bewailing their evils. The printed Arabick also, following the same reading of the Greek, renders, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, That they may y 1.18 repeat (or, read) as they that repeat (or read, or, recite) in their heart; which will be the same in sense, and both per∣haps by a Proverbial expression of singing the same tune, or reading the same lesson, meaning mutual consent and agreement. But for all that hath been said by any of the ancients, modern writers seem no way satisfied, and wonder what came into their minds so to ren∣der it. Tremellius severely censures them; Graeci totum ferè versum non tam vertunt, quam pervertunt, sive verba sive distinctiones specta∣mus; ac nescio an ipsi quid sibi velint intelligant: i.e

The Greeks do not so much render as pervert almost all this whole verse, whether we respect the words or the distinctions; and I know not whether they themselves un∣derstood what they meant.

He conjectures (as z 1.19 others) that for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Yomeru, they say, they read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Yizmeru, they sing. But the change of saying for singing makes no such great difference: a greater matter is the want of the Negative particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bal, not. He thinks they leaving out the letter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 L, changed the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 B into a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 C, a Particle of similitude, and expressed it by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as if. But I should rather think, that only by change of that letter, instead of Bal, not, they read Coll, all, and rendred the Conjunction 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ve, by the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that, and then, they all sing, will be expressed by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they sing together. But why is the word, singing (or, singing together, as in the last place also a 1.20 some readings have it,) twice re∣peated, whereas the word, say, is but once in the Hebrew? May we not say, that they were in some ancient copy two several readings, one in the Text, another in the Margin, and by some that transcribed it both clapt into the Text?

and so the Reader hath both imposed upon him, instead of leaving him his liberty of tak∣ing one of the two, which he would; a known cause of error in many books. Or else why might not the Negative particle be dropt out of the Greek of old by the error of the Scribe, and so since excluded? and why may not some other b 1.21 error have been committed of old by the Transcribers, which hath caused such dif∣ficulty as it is now hard to find the cause of, and without finding it to make out any easie or plain meaning agreeing to the place, from the words as they are now read? I leave it to the judgment of those who are of happier conjecture.

Notes

• g 1.1

  Chald. Syr.
• h 1.2

  Tarn.
• d 1.3

  Rivet. Tarnov.
• k 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. Their evil works, which have been revealed before me, shall now encompass them.
• l 1.5

  Rivet.
• m 1.6

  Jun. Trein.
• n 1.7

  Bren.
• o 1.8

  See Zanch. Rivet.
• p 1.9

  Pare.
• q 1.10

  Tarnov, Diodati. Dutch notes.
• r 1.11

  Diodati.
• s 1.12

  Gr••t.
• * 1.13

  Lyra. See Tarnov. and see Abarbinel.
• t 1.14

  Jerom. Chr. à Castro. Sa. Menoch. Tirin. and see Rivet.
• v 1.15

  Rivet,
• w 1.16

  Chr. à Castro.
• x 1.17

  Theodoret. Theophylact. See the same Chr. à Castr••.
• y 1.18

  So the Latin Translator, ut repeterent, more repetentium, in corde suo.
• z 1.19

  Drus. Rivet.
• a 1.20

  See the Polyglot Bibles.
• b 1.21

  An mendum est in Graecis codicibus? Drus.