Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Hosea 8:10
Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.
10. This verse is obscure, and open to a variety of interpretations; the following however seems by far the most probable.
Yea, though they have hired among the nations ] Rather, Yea, though they hire, &c. i.e. though they attain a certain amount of success in their negotiations, and win the protection of some stronger nation, yet the time has come for me to check their misplaced activity.
now will I gather them ] Surely not, ‘now will I gather the Assyrian army to fight against them’, which does not suit the context (mark ‘yea, though ’), but, ‘now will I restrain their roving propensities.’ Where or how, we are not yet told; it is captivity which is dimly hinted at. This interpretation is strongly confirmed by the next clause.
and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes ] ‘The king of princes’ is a phrase not found elsewhere, but might conceivably = ‘the king of kings’, which is a title claimed by Tiglath-Pileser I. ( Records of the Past, Hos 5:8, comp. Eze 26:7). The ‘burden’ might be the heavy tribute paid by Menahem (2Ki 15:20). But why ‘sorrow a little’? No better sense is made by rendering ‘and they shall begin to be diminished [in numbers, or in prosperity] by reason of the burden of the king of princes’; why ‘begin’? A third rendering, ‘and they shall soon be in anguish through the burden’ &c. involves a violation of Hebrew usage (‘soon’ should be ‘a little’). The only remedy is to follow the Septuagint, which reads two of the Hebrew words differently, and render that they may cease for a little from anointing a king and princes (all the versions and some Hebr. MSS. sanction ‘and’). Comp. Hos 13:10 ‘Give me a king and princes’, from which it seems as if the personnel of the class of ‘princes’ would vary according as the king were of one dynasty or another. In Judah, at any rate, as well as in Egypt, we know that the royal princes enjoyed many of the more important offices under the crown (comp. Isa 7:13; Jer 17:20 ; 1Ki 22:26; 2Ki 25:25).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Yea, though they have hired – Or better, because or when they hinge among the pagan, now will I gather them; i. e., I will gather the nations together. The sin of Israel should bring its own punishment. He sent presents to the king of Assyria, in order to strengthen himself against the will of God; he thought himself secured by his league made with them; but he should find himself much deceived in his policy; he had hired among them only; now, ere long, very speedily, God Himself would gather them, i. e., those very nations, not in part, but altogether; not for the help of Israel, but for its destruction. As though a man would let out some water from a deep lake ponded up, the water, as it oozed out, loosened more and more the barriers which withheld it, until, at length, all gave way, and the water of the lake was poured out in one wide wild waste, desolating all, over which it swept. It may be, that Assyria would not have known of, or noticed Israel, had not Israel first invited him.
And they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes – So great shall be the burden of the captivity hereafter, that they shall then sorrow but little for any burdens put upon them now, and which they now feel so heavy. The king of princes is the king of Assyria, who said, Are not my princes altogether kings? Isa 10:8. The burden of plained will then be the thousand talents of silver which Menahem gave to Pul, king of Assyria, to support him in his usurpation, and in order to pay which, he exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver 2Ki 15:19-20.
If we adopt the English margin, begin, we must render, and they shall begin to be minished through the burden of the king of the princes, i. e., they shall be gradually reduced and brought low through the exactions of the Assyrians, until in the end they shall be carried away. This describes the gradual decay of Israel, first through the exactions of Pul, then through the captivity of Gilead by Tiglathpileser.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. For the burden of the king of princes.] The exactions of the Assyrian king, and the princes of the provinces.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Yea, though; or, Yea, because; they think this the way to prevent their calamities, but it shall appear this was the ready way to bring their calamities upon them; and forasmuch as they have hired the aid of the nations to secure them against their God and his judgments, therefore, &c.
Gather them; bring Israel together by a secret and unfailing train. I will, saith God, assemble and herd them together, that they may be taken and destroyed together. Others say, God will gather the nations together against Israel.
They shall sorrow a little, for a while before their final captivity they shall complain and be grieved,
for the burden of the king of princes; the tribute laid on them by the king and princes, i.e. of Israel; but better as we read it, the king of Assyria, the great king who boasted of his princes.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. will I gather themnamely,the nations (Assyria, c.) against Israel, instead of theirassisting her as she had wished (Eze16:37).
a littlerather, “ina little” [HENDERSON].English Version gives good sense: They shall sorrow “alittle” at the imposition of the tribute God suspended yet thegreat judgment, namely, their deportation by Assyria.
the burden of the king ofprincesthe tribute imposed on Israel (under Menahem) by theAssyrian king Pul, (2Ki15:19-22), who had many “princes” under his sway (Isa10:8).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Yea, though they have hired among the nations,…. That is, lovers, as before; got into confederacies and alliances with the nations about them, thinking thereby to strengthen their hands, and secure themselves and their kingdom; particular regard may be had to the Egyptians, as distinct from the Assyrians, whom they privately engaged on their side to shake off the Assyrian yoke, or their obligation to send yearly presents to the Assyrian king:
now will I gather them; either the Assyrians against them, to invade their land, besiege their city, and take and carry them captive; or the Israelites in a body into the city of Samaria, and there be cooped up, and taken and destroyed, or carried captive; for this is not to be interpreted of the collection of them out of their captivity, as the Targum and Jarchi, but of the gathering of them together for their destruction:
and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes; the tax or tribute imposed upon them by the king of Assyria, whose princes were altogether kings, Isa 10:8; and who used to be called king of kings, being at the head of a monarchy, which had many kings subject to it; as the kings of Babylon were afterwards called,
Eze 26:7; this may refer to the yearly present or tribute, which Hoshea king of Israel was obliged to give to the king of Assyria, which he was very uneasy at, and did not pay it, which drew upon him the resentment of the Assyrian king; and that sorrow and uneasiness which that tribute gave the king of Israel and his people were but little and small in comparison of what they after found; it was the beginning of sorrows to them: and so some render the words, “they began” l; that is, to sorrow and complain “a little”; or this may refer to their burdens and oppressions when in captivity, which were laid upon them by the king of Assyria, and the princes, the rulers, and governors of the several places where the Israelites were carried captive: even the “few [that] shall remain” m, as some render it; and not die by famine, pestilence, and sword. Kimchi and Ben Melech think there is a deficiency of the copulative and between king and princes; which is supplied by the Targum, and by the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, which read, “the king and princes”.
l “incipient”, Calvin; “ceperunt enim paululum”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Zanchius, Drusius, Tarnovius, so Ben Melech. m “et remanebunt pauci”, Schmidt a rad. “durare, permanere”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But it follows, Though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them. This place may be variously expounded. The commonly received explanation is, that God would gather the hired nations against Israel; but I would rather refer it to the people themselves. But it admits of a twofold sense: the first is, that the great forces which the people has on every side acquired for themselves, would not prevent God from destroying them; for the verb קבף, kobets, which they render, “to gather,” often means in Hebrew to throw by a slaughter into an heap, as we say in French, Trousser , (to bundle.) And this meaning would be very suitable — that though they extended themselves far and wide, by gathering forces on every side, they would yet be collected in another way, for they would be brought together into a heap. The second sense is this — that when Israel should be drawn away to the Gentiles, the Lord would gather him; as though he said, “Israel burns with mad lusts, and runs here and there among the Gentiles; this heat is nothing else than dispersion; it is the same as if he designedly wished to destroy the unity in which his safety consists; but I will yet gather him against his will; that is, preserve him for a time.”
It then follows, They shall grieve a little for the burden of the king and princes. The word which the Prophet uses interpreters expound in two ways. Some derive יחלו, ichelu, from the verb חל, chel, and others from חלל, chelal, which means, “to begin;” and therefore give this rendering, “They shall begin with the burden of the king and princes;” that is, They shall begin to be burdened by the king and princes. Others offer this version, “They shall grieve a little for the burden of the king and princes;” that is, They shall be tributaries before the enemies shall bring them into exile; and this will be a moderate grief.
If the first interpretation which I have mentioned be approved, then there is here a comparison between the scourges with which God at first gently chastised the people, and the last punishment which he was at length constrained to inflict on them; as though he said, “They complain of being burdened by tributes; it is nothing, or at least it is nothing so grievous, in comparison with the dire future grief which their last destruction will bring with it.”
But this clause may well be joined with that mitigation which I have briefly explained, and that is, that when the people had willingly dispersed themselves, they had been preserved beyond expectation, so that they did not immediately perish; for they would have run headlong into destruction, had not God interposed an hindrance. Thus the two verses are to be read conjointly, They ascended into Assyria as a wild ass; that is, “They showed their unnameable and wild disposition, when thus unrestrainedly carried away; and then they offer me a grievous insult; for as if they were destitute of my help, they run to the profane Gentiles, and esteem as nothing my power, which would have been ready to help them, had they depended on me, and placed their salvation in my hand.” He then reproaches their perfidy, that they were like unchaste women, who leave their husbands, and abandon themselves to lewdness. Then it follows, Though they do this, that is, “Though having despised my aid, they seek deliverance from the profane Gentiles, and though they despise me, and choose to submit themselves to adulterers rather than to keep their conjugal faith with me, I will yet gather them, when thus dispersed.” The Lord here enhances the sin of the people; for he did not immediately punish their ingratitude and wickedness, but deferred doing so for a time; and in his kindness he would have led them to repentance, had not their madness been wholly incurable: though then they thus hire among the Gentiles, I will yet gather them, that is, “preserve them;” and for what purpose? That they may grieve a little, and that is, that they may not wholly perish, as persons running headlong into utter ruin; for they seemed designedly to seek their last destruction, when they were thus wilfully and violently carried away to profane nations. That is indeed a most dreadful tearing of the body, which cannot be otherwise than fatal. They shall, however, grieve a little; that is, “I will so act, that they may by degrees return to me, even by the means of moderate grief.”
We hence see more clearly why the Prophet said, that this grief would be small, which was to be from the burden of the king and princes. It was designed by the Israelites to excite the Assyrians immediately to war; and this would have turned out to their destruction, as it did at last; but the Lord suspended his vengeance, and at the same time mitigated their grief, when they were made tributaries. The king and his counsellors were constrained to exact great tributes; the people then grieved: but they had no other than a moderate grief, that they might consider their sins and return to the Lord; yet all this was without any fruit. Hence the less excusable was the obstinacy of the people. We now perceive what the Prophet meant. It now follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) There is much difference of opinion as to the interpretation of this verse. Much depends on the reference of the word them. We prefer to regard it as referring to Ephraim rather than to the nations (i.e., Assyria and Egypt). Render, I will gather them (Israel) together, so that in a short time they may delay (this translation approved by Ewald, Wnsche, and Simson) to render the tribute burden due to the king of princes (i.e., the Assyrian monarch). Gather them together, i.e., in restraint, so that they cannot roam so wildly, seeking help (Ewald). This accords with Hos. 2:8-9; Hos. 3:4. Such non-payment of tribute actually occurred a few years later (2Ki. 17:4). Others render it: I will gather these nations (of the East) round about her to look scornfully on her ruin, and they shall sorrow a little (used ironically) at the imposition of the king of the princes.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘Yes, because they hire among the nations,
Now will I gather them,
And they begin to be diminished,
By reason of the burden of the king of princes.’
YHWH therefore intends to ‘gather’ them for judgment and slowly squeeze them dry by reason of the financial demands of the king of Assyria, ‘the king of princes’. This began with Menahem’s payment of tribute, extracted from the rich in the land (2Ki 15:19-20), and continued through the years as greater and greater tribute was demanded as a consequence of their continuing rebellions.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Hos 8:10 Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.
Ver. 10. Yea, though they have hired among the nations ] The uncircumcised; strangers to the promises, and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, that they should so far distrust God and debase themselves as to seek help of such; this went near to the heart of God, and was very grievous. They brought up an evil report upon God’s housekeeping, charged him with unfaithfulness to his people, whom he now seemed to leave in the lurch, to shift for themselves in their straits; and hardened his enemies in their wicked but yet more prosperous condition. Felix scelus virtus vocatur Pleasent wickedness is called virtue. (Cic. de Divin., lib. ii.). How would these heathens hug themselves in the conceit that Israel should do thus, who was God’s portion, Deu 32:9 , the dearly beloved of his soul, Jer 12:7 , of whom it was anciently sung, and commonly said among the heathen, “The Lord hath done great things for them,” Psa 126:2 . “Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help; and who is the sword of thine excellence! and thine enemies shall he found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places,” Deu 33:29 . Whosoever was free of the city of Rome might not accept any freedom in another city; for they were counted a dishonour to Rome. And will not God take it in ill part from his covenanters, to seek or make after correspondence with his enemies, and safety by them? The help of the wicked are at the best perfidious, and at length pernicious to the Church: Ecclesiae sunt tandem perniciosa et semper perfidiosa.
Now will I gather them
I will gather them
And they shall sorrow a little
for the burden of the king of princes
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
hired = hired [lovers].
gather = gather [against].
them: i.e. the nations (Israel’s lovers).
sorrow = be in woe.
a little = in a little time, speedily; as in Hag 2:6. The Hebrew accents indicate that we should render “and, ere long, they will be writhing under the burden”: king [will be writhing], princes [will be writhing].
the burden of the: i.e. the tribute [laid on them].
king of princes = king and princes. Compare Isa 10:8. Isa 10:11
made many = multiplied. Compare Hos 12:10.
be unto him = have become to him.
sin. The same word, but here put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Effect), App-6, for the judgments caused by the sin.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
now: Hos 10:10, Eze 16:37, Eze 23:9, Eze 23:10, Eze 23:22-26, Eze 23:46, Eze 23:47
sorrow a little: or, begin to sorrow in a little while, as, Hag 2:6
for: 2Ki 14:26, 2Ki 15:19, 2Ki 15:20, 2Ki 17:3, 1Ch 5:26
the king: Isa 10:8, Isa 36:13, Eze 26:7, Dan 2:37
Reciprocal: 2Ch 12:8 – that they may Isa 30:6 – burden Eze 16:33 – but thou Eze 23:5 – on the Heb 2:10 – many
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Hos 8:10. Sorrow a little means that the nation was to be exiled for a little while (comparatively speaking), during which time it would not engage in appointing unworthy kings and princes, such as the accusation in verse 4. Gather usually has a meaning opposite of scatter, yet this verse predicts the exile of Israel into a foreign land. The idea is that God would scatter his people from their own land, but they would be gathered into the net of the heathen country. The original for gather is defined in Strongs lexicon, to grasp, i. e., collect.”
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Hos 8:10. Yea, though they have hired Namely, allies; among the nations And have been no way solicitous to gain my favour or help; now will I gather them I will now (though they make so little account of my power) bring those very allies, namely, the Assyrians, against them. Here God tells them, that whatever sums they might offer, or expense they might be at, in order to raise armies of foreign auxiliaries, he would imbody those armies, he would press the men, paid by their money, into his own service against them. And they shall sorrow a little Or, in a little time; for the burden of the king of princes They shall be severely galled by the yoke of the Assyrian king, and of the princes set over his several provinces. Newcome. Bishop Horsley, who thinks that the kings and princes, or rulers, of Israel are here intended, renders this clause differently, thus: And ere long they shall sorrow on account of the burden, the king and the rulers: that is, Ere long the king and the rulers will lament the impolitic expense incurred in gifts and presents to their faithless allies, and the burden of taxes for that purpose laid upon the people. The reading of
, and rulers, is supported, says he, by such a weight of authority, that I cannot but adopt it; and yet there is no difficulty in the construction of the common text. For it might be thus rendered: And ere long the rulers shall sorrow for the burden of the king, that is, for the burden imposed by the king [namely, the king of Israel] in taxes.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
8:10 Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the {h} burden of the king of princes.
(h) That is, for the king and the princes will lay upon them: and by this means the Lord brings them to repentance.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Hiring allies among the pagan nations by making treaties with them would not work. Yahweh Himself would gather them up to judge them. He would use as His instrument of judgment "the king of princes," namely, the king of the Assyrian Empire, the very king to whom the Israelites appealed for protection (cf. Hos 10:6; Isa 10:8). The result would be the diminution of the nation of Israel.