Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Hosea 14:6
His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
6. I will be as the dew ] Rather, as the night-mist, i.e. the masses of vapour (Hebr. tal) brought by the damp westerly winds of summer (see on Hos 6:4). ‘In the strict scientific sense of the word, this is rain, and not dew at all, since the vapour becomes condensed in the air before touching the ground’ (Neil, Palestine Explored, p. 135). The promise comes very appropriately after the ‘I will heal’ of Hos 14:4. The baleful effects of the sirocco are often felt in Palestine during the rainless heat of summer, but by the beautiful provision of night-mist all hardy forms of vegetable life are preserved. But to the ‘east-wind’ described in Hos 13:15 there was no such counteracting force. A ‘dew’ (‘night-mist’) of supernatural energy (like Gideon’s) was required to vivify that which Assyria had destroyed what another prophet calls (Isa 26:19) ‘a dew of lights’, i.e. an influence from the divine Light, could alone undo so complete a catastrophe. Observe how nearly coincident are the conceptions of land and people in Hosea’s mind (see on Hos 2:3).
grow [ blossom ] as the lily ] So Sir 39:14 . The image suggests the ideas of profusion and beauty. There is nothing to bind us down to any single individual of the lily species. Indeed, the application of the Hebrew shshan was probably as wide as that of the Arabic ssan still is, if we may argue from the mention of ‘lilies [oleanders?] by the rivers of waters’ in Sir 50:8 . Dr Thomson’s ‘Hleh lily’, which abounds in the woods north of Tabor ( The Land and the Book, p. 256), is at least as likely a flower to be meant as any other. Dr Tristram prefers the not less gorgeous than abundant Anemone coronaria ( Nat. Hist. of Bible, p. 464).
and cast forth ] Lit., ‘and let it strike.’ A change of the verbal form for the sake of colour and variety.
as Lebanon ] The slender roots of the lily supply no fit image for stability; for this Hosea turns to the ‘cedars of God’ (Psa 80:10, A. V. ‘goodly cedars’), or perhaps he means the mountains of Lebanon themselves (for the ‘roots’ of a mountain, comp. Job 28:9).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
6. His branches shall spread ] For ‘branches’ render saplings. It is the same word as in Isa 53:2 (where A. V. ‘tender branch’). There the prophet’s idea is that after Israel’s vine has been cut down, a slender plant will spring up from the root; here, that the root of the living tree shall send forth many fresh plants. In fact, Israel is to be like not merely a tree, but a garden.
as the olive-tree ] Beautiful doubtless in itself, but with a beauty enhanced by the serviceableness of the fruits. Jeremiah compares Israel to ‘a fresh-green olive-tree, fair, and of goodly fruit’ (Jer 11:16).
his smell as Lebanon ] As the balsamic odour of the cedars and of aromatic shrubs. Comp. Son 4:11.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
His branches, his tenderest branches which are new sprung out, shall gather strength, not be broken off, but by these shall they multiply in number of boughs.
Shall spread; grow great and beautiful, and excellent for shade.
As the olive tree; which retains its verdure all the winter, and is rich in fruit; so the true Israel of God shall flourish, pot in fruitless beauty and stateliness, but in desirable and lovely fruit, even in winters of affliction and troubles.
As Lebanon; the mountain famous for cedars, where also were the trees that afford the frankincense, which sweat out that excellent aromatic, and where many more sweetest flowers grow and perfume the air; such shall the spiritual fragrance of the church be to God and man.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. branchesshoots, orsuckers.
beauty . . . as theolivewhich never loses its verdure. One plant is not enough toexpress the graces of God’s elect people. The lily depicts itslovely growth; but as it wants duration and firmness, the deeplyrooted cedars of Lebanon are added; these, however, are fruitless,therefore the fruitful, peace-bearing, fragrant, ever green oliveis added.
smell as Lebanonwhichexhaled from it the fragrance of odoriferous trees and flowers. SoIsrael’s name shall be in good savor with all (Gen 27:27;Son 4:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
His branches shall spread,…. As the well rooted cedars in Lebanon; see Nu 24:6. This respects the propagation of the church of God, and the interest of Christ in the world, as in the first times of the Gospel, and will be in the latter day; when the Gospel shall be spread everywhere; churches set up in all places; the Jews converted, and the fulness of the Gentiles brought in; and these like spreading branches, and fruitful boughs, abounding in grace and good works. The Targum is,
“they shall multiply or increase with sons and daughters:”
and his beauty shall be as the olive tree; which lies in its being laden with excellent fruit, and being always green; for which reasons particular believers, and the whole church of God, are sometimes compared to it; having that fatness in them, with which God and men are honoured; and that true grace, which is signified by oil in the vessels of the heart, and is called the unction and anointing of the Holy One; and they persevering in this grace to the end, which is evergreen and durable, immortal, and dies not; see Ps 52:8. Here again it may be observed, that the trees of Lebanon, though they had strong roots, and spreading branches, yet were not fruitful; and the deficiency of that metaphor is supplied by this of the olive:
and his smell as Lebanon; as the trees of Lebanon, the cedars, trees of frankincense, and other odoriferous trees and plants, which grew upon it; here what is wanting in the olive tree, whose smell is not so grateful, is made up by this simile of the trees of Lebanon, and the smell of them; which may denote the sweet and grateful smell the Lord smells in his people, or his gracious acceptance of them in Christ; whose garments of righteousness and salvation on them are as the smell of Lebanon; and whose graces in them exceed the smell of all spices; and whose prayers are odours, and their praises a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to God; see So 4:10. Some render it, “as incense” d called “lebonah” in Hebrew, from whence the mountain is thought to have its name, frankincense growing upon it. So the Targum,
“and their smell as the smell of the incense of spices.”
Jarchi says, as the sanctuary, which was made of the cedars of Lebanon.
d “Ut thuris”, Grotius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet goes on with the same subject, but joins the beginning of the first verse with the second clause of the former verse. He had said that the roots of the people would be deep when God should restore them. Now he adds, that their branches shall go on He mentions here “to go on” metaphorically for extending far; for branches of trees seem to go on, when they extend and spread themselves far and wide. His branches, then, shall go on; which means, that a tree, after striking roots, remains not in the same state, but grows and spreads forth its branches in all directions. In short, God promises a daily increase to his blessing, after he has once begun to show himself bountiful to the people of Israel. “I will then be bountiful at the beginning; and further, he says, my blessing shall, as time passes, increase and be multiplied.”
He afterwards adds, His comeliness shall be like the olive The Prophet accumulates similitudes, that he might more fully confirm the people. And we certainly see that the minds of men grow faint, when they look for prosperity from this or that quarter; for there is hardly one in a hundred who is fully persuaded that when God is propitious, all things turn out well and happily: for men regard not the love of God when they wish things to be well with them, but wander here and there through the whole world; and now they seek prosperity from themselves, then from the earth, now from the air, then from the sea. Since then it is so difficult to impress this truth fully on the hearts of men, that the love of God is the fountain of all blessings, the Prophet has collected together a number of similitudes to confirm what he teaches. Then his comeliness, he says, shall be like the olive; and further, his fragrance like that of Libanus: and odoriferous trees, we know, grow on Mount Libanus. But by these various similes the Prophet shows that the state of the people would be prosperous and happy as soon as they should be received by God into favour. He afterwards adds, the dwellers under his shadow shall return; but I defer this till to-morrow.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
‘His branches will spread, and his beauty will be as the olive-tree, and his odour as Lebanon.’
As a result of their strong roots their branches will spread, the sign of a healthy tree, and they will have the beauty of an olive tree, one of the most desirable of trees in Israelite eyes (compare Jer 11:16; Psa 52:8), whilst the odour that issued forth from them would be ‘as Lebanon’ (compare Son 2:14; Son 4:10-11). No one who had visited Lebanon could forget the beautiful aroma of the trees. It is an idealistic picture.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Hos 14:6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
Ver. 6. His branches shall spread ] Heb. shall walk, or expatiate; shall reach out, and stretch themselves all abroad: so shall the Church be propagated all the earth over; she shall flourish as the palm tree, which though it have many weights hung on the top, and many snakes hissing at the root, yet it still saith, Nec premor, nec perimor, I am insuperable: “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever,” Psa 52:8 .
And his beauty shall be as the olive tree
And his smell as Lebanon
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
his smell = his fragrance, or be fragrant, like.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
branches: Psa 80:9-11, Eze 17:5-8, Eze 31:3-10, Dan 4:10-15, Mat 13:31, Joh 15:1, Rom 11:16-24
spread: Heb. go
and his beauty: Psa 52:8, Psa 128:3
his smell: Gen 27:27, Son 4:11-15, 2Co 2:14, 2Co 2:15, Phi 4:18
Reciprocal: Psa 91:1 – dwelleth Psa 92:12 – righteous Son 2:13 – fig tree Isa 27:6 – General Isa 35:1 – desert Isa 35:2 – the glory Isa 60:13 – The glory
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Hos 14:6. This is more on the same thoughts as the preceding verse.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Israel would become productive and attractive to the eye and nose, namely, totally appealing. Shoots imply stability, beauty suggests visibility, and fragrance connotes desirability.