Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Hosea 12:12
And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [sheep].
12. fled into the country of Syria ] Comp. Gen 27:43; Gen 28:2. Hosea’s phrase, the field of Aram, is the exact equivalent of ‘Padan-Aram’ (rather Paddan-Aram) in the latter passage; the Assyrian padnu has for one of its meanings ‘field’ (also ‘park’).
served for a wife, &c.] Comp. Gen 29:18-20; Gen 30:31; Gen 31:38-41. The last passage gives a vivid idea of the hardships summed up in the simple phrase ‘he kept (sheep).’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
12, 13. As Ewald remarks, ‘this is probably the oldest instance of a spiritualizing of the ancient history, though the way to it had been long prepared by the conception, so familiar to Hosea himself (chaps, 1 3), of the community of Israel as Jehovah’s bride.’ The verses however come in very abruptly, and are really, as Rashi long ago observed, a continuation of the didactic survey of the life of Jacob interrupted at Hos 12:6 (comp. on Hos 12:14).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And Jacob fled into the country of Syria – Jacob chose poverty and servitude rather than marry an idotatress of Canaan. He knew not from where, except from Gods bounty and providence, he should have bread to eat, or raiment to put on Gen 28:20; with his staff alone he passed over Jordan Gen 32:10. His voluntary poverty, bearing even unjust losses Gen 31:39, and repaying the things which he never took, reproved their dishonest traffic; his trustfulness in God, their mistrust; his devotedness to God, their alienation from Him, and their devotion to idols. And as the conduct was opposite, so was the result. Ill-gotten riches end in poverty; stable wealth is gained, not by the cupidity of man, but by the good pleasure of God. Jacob, having become two bands, trusting in God and enriched by God, returned from Syria to the land promised to him by God; Israel, distrusting God and enriching himself, was to return out of the land which the Lord his God had given him, to Assyria, amid the loss of all things.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. Served for a wife] Seven years for Rachel.
For a wife he kept sheep.] Seven years for Leah; having been cheated by Laban, who gave him first Leah, instead of Rachel; and afterwards made him serve seven years more before he would confirm his first engagement. Critics complain of want of connection here. Why is this isolated fact predicted? Thus, in a detached sentence, the prophet speaks of the low estate of their ancestors, and how amply the providence of God had preserved and provided for them. This is all the connection the place requires.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Jacob, the patriarch,
fled into the country of Syria, for fear of Esau.
And Israel, though honoured with that great name, served, stooped to the condition which is next door to slave,
for a wife; a wife was his wages.
And for a wife he kept sheep of Laban. All which in the history is related at large, Ge 29.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. Jacob fled . . . servedThoughye pride yourselves on the great name of “Israel,” forgetnot that your progenitor was the same Jacob who was a fugitive, andwho served for Rachel fourteen years. He forgot not MEwho delivered him when fleeing from Esau, and when oppressed by Laban(Gen 28:5; Gen 29:20;Gen 29:28; Deu 26:5).Ye, though delivered from Egypt (Ho12:13), and loaded with My favors, are yet unwilling to return toMe.
country of Syriathechampaign region of Syria, the portion lying between the Tigris andEuphrates, hence called Mesopotamia. Padan-aram means the same, thatis, “Low Syria,” as opposed to Aramea (meaning the “highcountry”) or Syria (Ge 48:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Jacob fled into the country of Syria,…. Or, “field of Syria” m; the same with Padanaram; for “Padan”, in the Arabic language, as Bochart has shown, signifies a field; and “Aram” is Syria, and is the word here used. This is to be understood of Jacob’s fleeing thither for fear of his brother Esau, the history of which is had in
Ge 28:1; though some interpret this of his fleeing from Laban out of the field of Syria into Gilead, Ge 31:21; and so make it to be introduced as an aggravation of the sin of the inhabitants of Gilead, that that place, which had been a refuge and sanctuary to their ancestor in his distress, should be defiled with idolatry; but the words will not bear such a construction, and the following seem to militate against it:
and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [sheep]; and so the last clause is supplied by the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi: this was after his flight into Syria, and before he fled from Laban, whom he served seven years for Rachel; and then served him by keeping his sheep seven years more for the same: though it may be understood of his two wives, thus; he served seven years for a wife, for Rachel intentionally, but eventually it was for Leah; and then he kept sheep seven years more for his other wife Rachel; the history of this is in Ge 29:1. This is mentioned to show the meanness of Jacob the ancestor of the Israelites, from whom they had their original and name; he was a fugitive in the land of Syria; there he was a Syrian ready to perish, a very poor man, obliged to serve and keep sheep for a wife, having no dowry to give; and this is observed here to bring, down the pride of Israel, who boasted of their descent, which is weak and foolish for any to do; and to show the goodness of God to Jacob, and to them, in raising him and them from so low an estate and condition to such eminency and greatness as they were; and to upbraid their ingratitude to the God of their fathers, and of their mercies, whom they had revolted from, and turned to idols.
m “agrum Aram”, Montanus; “in agrum Syriae”, Vatablus, Drusius, Rivet, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This punishment Israel well deserved. Hos 12:12. “And Jacob fled to the fields of Aram; and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife did he keep guard. Hos 12:13. And through a prophet Jehovah brought Israel out of Egypt, and through a prophet was he guarded. Hos 12:14. Ephraim has stirred up bitter wrath; and his Lord will leave his blood upon him, and turn back his shame upon him.” In order to show the people still more impressively what great things the Lord had done for them, the prophet recals the flight of Jacob, the tribe-father, to Mesopotamia, and how he was obliged to serve many years there for a wife, and to guard cattle; whereas God had redeemed Israel out of the Egyptian bondage, and had faithfully guarded it through a prophet. The flight of Jacob to Aramaea, and his servitude there, are mentioned not “to give prominence to his zeal for the blessing of the birthright, and his obedience to the commandment of God and his parents” (Cyr., Theod., Th. v. Mops.); nor “to bring out the double servitude of Israel – the first the one which the people had to endure in their forefather, the second the one which they had to endure themselves in Egypt” (Umbreit); nor “to lay stress upon the manifestation of the divine care towards Jacob as well as towards the people of Israel” (Ewald); for there is nothing at all about this in Hos 12:12. The words point simply to the distress and affliction which Jacob had to endure, according to Genesis 29-31, as Calvin has correctly interpreted them. “Their father Jacob,” he says, “who was he? what was his condition?… He was a fugitive from his country. Even if he had always lived at home, his father was only a stranger in the land. But he was compelled to flee into Syria. And how splendidly did he live there? He was with his uncle, no doubt, but he was treated quite as meanly as any common slave: he served for a wife. And how did he serve? He was the man who tended the cattle.” Shamar , the tending of cattle, was one of the hardest and lowest descriptions of servitude (cf. Gen 30:31; Gen 31:40; 1Sa 17:20). S e deh ‘aram (the field of Aram) is no doubt simply the Hebrew rendering of the Aramaean Paddan – ‘aram (Gen 28:2; Gen 31:18: see at Gen 25:20). Jacob’s flight to Aramaea, where he had to serve, is contrasted in sv. 10 with the leading of Israel, the people sprung from Jacob, out of Egypt by a prophet, i.e., by Moses (cf. Deu 18:18); and the guarding of cattle by Jacob is placed in contrast with the guarding of Israel on the part of God through the prophet Moses, when he led them through the wilderness to Canaan. The object of this is to call to the nation’s remembrance that elevation from the lowest condition, which they were to acknowledge with humility every year, according to Deu 26:5., when the first-fruits were presented before the Lord. For Ephraim had quite forgotten this. Instead of thanking the Lord for it by love and faithful devotedness to Him, it had provoked Him in the bitterest manner by its sins ( , to excite wrath, to provoke to anger: tamrurm , an adverbial accusative = bitterly). For this should its blood-guiltiness remain upon it. According to Lev 20:9., damm denotes grave crimes that are punishable by death. Natash , to let a thing alone, as in Exo 23:11; or to leave behind, as in 1Sa 17:20, 1Sa 17:28. Leaving blood-guiltiness upon a person, is the opposite of taking away ( ) or forgiving the sin, and therefore inevitably brings the punishment after it. Cherpatho (its reproach or dishonour) is the dishonour which Ephraim had done to the Lord by sin and idolatry (cf. Isa 65:7). And this would be repaid to it by its Lord, i.e., by Jehovah.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
The Prophet now employs another kind of reproof, — that the Israelites did not consider from what source they had proceeded, and were forgetful of their origin. And the Prophet designedly touches on this point; for we know how boldly and proudly the people boasted of their own eminence. For as a heathen gloried that he was an Athenian, so also the Jews think that all we are brute animals, and imagine that they have a different origin from the rest of mankind, because they are the posterity of Abraham. Since then they were blinded by such a pride as this God meant to undeceive them, as he does here: “Jacob your father, who was he? What was his condition? What was his nobility? What was his power? What was his dignity and eminence according to the flesh? Yea, truly, he was a fugitive from his own country: had he always lived at home, his father was but a sojourner; but he was constrained to flee into Syria. And how splendidly did he live there? He was indeed with his uncle; but he was treated no better than if he had been some worthless slave: He served for a wife And how did he serve? He was a keeper of sheep. Go then now and boast of your dignity, as if ye were nobler than others, as if your condition were better than that of the common sort of people.” God then brings against them the condition of their father, in whose name they gloried, but who was an abject person and a fugitive, who was like a worthless slave, who was a keeper of sheep; who, in short, had nothing which could be deemed reputable among men.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) Jacob . . . Israel.Resuming the retrospect over early patriarchal history, begun in Hos. 12:4. Notwithstanding the loneliness and humble position of the patriarch, God took care of him, and he won the mighty name of Israel, and gave it to his descendants.
Country.More accurately, plain.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And Jacob fled into the field of Aram, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.’
He reminds them that just as Israel had gone into Egypt, and had been delivered by redemption so as to be YHWH’s wife, so had Jacob fled to the countryside of Aram and had made a marriage payment for his wife. There, outside the promised land, he had had to work as a servant tending sheep in order to make this marriage payment for his wife, whom of course he would bring back with him to the promised land. Thus he was typical of the fact that Israel would now flee from the land (either to Egypt for refuge, or to Assyria in exile) where they would be subjected to hard living until YHWH again redeemed them to be His wife (Hos 3:1-5) and brought them back to the land. The idea of ‘shepherding’ is then paralleled in the next verse.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Hos 12:12. And for a wife he kept sheep And for a wife was he detained. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
The Holy Ghost is here again pleased to refer to the history of Jacob, and affectionately speaks of him and his love. But if Jacob be so spoken of under those endearments of character; what must we say of the Lord Jesus Christ? Jacob fled to Syria to avoid his brother’s anger. The Lord Jesus Christ came into this our world to remove his Father’s anger from his people. Israel served for a wife: Jesus’ zeal to his Father’s honor and love for his spouse the Church, made him endure the contradiction of sinners against himself. The sheep of Jacob, and the heritage his services obtained him, cost him indeed labour. But Jesus laid down his life for his sheep. He died that his people might live; yea, He became sin, and a curse for his redeemed, that they might be delivered both from sin and the curse, and be made the righteousness of God in him. Oh! how do all characters among men sink to nothing, when brought into account in the view of the Lord Jesus Christ. Gal 3:13 ; 2Co 5:21 . How doubly aggravated, yea, bitterness itself doth Ephraim’s provocations appear, while contemplating the Lord’s grace! Yet, Reader! notwithstanding this, I pray you still to observe the over-abounding grace of our covenant God in Christ, that he doth not give up, or lose sight of his covenant relations to his people, in his dear Son, but (as you perceive in this verse) still calls himself Israel’s Lord. Oh! the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Oh! how doth grace shine in the glories of God’s rich, free, sovereign mercy in Christ Jesus! Precious, precious Lord, from whom cometh salvation; what shall the Church render thee of love and praise, for all thy mercies? Thanks, thanks be unto God, for his unspeakable gift.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Hos 12:12 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [sheep].
Ver. 12. And Jacob fled into the country of Syria ] Jacob, in whom ye glory, was a poor forlorn fugitive, glad to run for his life, and to take hard on for his livelihood, Gen 28:1-22 ; Gen 29:1-35 . This they were bound by the law to make confession of ever when they offered their basket of firstfruits, and to say, “A Syrian ready to perish was my father,” &c., Deu 26:5 ; that, considering the meanness of their origin, they might not boast of their ancestry, but magnify God’s free grace in their present enjoyments; and say, as that noble Athenian general, Iphicrates, did, in the midst of all his triumphs, , from how great baseness and misery to what great blessedness and glory are we exalted! King Agathocles would be served in earthen vessels, to remind him of his father, who was a poor potter. Willigis, Archbishop of Mentz, A.D. 1011, being a wheelwright’s son, hanged wheels and wheel wrights’ tools round about his bedchamber, and underwrote in capital letters, Willigis,!! Willigis,!! recole unde veneris, Remember thine origins (Bucholcer). How low and mean were we of this nation at first! Brith signifieth blue-coloured, sc. with woad; hence our name Britains. This was their fine clothing; their food was bark of trees and roots. Holinshed saith, that some old men he knew, who told of times in England, that if the good man of the house had a mattress, or a flock bed, and a sack of chaff to rest his head on, he thought himself as well lodged as the lord of the town; for ordinarily, they lay upon straw pallets covered with canvas, and a round log under their heads instead of a bolster; they said pillows were fit only for women in childbed; and in a good farmer’s house it was rare to find four pieces of pewter; and it was accounted a great matter that a farmer should show five shillings, or a noble, together in silver. There are those who render the text thus: Thither fled Jacob out of the country of Syria, after Israel had served for a wife, and for a wife had kept sheep.
And Israel served for a wife
And for a wife he kept sheep
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Hos 12:12-14
12Now Jacob fled to the land of Aram,
And Israel worked for a wife,
And for a wife he kept sheep.
13But by a prophet the LORD brought Israel from Egypt,
And by a prophet he was kept.
14Ephraim has provoked to bitter anger;
So his LORD will leave his bloodguilt on him
And bring back his reproach to him.
Hos 12:12 Now Jacob This seems to relate to Hos 12:4-6, which relates to the historical life of Jacob (i.e., Israel, cf. Genesis 28-30).
Hos 12:13 by a prophet the LORD brought Israel from Egypt This must refer to Moses (cf. Deu 18:15; Deu 34:10).
Hos 12:14 The nation of Israel is not acting like Israel, but like Jacob and will bear her own sin. The blood guilt may refer to murder or child sacrifice (i.e., to Molech). See Special Topic: Molech .
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
fled . . . Syria. Ref to Pentateuch (Gen 28:5. Deu 26:5). App-92.
Syria. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 26:5).
Israel served, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 29:18).
kept sheep. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 30:31, the same Hebrew word, shamar). We may supply the connecting thought: “[yet in after days] Israel was brought out of Egypt . . . and preserved [in the wilderness]”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jacob: Gen 27:43, Gen 28:1 – Gen 29:35, Deu 26:5
Israel: Gen 32:27, Gen 32:28
served: Gen 29:18-28, Gen 31:41
Reciprocal: Gen 28:2 – Arise Gen 28:10 – General Gen 29:20 – served Gen 29:30 – served Gen 30:26 – my wives Gen 31:24 – the Syrian Gen 31:40 – General Rth 4:10 – have I Pro 18:22 – findeth a wife
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Hos 12:12. We know that Jacob went into the country far beyond what is commonly understood as Syria. The subject will be clarified by a quotation, from a reference work as follows: Aramaic Languages are so called from AH AM, a geographical term which In old Semitic usage designates nearly the same district as the Greek word, Syria. Aram, however, does not include Palestine, while it comprehends Mesopotamia (Hebrew, Aram of two rivers), a region which the Greeks fre-quently distinguish from Syria proper. Thus the Aramaic languages may he geographically defined as the Semitic dialects originally current in Meso-potamia and the regions extending S. W. from the Euphrates to Palestine,”-Britannica, Volume 2, page 307. He is called Israel at the time he was serving Laban, although that name was not given to him until he returned to his home land (Gen 32:28); but it had become history at the time that Hosea wrote his book. The Significance of mentioning this was to remind the people of the humble estate of the man from whom they received their name.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
12:12 {l} And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [sheep].
(l) If you boast of your riches and nobility, you seem to reproach your father, who was a poor fugitive and servant.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Another lesson from Israel’s history 12:12-14
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The Lord reminded the Israelites again of their humble origins. Jacob was a refugee who migrated to the land of Aram. There he had to work to pay for a wife, and he did so by tending sheep, a very humble occupation (cf. Deu 26:5).