4<\/strong>. For<\/em> ] The explanation of this latter part of the prophet’s acted allegory. As he has restrained his erring wife from even the legitimate gratification of her natural instincts, so Jehovah will chastise idolatrous Israel by depriving her of her civil and religious institutions. By ‘the children of Israel’ Hosea means the Ten Tribes, as elsewhere in these chapters,<\/p>\n shall abide<\/em> ] Rather, shall sit still<\/strong> (as Hos 3:3<\/em><\/span>).<\/p>\n many days<\/em> ] The prophet has received no revelation as to the duration of the captivity of the Ten Tribes.<\/p>\n without a king and without a prince<\/em> ] The abolition of ‘king and princes’ corresponds to the denial of intercourse with her lovers to Gomer. The term ‘prince’ is used partly of the magnates of the state in general, partly of the ‘elders’ or heads of families, who played such an important part in the Israelitish community (comp. Exo 3:16 ; 2Sa 19:11<\/span>; 1Ki 8:1 ; 1Ki 20:7<\/span>; Jer 26:17<\/span>). A king and princes are mentioned together again in Hos 7:3<\/span>, Hos 13:10<\/span> (and probably in Hos 8:10<\/span>).<\/p>\n without a sacrifice and without an image<\/em> ] The withholding of this and the next pair of objects corresponds to the cessation of conjugal intercourse between Hosea and Gomer. Consequently as Hosea represents Jehovah, the ‘image’ (or rather consecrated pillar<\/strong>, Heb. mabah<\/em>) spoken of must stand in some relation to Jehovah, must in fact be of one of those pillars sacred to Jehovah, which, as many think, lasted on in Judah (much more therefore in Israel) at any rate till the time of Hezekiah: see note on Hos 10:1<\/span>. The ‘pillars’ were the distinguishing marks of holy places, and are therefore very naturally combined by Hosea with sacrifices or altars (Sept., followed by Pesh. and Vulg. reads ‘altar’ here instead of ‘sacrifice’). Comp. Dean Plumptre:<\/p>\n No pomp of kings, no priests in gorgeous robes,<\/p>\n No victims bleeding on the altar-fires,<\/p>\n No golden ephod set with sparkling gems,<\/p>\n No pillar speaking of the gate of heaven,<\/p>\n No Teraphim with strange mysterious gleam<\/p>\n Shall give their signs oracular.<\/p>\n ( Lazarus<\/em>, p. 90.)<\/p>\n It follows from this passage of Hosea that the worship of Jehovah in northern Israel presented features altogether alien to the orthodox worship of Jehovah according to the Law, and that Hosea raises no protest against it. He refers to its suspension as a privation corresponding to and equally felt with that of king and princes. We must remember however that the kings of N. Israel were regarded by Hosea as usurpers.<\/p>\n without an ephod<\/em> ] The high priest’s ephod is described in Exo 28:6-14<\/span>. It was a sleeveless coat of splendid and costly material, and with two ouches of onyx on the shoulders, bound by a rich girdle. Over it was worn the so-called choshen<\/em>, a jewelled breastplate, with the Urim and Thummim. But what connexion had this coat with the sacred ‘pillar’ and the teraphim? It is as difficult to answer as the question with regard to Gideon’s ephod in Jdg 8:24-27<\/span>. The root-meaning of ephod is simply to overlay, and the feminine form of the word ephod ( aphuddh<\/em>) is used in Isa 30:22<\/span> of the gold plating of images. The easiest supposition is that both in Judg. l.c.<\/em> and here ‘ephod’ means, not an article of sacerdotal dress but an image of Jehovah overlaid with gold or silver (so in Judges 17, 18; 1Sa 21:10<\/span>; 1Sa 23:6<\/span>; 1Sa 23:9 ; 1Sa 30:7-8<\/span>, but not 1Sa 2:18<\/span>; 1Sa 22:18<\/span>). It is no doubt strange to find this idolatry of Jehovah still prevalent among the larger section of the Israelites. But the fact is in harmony with all that Hosea tells us of the religious state of his country elsewhere.<\/p>\n and without teraphim<\/em> ] Ephod and teraphim were evidently used for similar purposes (see Judges 17, 18). The latter word only occurs in the plural form; the teraphim seem to have been household gods (see Gen 31:19<\/span>; Gen 31:34<\/span>; 1Sa 19:13<\/span>; 1Sa 19:16<\/span>), and regarded as the protectors of domestic happiness (if we may derive from root taraf<\/em> to fare well). Very possibly they were representations of the animals worshipped by the Semitic clans of Syria in primitive times survivals of a fetishistic period in Semitic heathenism (see Prof. Robertson Smith’s article in the Journal of Philology<\/em>, 1880, and compare, on the general question of fetishism in the Old Testament, Max Mller, Hibbert Lectures<\/em>, p. 60). If so, we may connect them with the ‘creeping things and beasts and idols ( gilllm<\/em>) of the house of Israel’ which Ezekiel saw ‘pourtrayed upon the wall’ in the ‘chambers of imagery’ (Eze 8:10-12<\/span>). Josiah indeed had attempted to put away ‘the teraphim and the gilllm<\/em> ’ (2Ki 23:24<\/span>), but in vain; the Jews took them with them into exile. Ezekiel represents the king of Babylon as seeking an oracle from his teraphim (Eze 21:21<\/span>); at any rate, this was the principal use of the teraphim to the Israelites to divine by (Zec 10:2<\/span>). The meaning of ‘ephod and teraphim’ was already forgotten in the time of the Septuagint translator of Hosea, who renders (he identifies the teraphim with the Thummim, comp. Sept. Deu 33:8<\/span>; elsewhere or = the Urim).<\/p>\n For the children of Israel shall abide many days – <\/B>The condition described is one in which there should be no civil polity, none of the special temple-service, nor yet the idolatry, which they had hitherto combined with it or substituted for it. King and prince include both higher and lower governors. Judah had kings before the captivity, and a sort of prince in her governors after it. Judah remained still a polity, although without the glory of her kings, until she rejected Christ. Israel ceased to have any civil government at all. Sacrifice was the center of worship before Christ. It was that part of their service, which, above all, foreshadowed His love, His atonement and sacrifice, and the reconciliation of God by His blood, whose merits it pleaded. Images, were, contrariwise, the center of idolatry, the visible form of the beings, whom they worshipped instead of God. The ephod was the holy garment which the high priest wore, with the names of the twelve tribes and the Urim and Thummim, over his heart, and by which he inquired of God. The Teraphim were idolatrous means of divination.<\/P> So then, for many days, a long, long period, the children of Israel should abide, in a manner waiting for God, as the wife waited for her husband, kept apart under His care, yet not acknowledged by Him; not following after idolatries, yet cut off from the sacrificial worship which He had appointed for forgiveness of sins, through faith in the Sacrifice yet to be offered, cut off also from the appointed means of consulting Him and knowing His will. Into this state the ten tribes were brought upon their captivity, and (those only excepted who joined the two tribes or have been converted to the Gospel,) they have ever since remained in it. Into that same condition the two tribes were brought, after that, by killing the Son, they had filled up the measure of their fathers sins; and the second temple, which His presence had hallowed, was destroyed by the Romans, in that condition they have ever since remained; free from idolatry, and in a state of waiting for God, yet looking in vain for a Messiah, since they had not and would not receive Him who came unto them; praying to God; yet without sacrifice for sin; not owned by God, yet kept distinct and apart by His providence, for a future yet to be revealed. No one of their own nation has been able to gather them together or to become their king.<\/P> Julian the Apostate attempted in vain to rebuild their temple, God interposing by miracles to hinder the effort which challenged His Omnipotence. Davids temporal kingdom has perished and his line is lost, because Shiloh, the peace-maker, is come. The typical priesthood ceased, in presence of the true priest after the order of Melchisedek. The line of Aaron is forgotten, unknown, and cannot be recovered. So hopelessly are their genealogies confused, that they themselves conceive it to be one of the offices of their Messiah to disentangle them. Sacrifice, the center of their religion, has ceased and become unlawful. Still their characteristic has been to wait. Their prayer as to the Christ has been, may He soon be revealed. Eighteen centuries have flowed by. Their eyes have failed with looking for Gods promise, from where it is not to be found. Nothing has changed this character, in the mass of the people.<\/P> Oppressed, released, favored; despised, or aggrandised; in East or West; hating Christians, loving to blaspheme Christ, forced (as they would remain Jews,) to explain away the prophecies which speak of Him, deprived of the sacrifices which, to their forefathers, spoke of Him and His atonement; still, as a mass, they blindly wait for Him, the true knowledge of whom, His offices, His priesthood, and His kingdom, they have laid aside. Anti God has been toward them. He has preserved them from mingling with idolaters or Muslims. Oppression has not extinguished them, favor has not bribed them. He has kept them from abandoning their mangled worship, or the Scriptures which they understand not, and whose true meaning they believe not; they have fed on the raisinhusks of a barren ritual and unspiritual legalism since the Holy Spirit they have grieved away. Yet they exist still, a monument to us, of Gods abiding wrath on sin, as Lots wife was to them, encrusted, stiff, lifeless, only that we know that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.<\/P> True it is, that idolatry was not the immediate cause of the final punishment of the two, as it was of the ten tribes. But the words of the prophecy go beyond the first and immediate occasion of it. The sin, which God condemned by Hosea, was alienation from Himself. He loved them, and They turned to other gods. The outward idolatry was but a fruit and a symbol of the inward. The temptation to idolatry was not simply, nor chiefly, to have a visible symbol to worship, but the hope to obtain from the beings so symbolized, or from their worship, what God refused or forbade. It was a rejection of God, choosing His rival. The adulteress soul is whoever, forsaking the Creator, loveth the creature. The rejection of our Lord was moreover the crowning act of apostasy, which set the seal on all former rejection of God. And when the sinful soul or nation is punished at last, God punishes not only the last act, which draws down the stroke, but all the former accumulated sins, which culminated in it. So then they who despised the Bridegroom, who came from heaven to seek the love of His own in faith, and, forsaking Him, gave themselves over to the Scribes and Pharisees who slew Him, that the inheritance, i. e., Gods people, might be theirs, having the same principle of sin as the ten tribes, were included in their sentence.<\/P><\/p>\n Hos 3:4<\/span><\/p>\n For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Present condition of the Jews<\/strong><\/p>\n Into the state here described the Ten Tribes were brought upon their captivity, and (those only excepted who joined the Two Tribes, or have been converted to the Gospel) they have ever since remained in it. Into that same condition the two tribes were brought, after that, by killing the Son, they had filled up the measure of their fathers sins, and the second temple, which His presence had hallowed, was destroyed by the Romans. In that condition they have ever since remained; free from idolatry, and in a state of waiting for God, yet looking in vain for a Messias, since they had not and would not receive Him who came unto them. Praying to God, yet without sacrifice for sin. Not owned by God, yet kept distinct and apart by His providence for a future yet to be revealed. No one of their own nation has been able to gather them together, or to become their king. Julian the apostate attempted in vain to rebuild their temple. God interposed by miracles to hinder the effort which challenged His omnipotence. Davids temporal kingdom has perished, and his line is lost, because Shiloh, the Peacemaker, is come. The typical priesthood ceased, in presence of the true Priest after the order of Melchizedek. The line Of Aaron is forgotten, unknown, and cannot be recovered. Sacrifice, the centre of their religion, has ceased and become unlawful. Still their characteristic has been to wait. Their prayer as to the Christ has been, May He soon be revealed. Eighteen centuries have flowed by. Their eyes have failed with looking for Gods promise, whence it is not to be found. Nothing has changed this character in the mass of the people. Oppressed, released, favoured, despised, or <\/strong>aggrandised; in East or West; hating Christians, loving to blaspheme Christ, forced (as they would remain Jews) to explain away the prophecies which speak of Him, deprived of the sacrifices which, to their forefathers, spoke of Him and His atonement;–still, as a mass, they blindly wait for Him, the true knowledge of whom, His offices, His priesthood, and His kingdom, they have laid aside. And God has been towards them. He has preserved them from mingling with idolaters or Mahommedans. Oppression has not extinguished them, favour has not bribed them. He has kept them from abandoning their mangled worship, or the Scripture which they understand not, and whose true meaning they believe not; they have fed on the raisin-husks of a barren ritual and unspiritual legalism, since the Holy Spirit they have grieved away. Yet they exist still, a monument to Us, of Gods abiding wrath on sin, as Lots wife was to them, encrusted, stiff, lifeless, only that we know the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. (E. B. Pusey, D. D.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Verse 4<\/span>. Many days without a king<\/B><\/I>] Hitherto this prophecy has been literally fulfilled. Since the destruction of the temple by the Romans they have neither had king<\/I> nor prince<\/I>, nor any civil<\/I> government<\/I> of their own, but have lived in different nations of the earth as mere exiles<\/I>. They have neither priests<\/I> nor sacrifices<\/I>, nor urim<\/I> nor thummim<\/I>; no prophet<\/I>, no oracle<\/I>, no communication<\/I> of any kind from God<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> Without an image ephod – teraphim<\/B><\/I>] The Septuagint<\/I> read, , , , : “Without a sacrifice, without an altar, without a priesthood, and without oracles;” that is, the urim<\/I> and thummim<\/I>. The Vulgate,<\/I> Arabic<\/I>, and Syriac<\/I> read nearly the same. Instead of matstsebah<\/I>, an image<\/I>, they have evidently read mizbeach<\/I>, an altar<\/I>; the letters of these words being very similar, and easily mistaken for each other. But instead of either, one, if not two, of Kennicott’s<\/I> MSS. has minchah<\/I>, an oblation<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> What is called image<\/I> may signify any kind of pillar<\/I>, such as God forbade them to erect, Le 26:1<\/span>, lest it should be an incitement to idolatry.<\/P> <\/P> The ephod<\/I> was the high priest’s garment of ceremony; the teraphim<\/I> were some kind of amulets, telesms<\/I>, or idolatrous<\/I> images<\/I>; the urim<\/I> and thummim<\/I> belonged to the breastplate<\/I>, which was attached to the ephod<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> Instead of teraphim<\/I> some would read seraphim<\/I>, changing the tau<\/I> into sin<\/I>; these are an order of the celestial hierarchy. In short, all the time that the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon, they seem to have been as wholly without forms<\/I> of idolatrous worship<\/I> as they were without the worship of God<\/I>; and this may be what the prophet designs: they were totally without any kind of public worship, whether true<\/I> or false<\/I>. As well without images<\/I> and teraphim<\/I>, as they were without sacrifice<\/I> and ephod,<\/I> though still idolaters in their hearts. They were in a state of the most miserable darkness, which was to continue many days<\/I>; and it has continued now nearly eighteen hundred<\/I> years, and must continue yet longer, till they acknowledge him as their Saviour<\/I> whom they crucified as a blasphemer<\/I>.<\/P> <\/p>\n Now the parable is unfolded and made plain; it shall be with Israel much like as with such a woman, they and she guilty of adultery, both punished with a divorce, both punished long with such afflicted state, both made slaves, kept hardly, and valued meanly, yet in mercy at last pardoned, reaccepted, and preferred, but this after long time of probation: how long we cannot tell, nor list to dispute whether seventy years of Babylons captivity, or whether these seventy and the one hundred and thirty years of the ten tribes captivity before the two tribes went captives, i.e. two hundred years; or whether till Messiahs coming, or the general and last conversion of the Jews; long it was to be no doubt. <\/P> Without a king; none of their own royal line shall sit on the throne, and rule them, but foreigners, enemies, and they that had conquered them, should be kings over them. So the kingdom ceased, as Hos 1:4<\/span>. <\/P> Without a prince; the conquering kings will not out of the Jews make their chief officers to rule the Jews, but strangers shall be princes and governors over them. <\/P> Without a sacrifice; either right, and according to law, (these sacrifices they had long since cast off,) or idolatrous ones, which they would choose. <\/P> Without an image; they could carry none of their images with them, and the Assyrians would not let them make new ones. <\/P> Without an ephod; no priest as well as no ephod. <\/P> Without teraphim; idolatrous images kept in their private houses to worship and consult with, like the Roman lares and penates, household gods. In one word, such should be the state of these captives, they should have nothing of their own, either in kingdom and civil affairs, or in church and religion, but be wholly under the power and arbitrary wills of their conquering enemies. <\/P> <\/p>\n 4.<\/B> The long period here foretoldwas to be one in which Israel should have no civil polity, king, orprince, no sacrifice to Jehovah, and yet no idol, or false god, noephod, or teraphim. Exactly describing their state for the lastnineteen centuries, separate from idols, yet without any legalsacrifice to Jehovah, whom they profess to worship, and without beingacknowledged by Him as His Church. So KIMCHI,a Jew, explains it. The ephod was worn by the high priest above thetunic and robe. It consisted of two finely wrought pieces which hungdown, the one in front over the breast, the other on the back, to themiddle of the thigh; joined on the shoulders by golden clasps set inonyx stones with the names of the twelve tribes, and fastened roundthe waist by a girdle (Ex28:6-12<\/span>). The common<\/I> ephod worn by the lower priests,Levites, and any person performing sacred rites, was of linen(2Sa 6:14<\/span>; 1Ch 15:27<\/span>).In the breast were the Urim and Thummim by which God gave responsesto the Hebrews. The latter was one of the five things which thesecond temple lacked, and which the first had. It, as representingthe divinely constituted priesthood, is opposed to the idolatrous”teraphim,” as “sacrifice” (to Jehovah) is to “an(idolatrous) image.” “Abide” answers to “thoushalt abide<\/I> for me” (Ho3:3<\/span>). Abide<\/I> in solitary isolation, as a separated wife.The teraphim were tutelary household gods, in the shape of humanbusts, cut off at the waist (as the root of the Hebrew<\/I> wordimplies) [MAURER],(Gen 31:19<\/span>; Gen 31:30-35<\/span>).They were supposed to give responses to consulters (2Ki 23:24<\/span>;Eze 21:21<\/span>, Margin;<\/I> Zec10:2<\/span>). Saul’s daughter, Michal, putting one in a bed, as if itwere David, proves the shape to have been that of a man.<\/P><\/p>\n For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince<\/strong>,…. Without any form of civil government, either regal or without any civil magistrate, either superior or subordinate, of their own; being subject to the kings and princes of other nations, as the ten tribes were from their captivity by Shalmaneser, to the coming of Christ, which was about seven hundred years; and from that time the tribes of Judah and Benjamin have had no kings and princes among them, for the space of nineteen hundred years, which may very well be called “many days”. This answers to the harlot’s abiding for the prophet many days, in the parable:<\/p>\n and without a sacrifice<\/strong>; the daily sacrifice, which has ceased as long as before observed; and any other sacrifice of slain beasts, as the passover lamb, c. the Jews not thinking it lawful to offer sacrifice in a strange land, or any where but upon the altar in Jerusalem; and to this day have no such sacrifices among them, though they have no notion of the abrogation of them, as the Christians have; but so it is ordered in Providence, that they should be without them, being kept out of their own land, that this and other prophecies might be fulfilled:<\/p>\n and without an image<\/strong>, or “statue”: such as were made for Baal, or as were the calves at Dan and Bethel; and though the people of Israel were very subject to idolatry, and set up images and statues for worship before their captivities, yet since have nothing of image worship among them, but strictly observe the command.<\/p>\n And without an ephod<\/strong>; a linen garment wore by the high priests under the law, to which the breastplate was fastened, which had in it the Urim and Thummim; and which were wanting in the second temple, and have been ever since; so that these people have been so long without this way and means of inquiry of God about future things, see Ezr 2:63<\/span>, this may be put for the whole priesthood, now ceased in a proper sense; and so the Septuagint render it, “without a priesthood”; so that the Jews are without any form of government, civil or ecclesiastical; they have neither princely nor priestly power: “and without teraphim”; which some understand to be the same with the Urim and Thummim; and so the Septuagint render it, “without manifestations”; by which they are thought to mean the Urim, which according to them so signifies: but the word is generally thought to design some little images or idols, like the penates or household gods of the Romans, which were consulted about future things; and so the Jews commonly understand it, and some describe them thus g,<\/p>\n “what are the “teraphim?” they slay the firstborn of a man, cut off his head, and pickle it with salt and oil, and inscribe on a plate of gold the name of an unclean spirit, and put that under his tongue; then they place it in a wall, and light candles before it, and pray unto it, and it talks with them.”<\/p>\n But now, according to this prophecy, the Jews in their captivity should have no way and means of knowing future things, either in a lawful or unlawful manner; see Ps 74:9<\/span>. How the whole of this prophecy is now fulfilled in them, hear what they themselves say, particularly Kimchi;<\/p>\n “these are the days of the captivity in which we now are at this day; we have no king nor prince out of Israel; for we are in the power of the nations, and of their kings and princes; and have no sacrifice for God, nor image for idols; no “ephod” for God, that declares future things; and no “teraphim” for idolatry, which show things to come, according to the mind of those that believe in them;”<\/p>\n and so Jarchi<\/p>\n “without a sacrifice in the sanctuary in Judah; without an image of Baal in Samaria, for the kings of Israel; without an ephod of Urim and Thummim, that declares hidden things; and “teraphim” made for a time to speak of, and show things that are secret;”<\/p>\n and to the same purpose Aben Ezra. The Targum is,<\/p>\n “without a king of the house of David, and without a ruler over Israel; without sacrifice for acceptance in Jerusalem; and without a high place in Samaria; and without an ephod, and him that shows;”<\/p>\n i.e. what shall come to pass. The Syriac version renders the last clause, “without one that offers incense”; and the Arabic version, “without one that teaches”.<\/p>\n g Pirke Eliezer, c. 36. fol. 40. 1.<\/p>\n “For the sons of Israel will sit for many days without a king, and without a prince, and without slain-offering, and without monument, and without ephod and teraphim.” <\/em> The explanation of the figure is introduced with , because it contains the ground of the symbolical action. The objects, which are to be taken away from the Israelites, form three pairs, although only the last two are formally connected together by the omission of before , so as to form one pair, whilst the rest are simply arranged one after another by the repetition of before every one. As king and prince go together, so also do slain-offering and memorial. King and prince are the upholders of civil government; whilst slain-offering and memorial represent the nation’s worship and religion. , monument, is connected with idolatrous worship. The “monuments” were consecrated to Baal (Exo 23:24<\/span>), and the erection of them was for that reason prohibited even in the law (Lev 26:1<\/span>; Deu 16:22<\/span>: see at 1Ki 14:23<\/span>); but they were widely spread in the kingdom of Israel (2Ki 3:2<\/span>; 2Ki 10:26-28<\/span>; 2Ki 17:10<\/span>), and they were also erected in Judah under idolatrous kings (1Ki 14:23<\/span>; 2Ki 18:4<\/span>; 2Ki 23:14<\/span>; 2Ch 14:2<\/span>; 2Ch 31:1<\/span>). The ephod<\/em> and teraphim<\/em> did indeed form part of the apparatus of worship, but they are also specially mentioned as media employed in searching into the future. The ephod<\/em>, the shoulder-dress of the high priest, to which the Urim and Thummim were attached, was the medium through which Jehovah communicated His revelations to the people, and was used for the purpose of asking the will of God (1Sa 23:9<\/span>; 1Sa 30:7<\/span>); and for the same purpose it was imitated in an idolatrous manner (Jdg 17:5<\/span>; Jdg 18:5<\/span>). The teraphim<\/em> were Penates, which were worshipped as the givers of earthly prosperity, and also as oracular deities who revealed future events (see my Bibl. Archol.<\/em> 90). The prophet mentions objects connected with both the worship of Jehovah and that of idols, because they were both mixed together in Israel, and for the purpose of showing to the people that the Lord would take away both the Jehovah-worship and also the worship of idols, along with the independent civil government. With the removal of the monarchy (see at Hos 1:4<\/span>), or the dissolution of the kingdom, not only was the Jehovah-worship abolished, but an end was also put to the idolatry of the nation, since the people discovered the worthlessness of the idols from the fact that, when the judgment burst upon them, they could grant no deliverance; and notwithstanding the circumstance that, when carried into exile, they were transported into the midst of the idolaters, the distress and misery into which they were then plunged filled them with abhorrence of idolatry (see at Hos 2:7<\/span>).<\/p>\n This threat was fulfilled in the history of the ten tribes, when they were carried away with the Assyrian captivity, in which they continue for the most part to the present day without a monarchy, without Jehovah-worship, and without a priesthood. For it is evident that by Israel the ten tribes are intended, not only from the close connection between this prophecy and Hos 1:1-11<\/span>, where Israel is expressly distinguished from Judah (Hos 1:7<\/span>), but also from the prospect held out in Hos 3:5<\/span>, that the sons of Israel will return to David their king, which clearly points to the falling away of the ten tribes from the house of David. At the same time, as the carrying away of Judah also is presupposed in Hos 1:7<\/span>, Hos 1:11<\/span>, and therefore what is said of Israel is transferred implicite<\/em> to Judah, we must not restrict the threat contained in this verse to the Israel of the ten tribes alone, but must also understand it as referring to the Babylonian and Roman exile of the Jews, just as in the time of king Asa (2Ch 15:2-4<\/span>). The prophet Azariah predicted this to the kingdom of Judah in a manner which furnishes an unmistakeably support to Hosea’s prophecy.<\/p>\n He afterwards adds, For many days shall the children of Israel abide He says, for many days, that they might prepare themselves for long endurance, and be not dispirited through weariness, though the Lord should not soon free them from their calamities. “Though then your exile should be long, still cherish,” he says, “strong hope in your hearts; for so long a trial must necessarily be made of your repentance; as you have very often pretended to return to the Lord, and soon after your hypocrisy was discovered; and then ye became hardened in your wilful obstinacy: it is therefore necessary that the Lord should subdue you by a long chastisement.” Hence he says, The children of Israel shall abide without a king and without a prince <\/p>\n But it may still be further asked, What is the number of the days of which the Prophet speaks, for the definite number is not stated here; and we know that the exile appointed for the Jews was seventy years? (Jer 29:10<\/span>.) But the Prophet seems here to extend his prediction farther, even to the time of Christ. To this I answer, that here he refers simply to the seventy years; though, at the same time, we must remember that those who returned not from exile were supported by this promise, and hoped in the promised Mediator: but the Prophet goes not beyond that number, afterwards prefixed by Jeremiah. It is not to be wondered at, that the Prophet had not computed the years and days; for the time of the captivity, that is, of the last captivity, was not yet come. Shortly after, indeed, four tribes were led away, and then the ten, and the whole kingdom of Israel was destroyed: but the last ruin of the whole people was not yet so near. It was therefore not necessary to compute then the years; but he speaks of a long time indefinitely, and speaks of the children of Israel and says, They shall abide without a king and without a prince: and inasmuch as they placed their trust in their king, and thought themselves happy in having this one distinction, a powerful king, he says, They shall abide without a king, without a prince. He now explains their widowhood without similitudes: hence he says, They shall be without a king and a prince, that is, there shall be among them no kind of civil government; they shall be like a mutilated body without a head; and so it happened to them in their miserable dispersion. <\/p>\n And without a sacrifice, he says, and without a statue. The Hebrews take מצבה, metsabe, often in a bad sense, though it means generally a statue, as a monument over a grave is called מצבה, metsabe,: but the Prophet seems to speak here of idols, for he afterwards adds, תרפים “teraphim”; and teraphim were no doubt images, (Gen 31:19<\/span>,) which the superstitious used while worshipping their fictitious gods, as we read in many places. The king of Babylon is said to have consulted the teraphim; and it is said that Rachel stole the teraphim, and shortly after Laban calls the teraphim his gods. But the Hebrews talk idly when they say that these images were made of a constellation, and that they afterwards uttered words: but all this has been invented, and we know what liberty they take in devising fables. The meaning is, that God would take away from the people of Israel all civil order, and then all sacred rites and ceremonies, that they might abide as a widow, and at the same time know, that they were not utterly rejected by God without hope of reconciliation. <\/p>\n It is asked, why “ephod” is mentioned; for the priesthood continued among the tribe of Judah, and the ephod, it is well known, was a part of the sacerdotal dress. To this I answer, that when Jeroboam introduced false worship, he employed this artifice — to make religion among the Israelites nearly like true religion in its outward form: for it seems to have been his purpose that it should vary as little as possible from the legitimate worship of God: hence he said, <\/p>\n ‘<\/p>\n It is grievous and troublesome to you to go up to Jerusalem; then let us worship God here,’ (1Kg 12:28<\/span>.) <\/p>\n But he pretended to change nothing; he would not appear to be an apostate, departing from the only true God. What then? “God may be worshipped without trouble by us here; for I will build temples in several places, and also erect altars: what hinders that sacrifices should not be offered to God in many places?” There is therefore no doubt but that he made his altars according to the form of the true altar, and also added the ephod and various ceremonies, that the Israelites might think that they still continued in the true worship of God. <\/p>\n (4) The prophet suddenly passes from his personal history to that of Israel, which it symbolised.<\/p>\n Without a king<\/strong> . . .The isolation of Gomers position pre-figured that of Israel in the exile. Her bitter experience was a parable of Israels utter deprivation of all civil and religious privilege. There was to be no king, or prince, or sacred ritual of any kind. Observe that the terms of both cultus are here intermingled, suggesting the idolatrous conceptions of the pure ancient practice which Jeroboams calf-worship was only too likely to introduce. By image we are to understand upright stones, representing Baal or the sun-god. (Comp. Hos. 10:1<\/span> and Exo. 24:4<\/span>.) On ephod, see Jdg. 17:5<\/span>; Jdg. 18:14<\/span>; Jdg. 18:17-20<\/span>; on teraphim, Gen. 31:19-35<\/span>; 1Sa. 19:13-16<\/span>; Eze. 21:21<\/span>; Zec. 10:2<\/span>. In the last two passages the word is translated idols, images, their use as instruments of divination being condemned.<\/p>\n ‘For the children of Israel will abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim,’<\/p>\n Israel’s desolate state would be indicated by the fact that she would be bereft of all outward symbols of her previous religious activity, and have no means of reaching out towards heaven. She would be in this state for ‘many days’ (compare Hos 3:3<\/span>). ‘Without king and without prince’ might indicate a looking back to the time when YHWH was Israel’s king whilst their ruler was His nagid (in the case of Saul, David and Solomon). That would tie in with ‘YHWH their God and David their king’ in Hos 3:5<\/span>. But then we might have expected nagid instead of sar for prince. Or it may have in mind that David and his sons (princes) had been Israel’s intercessory priests ‘after the order of Melchizedek’ (2Sa 8:18<\/span>; Psa 110:4<\/span>). Now they would have no one to intercede for them. Alternately the thought is that they would have neither king or governor, and would be leaderless, with no one to mediate for them. They would be a subject people. The lack of sacrifice, pillar, ephod and teraphim indicates a lack of all means of approaching God, or even any gods. Sacrifices were common to all religions. Pillars could have in mind memorial pillars such as that erected by Jacob at Bethel, but it could also refer to the pillars which represented Baal in the high places. Ephod could refer to the High Priest’s garment, but it could also refer to accoutrements used in idol worship. Teraphim were figurines seen as offering protection and as a means of divination, and were mainly connected with false worship and idolatry. They are always frowned on. It is these last which prevent us from seeing the references as being necessarily towards what was seen to be religiously acceptable. Just as Hosea’s new wife was to have no relationships either good or bad, so Israel would be bereft of all familiar relationships with the divine, whether good or bad. What she had previously clung to she will lose.<\/p>\n Hos 3:4<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim.<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> After much consideration of the passage, and of much that has been written upon it by expositors, I rest in the opinion strenuously maintained by the learned Pococke, in which he agrees with many that went before him, and has the concurrence of many that came after, Luther, Calvin, Vatablus, Drusius, Livelye, Houbigant, and Archbishop Newcome, with many others of inferior note; I rest, I say, after much consideration, in the opinion, that image, <\/em>(or rather statue,<\/em>) ephod, <\/em>and teraphim, <\/em>are mentioned as principal implements of idolatrous rites. And the sum of this fourth verse is this; that for many ages the Jews would not be their own masters; would be deprived of the exercise of their own religion, in its most essential parts; not embracing the Christian, they would have no share in the true service, and yet would be restrained from idolatry, to which their forefathers had been so prone. But as the prophesy contained in this verse, is peculiarly descriptive of the state of the Jewish nation since their dispersion by the Romans, and as interpreters differ much in their explanations of the latter part of Hos 3:4<\/span>. I shall not perhaps do justice to my critical readers, if I withhold from them a full disquisition of the passage. <\/p>\n An ephod <\/em>seems to have been a garment, like a cloak without sleeves, covering the body as low as the pit of the stomach before, and as low as the shoulder-blades behind. It seems to have taken its name from the straitness of its collar, and the manner in which it was fastened about the person. The ephod of the high-priest was of costly materials, and the richest embroidery; and it made a very principal part of his robes of office. But something of a similar shape, and of the same name, but made of plain linen, was worn by the inferior priests, see 1Sa 22:18<\/span> and occasionally at least by other persons, 1Sa 2:18<\/span>. But it appears also, that idolaters, at least the idolatrous Israelites, sometimes dressed up the images of the deities they worshipped, in a gorgeous ephod resembling that of the high-priest, and made perhaps in imitation of it. And this was so principal, and so sacred a part of the idol’s robes, that the word was sometimes used as a name for the idol itself. Thus certainly we must understand Gideon’s ephod; when it is said, “that he set it up, iatseg, <\/em>in his own city, in Ophrah, and that all Israel went a-whoring after it; which thing became a snare unto Gideon and his house,” Jdg 8:27<\/span>. This ephod was made, according to the sacred historian, of the spoils of the slaughtered Midianites, the purple robes of their kings, the gold of their ear-rings, and other ornaments. Insomuch that, in the costliness of the materials, it much resembled the sacred ephod of the high-priest. But when it is said, that it “was set up in Ophrah, and that all Israel went a-whoring after it,” the robe is certainly put for an image, which was adorned with it, and drew so much admiration, that it became an object of idolatrous adoration. The ephod, therefore, appears to have been a principal ornament both of the true and of the false worship; and when the word is used, in the figurative language of prophesy, as it is in this passage, to express in general the external grandeur of public institutions; it is in itself of ambiguous import, and its connexions in the context must determine, whether it refers to the approved forms of a pure service, or to idolatry. That it refers to the latter in the text, is evident from the connection with statues or images mentioned next before, and teraphim next after the ephod; for both these will be found to be produced here, as principal articles of the furniture of idolatry. <\/p>\n We find the teraphim <\/em>among some of the worshippers of Jehovah in the patriarchal ages, and among heathen idolaters afterwards; for Laban, who was a worshipper of Jehovah, had his teraphim, (Gen 31:19<\/span>.) and Nebuchadnezzar had his, Eze 21:21<\/span>. They seem to have been images, made in some general resemblance of the person of a man, 1Sa 19:13<\/span>; 1Sa 19:16<\/span>. The teraphim of the heathen idolaters were probably imitations of those of the worshippers of Jehovah mentioned above; for the ancient idolatry was in every thing a mimickry and mis-application of the patriarchal symbols. The teraphim of idolaters were magical images, used for the purposes of divination, as appears in particular from Ezekiel in the place quoted. But the patriarchal teraphim were probably emblematical figures, like the cherubim; like those I mean of the simpler sort, which were seen in the ornaments of the more open parts of the tabernacle, and of the temple. The teraphim I take to have been figures of the like mystic import; but of materials less costly, of coarser work, and certainly upon a smaller scale. But it is certain that the use of them was absolutely forbidden to God’s people; and, long before the time of the prophet Hosea, they were considered as a part of the worst rubbish of idolatry, which it became the duty of the pious to destroy. When the prophet Samuel would represent to Saul the enormity of his crime, in not having executed the command of God, he could find nothing worse with which he could compare it, than the sin of witchcraft and teraphim, 1Sa 15:23<\/span>. The teraphim are numbered among the abominations in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, which Josiah put away, 2Ki 23:24<\/span>. From all this I cannot but conclude, that the teraphim, in the text of Hosea, are to be understood of nothing but implements of idolatrous rites, images consecrated to the purposes of magic and divination. <\/p>\n I come now to the image <\/em>or statue, <\/em>the first word of the three, which will require no long discussion. This, like the teraphim, had been in use among many of the worshippers of Jehovah in early ages; but was absolutely prohibited by Moses. A statue, matsebah, <\/em>signifies any thing, more especially of stone, erected or set up as a monument or memorial; but particularly as a religious monument. The heathen idolaters, instead of simple pillars, set up images carved in the human, or other form, to represent the object of their worship. This abuse was certainly ancient, and gave occasion to the strict prohibition of the Mosaic law, “Ye shall make you no idols, nor graven image; neither rear you up matsebah, <\/em>a standing image [statue, or pillar,]” Lev 26:1<\/span>. “After this prohibition,” says Dr. Pococke, “we cannot look on any such used in religious worship, but as a part, and so a sign, of the falseness of that worship. And so here therefore [in this text of Hosea] to say, the children of Israel shall be without such, is as much as to say, that they shall not have free exercise of their former ways of idolatry.” <\/p>\n If I may offer a conjecture concerning the difference between these idolatrous statues and the teraphim, I would say, that the statues were of large dimensions, set up in public, as objects of popular adoration: the teraphim were of a smaller size, and for different purposes, kept in the most sacred recesses of temples, or consecrated chapels, for magical rites, and rarely, if ever, exposed to public view. REFLECTIONS.<\/strong>1st, The prophet still speaks of himself under the character of a man who hath betrothed a woman and loved her, though an adulteress, and her affections placed upon another; and this in order to reproach the baseness and ingratitude of the people of Israel, who had thus treacherously departed from God. <\/p>\n 1. The prophet represents their baseness and ingratitude, and God’s amazing forbearance towards them, notwithstanding they had played the harlot and gone after idols, looking to them for help and comfort, delighting in drunkenness and intemperance; and the better pleased with their abominable deities because their feasts were thus celebrated. Note; <\/em>A drunkard will ever pay his adorations where there are flagons of wine. <\/em>Such infamous conduct might well provoke God’s abhorrence; yet, astonishing to tell! he was still willing to tender his grace, and to receive the returning penitent, though an adulteress. Note; <\/em>The soul which is brought to a real sight of its own vileness, stands amazed at God’s grace, that he should ever respect a wretch, where there was nothing to engage his love, but every thing to excite his loathing. <\/p>\n 2. He describes the gracious method that God took to bring them home to himself. By the price that the prophet pays for this adulteress, is represented the vileness and worthlessness of that sinful people. It was but half as much as was paid for a slave, Exo 21:32<\/span> and the barley may typify the wretched state to which, during their captivity, the Israelites should be reduced. So I bought her, <\/em>&c. and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days, <\/em>as a widow in solitude, and lamenting their pass ill conduct: and thou shalt not be for another man, <\/em>not commit adultery any more; so will I be also for thee; <\/em>after proper trial and correction and genuine repentance, God will again own the relation of a husband. Note; <\/em>(1.) Though God has designs of grace towards a penitent sinner, he is sometimes pleased to leave him for a while under deep convictions and sad apprehensions of his state, the more to endear the mercy when he receives him into the bosom of his love. (2.) From the moment the grace of God is revealed to the sinner, he separates himself from his iniquities. (3.) God waits to be gracious: when we desire to return and be for him alone, he is ready to receive us, and engages to be ours.<\/em> <\/p>\n 2nd, This parable is particularly applied to the people of Israel. 2. They shall at last, when penitently returning to the true Messiah, be received again as a wife. Afterward, <\/em>when the days of their separation are ended, shall the children of Israel return <\/em>from their long apostacy, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, <\/em>the rejected Messiah, whom they will then receive for their Lord and King, earnestly soliciting to be admitted into his church; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days, <\/em>with filial fear of offending any more a God so gracious. Which prophesy, whatever reference it may have to those Jews who were converted by the first preaching of the Gospel, looks undoubtedly to some glorious future day for its full accomplishment. Note; <\/em>(1.) They who would return to God and find mercy, must diligently seek him through the Son of his love. (2.) If Christ be our king, we must prove our loyalty by our fidelity. (3.) A sense of God’s goodness, and of the baseness of ingratitude, more powerfully restrains a pious soul from offending than any servile fears of wrath. <\/p>\n Hos 3:4-5<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>For the children of Israel shall abide, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> This threatening was fulfilled upon the ten tribes, when they were carried captive by Salmaneser; but was fulfilled in a remarkable manner upon the whole nation at the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus; for from that time they have had neither republic nor civil government of their own, but live every where like so many exiles. They have had neither priests nor sacrifices, their temple being destroyed, where only they were permitted to offer sacrifices. It is added in the next verse, that, touched with a true remorse for their former errors, especially that of rejecting the Messiah, and desirous of being instructed in the knowledge of truth, Israel should return, and seek the Lord, and David their king; <\/em>that is to say, the Messiah, <\/em>by the confession of the Chaldee itself. And indeed there can be no doubt that Jesus Christ <\/em>is the grand literal object of this prophesy; and that it also refers to the final restoration of the Jews. See Jer 23:5<\/span>. <\/p>\n I beg the Reader to pause over these verses, and when he hath duly pondered their meaning, to consider at this moment the state of the Jews, and behold, how for ages and generations past, the prediction in the former part hath been fulfilled in the earth. At the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, they publicly declared, that they had no king but Cesar; thereby fulfilling the memorable prophecy of the Patriarch Jacob, that the sceptre should not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh should come. Compare Joh 19:15<\/span> with Gen 49:10<\/span> . The Shiloh was then come, and the sceptre, by their own acknowledgment, was departed. And since that they have had no king; yea the many days in which they were to be kingless, are not even yet run out. The whole nation is to this hour scattered. They have lost all the five signs of the temple: yea, they have no temple, but are unchurched, and in the most desolate and ruined circumstances in respect to divine things. But, Reader! pray attend with the greatest diligence to the sweet and gracious promise in the latter part of this scripture. There shall be a time, when they shall return and seek Jehovah in his threefold character of person in Christ; and that, in and through him whom they once despised: Jesus the root and offspring of David, their king. This blessed event is to be in the latter days. Oh! who that hears or reads this gracious promise, but must feel constrained to cry out, when will the Redeemer arise out of Zion to turn away ungodliness from Jacob, Isa 59:20<\/span> .<\/p>\n Hos 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and [without] teraphim:<\/p>\n Ver. 4. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, &c.<\/strong> ] They shall be, as it is said of the Brazilians, Sine rege, sine lege, sine fide,<\/em> without a king, without law, without hope, in a woeful confused estate, both for state and Church. This they had brought upon themselves by their idols set up at Dan and Bethel; that is, in the place of judgment, and in the house of God (so Dan and Bethel signify). Bethel was become Bethaven, and the place of judicature (called by Solomon the place of the Holy God, Ecc 8:10 ), so corrupted, that people were ready to say, as Themistocles once did, that if there were two ways showed him, the one leading to hell and the other to the tribunal, he would choose that which went to hell and forsake the other. That corruption caused this confusion. The children of Israel shall be without and withont, here are six withouts, that they might be sensible of their abuse of mercies, and see bona a tergo formosissima,<\/em> good things fairest behind, their worth best appearing by their want. The Persian law commanded that at the death of their kings there should be , a suspension of laws, a lawless liberty, for the length of five days (Stob. Orat. 42), that subjects might know the necessity of government by being bereft of the benefit of it for a time; and the better prize it when they had it. The like custom they have now in Turkey at the death of the Grand Signor, which is no sooner known but every man doth what is good in his own eyes, till his successor be sent for, and set upon his throne. Israel hath neither king nor prince, ruler nor civil magistrates of their own, (the ten tribes, I mean: for Judah hath both prince and priests after the captivity, till the last desolation, since which they have) no form nor face of Church or commonwealth, no, not of a corrupt or depraved Church, meant here by image and teraphim, see 2Ki 17:10 Jdg 17:5<\/span> , which much less of such a one as God had prescribed, meant by sacrifices and ephod. Prosper’s conceit was that this people were called Iudaei<\/em> Jews because they received ius Dei,<\/em> their law, from God’s mouth. And Josephus calleth their commonwealth a theocracy, or government by God. They received their order both for Church and commonwealth from heaven: which no other people ever did in the same manner; and might truly take up that of the prophet, Isa 33:22<\/span> , “The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King, he will save us.” But man being in honour is without understanding. “Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked; then he forsook God which made him, and sacrificed unto devils, not to God, to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up,” Deu 32:15<\/span> ; Deu 32:17<\/span> . When Ephraim spake and spake right there was trembling, and none dared budge against him: but when he offended in Baal he died, Hos 13:1<\/span> , then every paltry adversary trampled upon him as a dead man, then every scurrilous poet could insult over him and cry, Credat Iudaeus Apella, Non ego; <\/em> then every common Turk could, by way of execration, say, Iudaeus sim si fallo; <\/em> and in detestation of a thing, I would I might die a Jew then. A dispersed and despised people they are (none more) under the cope of heaven; partly for their former idolatry, but principally for their rejecting Christ crucified, whom they cannot but in their conscience know to be the Shiloh that should come, since the sceptre is so long since departed from Judah, and a lawgiver from between his feet, Gen 49:10<\/span> . That for their sins, which are many (say the Talmudists), he yet hides himself in the caverns and secret places of the earth, is , a simple pretence, or rather a subtlety of Satan, to hold them still in blindness till God unseal their eyes; till when things that are never so dear will not be believed.<\/p>\n Israel. Not merely Judah, but the twelve tribes. Not “British” or any other “Israel”. <\/p>\n many days. All the days of the present Dispensation; “many” implying length of time; “days” implying their limitation. <\/p>\n without. Note the Figure of speech Anaphora (App-6), emphasizing each point, now fulfilled before our eyes. <\/p>\n without a king. Having rejected Messiah (Joh 19:15). This cannot therefore be interpreted now of any People which has a king. <\/p>\n and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton strengthening the emphasis on each point. <\/p>\n prince = ruler. Hebrew. sar, as in Hos 8:4. <\/p>\n sacrifice. Hebrew. zabach. App-43. Includes all sacrifices where there is shedding of blood. <\/p>\n an image. Hebrew. mazzebah = any upright standing image. Compare Exo 23:24; Exo 34:13. Isa 19:19. <\/p>\n ephod. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6, for the priest or person who wears it. Reference to Pentateuch (Exo 28:4-8). App-92. This was the girdle of the breastplate which contained the “Urim and Thummim”, the wearing of which pertained solely to the high priest. Compare 1Sa 22:18; 1Sa 23:9. Ezr 2:63; and Neh 7:65. <\/p>\n teraphim = idols of any kind. In Hos 3:3, Jehovah says they shall not “play the harlot”: and, now, for (since 426 B.C.) 2,300 years the truth of this has been seen. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 31:19, Gen 31:34, Gen 31:35). <\/p>\n WHICH SAINTS WILL BE IN THE GREAT TRIBULATION?<\/p>\n It is evident from the word of God that certain saints will be found on earth in the days of the great tribulation. Many of these will be called on to suffer martyrdom while others will be preserved through this entire period and will enter into the kingdom to be set up on earth. Because of this, it has naturally been concluded that these are necessarily members of the church, the body of Christ.<\/p>\n Many think of the church as a surname by which the entire family of faith from Adam to the end of the millennium is designated. If one thinks of the church in this manner there can be only one answer to the question. “Will the church or any part of it go through the great tribulation?” Certainly many members of the household of faith will have to endure great suffering during that time of trouble. But if one has learned to distinguish clearly from scripture between new birth, common to all children of God in every dispensation, and membership in the body of Christ, which belongs alone to the saints of this present age from Pentecost to the rapture. It should not be difficult to distinguish the saints who will have part in the tribulation from those who will be caught up before it begins. But because many believers are not clear as to this distinction, the point deserves further consideration.<\/p>\n First let it be noted that Old Testament prophecy never refers to this dispensation in which we live (extending from Pentecost to the Lord’s coming for His own), save in a most indefinite way (as, for instance, in Dan 9:26). From Moses to Malachi, scripture is mainly occupied with one nation, Israel (Amo 3:2; Deu 7:6; Psa 147:19-20), and the hope of that nation, namely, the raising up of a prophet (Deu 18:15), priest (Psa 110:4; Zec 6:13), and king (Isaiah 32; Psa 2:6). This hope will bring them into everlasting blessing as people (Psa 132:11-18; Isa 35:10; 51:11; 61:7), though not until they have been born again (Eze 36:24-30). The gentiles will share in that blessing (Isa 56:6; 65:1), not on the same footing with Israel, but rather in subjection to them (Isa 14:1-3; 60:3-5; 62:2-3).<\/p>\n Before the ushering in of that day of Jehovah’s power and Messiah’s glory the prophets predicted the rejection of the looked-for Redeemer by Israel to whom He came (Isaiah 53). In consequence Israel is set aside by God (Zec 7:13-14), while the rejected Messiah takes His place in the heavens on Jehovah’s throne (Psa 110:1), which He will occupy until the future repentance of the people (Hos 5:15). This setting aside of Israel is not final, as Jeremiah 30-31 declare. But before their restoration to divine favor and the land of Palestine, the Israelites must pass through a short period of unequalled persecution and chastisement, called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer 30:7). At the close of this time they will be ready to acknowledge the crucified one as their Lord, and will “mourn for Him as one mourning for his only son” (Zechariah 12:10-14: 13:6- 7). In the darkest hour of their sorrow, when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies and they are in dire distress, He will appear as their Deliverer and the destroyer of their enemies, after which the tabernacle of David will be raised up and the reign of righteousness ushered in (Zechariah 14: Amo 9:8-15).<\/p>\n In the New Testament we find much new information introduced, without which the present working of the Spirit of God in the world would be inexplicable. In Romans 11 we are told that upon the breaking off of the natural branches (Israel) from the tree of promise, wild branches (gentiles)are put in their place. In other words, Israel’s rejection has made way for unforetold grace to be shown to the nations, though Old Testament prophecy of blessing to the heathen can be quoted as proof that such grace is not in opposition to their final blessing. However, this special work among the gentiles is not to go on forever, for if these do not continue in divine goodness, they too shall be cut off and the natural branches grafted in again.<\/p>\n God is doing a work now that is not mentioned in the Jewish oracles, during the time that His earthly people are lo-ammi (“not my people,” Hos 1:9), or unacknowledged by Him, “Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom 11:25). This is one of the “mysteries”, one of the secret things (Deu 29:29) that has until now been unrevealed. The Lord Jesus confirms this (from the political side) in his prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, the long period of desolation and gentile supremacy following it, and the end that occurs with his personal appearing. Luk 21:24 records: “Jerusalem shall be trodden of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”<\/p>\n This passage is related to Daniel 9, where we see the prophecy of the seventy weeks. Let us briefly consider the main points. From the course of time, seventy weeks of years, or 490 years, are “determined,” or “cut off,” and given to Daniel’s people, or the Jewish nation. Before this period of time expires six important events will have taken place:<\/p>\n 1. Transgression will be finished;<\/p>\n 2. An end will be made of sins;<\/p>\n 3. Atonement (rather than reconciliation) will be made for iniquity;<\/p>\n 4. Everlasting righteousness will be brought in;<\/p>\n 5,. Vision and prophecy will be sealed up, or fulfilled;<\/p>\n 6. And the most holy, or holy of holies, of the millennial temple at Jerusalem will be anointed (see Ezekiel 40-48).<\/p>\n The seventy weeks are divided into three unequal periods. The first is seven weeks, or forty-nine years. The second is sixty-two weeks, or 434 years. The third is one week, or seven years. During the first seven weeks, or “the strait times”, the city and wall of Jerusalem were to be rebuilt. The date from which to count is found in Nehemiah 2, when a “commandment went forth to restore and build Jerusalem.” The sixty-two weeks seem to have immediately followed, and ended in the coming of Messiah. After the conclusion of this period He was cut off and had nothing, but atonement was made. Then comes the present long interval of Jerusalem’s treading down. The city is destroyed, as our Lord foretold also, and “even unto the end shall be war,” until one arises who confirms a covenant with the Jews for the last final week. Clearly, then, this week is still future. The prophetic clock stopped at Calvary; it will not start again until “the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”<\/p>\n The present is a timeless epoch, parenthetically introduced between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week, in which God is taking out from among the gentiles a people for His name (Act 15:14). He has utterly given up the Jew, but both Jew and gentile stand on equal footing: “There is no difference: For all have sinned” (Rom 3:22-23). Both are saved through faith in Christ, and all such are made members of the one body, the church.By the Holy Ghost both are united to the Lord Jesus Christ as head in heaven. (See Romans 16:25-28; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4; Col 1:24-29). This began with the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2; 1Co 12:13). It will be completed at the coming of the Lord when He calls His church to be forever with Himself, an event which may take place at any moment (1Th 4:15-18; 1Co 15:51-54; 2Th 2:1).<\/p>\n Then the long-delayed seventieth week will begin to run its course. At its conclusion Daniel’s prophecy (as all other millennial prophecies) will be entirely fulfilled. Atonement was made for iniquity after the expiration of the sixty-ninth week. Everlasting righteousness will be brought in at the end of the seventieth. This brief period will be one of judgement. It will include judgement on apostate Christendom, on Israel, and on the nations at large. It is to be the awful result of the rejection of the Prince of Peace. Revelation 4-19 is occupied entirely with its solemn events. The saints of all prior dispensations, as well as the church, are seen enthroned in heaven as the twenty-four elders who have been redeemed with the blood of the lamb (Revelation 5) at the beginning of the week. They ride forth as the “armies of heaven” with “the Word of God” at His glorious appearing at the end.<\/p>\n The last three-and-one-half years will be the time when Israel shall receive “of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins” (Isa 40:2), the “time of Jacob’s trouble” spoken of in Jer 30:7 and Dan 12:1, and the “great tribulation” of Matthew 24 and Rev 7:14. The covenant breaking prince of Daniel 9 is the beast, the head of the Roman Empire, who makes a league with the wilful king of Revelation 11:36-39. He is the antichrist of prophecy (1Jn 2:18), the idol shepherd of Zec 11:15-17, who will “come in his own name,” as foretold by the Lord Jesus in Joh 5:43, and will be received by the majority of the Jews as messiah, but who will become the cruel persecutor of a faithful company designated as “the remnant” (Isa 11:11; Eze 6:8; Rev 12:17). In Revelation 7 we read of 144,000 out of all the tribes of Israel and a numberless white-robed multitude of spared gentiles who will follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are said to have come up out of the great tribulation and to have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Many take it for granted that this is a heavenly company, and one is not surprised at that, for the language used is so nearly like that which we find later on in connection with the saints in the new Jerusalem. But a careful comparison of this chapter with a part of Isaiah 49 makes it clear that this great multitude represents the nucleus of the kingdom to be set up in this world at the time when our Lord returns and the days of heaven prevail on the earth. In other words, it refers to heavenly conditions in this world. In Isa 49:8-13, we read:<\/p>\n “Thus saith the Lord. In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages. That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far; and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted.”<\/p>\n There is no question here of resurrection or the peopling of the heavenly Jerusalem. This entire prophecy has to do with the resurrection of Israel and the blessing of the gentiles through them of the earth in a coming day. The language of verse 10 is almost identical with that of Rev 7:16. Who then are these saints?<\/p>\n First we must consider the 144,000. There has been speculation regarding this company. Some see them a picture of what they call a firstfruits rapture, linking this passage with Revelation 14, where 144,000 are seen standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion. The current teaching states that a select group of believers will be raptured before the great tribulation, while the rest will have to pass through it. The 144,000 are supposed to represent this select group. The great multitude, the majority of the church, will be purified in the fires of the great tribulation. But scripture knows nothing of any such selective rapture. The word of God is perfectly plain. Consider these texts from the Bible: “Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.” “We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together.” There is no hint of any division in the church of God, the body of Christ. All are saved by grace, all are alike made “meet to be partakers of the of the inheritance of the saints in light.” The rapture is never presented as reward for special devotedness, but is preliminary to the judgement seat of Christ, where we shall all stand to receive our rewards. We will be in a glorified body when we appear at that great tribunal. This could not be true if only a special group were raptured before the tribulation.<\/p>\n It is sad to observe the way various sects and systems seek to identify themselves with the 144,000. According to the Seventh-day Adventists, these are those who keep the commandments perfectly. The Russellites insist that they are a special class of overcomers who will be exalted to the divine nature, whereas others will be saved on a lower plane. Various pentecostal groups declare that they are those who have been baptized with the Spirit and speak in tongues, or are characterized by other remarkable gifts.<\/p>\n But what are the facts? First we have the vision (Rev 7:1-3), and then the interpretation (7:4). The 144,000 are out of all tribes of the children of Israel and represent that remnant which will turn to the Lord after the church has been caught up, in accordance with Rom 11:23: “Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” In the book of Daniel, and in many parts of prophetic scripture, we find this remnant distinguished from the mass. They are the wise who understand. They are the gleanings in the day of Jehovah’s wrath, who will be recognized by Him as His own. They are sealed for preservation in view of the coming kingdom, before the dreadful storm of the great tribulation is permitted to break on the earth. In Revelation 14 we see them as a victorious company, safely emerged from that storm, having formed what we might call the bodyguard of the Lamb, when He returns to mount Zion. It is evident that they will be a witnessing company and will carry the gospel of the kingdom to millions who have never heard and rejected the message of grace. As a result of their testimony, we see the great multitude of gentiles brought to a knowledge of Christ and cleansed by His precious blood.<\/p>\n For I know their works and their thoughts; it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them into the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw thee bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord (Isa 66:18-21).<\/p>\n Here we have God dealing in grace with Israel and the gentile nations during the time of the great tribulation and just before He sets up His glorious kingdom here on earth.<\/p>\n We are told in Dan 12:3,<\/p>\n “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament;<\/p>\n and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”<\/p>\n This has to do with their testimony in the time of trouble yet to come, but Daniel has told us,<\/p>\n “At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”<\/p>\n The hour of their darkest trouble and deepest sorrow will result in the elect among them returning to the Lord. The 144,000 of Revelation 7 are those who will say, “Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up” (Hos 6:1). Zion’s sore travail shall result in a great bringing forth of children, as predicted in Mic 5:3 and Isa 66:8.<\/p>\n “Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”<\/p>\n The “blindness in part”is to be done away, the “fullness of the Gentiles” having come in, as shown also in Hos 3:4-5:<\/p>\n “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their King; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.”<\/p>\n This is true not of the nation as a whole (see Zec 13:8-9; Isa 24:13;F also Eze 20:31-44) but of the remnant. The mass will be destroyed for their apostasy. The remnant will be acknowledged as the nation, and “so all Israel shall be saved” (Rom 11:26). To be of the sons of Jacob will not ensure an opportunity of grace. None who refuse the truth now, whether Jew or gentile, can be saved then.<\/p>\n In Matthew 25, we have the judgement of the living nations at the Lord’s return. This is to be distinguished from the judgement of the great white throne. The former is premillennial, the latter postmillennial. We read:<\/p>\n “When the Son of man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him,<\/p>\n then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations.”<\/p>\n Notice there is no word of people here being raised from the dead, as at the final judgement. But we see the living nations gathered before him, and a separation is made according to the treatment afforded those whom the Lord calls “my brethren.” Linking this with the passages we have already considered, it would seem to be clear that the “brethren” here referred to are His brethren after the flesh, the remnant of Israel. Those who enter into the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world are the gentiles who received these brethren and heeded their message. These are the ones who inherit the millennial kingdom.<\/p>\n Those who are martyred under the beast and the anti-christ in that day will be raised from the dead when the Lord descends to take the kingdom, and will thus form the last cohort of the first resurrection. Notice the order indicated in Rev 20:4-6. First, John says, “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them.” These are undoubtedly identified with the saints who are raised at the rapture before the tribulation. Then John mentions another class.<\/p>\n “And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”<\/p>\n These are the martyrs of the tribulation period. They have their part in the heavenly side of the kingdom. As to the unsaved, we are told in verse 5. “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” Verse 6 includes the entire company who have part in the various cohorts of the first resurrection. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”<\/p>\n It is plain then that there will be saints on the earth during the great tribulation, but they are not members of the body of Christ, as that body is now constituted by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They will be individual believers, as in Old Testament times, and will through grace be enabled to witness for Christ in that day of great distress. They will share in the kingdom and enjoy the blessing of the Lord in a wonderful way, but they are not included in the body of Christ that occupies a distinct place through all the ages to come.<\/p>\n without a king: Hos 10:3, Gen 49:10, Jer 15:4, Jer 15:5, Joh 19:15 <\/p>\n without a sacrifice: 2Ch 15:2, Dan 8:11-13, Dan 9:27, Dan 12:11, Mat 24:1, Mat 24:2, Luk 21:24, Act 6:13, Act 6:14, Heb 10:26 <\/p>\n an image: Heb. a standing, or statue, or pillar, Isa 19:19, Isa 19:20 <\/p>\n ephod: Exo 28:4, Lev 8:7, Jdg 8:27, Jdg 17:5, 1Sa 2:18, 1Sa 14:3, 1Sa 21:9, 1Sa 22:18, 1Sa 23:6, 1Sa 23:9, 1Sa 30:7, 2Sa 6:14 <\/p>\n without teraphim: Gen 31:19, *marg. Jdg 17:5, Jdg 18:17-24, 2Ki 23:24,*marg. Eze 20:32, Eze 21:21, *marg. Mic 5:11-14, Zec 13:2 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Deu 28:59 – General 1Sa 19:13 – an image 2Ch 15:3 – a long Isa 5:6 – it shall Isa 9:13 – neither Isa 11:11 – set his hand Isa 17:3 – fortress Isa 29:17 – the fruitful Isa 32:10 – Many days and years Jer 3:8 – when for Jer 16:14 – behold Jer 23:20 – in the Lam 2:9 – the law Eze 19:14 – she hath Eze 37:22 – and one Dan 8:26 – for Hos 9:4 – shall not Hos 9:15 – I will drive Mic 4:9 – is there Zec 5:11 – unto Zec 10:2 – the idols Mat 23:39 – Ye shall not Luk 13:35 – Ye shall not Joh 18:31 – It Act 1:6 – restore 2Co 3:16 – when Eph 2:12 – without<\/p>\n Hos 3:4. The trial mentioned in the preceding verse was the captivity, in which the people of Israel were left no choice between serving idols or not. They were compelled to serve them, and hence were made to continue in the manner of life which they had followed when they did have the opportunity of making a choice. It might be asked how this could be a test if they had no voice in the situation. The test will be in evidence after the trial is over, for if they went on through the practice of idolatry even by force, yet if they were not being taught the lesson intended, then they would not have made t.he complaint that we know they did. While they were in captivity, all of their national activities were discontinued, including the work of a king and a priest. The image and other articles named refer to the ornamented garments worn by the priests during the altar services.<\/p>\n Hos 3:4. For the children of Israel shall abide many days Here begins a more plain and full explication of the symbolical action of the prophet, namely, that it signified what should befall the children of Israel; that they should continue many days in a state of captivity; without a king, as the woman continued without a husband; without the means of worshipping God according to the rites of their law; and yet refraining from idolatry, as the woman refrained from unfaithfulness to her betrothed husband. And this prediction was remarkably fulfilled upon the ten tribes, when made captives by Shalmaneser, (compare Hos 9:4,) and upon the two remaining tribes, after the destruction of their temple and commonwealth by Nebuchadnezzar, and during their captivity in Babylon. This prophecy has also been fulfilled upon the whole nation of the Jews, from the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus unto this day. From that time, they have had no republic, or civil government of their own; but have lived everywhere like so many exiles, only upon sufferance; they have had neither priest nor sacrifice, their temple being destroyed where only they were to offer sacrifices: and yet the want of a place where to perform the most solemn parts of their public worship, does not tempt them to idolatry, or make them fond of image-worship, or any such idolatrous practice, which was the epidemical sin of their forefathers. This seems the general import of this remarkable prophecy; but the several expressions must be more particularly explained. Without a king Namely of their own; and without a prince Without any civil magistrate of their own with supreme authority. And without a sacrifice Deprived of the means of offering the typical sacrifices of the law, and having, as yet, no share in the true sacrifice of Christ. And without an image Or, as the LXX. and Vulgate read, without an altar. The Hebrew word, , here rendered image, seems properly to signify those pillars, which, in the patriarchal ages, were erected to the honour of God, and used as altars. Thus we read, Gen 28:18, that Jacob, after the divine vision he had had, took the stone that he had put for his pillow, and set it up for a PILLAR, (Hebrew, , the same word which is used here,) and poured oil upon the top of it; that is, he made an altar of it to pour out a libation upon it, as a token of gratitude for the vision with which he had been favoured, and to ratify, in a solemn manner, his resolution of serving Jehovah. And again, Gen 35:14, we find the same word rendered pillar twice, and used in the same sense. And without an ephod The ephod being one principal part of the high-priests garments of consecration and of service, the saying here, that the children of Israel should be without an ephod, seems to signify, that they should be without a high-priest to minister in the priests office. And without teraphim Those interpreters who suppose that the different words here used denote the several ways of lawful worship practised among Gods ancient people, and the means they used of inquiring after the will of God, understand the word teraphim here as signifying the same with the Urim and Thummim, or the oracle placed in the breast-plate of the high-priest; which they think is fitly joined with the ephod, that being often put for the whole priestly habit, and used when there was occasion of consulting God by the high-priest: see 1Sa 23:9; 1Sa 30:7. This interpretation is followed by the LXX., and it makes an easy and natural sense of the text, namely, that God would deprive the Jews of the principal offices, for the enjoyment of which they chiefly valued themselves, namely, that of the priesthood, and that of prophecy. The Jews had no succession of prophets, for a considerable time before Christs coming; and both kingdom and priesthood were taken away, within forty years after Christs death.<\/p>\n The word teraphim, however, evidently signifies images, Gen 31:34, and, it seems, is used of idol-images, Jdg 17:5; and some commentators of great note understand it in the same sense here, and indeed interpret also the two preceding expressions as intended of the worship of idols. Thus Archbishop Newcome, My opinion is, that the teraphim were objects of idolatrous worship; and such, in their state of captivity, the Israelites would not harbour. Thus also Bishop Horsley, After much consideration of this passage, and of much that has been written upon it by expositors, I rest in the opinion strenuously maintained by the learned Pocock, in which he agrees with many that went before him, and has the concurrence of many that came after, Luther, Calvin, Vetablus, Drusius, Houbigant, and Archbishop Newcome, with many others of inferior note; I rest, I say, in the opinion, that statue, ephod, and teraphim, are mentioned as principal implements of idolatrous rites. And the sum of this 4th verse is this; that for many ages the Jews would not be their own masters; would be deprived of the exercise of their own religion, in its most essential parts; not embracing the Christian, they would have no share in the true service; and yet would be restrained from idolatry, to which their forefathers had been so prone. As a confirmation of this interpretation, the bishop observes, that this 4th verse is the exposition of the type of the prophets conduct toward his wife; and that, if the restriction of the Jews from idolatry is not mentioned, we have nothing in the exposition answering to that article, Thou shalt not play the harlot. This is surely a most astonishing prophecy of events directly contrary to all human probability; yet undeniably taking place, not on a particular occasion, or for a short time, but through very many revolving centuries. How could Hosea have foreseen this, had not God inspired him? And does not this demonstrate the divine inspiration of this prophecy? Scott.<\/p>\n 3:4 For the children of Israel shall {e} abide many days without a king, and without a {f} prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and [without] teraphim:<\/p>\n (e) Meaning not only all the time of their captivity, but also until Christ.<\/p>\n (f) That is, they would neither have administration nor religion, and their idols also in which they put their confidence, would be destroyed.<\/p>\n The restoration of Yahweh’s wife 3:4-5<\/span><\/p>\n The Lord explained that the Israelites would remain for a long time separated from their idolatrous practices. During this time they would not have a king or leader (i.e., enjoy national sovereignty), sacrifices or sacred pillar (or stone, i.e., engage in formal religious activity), ephod or household idols (Heb. teraphim<\/span>, i.e., use methods of divination, cf. Jdg 18:27-31). Large stone pillars often stood at Canaanite shrines and were probably symbolic of deity. The Mosaic Law banned these standing stones (Deu 16:22), but the Israelites ignored the prohibition. They would have none of the things that marked them as God’s people or that they had used to worship idols.<\/p>\n For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and [without] teraphim: 4. For ] The explanation of this latter part of the prophet’s acted allegory. As he has restrained his erring wife from even the … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Hosea 3:4”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22143\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Thus, since it appears, that both the statue and the teraphim of Hosea were implements of idolatry, no doubt can remain, that the ephod, which is mentioned between the two, is to be understood of the idolatrous ephod, not of that which belonged to the holy vestments of the high-priest. As it is put between the statue and the teraphim, it may seem, that it may be connected with either: con-necked with the statue, it will denote the robe with which the idol was clothed: connected with the teraphim, the ephod of the priest of the teraphim. And in this connection (to which indeed the structure of the sentence in the original seems to point in preference) I would choose to take it. For thus we shall have the idolatry described, by the three principal features in its external appearance; the statue, the public object of popular adoration; the teraphim, the images of the more secret rites of incantation; and the sorcerer, or hierophant, conducting the ceremonies, and propounding to the consulters of the oracle the answers that he pretended to receive, represented by the ephod, the most remarkable of his robes of office. See Bishop Horsley.
Let us now just notice how exactly this prophesy of Hosea has been accomplished ever since the dispersion of the Jews by the Romans. They have had no king or prince of their own, nor any sacrifice: and yet they have kept themselves free from all idolatrous rites. But alas! they have rejected their own Messiahthey are without Christ! <\/p>\n
1. They shall be left desolate as a widow. They shall abide many days without a king and without a prince, <\/em>&c. which has been the case with the ten tribes since their captivity by Salmaneser, and is at present the state of the whole Jewish nation, and has been above seventeen hundred years. They are without any form of civil government; have no sacrifice; <\/em>and are without an image, <\/em>&c. being entirely cured, of idolatry. See the Annotations. <\/p>\nFuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"