Hosea 13 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Bible Comments
  • Hosea 13:1 open_in_new

    spake trembling. spake (authoritatively) [there was] attention; as in Joshua's clays (Joshua 4:14). Compare Job 29:21-25.

    trembling. panic. Hebrew. r etheth. Occurs only here. Similar to retet, which occurs only in Jeremiah 49:24 ("fear").

    exalted himself: carried weight, or was exalted.

    offended. trespassed. Hebrew. 'asham. App-44.

    in Baal. with Baal: i.e. with the idolatrous worship of Baal, in Ahab's days.

  • Hosea 13:2 open_in_new

    understanding. notion.

    of them. to them: i.e. to the People.

    kiss the calves. Kissing was fundamental in all heathen idolatry. It is the root of the Latin ad-orare. to [bring something to] the mouth. "A pure lip" (Zephaniah 3:9) implies more than language.

  • Hosea 13:3 open_in_new

    dew. Hebrew. t al. the night mist. See note on "Zion", Psalms 133:3.

    the. a.

    floor. threshingfloor.

    chimney. window, or opening. No word for chimney in Hebrew

  • Hosea 13:4 open_in_new

    Yet I, &c. Supply the connecting thought: "[Ye worship these calves], yet I, even I". &c. Compare Hosea 12:9; Isaiah 43:11.

    the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

    God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

    from the land of Egypt. Supply the Ellipsis (App-6); "[Who brought thee out] from", &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 20:2; Exodus 20:3).

    shalt know no: i.e. didst not, or oughtest not to know.

    there is no saviour, &c. Compare Isaiah 43:11; Isaiah 45:21. Supply: "no saviour [was there] beside Me". Compare Acts 4:12.

  • Hosea 13:7 open_in_new

    as. lion. App-92. Compare Hosea 5:14.

    as. leopard. Compare Jeremiah 5:6

    by the way. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "on the way of Assyria".

    will. observe. shall. watch, or lurk.

  • Hosea 13:9 open_in_new

    thou hast destroyed thyself. the destruction [which thou art suffering] is all thine own. Ref to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 32:5. Hebrew. shahath, same word as "corrupted"). App-92.

    but in Me, &c.. for. am thy [true] help.

  • Hosea 13:10 open_in_new

    I will be thy king. Where is thy king? Hebrew. 'ehi. where, as in Hosea 13:14 twice; 'ehi is separated from the following word "king" by the accent zakeph, and connected with 'epho'. now. It therefore means "Where now is thy king? (Hoshea)": the answer being "in prison" (see 2 Kings 17:4).

    where is any other that may save thee... ?. to save thee, or that he may save thee.

  • Hosea 13:14 open_in_new

    ransom. redeem (with power). Hebrew. padah, to redeem by power in virtue of the legal right. See note on Exodus 13:13.

    from. out of.

    the power. the hand: i.e. Sheol's power (to keep in its grasp).

    the grave. Sheol. See App-35.

    redeem. Hebrew. ga'al, to redeem by purchase by assertion of the kinship right. Hence the other meaning of avenging. See note on Exodus 6:6.

    O death. Figure of speech Apostrophe, for emphasis. Quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:54; 1 Corinthians 15:55.

    I will be. where [are], &c. See note on Hosea 13:10.

    thy plagues. Hebrew. deber. pestilence. Interpreted in 1 Corinthians 15:55 as "sting". First occurance. Exodus 5:3.

    repentance. compassion [on them], eyes. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.

  • Hosea 13:15 open_in_new

    he. i.e. Ephraim.

    fruitful. Used by Figure of speech Irony, his name being Ephraim. fruitful. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 41:52; Genesis 48:19).

    an east wind. Hebrew. kadim. not. scorching wind. shirocco (Genesis 41:6; Jeremiah 18:17; Ezekiel 17:10; Ezekiel 19:12).

    wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.

    his spring, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 33:28).

    he shall spoil. he shall plunder. Fulfilled in Shalmaneser shortly after, and since that day this prophecy stands fulfilled. The book ends with hope, in the final section below.