Rejoice not, &c.— Rejoice not, O Israel, with joyous expectation, as the nations do [or among the nations]; for, &c. It should seem that this prophesy was delivered at a time when the situation of public affairs was promising; perhaps after some signal success, which had given occasion to public rejoicings. It is as if the prophet had said, "Those national successes, which might be just cause of rejoicing to other people, are none to thee; for thou liest under the heavy sentence of God's wrath, for thy disloyalty to him; and all thy bright prospects will vanish, and terminate in thy destruction. The Gentiles were not guilty in an equal degree with the Israelites; for, although they sinned, it was not against the light of revelation, in contempt of the warnings of inspired prophets, or in breach of any express covenant."
Thou hast loved a reward, &c.— Houbigant renders this, And thou hast sought the rewards of adultery from every corn-floor: that is, "Thou hast received for thy idolatry, those tithes of the corn, which, if thou hadst served Jehovah, were to have been paid for the support of the temple." It is therefore added in the next verse, The floor shall not feed them; as much as to say, "Because thou hast loved and hast claimed to thyself the produce of the corn-floor, therefore I will utterly deprive thee of that produce." Instead of, shall fail in her, Hosea 9:2. Houbigant and others read, shall fail them.