I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
Ver. 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel] I will give good in abundance; and this is sweetly set forth in a sevenfold metaphor, all answering to the name of Ephraim (which signifieth fruitful) and to the ancient promises made unto him; and all again opposite to the many contrary curses, threatened in the former parts of the prophecy, under metaphors of a contrary importance, as Pareus and (out of him) Tarnovius have well observed. As first of solid and fruit causing dew, in opposition to that vanishing and barren dew, Hosea 6:4; Hosea 13:3; secondly, of the flourishing lily, contrary to those nettles, thorns, and thistles, Hosea 9:16; Hosea 10:8; thirdly, of the well-rooted and durable trees of Libanus, contrary to dry roots, Hosea 9:16; fourthly, of spreading and growing branches, instead of branches consumed, Hosea 11:6; Hosea 9:16; Hosea 10:8; fifthly, of trees yielding pleasant shade and repose, contrary to Hosea 9:3; Hosea 9:6; sixthly, of corn to satisfy hunger, contrary to Hosea 8:7; lastly, of a vine bringing forth excellent wine, contrary to Hosea 9:16; Hosea 10:1. And all these fruits the fruits of Lebanon, a most fertile mountain, the valleys whereof were most rich grounds for pasture, grain, and vineyards.
As the dew unto Israel, he shall blossom as the lily] Quot verba, tot lumina, imo flumina orationis. This prophet aboundeth with similitudes, as is before noted. see Hos 12:10 See Trapp on " Hos 12:10 " He beginneth here with a simile drawn from the dew of heaven; a mercy very much set by, in those hotter countries especially, where from May to October they had no rain. The Chaldee paraphrase and Hebrew doctors understand this text concerning Christ and his benefit. Truly he is good to Israel, to the pure in heart, Psalms 73:1. Peace and mercy, sanctity and safety, all spiritual benedictions in heavenly things in Christ, shall be upon the Israel of God, Galatians 6:16 Ephesians 1:3. What the dew is to the herbs, fields, fruits, that is Christ to his Israel. 1. The dew comes when the air is clear; so doth Christ by his blessing, when the light of his countenance is lifted up upon us, 2. As the dew refresheth and cherisheth the dry and fady fields (hence it is called the dew of herbs, Isaiah 26:19, which thereby recover life and beauty), so doth Christ our hearts, scorched with the sense of sin; and fear of wrath. 3. As the dew allayeth great heats, and moisteneth and mollifieth the earth, that it may fructify; so Christ cooleth the devil's fiery darts, and filleth his people with the fruits of righteousness (Aristot. lib. 1, Meteor. cap. 10; Plin. lib. 2, cap. 60, et lib. 18, cap. 29). "He is unto them as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest," Isaiah 18:4, and maketh their souls as so many watered gardens, Jeremiah 31:12 Jeremiah 31:4. As the dew falls in a narrow compass, without noise, and is felt only by those (in the force of it) on whom it descends; so the grace of Christ watereth his faithful only; secretly and sweetly insinuating into their hearts: the stranger meddleth not with their comforts. See John 14:17. The cock on the dunghill knows them not.
He shall grow as the lily] Which hath its name in the Hebrew from its six leaves, and serves here and elsewhere to set forth the great comeliness, sweet odours, and true humility of the Church: for the lily grows in valleys, Song of Solomon 2:1; as Theophylact upon this text notes, sweet it is but not great, εχει την ευωδιαν μεγεθος ουκ εχει, and the more it blossometh the more it shooteth upwards, to teach us heavenly mindedness. It is also of a perfect whiteness, to remind us of innocence. "Her Nazarites were purer than snow, whiter than milk," Lamentations 4:7. Lastly, Lilio nihil est foecundius, saith Pliny, nothing is more fruitful than the lily; et lachryma sua seritur, saith the same author, it is sown in its own tears. Weeping Christians grow exceedingly.
And cast forth his roots as Lebanon] i.e. as the cedars of Lebanon, as the Chaldee Paraphrast interpreteth it; or as the frankincense tree, which taketh very deep rooting, so Cyril senseth it. The lily (with its six white leaves, and seven golden coloured grains within it) soon fadeth, and loseth both beauty and sweetness; but so doth not Christ and his people. He can as well die at the right hand of his Father as in the hearts of his elect, where he dwells by faith, Romans 6:10, whereby they are "rooted and grounded in love, strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man," Ephesians 3:16,17, so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against them. Immota manet, is the Church's motto; Nec fluctu, nec flatu movetur, It is not moved by wind or waves, which is the Venetian motto. "They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever," Psalms 125:1. Winds and storms move neither Libanus nor the well-rooted cedars thereof: which the more they are assaulted the better they are rooted. So fareth it with the saints. Plato compareth man to a tree inverted. The Scripture often compareth a good man to a tree planted by the rivers of waters, that taketh root downward, and beareth fruit upward, 2 Kings 19:30 .
- “ quae quantum vertice ad auras,
Aethereas, tantum radice ad tartara tendit. ”
Let us cast forth our roots as Lebanon; stand fast rooted in the truth, being "stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," and with full purpose of heart cleaving close unto him, 1 Corinthians 15:58 , being established by his grace, Colossians 1:11 Hebrews 12:28 ; Hebrews 13:9 . In the civil law, till a tree hath taken root it doth not belong to the soil whereon it is planted. It is not enough to be in the Church, except, like the cedars of Lebanon, we cast forth our roots, and are so planted, that we flourish in the courts of our God, and bring forth fruit in our old age, Psalms 92:12,14 .