I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: [but] they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto [that] shame; and [their] abominations were according as they loved.
Ver. 10. I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness] Where anything is good and sweet, because in a barren and solitary place. Hence they are said to have sucked honey out of the rock, Deuteronomy 32:13, that is, water as sweet as honey, because in such necessity. The vine and fig tree are of so great account, as that Jotham in his parable brings in the trees, offering the sovereign power to them, Judges 9:10; Judges 9:12. To these two noble and useful trees, and to their most seasonable and comfortable fruit, doth the Lord here compare Israel; to grapes in the wilderness, and to the firstripe figs, quae delicatis in summo sunt pretio, which are counted great dainties. Micah 7:1. Our Saviour came with great desire to the fig tree, Matthew 21:19, his soul desired the firstripe fruits; and though they had not been full ripe, he could have been glad of them, even of the firstfruits of the fig tree, at her first time, as it is here, in primordio eius, of those untimely fruits which the fig tree casteth when shaken of a mighty wind, Revelation 6:13. By this expression, then, is set forth God's dear and free love to Israel, when he found him in a desert land, in the waste howling wilderness: he compassed him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye, Deuteronomy 32:10. All this and more he did for them, ex mero motu, out of pure and unexcited love, according to his own heart, according to the good pleasure of his will, he loved them because he loved them, Deuteronomy 7:7,8; Deuteronomy 10:15, in the wilderness especially, where they grieved him forty years together, and tempted him ten times, Numbers 14:22. But God had said of Israel, "He is my son, even my firstborn," Exodus 4:22, and so, "higher than the kings of the earth," Psalms 89:27. He had chosen him for his love, and now loved him for his choice. This son of his he called out of Egypt, to keep a feast to the Lord in the wilderness, Exodus 5:1, that is, to serve him, Exodus 4:23, to serve him acceptably, Hebrews 12:28, to set up his pure worship according to his own prescription in the mount, Exodus 25:40. This was altogether as delightful to God as grapes in the wilderness are to a wearied, parched traveller. And this the rather, because it was the kindness of their youth, the love of their espousals, which was as the firstripe of the figs, in the first time, at the first bearing; for the fig tree bears twice a year; and the Egyptian fig tree seven times a year, saith Solinus, Uno anno septies fructus sufficit. Now the firstripe fruits are ladies' food, we say, or longing meat. God's soul doth even long after the firstripe fruits, Micah 7:1, as we prize even nettle buds when they bud out first. If the vine do but flourish, the pomegranates bud, the tender grapes appear, Song of Solomon 6:11; Song of Solomon 7:12; he will pour his spirit upon the seed, and his blessing upon the buds, Isaiah 44:3. He liketh not those arbores autumnales, Judges 1:12, autumn trees, that bud at latter end of harvest; he made choice of the almond tree, Jeremiah 1:11, because it blossometh first. So he calleth for firstfruits of the trees, and of the earth, in the sheaf, in the threshingfloor, in the dough, in the loaves; yea, for ears of corn dried by the fire, and wheat beaten out of the green ears, Leviticus 2:14, to signify how pleasant unto him is the primrose of our age.
But they went to Baalpeor] See Numbers 25:3. See Trapp on " Num 25:3 " Heb. they went in to him, which obscoenum quid et turpe denotat, as Genesis 16:2; so Psalms 106:28, "They joined themselves also to Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead," that is, sacrifices offered to the infernal gods, or to Pluto, the devil (whom the Phoenicians called Moth, or Death), in the behalf of the dead.
And separated themselves] Heb. Nazarited themselves, ad religiose colendum: they became votaries,
to that shame] i.e. to that shameful and abominable idol, that blushful Priapus, qui referebat viri pudendi speciem (Tarnov.): and whose worshippers are brought in, saying, Nos, pudore pulse, stamus sub Iove, coleis apertis. Bορβορουμεθα ταυτα λεγοντες, we rake a dunghill (as Cyril speaks in like case) in discoursing of such dunghill deities. Isidore interpreteth Baalpeor simulachrum ignominiae, an image of ignominy: and most sure it is that idolaters, left off their idols in deepest dangers, shall be ashamed of their expectation of help from them, Jeremiah 3:19; Jeremiah 11:13 .
And their abominations were according as they loved] Or, according as they listed, so some interpret it: or, according as they loved the Moabitish women more or less, so they worshipped their idols: Solomon did the same. Or, they became as detestable as their very idols, which they loved and worshipped. Or, I abominate them as much now as ever I loved them before; and how much that was he had showed in the beginning of the verse. Now there is nothing that goeth more to God's heart than the loss of his love upon an unthankful people. He had healed their backslidings in Egypt (where they had worshipped idols, Eze 16:26), he had loved them freely and immensely. Now therefore that they should so slight such a love, to go after such a shame, and so to undo themselves for ever; this was monstrous ingratitude, this was an insufferable injury.