Hosea 9 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

As other people — With feastings, triumphs, and sacrifices of thanksgiving. A reward — Such as is given by adulterers to lewd women; thou hast loved to see thy floor full, and hast said thy idols gave thee this plenty.

The floor — The corn which is gathered into the floor. The wine — press — The wine that is prest out in it. Shall not feed — Shall not nourish and strengthen the idolaters. Shall fail — Samaria and all Israel expect a full vintage, but they expect it from their idols, and therefore shall be disappointed.

Ephraim — Many of Ephraim shall fly into Egypt. And they — The residue shall be carried captive into Assyria.

Wine — offerings — These were appointed to be offered with the morning and evening sacrifice, the sacrifice representing Christ, and pardon by him; the wine — offering, the spirit of grace: the sacrifice repeated, daily continued their peace and pardon. All this shall be withheld from these captives. Pleasing — If any should venture to offer. As the bread of mourners — It shall as much pollute them and displease God as if one mourning for the dead, and forbidden to sacrifice, should venture to do it. Their bread — Their bread which they were bound to offer with their sacrifices, they will now have no opportunity of bringing to the Lord's house.

What will ye do — You will not then be suffered to observe any of them.

They are gone — Some are already withdrawn from the desolation that cometh. Egypt — In Egypt they hope to be quiet and survive these desolations, but they shall die in Egypt. The pleasant places — Their beautiful houses built for keeping their wealth in. Nettles — Shall be ruined, and lie in rubbish, 'till nettles grow in them.

The prophet — The false prophet. The spiritual man — That pretends to be full of the spirit of prophecy. For thine iniquity — God began his punishments in giving them over to believe their false prophets. The great hatred — Which God had against your sins.

The watchman — The old true prophets indeed were with God. My God — The God of Hosea. The prophet — The false prophets have, as well as the people, left God. Is a snare — Their pretended predictions are but a snare, such as fowlers lay. And hatred — Such prophets are full of hatred and malice: yea, they are hatred itself.

I found Israel — The Lord speaks of himself in the person of a traveller, who unexpectedly in the wilderness finds a vine loaded with grapes; such love did God bear to Israel. Your fathers — Whom I brought out of Egypt. As the first — ripe — As the earliest ripe fruit of the fig — tree, which is most valued and desired. Separated themselves — Consecrated themselves to that shameful idol. Their abominations — Their idols, and way of worshipping them. As they loved — As they fancied.

Their glory — Their children or posterity, which was the glory of Israel. Shall fly — It is proverbial, and speaks a sudden loss of children. From the birth — As soon as born. From the womb — Their mothers shall not bring their fruit alive into the world. The conception — Their wives shall not conceive.

Not a man left — There shall be a total extirpation of them. When I depart — To compleat their misery, I will depart from them. It is sad to lose our children, but sadder to lose our God.

To the murderer — He will send them forth in mighty armies; but it will be sending them out to the slaughter.

Give then — It is an abrupt but pathetic speech of one that shews his trouble for a sinking, undone nation. A miscarrying womb — It is less misery to have none, than to have all our children murdered.

All their wickedness — The chief or beginning. There I hated them — As there they began to sin so notoriously, there I began to shew that I hated them.