Hosea 8:8 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Bible Comments

Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. Now shall they be among the Gentiles - They shall be carried into captivity, and there be as a vessel wherein there is no pleasure; one soiled, unclean, infectious, to be despised, abhorred, not used. The allusion is to a rotten, corrupted skin-bottle; a bottle made of goat, deer, or calf hide, still commonly used in Asia and Africa. Some of them are splendidly ornamented. This is the case with one now before me made of a goat's skin well dressed, variously painted, and ornamented with leather fringes, tassels, etc. In such a bottle there might be pleasure; but the Israelites are compared to such a bottle, rough, ill-dressed, not ornamented, old, musty, and putrid. This shows the force of the comparison.

Hosea 8:8

8 Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.