Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
Is there iniquity in Gilead? - Hebrew, 'vanity.' He asks the question, not as if the answer was doubtful, but to strengthen the affirmation, "Surely they are vanity;" or, as Maurer translates, 'They are nothing but iniquity.' Iniquity, especially idolatry, in Scripture is often termed "vanity" (Proverbs 13:11, "wealth gotten by vanity" - i:e., iniquity; Isaiah 41:29, "they are all vanity ... images"). "Gilead" refers to Mizpeh-gilead, a city representing the region beyond Jordan (Hosea 6:8; Judges 11:29); as "Gilgal," the region on this side of Jordan (Hosea 4:15). In all quarters alike they are utterly vile.
Their altars are as heaps in the furrows - i:e., as numerous as such heaps; namely, the heaps of stones cleared out of a stony field. And as worthless; nay, as fatal to piety as those stones are to the productiveness of the field. In the sight of God the altars are but so many rude heaps of stone. An appropriate image, as at a distance they look like altars (cf. Hosea 10:1; Hosea 10:4, "According to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars ... thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field;" and Hosea 8:11). As the third member in the parallelism corresponds to the first, Gilgal to Gilead, so the fourth to the second, "altars" to "vanity." The word "heaps" alludes to the name "Gilgal," meaning a heap of stones. The very scene of the general circumcision of the people, and of the solemn Passover kept by Joshua and all Israel after crossing Jordan, is now the stronghold of Israel's idolatry.