Chapter commentary
Hosea Chapter 3
1
Ho 3:1-5.
繁體中文
English original
Ho 3:1-5.
ISRAEL'S CONDITION IN THEIR PRESENT DISPERSION, SUBSEQUENT TO THEIR RETURN FROM BABYLON, SYMBOLIZED.
The prophet is to take back his wife, though unfaithful, as foretold in
Ho 1:2.
He purchases her from her paramour, stipulating she should wait for a long period before she should be restored to her conjugal rights. So Israel is to live for a long period without her ancient rites of religion, and yet be free from idolatry; then at last she shall acknowledge Messiah, and know Jehovah's goodness restored to her.
1. Go yet--"Go again," referring to
Ho 1:2
[HENDERSON].
a woman--purposely indefinite, for thy wife, to express the separation in which Hosea had lived from Gomer for her unfaithfulness.
beloved of her friend--used for "her husband," on account of the estrangement between them. She was still beloved of her husband, though an adulteress; just as God still loved Israel, though idolatrous
(Jer 3:20).
Hosea is told, not as in
Ho 1:2,
"take a wife," but "love" her, that is, renew thy conjugal kindness to her.
who look to other gods--that is, have done so heretofore, but henceforth (from the return from Babylon) shall do so no more
(Ho 3:4).
flagons of wine--rather, pressed cakes of dried grapes, such as were offered to idols
(Jer 7:18)
[MAURER].
2
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繁體中文
2. I bought her——所付的價銀太少，不像是向她父母購娶 妻子 的聘禮；卻正好是一個女 奴隸 身價的一半，以銀錢支付，其餘的價銀用穀物抵算
（Ex 21:32）。
何西阿為救贖他的妻子付上此價，因她已成了 她情夫的奴隸。價銀之所以 半為穀物，是因為那是奴隸的口糧，且是最粗劣的一種——不是 小麥，而是 大麥。以色列因 犯罪，就成了 罪的奴隸
（Joh 8:34； Ro 6:16-20； 2Pe 2:19）。
這低廉的價銀，正表明以色列的 毫無價值。
English original
2. I bought her--The price paid is too small to be a probable dowry wherewith to buy a wife from her parents; but it is just half the price of a female slave, in money, the rest of the price being made up in grain
(Ex 21:32).
Hosea pays this for the redemption of his wife, who has become the slave of her paramour. The price being half grain was because the latter was the allowance of food for the slave, and of the coarsest kind, not wheat, but barley. Israel, as committing sin, was the slave of sin
(Joh 8:34; Ro 6:16-20; 2Pe 2:19).
The low price expresses Israel's worthlessness.
3
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繁體中文
3. abide for me——與任何别的男人斷絕來往，並為我——那救贖了你的人——留守（參
De 21:13）。
so will I also be for thee——為你留守，不另娶任何配偶。正如以色列將長久 停留 在不事奉別神、卻與耶和華分離的狀態中；照樣耶和華在這段長久疏離的時期中，也不與任何别的百姓立婚約（參
Ho 3:4）。
祂不會 立刻 恢復她作妻子的權利，而要藉著漫長的考驗期試驗她的悔改並管教她；然而婚約仍然有效，她只是暫被分別，並非被休
（Isa 50:1）；
到了神所定的好時候，她必被恢復。
English original
3. abide for me--separate from intercourse with any other man, and remaining for me who have redeemed thee (compare
De 21:13).
so will I also be for thee--remain for thee, not taking any other consort. As Israel should long remain without serving other gods, yet separate from Jehovah; so Jehovah on His part, in this long period of estrangement, would form no marriage covenant with any other people (compare
Ho 3:4).
He would not immediately receive her to marriage privileges, but would test her repentance and discipline her by the long probation; still the marriage covenant would hold good, she was to be kept separated for but a time, not divorced
(Isa 50:1);
in God's good time she shall be restored.
4
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繁體中文
4. 此處所預言的漫長時期，是以色列既無民政、無君王、無首領，又無向耶和華獻的祭，卻也無偶像、無假神，無以弗得、無家神（teraphim）的時期。這正是他們過去十九個世紀以來的狀態——與偶像無分，卻也沒有合乎律法的祭獻給他們所宣稱敬拜的耶和華，更未蒙祂承認為祂的教會。猶太人 KIMCHI 正是如此解釋。以弗得是大祭司穿在內袍與外袍之上的。它由兩塊精工織成的片組成，前後各一片垂下，前面的遮蓋胸前，背面的垂到腿中；兩肩上以鑲在瑪瑙石中的金扣相連，石上刻著十二支派的名字，腰間以帶子繫緊
（Ex 28:6-12）。
普通的 以弗得為利未祭司、利未人，以及任何執行聖禮之人所穿，是細麻布的
（2Sa 6:14； 1Ch 15:27）。
胸牌裏有烏陵與土明，神藉此向希伯來人賜下回應。後者是第二聖殿所缺、而第一聖殿所有的五樣之一。它既代表神所設立的祭司職分，便與那拜偶像的「teraphim（家神）」相對，正如「（向耶和華獻的）祭」與「（偶像的）像」相對。「Abide（停留）」回應了「你當為我 停留」
（Ho 3:3）。
停留 在孤單的隔離中，如同被分別的妻子。teraphim（家神）是守護家宅的神像，形狀如人的半身像，在腰部截斷（如 希伯來文 字根所暗示）〔MAURER〕，
（Ge 31:19, 30-35）。
據信它們會向求問者賜下回應
（2Ki 23:24； Eze 21:21，
Margin（旁註）；
Zec 10:2）。
掃羅的女兒米甲將一個放在床上，裝作大衛，證明其形狀乃是人形。
English original
4. The long period here foretold was to be one in which Israel should have no civil polity, king, or prince, no sacrifice to Jehovah, and yet no idol, or false god, no ephod, or teraphim. Exactly describing their state for the last nineteen centuries, separate from idols, yet without any legal sacrifice to Jehovah, whom they profess to worship, and without being acknowledged by Him as His Church. So KIMCHI, a Jew, explains it. The ephod was worn by the high priest above the tunic and robe. It consisted of two finely wrought pieces which hung down, the one in front over the breast, the other on the back, to the middle of the thigh; joined on the shoulders by golden clasps set in onyx stones with the names of the twelve tribes, and fastened round the waist by a girdle
(Ex 28:6-12).
The common ephod worn by the lower priests, Levites, and any person performing sacred rites, was of linen
(2Sa 6:14; 1Ch 15:27).
In the breast were the Urim and Thummim by which God gave responses to the Hebrews. The latter was one of the five things which the second temple lacked, and which the first had. It, as representing the divinely constituted priesthood, is opposed to the idolatrous "teraphim," as "sacrifice" (to Jehovah) is to "an (idolatrous) image." "Abide" answers to "thou shalt abide for me"
(Ho 3:3).
Abide in solitary isolation, as a separated wife. The teraphim were tutelary household gods, in the shape of human busts, cut off at the waist (as the root of the Hebrew word implies) [MAURER],
(Ge 31:19, 30-35).
They were supposed to give responses to consulters
(2Ki 23:24; Eze 21:21,
Margin;
Zec 10:2).
Saul's daughter, Michal, putting one in a bed, as if it were David, proves the shape to have been that of a man.
5
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繁體中文
5. Afterward——在「多日」
（Ho 3:4）
的漫長時期過去之後。
return——從他們的偶像歸向「他們的神」，就是他們所偏離的那位。
David their king——以色列既背棄了大衛家，也就同時離棄了對耶和華的敬拜。因此他們向神的悔改，必伴隨他們對後者（大衛家）的歸回。如此猶大與以色列必合而為一，並在「一個首領」之下，正如
（Ho 1:11）
所預言的。那大衛的代表與真體就是彌賽亞。「David（大衛）」意為「蒙愛者」。論到彌賽亞，參
Mt 3:17； Eph 1:6。
彌賽亞被稱為大衛
（Isa 55:3, 4； Jer 30:9； Eze 34:23, 24; 37:24, 25）。
fear the Lord and his goodness——意即戰兢地投奔耶和華，以逃避將來的忿怒；並投奔祂的「goodness（恩慈）」——即在彌賽亞裏所顯明的恩慈——這恩慈吸引他們歸向祂
（Jer 31:12）。
這「fear（敬畏）」並非那「含著刑罰」的懼怕
（1Jo 4:18），
而是因祂的恩慈在心中被體認而生發的 敬虔
（Ps 130:4）。
the latter days——指彌賽亞的日子〔KIMCHI〕。
English original
5. Afterward--after the long period ("many days,"
Ho 3:4)
has elapsed.
return--from their idols to "their God," from whom they had wandered.
David their king--Israel had forsaken the worship of Jehovah at the same time that they forsook their allegiance to David's line. Their repentance towards God is therefore to be accompanied by their return to the latter. So Judah and Israel shall be one, and under "one head," as is also foretold
(Ho 1:11).
That representative and antitype of David is Messiah. "David" means "the beloved." Compare as to Messiah,
Mt 3:17; Eph 1:6.
Messiah is called David
(Isa 55:3, 4; Jer 30:9; Eze 34:23, 24; 37:24, 25).
fear the Lord and his goodness--that is, tremblingly flee to the Lord, to escape from the wrath to come; and to His goodness," as manifested in Messiah, which attracts them to Him
(Jer 31:12).
The "fear" is not that which "hath torment"
(1Jo 4:18),
but reverence inspired by His goodness realized in the soul
(Ps 130:4).
the latter days--those of Messiah [KIMCHI].
Ho 3:1-5.
以色列被擄分散後、自巴比倫歸回以後的景況，以象徵表明。
先知要收回他的妻子，雖然不忠，正如
Ho 1:2
所預言的。他從她的情夫那裏將她贖回，並規定她當等候一段漫長的時期，才能恢復她作妻子的權利。照樣，以色列將在很長一段時間內沒有古老的宗教禮儀，卻免於偶像崇拜；最終她將承認彌賽亞，並在重新得著時認識耶和華的恩慈。
1. Go yet——意為「再去 一次」，指
Ho 1:2
〔HENDERSON〕。
a woman——故意含糊其辭，用以代替 thy wife（你的妻子），以表達何西阿因歌篾的不忠而與她分居的 分離 狀態。
beloved of her friend——用以指「她的 丈夫」，因二人之間已疏離。她雖為淫婦，仍為丈夫所愛；正如以色列雖拜偶像，神仍然愛她
（Jer 3:20）。
何西阿所得的吩咐，不像
Ho 1:2
那樣「take（娶） 一個妻子」，而是「love（愛）」她，意即重新對她施以夫妻的恩慈。
who look to other gods——意即向來如此，但此後（自巴比倫歸回之後）不再如此
（Ho 3:4）。
flagons of wine——更確切地說，是壓成的葡萄乾餅，正如獻給偶像之物
（Jer 7:18）
〔MAURER〕。