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Hosea Capítulo 7
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In this chapter we have, I. A general charge drawn up against Israel for those high crimes and misdemeanors by which they had obstructed the course of God's favours to them, Ho 7:1,2. II. A particular accusation, 1. Of the court—the king, princes, and judges, Ho 7:3-7. 2. Of the country. Ephraim is here charged with conforming to the nations (Ho 7:8), senselessness and stupidity under the judgments of God (Ho 7:9-11), ingratitude to God for his mercies (Ho 7:13), incorrigibleness under his judgments (Ho 7:14), contempt of God (Ho 7:15), and hypocrisy in their pretences to return to him, Ho 7:16. They are also threatened with a severe chastisement, which shall humble them (Ho 7:12), and, if that prevail not, then with an utter destruction (Ho 7:13), particularly their princes, Ho 7:16.
1-7
Charge Drawn up against Israel; The Crimes of the Princes (750 BC)
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對以色列所列的控訴；首領的罪行（主前750年）
¹ 我想醫治以色列的時候，以法蓮的罪孽就顯露出來，撒瑪利亞的惡事也顯露了。因為他們行事虛假，賊進來搶，強盜成群在外搶掠。 ² 他們心裏不思想我記念他們一切的惡事。現在他們所做的纏繞他們，都在我眼前。 ³ 他們以自己的惡行使君王歡喜，以謊言使首領喜樂。 ⁴ 他們都是行淫的，如同烤餅的把火撥旺，從和麵到發酵為止，暫不停止。 ⁵ 在我們君王的日子，首領們以酒的烈性使君王患病。他與褻慢人伸手同夥。 ⁶ 因為他們埋伏的時候，預備了心如火爐；他們的烤餅者終夜睡臥，到了早晨，火氣炎炎如同火焰。 ⁷ 他們都熱如火爐，吞滅他們的審判官；他們的君王都仆倒，其中沒有一人呼求我。
有人將前一章末後的話挪來作本章的開頭：「當我歸回，或要歸回我百姓的被擄之時」——當我正要以憐憫的途徑臨到他們之時，「我想醫治以色列的時候，以法蓮（鄉村和平民百姓）的罪孽就顯露出來，撒瑪利亞（朝廷和首要之城）的惡事也顯露了。」如今在這幾節經文中，我們可以觀察到：
一、關於以色列現今光景的一個概括描述（何七1、2）。請看如今他們的處境如何。
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神恩惠地定意要善待他們：「我想醫治以色列。」以色列病了、受了傷；他們的病危險而惡性，可能致命（賽一6）。但神願意作他們的醫生，承擔這醫治，並且基列有乳香足以醫治祂百姓的女兒；他們的景況雖然不好，卻未到絕望的地步，甚至是有盼望的——當神「想醫治以色列」之時。(1) 祂要改革他們，要使他們與自己的罪分開，要藉著祂的律法和先知清除他們中間的敗壞。(2) 祂要救他們脫離患難，將平安和興盛歸還給他們。曾作過幾次醫治的嘗試，他們衰落的光景似乎有時也處在有盼望的恢復之中；但他們自己的愚昧又使自己倒退了。注意，若犯罪的、悲慘的靈魂不得醫治、不得幫助，反而在罪和悲慘中滅亡，他們不能將責任歸咎於神，因為祂既能、也「想要醫治他們」；祂曾主動要將那敗壞置於自己的手下。也有些特別的時期，神顯明祂樂意醫治患病失序的教會和國家——偶而有盼望的轉機，若謹慎觀察、善加利用，即使景況極其不好，也可能使天平轉向生命與健康。
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他們卻擋住自己的光，在自己門上加上閂。當神「想要醫治他們」、當他們似乎有望改革與平安之時，他們的「罪孽」就「顯露」，他們的「惡事」就出來——這一切攔阻了神恩惠的潮流，又把一切都拆毀了。(1)「那時」——當他們的景況為求醫治而受查考究問之時，那曾經隱藏和遮掩的惡事被「查出」；這不是說它曾向神隱藏，而是祂按人的方式說話；如同外科醫生為要醫治傷口而探查，發現它觸及要害、無法醫治，便不再進一步設法醫治；照樣，當神「下來察看」以色列的情況（如創十八21所言），本帶著對他們善意之時，發現他們的惡行極其昭彰，他們又如此頑硬、放肆、不知悔改，便不能以尊榮向他們施祂所定意的恩惠。注意，罪人不得醫治，是因為他們不願得醫治。基督「想要招聚他們」，他們卻「不願意」。(2)「那時」——當有人用盡辦法要改革、挽回他們之時，那曾受約束、被壓制的惡行便「爆發」；他們反倒從神醫治他們的作為中得了因頭，更加惹動神怒。當有人設法改革他們時，罪惡反而更加猖獗、更加放肆，越發高漲——如同水流被攔阻時一般。當他們開始興盛，便越發驕傲、放縱、安然無慮，因此阻礙了自己醫治的進展。注意，正是罪在好處正向我們臨到之時將其轉離；這也正是許多人的愚昧和敗亡——當神要善待他們時，他們卻苦待自己。那使他們受害的究竟是甚麼呢？一言以蔽之，「他們行事虛假」——或指敬拜偶像（有人如此解），或指彼此欺壓（另有人如此解），或更確切地說，他們在認罪悔改和敬虔的承諾上向神假冒為善。他們口稱渴望得祂醫治，為此也願意順服祂的治理；但他們「用口諂媚祂，用舌向祂說謊」。
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對神的全知和治理在實行上的不信，乃是一切罪惡的根源（何七2）：「他們心裏不思想」——他們從不對自己的心說，從不思想這事——「我記念他們一切的惡事。」彷彿神不能看見，雖然祂遍處都是眼目；或不在意，雖然祂的名是忌邪者；或已忘記，雖然祂是永遠的心思，決不忘記；或不會追討，雖然祂是「天地之主審判官」。這就是罪人的無神論；說祂無知或健忘，與說「沒有神」無異；說祂「不記念祂所要審判的事」，與說「在地上沒有審判的」無異。這是他們對神極大的冒犯；是他們加在自己身上的致命欺騙；他們說：「主必不看見」（詩九十四7）。他們不能不知道「神記念他們一切作為」；這話已對他們說了許多次；不，你若問他們，他們也不能不承認，然而他們卻不「思想」——他們在當思想的時候不思想，也不將這事應用在自己和自己所作的事上，否則他們就不會、也不敢如此行了。但時候將到，那些如此自欺的人必被揭穿：「現在他們所做的纏繞他們」——就是說，他們終於到了罪惡如此嚴重的一個地步，以致他們的罪從四面顯露出來；所有鄰舍都看見他們何等敗壞，難道他們還能以為神看不見嗎？或者更確切地說：「他們所作之工的刑罰纏繞他們」——他們被患難四面圍住，無法脫身；由此顯明他們所受罰的罪乃「在我眼前」——不但我看見了，而且我為之不悅；因為直到神藉著赦免我們的罪將之拋在背後之前，它們仍是在祂眼前。注意，遲早神必使那些現在不思想的人知道：祂「記念他們一切作為」。
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神已開始以審判與他們爭辯，作為更重之事的預兆：「賊進來搶，強盜成群在外搶掠。」有人將此看作他們罪惡的一個實例——他們彼此搶奪欺壓。Nec hospes ab hospite tutus——主人與客旅彼此都心存戒懼。這更像是罪的刑罰；他們被自己中間暗中行竊的盜賊侵擾，搶奪他們的房屋店鋪、扒他們的錢袋，又被外來侵略者的「強盜群」以公開的暴力「在外搶掠」；以色列離得醫治何等遙遠，他們每天還被盜賊和搶掠者加添新的傷痕；而這一切都是罪的結果，都是為懲罰他們搶奪神而來（賽四十二24；瑪三8、11）。
二、關於朝廷罪惡的具體陳述——君王、首領和周圍之人的罪，以及他們因此所受神不悅的記號。
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他們的君王和首領以臣民的邪惡和褻瀆為樂，臣民因此膽子更大，越發行惡（何七3）：「他們使君王和首領以自己的惡事歡喜。」百姓遵從他們邪惡的律法和榜樣——在敬拜偶像上，以及在別的不敬虔和不道德的事上——又以諂媚和稱讚附和他們邪惡的道路，這使君王和首領喜樂。希律看見自己的惡行使百姓喜悅，便越發前行（徒十二3）；照樣，百姓看見惡行使君王喜悅，必越發如此行。特別是，他們「以謊言」使首領喜樂——以虛假的稱讚加在君王寵臣的頭上，又以誣陷和論斷抹黑那些他們知道首領所不喜歡的人。那以毀謗和惡意的流言為樂的人，周圍絕不缺向他們耳中灌滿這類話語的人（箴二十九12）：「君王若聽謊言，他一切臣僕都是奸惡」——必以謊言使他喜樂。
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醉酒和荒宴在朝廷中十分盛行（何七5）。「我們君王的日子」對他們是歡樂的日子——或是他的生日，或是他登基之日，他們大概每年紀念，也可能是他所定的某個節日，因此被稱為「他的日子」；那一天首領們聚集，為君王的健康乾杯，把他拉到他們中間歡樂，並「以酒的烈性使君王患病」。看來君王平常不至於飲酒過度，但在盛大的日子被首領們的詭計所引誘——被酒的美好、同伴的歡樂、或他們所勸的乾杯所誘惑；他平日既不慣如此，所以「使他患病」；這被公正地指控為罪，如同 crimen læsæ majestatis——叛逆之罪——加在那些如此欺哄他、「使他患病」的人身上；而且「這是他們君王的日子」也不能作為藉口，反而是加重了罪行——因為當他們假意要尊榮他時，卻以最高程度羞辱了他。若使一個普通人醉酒已是大大的冒犯和傷害，行這事的人有禍了（哈二15），何況是君王呢；因為人的尊榮越大，醉酒對他就是越大的羞辱。「利慕伊勒啊，君王喝酒，君王喝酒不相宜」（箴三十一4、5）。請看醉酒之罪對人、對君王有何等損害。(1) 在健康上：它「使他患病」。這是對本性的強暴；奇妙的是，本來相當有理智的人，竟被甚麼魅力吸引，去行那不但得罪神、損害自己屬靈和永遠福祉，更是對自己身體當下的失調和疾病之事。(2) 在尊榮上：因為他如此醉倒之時，便「與褻慢人伸手同夥」；那受託治理一國的人，竟失去了對自己的治理，如此忘記了：[1] 君王的尊嚴——竟使自己與戲子和丑角，以及那些與之來往即為羞辱的人熟習；[2] 君王的本分——竟與無神論者和那些褻慢宗教的人結盟，而這些人本是他當使之緘默、使之羞愧的；他「坐在褻慢人的座位上」——就是那些不敬虔已到極點的人中間；他與他們同夥，隨他們說而行，隨他們作而行，又運用自己的權柄，「伸出」自己治理的手，與他們同謀。良善和敬虔人常成了「醉酒人的歌曲」（詩六十九12，詩三十五16）；但「邦國啊，你的君王若是孩童」——竟與那些使人如此的人「伸手」——你就有禍了（傳十16）。
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淫亂和污穢在朝臣中大大盛行。這在何七4、6、7中有所論及，醉酒的指控也插在其中；因為酒如同澆在情慾之火上的油（箴二十三33）。那些被肉體情慾所點燃的人——就是「行淫的」（何七4）——在此一再被比作烤餅者所燒熱的火爐（何七4）：「他們預備了心如火爐」（何七6）；「他們都熱如火爐」（何七7）。注意，(1) 不潔的心如同燒熱的火爐；其中不潔的情慾和情感，就是使之發熱的燃料。這是裏面的火，它將熱力保持在自身之內；照樣行淫和苟合的人「在情慾中焚燒」（如羅一27所言）。火爐的熱是猛烈的熱，特別是如此處所描述的；那燒火的人「挑旺」火，「不停止撥旺」，直等到預備放進麵包——麵已「和好」並「發酵」——這一切都只是表明他們如同火爐在最熱之時一般；不，當它「對烤餅者太熱」之時（博學的 Pocock 博士如此解），當它「比他所願的更熱」之時，那撥火的人便暫停，等到和好的麵正在發酵之時，好讓熱度稍微減退。不潔之心的情慾就是如此火熱。(2) 不潔的人等候機會以成全自己邪惡的慾望；他們預備了心如火爐之後，便埋伏等待獵物。「行淫者的眼目等候黃昏」（伯二十四15）。「他們的烤餅者終夜睡臥，到了早晨，火氣炎炎如同火焰。」如同烤餅者在爐中生火、添足燃料之後，便上床睡臥終夜，到了早晨發現爐子已燒得正好，預備供他使用；照樣這些惡人，當他們設下惡謀、定意要滿足某種貪婪、野心、報復或不潔的情慾之時，他們的心全然定意行惡，雖然他們可能暫時將之壓下，但敗壞情慾的火仍舊在裏面燃燒，一旦有了機會，他們所籌劃所想像的計謀便爆發成為明顯的行動——如同火一旦得了通風口便熊熊燃燒。如此「他們都熱如火爐」。注意，心中的情慾如同爐中的火，使它發熱；但日子將到，那些如此以自己卑劣的情感使自己如同火爐的人，若那火不被神的恩典撲滅，必因神的震怒而成為火爐（詩二十一9）——當「那日子來到，必燃燒如爐」（瑪四1）。
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他們抗拒改革和糾正的正當途徑：「他們吞滅他們的審判官」——就是他們中間少數幾位好審判官，本要撲滅他們心中所燃的這些火的；他們攻擊他們，不容他們行公正，反倒預備要用石頭打他們，也許果真如此行了；或者如有人所想，他們惹動神奪去他們行政長官的福分，任憑一切陷入混亂：「他們的君王都仆倒」——一個接一個地仆倒，連同他們的家族，這不能不使國家陷入混亂，分裂為彼此爭競的黨派，並引起大量的流血。他們中間有心中的火——彼此以怒氣和惡意「熱如火爐」，這就引起了「吞滅審判官」、「君王仆倒」。「邦國因人的罪過，君王就多更換」（箴二十八2）。但在這一切擾亂和混亂之中，「其中沒有一人呼求神」——沒有人看見神在這些審判中向他們伸出的手而懇求收回祂的擊打，沒有人，或幾乎沒有人奮起抓住神（賽六十四7）。注意，那些在患難困苦中仍繼續活在無禱告之中的人，不但是被罪點燃，更是被罪頑硬化。
Original em inglês
Charge Drawn up against Israel; The Crimes of the Princes (750 BC)
¹ When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
² And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
³ They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
⁴ They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
⁵ In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
⁶ For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
⁷ They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
Some take away the last words of the foregoing chapter, and make them the beginning of this: "When I returned, or would have returned, the captivity of my people, when I was about to come towards them in ways of mercy, even when I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim (the country and common people) was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria, the court and the chief city." Now, in these verses, we may observe,
I. A general idea given of the present state of Israel, Ho 7:1,2. See how the case now stood with them.
1. God graciously designed to do well for them: I would have healed Israel. Israel were sick and wounded; their disease was dangerous and malignant, and likely to be fatal, Isa 1:6. But God offered to be their physician, to undertake the cure, and there was balm in Gilead sufficient to recover the health of the daughter of his people; their case was bad, but it was not desperate, nay, it was hopeful, when God would have healed Israel. (1.) He would have reformed them, would have separated between them and their sins, would have purged out the corruptions that were among them, by his laws and prophets. (2.) He would have delivered them out of their troubles, and restored to them their peace and prosperity. Several healing attempts were made, and their declining state seemed sometimes to be in a hopeful way of recovery; but their own folly put them back again. Note, If sinful miserable souls be not healed and helped, but perish in their sin and misery, they cannot lay the blame on God, for he both could and would have healed them; he offered to take the ruin under his hand. And there are some special seasons when God manifests his readiness to heal a distempered church and nation, now and then a hopeful crisis, which, if carefully watched and improved, might, even when the case is very bad, turn the scale for life and health.
2. They stood in their own light and put a bar in their own door. When God would have healed them, when they bade fair for reformation and peace, then their iniquity was discovered and their wickedness, which stopped that current of God's favours, and undid all again. (1.) Then, when their case came to be examined and enquired into, in order to their cure, that wickedness which had been concealed and palliated was found out; not that it was ever hid from God, but he speaks after the manner of men; as a surgeon, when he probes a wound in order to the cure of it and finds that it touches the vitals and is incurable, goes no further in his endeavour to cure it, so, when God came down to see the case of Israel (as the expression is, Ge 18:21), with kind intentions towards them, he found their wickedness so very flagrant, and them so hardened in it, so impudent and impenitent, that he could not in honour show them the favour he designed them. Note, Sinners are not healed because they would not be healed. Christ would have gathered them, and they would not. (2.) Then, when some endeavours were used to reform and reclaim them, that wickedness which had been restrained and kept under broke out; and from God's steps towards the healing of them they took occasion to be so much the more provoking. When endeavours were used to reform them vice grew more impetuous, more outrageous, and swelled so much the higher, as a stream when it is damned up. When they began to prosper they grew more proud, wanton, and secure, and so stopped the progress of their cure. Note, It is sin that turns away good things from us when they are coming towards us; and it is the folly and ruin of multitudes that, when God would do well for them, they do ill for themselves. And what was it that did them this mischief? In one word, they commit falsehood; they worship idols (so some), defraud one another (so others), or, rather, they dissemble with God in their professions of repentance and regard to him. They say that they are desirous to be healed by him, and, in order to that, willing to be ruled by him; but they lie unto him with their mouth and flatter him with their tongue.
3. A practical disbelief of God's omniscience and government was at the bottom of all their wickedness (Ho 7:2): "They consider not in their hearts, they never say it to their own hearts, never think of this, that I remember all their wickedness." As if God could not see it, though he is all eye, or did not heed it, though his name is Jealous, or had forgotten it, though he is an eternal mind that can never be unmindful, or would not reckon for it, though he is the Judge of heaven and earth. This is the sinner's atheism; as good say that there is no God as say that he is either ignorant or forgetful, that there is none that judges in the earth as that he remembers not the things he is to give judgment upon. It is a high affront they put upon God; it is a damning cheat they put upon themselves; they say, The Lord shall not see, Ps 94:7. They cannot but know that God remembers all their works; they have been told it many a time; nay, if you ask them, they cannot but own it, and yet they do not consider it; they do not think of it when they should, and with application to themselves and their own works, else they would not, they durst not, do as they do. But the time will come when those who thus deceive themselves shall be undeceived: "Now their own doings have beset them about, that is, they have come at length to such a pitch of wickedness that their sins appear on every side of them; all their neighbours see how bad they are, and can they think that God does not see it?" Or, rather, "The punishment of their doings besets them about; they are surrounded and embarrassed with troubles, so that they cannot get out, by which it appears that the sins they smart for are before my face, not only that I have seen them, but that I am displeased at them;" for, till God by pardoning our sins has cast them behind his back, they are still before his face. Note, Sooner or later, God will convince those who do not now consider it that he remembers all their works.
4. God had begun to contend with them by his judgments, in earnest of what was further coming: The thief comes in, and the troop of robbers spoils without. Some take this as an instance of their wickedness, that they robbed and spoiled one another. Nec hospes ab hospite tutus—The host and the guest stand in fear of each other. It seems rather to be a punishment of their sin; they were infested with secret thieves among themselves, that robbed their houses and shops and picked their pockets, and troops of robbers, foreign invaders, that with open violence spoiled abroad; so far was Israel from being healed that they had fresh wounds given them daily by robbers and spoilers; and all this the effect of sin, all to punish them for robbing God, Isa 42:24, Mal 3:8,11.
II. A particular account of the sins of the court, of the king and princes, and those about them, and the tokens of God's displeasure that they were under for them.
1. Their king and princes were pleased with the wickedness and profaneness of their subjects, who were emboldened thereby to be so much them ore wicked (Ho 7:3): They make the king and princes glad with their wickedness. It pleased them to see the people conform to their wicked laws and examples, in the worship of their idols, and other instances of impiety and immorality, and to hear them flatter and applaud them in their wicked ways. When Herod saw that his wickedness pleased the people he proceeded further in it, much more will the people do so when they see that it pleases the prince, Ac 12:3. Particularly, they made them glad with their lies, with the lying praises with which they crowned the favourites of the prince and the lying calumnies and censures with which they blackened those whom they knew the princes had a dislike to. Those who show themselves pleased with slanders and ill-natured stories shall never want those about them who will fill their ears with such stories. Pr 29:12, If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked, and will make him glad with their lies.
2. Drunkenness and revelling abound much at the court, Ho 7:5. The day of our king was a merry day with them, either his birth-day or his inauguration-day, of which it is probable that they had an anniversary observation, or perhaps it was some holiday of his appointing, which was therefore called his day; on that day the princes met to drink the king's health, and got him among them, to be merry, and made him sick with bottles of wine. It should seem the king did not ordinarily drink to excess, but he was not upon a high day brought to it by the artifices of the princes, tempted by the goodness of the wine, the gaiety of the company, or the healths they urged; and so little was he used to it that it made him sick; and it is justly charged as a crime, as crimen læsæ majestatis—treason, upon those who thus imposed upon him and made him sick; nor would it serve for an excuse that it was the day of their king, but was rather an aggravation of the crime, that, whey they pretended to do him honour, they dishonoured him to the highest degree. If it is a great affront and injury to a common person to make him drunk, and there is a woe to those that do it (Hab 2:15), much more to a crowned head; for the greater any man's dignity is the greater disgrace it is to him to be drunk. It is not for kings, O Lemuel! it is not for kings, to drink wine, Pr 31:4,5. See what a prejudice the sin of drunkenness is to a man, to a king. (1.) In his health; it made him sick. It is a force upon nature; and strange it is by what charms men, otherwise rational enough, can be drawn to that which besides the offence it gives to God, and the damage it does to their spiritual and eternal welfare, is a present disorder and distemper to their own bodies. (2.) In his honour; for, when he was thus intoxicated, he stretched out his hand with scorners; then he that was entrusted with the government of a kingdom lost the government of himself, and so far forgot, [1.] The dignity of a king that he made himself familiar with players and buffoons, and those whose company was a scandal. [2.] The duty of a king that he joined in confederacy with atheists, and the profane scoffers at religion, whom he ought to have silenced and put to shame; he sat in the seat of the scornful, of those that had arrived at the highest pitch of impiety; he struck in with them, said as they said, did as they did, and exerted his power, and stretched forth the hand of his government, in concurrence with them. Goodness and good men are often made the song of the drunkards (Ps 69:12, Ps 35:16); but woe unto thee, O land! when thy king is such a child as to stretch forth his hand with those that make them so, Ec 10:16.
3. Adultery and uncleanness prevailed much among the courtiers. This is spoken of Ho 7:4,6,7, and the charge of drunkenness comes in in the midst of this article; for wine is oil to the fire of lust, Pr 23:33. Those that are inflamed with fleshly lusts, that are adulterers (Ho 7:4), are here again and again compared to an oven heated by the baker (Ho 7:4): They have made ready their heart like an oven (Ho 7:6); they are all hot as an oven, Ho 7:7. Note, (1.) An unclean heart is like an oven heated; and the unclean lusts and affections of it are as the fuel that makes it hot. It is an inward fire, it keeps the heat within itself; so adulterers and fornicators secretly burn in lust, as the expression is, Ro 1:27. The heat of the oven is an intense heat, especially as it is here described; he that heats it stirs up the fire, and ceases not from raising it up, till the bread is ready to be put in, being kneaded and leavened, all which only signifies that they are like an oven when it is at the hottest; nay, when it is too hot for the baker (so the learned Dr. Pocock), when it is hotter than he would have it, so that the raiser up of the fire ceases as long as while the dough that is kneaded is in the fermenting, that the heat may abate a little. Thus fiery hot are the lusts of an unclean heart. (2.) The unclean wait for an opportunity to compass their wicked desires; having made ready their heart like an oven, they lie in wait to catch their prey. The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, Job 24:15. Their baker sleeps all the night, but in the morning it burns as a flaming fire. As the baker, having kindled a fire in his oven and laid sufficient fuel to it, goes to bed, and sleeps all night, and in the morning finds his oven well heated, and ready for his purpose, so these wicked people, when they have laid some wicked plot, and formed a design for the gratifying of some covetous, ambitious, revengeful, or unclean lusts, have their hearts so fully set in them to do evil that, though they may stifle them for a while, yet the fire of corrupt affections is still glowing within, and, as soon as ever there is an opportunity for it, their purposes which they have compassed and imagined break out into overt acts, as a fire flames out when it has vent given it. Thus they are all hot as an oven. Note, Lust in the heart is like fire in an oven, puts it into a heat; but the day is coming when those who thus make themselves like a fiery oven with their own vile affections, if that fire be not extinguished by divine grace, shall be made as a fiery oven by divine wrath (Ps 21:9), when the day comes that shall burn as an oven, Mal 4:1.
4. They resist the proper methods of reformation and redress: They have devoured their judges, those few good judges that were among them, that would have put out these fires with which they were heated; they fell foul upon them, and would not suffer them to do justice, but were ready to stone them, and perhaps did so; or, as some think, they provoked God to deprive them of the blessing of magistracy and to leave all in confusion: All their kings have fallen one after another, and their families with them, which could not but put the kingdom into confusion, crumble it into contending parties, and occasion a great deal of bloodshed. There are heart-burnings among them; they are hot as an oven with rage and malice at one another, and this occasions the devouring of their judges, the falling of their kings. For the transgressions of a land many are the princes thereof, Pr 28:2. But in the midst of all this trouble and disorder there is none among them that calls unto God, that sees his hand stretched out against them in these judgments, and deprecates the strokes of it, none, or next to none, that stir up themselves to take hold on God, Isa 64:7. Note, Those are not only heated with sin, but hardened in sin, that continue to live without prayer even when they are in trouble and distress.
8-16
The Crimes of the People; Infatuation of Ephraim; Ephraim's Obstinate Rebellion; Ephraim's Hypocrisy (750 BC)
繁體中文
百姓的罪惡；以法蓮的愚昧；以法蓮的頑梗背叛；以法蓮的假冒為善（主前750年）
⁸ 以法蓮與列邦人攙雜；以法蓮是沒有翻過的餅。
⁹ 外邦人吞吃他勞力得來的，他卻不知道；頭髮斑白，他也不覺得。
¹⁰ 以色列的驕傲當面見證自己；雖遭遇這一切，他們仍不歸向耶和華他們的神，也不尋求祂。
¹¹ 以法蓮好像鴿子愚蠢無知：他們求告埃及，投奔亞述。
¹² 他們去的時候，我必將我的網撒在他們身上；我必使他們如同空中的鳥被打下；我必按他們會眾所聽見的懲罰他們。
¹³ 禍哉！他們離棄了我；毀滅必臨到他們！因為他們向我了背約；我雖救贖他們，他們卻向我說謊。
¹⁴ 他們在床上呼號，卻不誠心呼求我；他們為五穀和新酒聚集，卻違背了我。
¹⁵ 我雖教導他們，堅固他們的膀臂，他們卻圖謀惡事攻擊我。
¹⁶ 他們歸向，但不歸向至高者；他們如同翻背的弓；他們的首領必因舌頭的狂傲倒在刀下，這在埃及地必成為他們的笑柄。
在看了宮廷是何等腐敗敗壞之後，我們如今來查究鄉間如何，發現那也好不到哪裏去；如果那已經抓住頭部的疾病影響了全身，以致其中毫無完好之處，也不足為奇；以法蓮的罪孽被發現了，正如撒瑪利亞的罪惡被發現一樣——百姓的如同首領的一樣；此處列舉了他們的多個事例。
一、他們沒有如所當行的那樣為神的緣故分別出來、完全歸祂（何7:8）。 1. 他們沒有如神將他們分別出來那樣，將自己從外邦人中分別出來：以法蓮與列邦人攙雜——與他們交往，效法他們，在某種程度上與他們混為一體，在其中失去了自己的特色。神曾說：這民必獨居；但他們與外邦人攙雜，學了他們的作為（詩106:35）。他們在外邦人中間來來往往，求這個幫助抵擋那個（有人如此解）；其實他們若緊緊依靠神，就根本不需要他們中任何人的幫助。 2. 他們沒有完全奉獻歸神：以法蓮是沒有翻過的餅——一面烤焦了，另一面還是生的，兩面都毫無用處。如在亞哈的日子一樣，如今也是：他們在神和巴力之間心懷二意；有時他們似乎為神大發熱心，有時卻同樣為巴力火熱。注意：有多少人在某種程度上認信宗教，卻是由矛盾和不一致構成的——如沒有翻過的餅，不斷地自我矛盾，總是走在一個極端或另一個極端之中——想到這些實在令人痛心。
二、他們對自己所處的、威脅著他們毀滅的神的審判奇異地麻木（何7:9）。請注意： 1. 他們所處的狀況。神在審判中對他們不再如蛀蟲和如朽爛；他們正在默默地、緩慢地被引向國家毀滅的途中——部分是由於外邦人的侵凌：外邦人吞吃他勞力得來的，把他吞噬了；他們浪費了他的財富和珍寶，減少了他的人口，耗盡了地的出產。有人藉公開的戰爭吞噬他們（如王下13:7，當亞蘭王使他們如同打場的塵土），另有人藉假裝和平友好的條約，在其中向他們勒索了大量財富，使他們為那對自己毫無益處的東西付了慘重的代價，後來又付了更慘重的代價（如王下16:9）。這就是以法蓮與外邦人攙雜、又容讓外邦人與他攙雜所得的結果；他們吞吃了他所倚靠、賴以維生的。注意：那些不以神為力量（詩52:7）的，必將那快要被外人吞吃的當作自己的力量。他們也因自己內部的亂政而衰微：頭髮斑白——散落在他身上（原文如此），即一個衰敗沒落之國的悲哀徵兆——它正在漸漸陳舊、快要消逝，以及憂愁煩惱的後果。Cura facit canos——憂愁使人頭白。杏樹雖尚未開花，但已開始變色，這對他大聲說明：患難的日子將到，你所說不喜悅的年日近了（傳12:1,5）。 2. 他們對這些警告的漠不關心：他卻不知道； 他不覺察神已出手攻擊他；手已舉起，他卻不肯看見（賽26:11）。他不知道自己的毀滅已多麼臨近，也毫不設法防止。注意：在較輕審判之下的麻木不仁，是更大審判將至的前兆。
三、他們在自己的惡道上頑固前行，在所受的責備中不被挽回（何7:10）：以色列的驕傲仍當面見證自己，如同先前所行的一樣（何5:5）；在使人謙卑的護理之下，他們的心仍不自卑，他們的情慾仍未治死；而他們所以不尋求神，正是因為心中的驕傲（詩10:4）；他們不藉悔改和改革歸向耶和華他們的神，也不因這一切藉信心和禱告尋求祂——雖然他們因偏離祂而受苦，雖然除非歸回祂否則永不能亨通，雖然他們已白白向別人求救——他們卻想不到要向神求助。
四、他們在自己的謀略中愚昧不堪，在患難時採取了極其錯誤的方法（何7:11,12）：以法蓮好像鴿子愚蠢無知。 如鴿子一般無害、不懷惡意、不傷害別人，是可稱讚的；但如鴿子一般愚昧糊塗、不知如何自衛和自保，卻是可恥的。
1. 這鴿子的愚昧在於：（1）她不為失去的雛鳥哀悼，卻要在原地重新築巢；照樣，他們的百姓被仇敵擄去，他們卻無動於衷，繼續與那些野蠻對待他們的人交往。（2）她容易被餌誘入網羅，毫無心智，毫無悟性來分辨危險，如同許多別的飛鳥一樣（箴1:17）。她急忙追逐陷阱，卻不知那是要她的命（箴7:23）；照樣，他們被引誘與鄰國結盟，結果成了他們的毀滅。（3）她受驚時沒有勇氣留在安全的鴿舍中——在那裏她受到主人的悉心保護——反而撲騰盤旋，先在一個地方、然後在另一個地方尋找棲身之所，如此反而更加暴露自己；這百姓在患難中也是如此：他們不求告神，不如鴿子飛向窗戶——在那裏他們本可以安全躲避一切撲擊他們的猛禽——反而脫離了神的保護，然後求告埃及來幫助他們，又急忙投奔亞述，在那裏尋求他們本可以藉悔改和禱告在近處的神那裏得到的、卻是徒然的幫助。注意：那些有天上之神的人，卻去信靠受造之物來尋求唯獨在祂裏面才有的庇護和救援，是愚蠢而無知的；如此行的人是無知的民，是沒有心的。
2. 看這愚蠢的鴿子的下場（何7:12）：他們去的時候——去埃及和亞述——我必將我的網撒在他們身上。 注意：那些不肯守住神憐憫的人，必被神的公義追趕。在此：（1）他們被困住：我必將我的網撒在他們身上，使他們陷入窘境，好叫他們看見自己的愚妄而想到歸回。注意：那些離棄神的人，在期望得到庇護之處找到網羅，這是常有的。（2）他們被降卑；他們因外邦盟約而驕傲、信靠它們而高飛；但我必使他們如同空中的鳥被打落——任憑他們飛得多高。注意：神能、也必使那些如鷹高飛自高的人降卑（俄3,4）。（3）他們因愚妄而受罰：我必懲罰他們。 注意：當我們信靠受造之物時，在其中所遭遇的失望是必要的懲罰或管教，好叫我們下次學得更聰明。（4）聖經在這一切中得了應驗。這正如他們會眾所聽見的——他們在宗教集會中已多次藉著神的話語——誦讀的、傳講的、歌唱的——被告知：人的幫助是枉然的，人子裏面毫無幫助；他們從律法和先知那裏都聽見了神要因他們的惡行降下什麼審判；他們所聽見的，如今必看見，必親身感受。注意：我們當留意自己在會眾中時時聽見的神的話語，並受其治理，因為我們不久必受其審判；而它要證實神在定罪罪人時為義，並使那定罪更加沉重——因為他們已得了清楚而公開的警告；這是他們的會眾多次聽過的，他們卻不肯受警戒。兒啊，你當記念——你曾被告知事情會如此結局；如今你看見那些不是空話。參亞1:6。
五、他們背棄了神、背叛了祂——儘管神用各種方法要使他們留在效忠之中（何7:13-15）。請注意，
1. 神曾何等恩慈溫柔地對待他們——作為一位恩典的君王對待祂所珍愛的百姓，祂何等關心他們的興盛。祂曾救贖他們（何7:13）——起先領他們出了埃及地，後來又多次救他們脫離患難。祂曾教導他們，堅固他們的膀臂（何7:15）。當他們的力量如同折斷或脫臼的膀臂衰弱時，神為他們復位、為他們包紮，如同外科醫生接合斷骨使之癒合。神曾賜以色列勝過亞蘭人的勝利（王下13:16,17），曾恢復他們的邊境（王下14:25,26），曾以力量為他們束腰使之爭戰。我雖管教他們（旁注如此讀）——有時為他們的過失責罰他們並藉此教導他們，有時堅固他們的膀臂救濟他們——雖然我用盡了軟硬兼施的方法來感化他們，卻全歸徒然；他們對憐憫和審判都無動於衷。
2. 他們對神的態度卻何等放肆——此處為要使一切在惡道上前行的人知罪謙卑而加以描述，使他們看見自己的罪在神眼中是何等極度邪惡、何等可憎——天上的神如何解讀它、如何為之憤慨。（1）祂曾以愛吸引他們，將他們納入與自己的約中；他們卻離棄了祂——如同祂是他們危險的仇敵一般，其實祂一直證明自己是信實的朋友。他們從祂那裏遊蕩而去，如同愚蠢的鴿子離開巢穴——因為離棄神的人必在受造之物中找不到安息和歸宿，只有無盡的流浪。他們在離棄對祂的敬拜時就逃離了神，逃離了祂的事奉，從對祂的效忠中退縮了。（2）祂曾賜給他們全然聖潔、公義、美善的律法，為要藉此保守他們在正路上；他們卻向祂背約犯罪——他們存著高舉的手、硬著頸項，故意而放肆地犯罪（這就是這詞的含義）；他們衝破了神律法的藩籬，在其中挫敗了神的愛的旨意。（3）祂曾向他們啟示祂的真理，給他們一切可能的證據證明祂對他們的善意是真誠的；他們卻向祂說謊——他們設立假神與祂競爭；他們否認祂的護理和大能；如此他們不信耶和華（耶5:12）。他們拒絕祂藉先知差遣給他們的信息，說他們雖繼續犯罪卻必平安——這正與祂所說的相反。在他們假冒為善的信仰認信、虛飾的虔誠和改過的承諾中，他們向耶和華說了謊——祂將之視為對祂說謊。（4）祂是他們合法的主和君王，一向以公義為雅各施行治理、為公共利益而治；他們卻背叛了祂（何7:14）——他們不僅離開了祂，更拿起武器反對祂，若能就要廢黜祂、另立別的。（5）祂本意要善待他們，他們卻圖謀惡事攻擊祂（何7:15）。罪是惡毒的東西；它是對神的惡謀，因為它是對祂冠冕和尊嚴的叛逆——不是說罪人能做什麼損害造物主的事（如古代一位教父在這些話上所觀察的），而是他們能做的他們都做了；而且當這不是出於偶然或疏忽，而是出於蓄意的圖謀時，就更為惡劣。猶太人有一句格言——波考克博士在此引用——罪的意圖比罪本身更壞。 圖謀惡事在神眼中就是行了惡事。圖謀國王的死，按我們的法律就是叛逆。那些圖謀惡事的人，雖然那惡事終歸是枉然（詩2:1），必因那圖謀而受報。
3. 他們要因此受何等的刑罰（何7:13）：禍哉！他們離棄了我。 注意：那些逃離神的人有災禍追隨其後，毫無疑問地處在悲禍之中。神的忿怒從天上向他們顯明；神的話語說：禍哉！他們！ 並注意隨即所說的：毀滅必臨到他們！ 注意：神話語中的禍必有實際的效果；毀滅使之應驗。祂手中的審判必證實祂口中的審判。祂所咒詛、宣告為禍的那些人，實在是被咒詛的，實在是悲禍的。
六、他們虔誠和改革的表現不過是表演，在其中不過是愚弄神。
1. 他們假裝虔誠，卻不出於真心（何7:14）。當神的手已經攻擊他們時，他們對祂作了某種尋求。祂殺他們的時候，他們才求問祂。主啊，他們在急難的時候尋求你。 但全是假冒為善。（1）當他們在個人患難中，在暗中呼求神時，他們在那件事上也不真誠：他們在床上呼號的時候，卻沒有誠心呼求我。 當他們在床上受疼痛、骨中滿了劇痛——也許因戰爭中受的傷——他們就呼喊、呻吟，以虔誠的形式抱怨，也許他們用了許多好話，對自己所處的境況十分恰當；他們呼喊：神啊，幫助我們，主啊，眷顧我們。 但他們沒有誠心呼求，所以神算它為根本不算呼求祂。摩西被稱為向神呼求時，他一言不發，只是他的心以信心和熱切禱告（出14:15）。這些人喧嘩了一大通、說了一大堆，卻沒有呼求神，因為他們的心在祂面前不正——不服祂的旨意，不獻於祂的榮耀，不從事於祂的事奉。禱告就是將靈魂舉起歸向神——這才是禱告的實質。這事若不做，言語無論選擇得多好，不過是風；若做了，雖說不出來的嘆息，也是蒙悅納的禱告。注意：不靠聖靈禱告的人，根本就沒有向神禱告。不但如此，神非但不贊成他們的禱告、不悅納它們，反而稱之為哀號。有人以為這暗示他們禱告時的喧鬧（他們向神呼喊如同他們從前向巴力呼喊，以為必須喚醒祂）；或暗示他們在禱告中所發洩的野獸般的狂暴情緒；他們對石頭咆哮、在鞭子下哀號，卻不看那管教的手。或者它表明他們假冒為善的禱告不但不討神喜悅，反而冒犯了祂；祂對他們的禱告發怒。 殿中的歌曲必變為哀號（摩8:3）。神非但不憐憫他們，反而要公正地在他們的災難中發笑——他們曾多次嗤笑祂的權威。（2）當他們在公眾患難中聚集懇求神施恩時，他們在那方面也是虛偽的；他們聚集，不過是出於時尚——因為在普遍哀悼時期召開嚴肅會是慣例（番2:1）。但他們聚集不過是為五穀和新酒禱告——那些他們所缺乏的、又恐怕因所遭受的無雨之災而被剝奪的東西。他們不求神的恩惠或恩典、不求神賜他們悔改、赦免他們的罪、收回祂的忿怒，只求祂不要從他們奪去五穀和新酒。注意：屬肉體的心在向神禱告時只貪圖屬世的恩惠，也只怕屬世的災禍、只求免去屬世的災禍，因為他們對別的毫無感覺。
2. 他們假裝改革，那也不真誠（何7:16）。這裏有：（1）以色列的罪：他們歸向——即他們假裝要歸回；他們假裝悔改、改正自己的行為，卻不作數；他們沒有真正回到神那裏、沒有歸回他們的效忠，而神說（耶4:1）：以色列啊，你若歸回，就歸回我——不僅要向我轉回，更要歸回我。 他們這種偽裝使他們如同翻背的弓——看起來適合使用，也照樣被拉彎了，但當力量加在其上時，不是弓就是弦斷了，箭非但沒有飛向靶心，反而落在射手的腳前。他們向悔改和改革所作的嘗試就是如此。（2）以色列首領的罪。指控他們的是舌頭的狂傲——當他們受挫折時與神和祂的護理以及周圍一切人爭吵。首領們以為自己可以隨口亂說，認為暴跳如雷、咒罵謾罵、信口開河是他們的特權；但讓他們知道，在他們之上有一位神要為他們舌頭的狂傲追討他們，並使他們自己的舌頭落在他們身上。（3）以色列和他們的首領因罪受罰。至於首領，他們必倒在仇敵或本國之人的刀下——有的死於這個、有的死於那個；這必成為他們的笑柄——這就是他們在逃往埃及人求助時，在埃及地被人嗤笑的原因（何7:11）。他們的罪和刑罰必使他們成為周圍眾人的笑柄。注意：那些在待神上背信詭詐、在待人上暴躁橫蠻的人，公正地被交給鄰舍作笑柄，因為他們使自己成了可笑的。
Original em inglês
The Crimes of the People; Infatuation of Ephraim; Ephraim's Obstinate Rebellion; Ephraim's Hypocrisy (750 BC)
⁸ Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
⁹ Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
¹⁰ And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.
¹¹ Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
¹² When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
¹³ Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
¹⁴ And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
¹⁵ Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
¹⁶ They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
Having seen how vicious and corrupt the court was, we now come to enquire how it is with the country, and we find that to be no better; and no marvel if the distemper that has so seized the head affect the whole body, so that there is no soundness in it; the iniquity of Ephraim is discovered, as well as the sin of Samaria, of the people as well as the princes, of which here are divers instances.
I. They were not peculiar and entire for God, as they should have been, Ho 7:8. 1. They did not distinguish themselves from the heathen, as God had distinguished them: Ephraim, he has mingled himself among the people, has associated with them, and conformed himself to them, and has in a manner confounded himself with them and lost his character among them. God had said, The people shall dwell alone; but they mingled themselves with the heathen and learned their works, Ps 16:35. They went up and down among the heathen, to beg help of one of them against another (so some); whereas, if they had kept close to God, they would not have needed the help of any of them. 2. They were not entirely devoted to God: Ephraim is a cake not turned, and so is burnt on one side and dough on the other side, but good for nothing on either side. As in Ahab's time, so now, they halted between God and Baal; sometimes they seemed zealous for God, but at other times as hot for Baal. Note, It is sad to think how many, who, after a sort, profess religion, are made up of contraries and inconsistencies, as a cake not turned, a constant self-contradiction, and always in one extreme or the other.
II. They were strangely insensible of the judgments of God, which they were under, and which threatened their ruin, Ho 7:9. Observe, 1. The condition they were in. God was not to them, in his judgments, as a moth and as rottenness; they were silently and slowly drawing towards the ruin of their state partly by the encroachments of foreigners upon them: Strangers have devoured his strength, and eaten him up; they have wasted his wealth and treasure, lessened his numbers, and consumed the fruits of the earth. Some devoured them by open wars (as 2Ki 13:7, when the king of Syria made them like the dust by threshing), others by pretending treaties of peace and amity, in which they extorted abundance of wealth from them, and made them pay dearly for that which did them no good, but which afterwards they paid more dearly for, as 2Ki 16:9. This Ephraim got by mingling with the heathen, and suffering them to mingle with him; they devoured that which he rested upon and supported himself with. Note, Those that make not God their strength (Ps 52:7) make that their strength which will soon be devoured by strangers. They were thus reduced partly by their own mal-administrations among themselves: Yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him (are sprinkled upon him, so the word is), that is, the sad symptoms of a decaying declining state, which is waxing old and ready to vanish away, and the effects of trouble and vexation. Cura facit canos—Care turns gray. The almond-tree does not as yet flourish, but it begins to turn colour, which speaks aloud to him that the evil days are coming, and the years of which he shall say, I have no pleasure in them, Ec 12:1,5. 2. Their regardlessness of these warnings: He knows it not; he is not aware of the hand of God gone out against him; it is lifted up, but he will not see, Isa 26:11. He does not know how near his ruin is, and takes no care to prevent it. Note, Stupidity under less judgments is a presage of greater coming.
III. They went on frowardly in their wicked ways, and were not reclaimed by the rebukes they were under (Ho 7:10): The pride of Israel still testifies to his face, as it had done before (Ho 5:5); under humbling providences their hearts were still unhumbled, their lusts unmortified; and it is through the pride of their countenance that they will not seek after God (Ps 10:4); they do not return to the Lord their God by repentance and reformation, nor do they seek him by faith and prayer for all this; though they suffer for going astray from him, though it can never be well with them till they come back to him, and though they have in vain sought to others for relief, yet they think not of applying to God.
IV. They were infatuated in their counsels, and took very wrong methods when they were in distress (Ho 7:11,12): Ephraim is like a silly dove without heart. To be harmless as a dove, without gall, and not to hurt or injure others, is commendable; but to be sottish as a dove, without heart, that knows not how to defend herself and provide for her own safety, is a shame.
1. The silliness of this dove is, (1.) That she laments not the loss of her young that are taken from her, but will make her nest again in the same place; so they have their people carried away by the enemy, and are not affected with it, but continue their dealings with those that deal barbarously with them. (2.) That she is easily enticed by the bait into the net, and has no heart, no understanding, to discern her danger, as many other fowls do, Pr 1:17. She hastes to the snare, and knows not that it is for her life (Pr 7:23); so they were drawn into leagues with neighbouring nations that were their ruin. (3.) That, when she is frightened, she has not courage to stay in the dove-house, where she is safe, and under the careful protection of her owner, but flutters and hovers, seeking shelter first in one place, then in another, and thereby exposes herself so much the more; so this people, when they were in distress, sought not to God, did not fly like the doves to their windows where they might have been secured from all the birds of prey that struck at them, but threw themselves out of God's protection, and then called to Egypt to help them, and went in all haste to Assyria, to seek for that aid in vain which they might, by repentance and prayer, have found nearer home, in their God. Note, It is a silly senseless thing for those who have a God in heaven to trust to creatures for the refuge and relief which are to be had in him only; and those that do so are a people of no understanding, they are without heart. Now,
2. See what becomes of this silly dove (Ho 7:12): When they shall go to Egypt and Assyria, I will spread my net upon them. Note, Those that will not abide by the mercy of God must expect to be pursued by the justice of God. Here, (1.) They are ensnared: "I will spread my net upon them, bring them into straits, that they may see their folly and think of returning." Note, It is common for those that go away from God to find snares where they expected shelters. (2.) They are humbled; they soar upward, proud of their foreign alliances and confiding in them; but I will bring them down, let them fly ever so high, as the fowls of heaven, that are shot flying. Note, God can and will bring those down that exalt themselves as the eagle, Ob 1:3,4. (3.) They are made to smart for their folly: I will chastise them. Note, The disappointments we meet with in the creature, when we put a confidence in it, are a necessary chastisement, or discipline, that we may learn to be wiser another time. (4.) In all this the scripture is fulfilled. It is as their congregation has heard; they have been many a time told by the word of God, read, and preached, and sung, in their religious assemblies, that "vain is the help of man, that in the son of man there is no help; they have heard both from the law and from the prophets what judgments God would bring upon them for their wickedness; and as they have heard now they shall see, they shall feel." Note, It concerns us to take notice of the word of God which we hear from time to time in the congregation, and to be governed by it, for we must shortly be judged by it; and it will justify God in the condemnation of sinners, and aggravate it to them, that they have had plain public warning given them of it; it is what their congregation has heard many a time, but they would not take warning. "Son, remember thou wast told what would come of it; and now thou seest they were not vain words." See Zec 1:6.
V. They revolted from God and rebelled against him, notwithstanding the various methods he took to retain them in their allegiance, Ho 7:13-15. Here observe,
1. How kindly and tenderly God had dealt with them, as a gracious sovereign towards a people dear unto him, and whose prosperity he had much at heart. He had redeemed them (Ho 7:13), brought them, at first, out of the land of Egypt, and, since, delivered them out of many a distress. He had bound and strengthened their arms, Ho 7:15. When their power was weakened, like an arm broken or out of joint, God set it again, and bound it, as a surgeon does a broken bone, to make it knit. God had given Israel victories over the Syrians (2Ki 13:16,17), had restored their coast (2Ki 14:25,26), had girded them with strength for battle. "Though I have chastened them" (so the margin reads it), "sometimes corrected them for their faults and thereby taught them, at other times strengthened their arms and relieved them, though I have used both fair means and foul to work upon them, it was all to no purpose; they were mercy-proof and judgment-proof."
2. How impudent their conduct had been towards him notwithstanding, which is described here for the conviction and humiliation of all those who have gone on in any way of wickedness, that they may see how exceedingly sinful their sin is, how heinous, how the God of heaven interprets it, how he resents it. (1.) He had courted them to him, and taken them into covenant with himself; but they fled from him, as if he had been their dangerous enemy who had always approved himself their faithful friend. They wandered from him, as the silly dove from her nest, for those who forsake God will find no rest nor settlement in the creature, but wander endlessly. They fled from God when they forsook the worship of him, and ran away from his service, and withdrew themselves from their allegiance to him. (2.) He had given them his laws, which were all holy, just, and good, by which he designed to keep them in the right way; but they transgressed against him; they sinned with a high hand and a stiff neck, wilfully and presumptuously (so the words signifies); they broke through the fence of the divine law, and therein thwarted the design of the divine love. (3.) He had made known his truths to them, and given them all possible proofs of the sincerity of his good-will to them; and yet they spoke lies against him. They set up false gods in competition with him; they denied his providence and power; thus they belied the Lord, Jer 5:12. They rejected his messages sent them by his prophets, and said that they should have peace, though they went on in sin, directly against what he said. In their hypocritical professions of religion, shows of devotion, and promises of amendment, they lied to the Lord, which he took as lying against him. (4.) He was their rightful Lord and King, and had always ruled in Jacob with equity, and for the public good; and yet they rebelled against him, Ho 7:14. They not only went off from him, but took up arms against him, would have deposed him if they could and set up another. (5.) He designed well for them, but they imagined mischief against him, Ho 7:15. Sin is a mischievous thing; it is mischief against God, for it is treason against his crown and dignity; not that the sinners can do any thing to hurt their Creator (as one of the ancients observes on these words), but what they can they do; and it is so much the worse when it is not done by surprise, or through inadvertency, but designedly and with contrivance. The Jews have a saying, which Dr. Pocock quotes here, The thoughts of transgression are worse than the transgression. The designing of mischief is doing it, in God's account. Compassing and imagining the death of the king is treason by our law. Those that imagine an evil thing, though it prove a vain thing (Ps 2:1), will be reckoned with for the imagination.
3. How they shall be punished for this (Ho 7:13): Woe unto them! for they have fled from me. Note, Those who flee from God have woes sent after them, and are, without doubt, in a woeful case. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against them; the word of God says, Woe to them! And observe what follows immediately, Destruction unto them! Note, The woes of God's word have real effects; destruction makes them good. The judgments of his hand shall verify the judgments of his mouth. Those whom he curses, and pronounces woeful, they are cursed, they are woeful indeed.
VI. Their shows of devotion and reformation were but shows, and in them they did but mock God.
1. They pretended devotion, but it was not sincere, Ho 7:14. When the hand of God had gone forth against them they made some sort of application to him. When he slew them, then they sought him. Lord, in trouble have they visited thee. But it was all in hypocrisy. (1.) When they were under personal troubles, and called upon God in secret, they were not sincere in that: They have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds. When they were chastened with pain upon their beds, and the multitude of their bones with strong pains, perhaps ill of the wounds they received in war, they cried, and groaned, and complained in the forms of devotion, and, it may be, they used many good words, proper enough for the circumstances they were in; they cried, God help us, and, Lord, look upon us. But they did not cry with their heart, and therefore God reckons it as no crying to him. Moses is said to cry unto God when he spoke not a word, only his heart prayed with faith and fervency, Ex 14:15. These made a great noise, and said a great deal, and yet did not cry to God, because their hearts were not right with him, not subjected to his will, devoted to his honour, nor employed in his service. To pray is to lift up the soul to God, this is the essence of prayer. If this be not done, words, though ever so well chosen, are but wind; but, if it be, it is an acceptable prayer, though the groanings cannot be uttered. Note, Those do not pray to God at all that do not pray in the spirit. Nay, God is so far from approving their prayer and accepting it that he calls it howling. Some think it intimates the noisiness of their prayers (they cried to God as they used to cry to Baal, when they thought he must be awakened), or the brutish violent passions which they vented in their prayers; they snarled at the stone, and howled under the whip, but regarded not the hand. Or it denotes that their hypocritical prayers were so far from being pleasing to God that they were offensive to him; he was angry at their prayers. The songs of the temple shall be howlings, Am 8:3. God will be so far from pitying them that he will justly laugh at their calamity, who have so often laughed at his authority. (2.) When they were under public troubles, and met together to implore God's favour, in that also they were hypocritical; they assembled themselves, for fashion-sake, because it was usual to call a solemn assembly in times of general mourning, Zep 2:1. But it was only to pray for corn and wine that they came together, which were the things they wanted, and feared being deprived of by the want of rain, the judgment they now laboured under. They did not pray for the favour or grace of God, that God would give them repentance, pardon their sins, and turn away his wrath, but only that he would not take away from them their corn and wine. Note, Carnal hearts, in their prayers to God, covet temporal mercies only, and dread and deprecate no other but temporal judgments, for they have no sense of any other.
2. They pretended reformation, but neither was that sincere, Ho 7:16. Here is, (1.) The sin of Israel: They return, that is, they make as if they would return; they pretend to repent and amend their doings, but they make nothing of it; they do not come home to God nor return to their allegiance, whereas God says (Jer 4:1), If thou wilt return, O Israel! return to me; do not only turn towards me, but return to me. This dissimulation of theirs makes them like a deceitful bow, which looks as if it were fit for business, and is bent and drawn accordingly, but, when strength comes to be laid to it, either the bow or the string breaks, and the arrow, instead of flying to the mark, drops at the archer's foot. Such were their essays towards repentance and reformation. (2.) The sin of the princes of Israel. That which is charged upon them is the rage of their tongue, quarrelling with God and his providence and with all about them when they are crossed. Princes think they may say what they will, and that it is their prerogative to huff and bluster, to curse and rail, and to call names at their pleasure, but let them know there is a God above them that will call them to an account for the rage of their tongues and make their own tongues to fall upon them. (3.) The punishment of Israel and their princes for their sin. As for the princes, they shall fall by the sword either of their enemies or of their own people, some by one and some by the other; and this shall be their derision, this is that for which they shall be derided in the land of Egypt, when they flee to the Egyptians for succour, Ho 7:11. Their sin and punishment shall make them a laughing-stock to all about them. Note, Those that are treacherous and deceitful in their dealings with God, and passionate and outrageous in their conduct towards men, will justly be made a derision to their neighbours, for they make themselves ridiculous.
在本章中，我們看到：一、針對以色列所列的總體控訴，控告他們因那些重大的罪惡與過犯，攔阻了神向他們施恩的途徑（何七1、2）。二、具體的指控：1. 關乎朝廷——君王、首領和審判官（何七3-7）；2. 關乎民間。此處以法蓮被控與列國同流（何七8），在神的審判下麻木愚昧（何七9-11），對神的恩典忘恩負義（何七13），在祂的審判下仍不思改過（何七14），藐視神（何七15），以及在他們聲稱歸向神的虛假中存著偽善（何七16）。他們也受到嚴厲懲治的威脅，這懲治必使他們謙卑（何七12）；若仍不奏效，則將面臨徹底的毀滅（何七13），尤其是他們的首領（何七16）。