서론
Introduction
英文原文
INTRODUCTION
THE first of the twelve minor prophets in the order of the canon (called "minor," not as less in point of inspired authority, but simply in point of size). The twelve are first mentioned by Jesus, the son of Sirach
(Ecclesiasticus 49:10).
St. Stephen, in
Ac 7:42
(in referring to
Am 5:27),
quotes them as forming one collective body of writings, "the book of the prophets." So JEROME and MELITO, the first Greek father who has left us a catalogue of these books. The collection of the sacred books is by Jewish tradition attributed to the great synagogue of learned scribes formed by Ezra. Many think Nehemiah completed this collection by adding to the books already in the canon those of his own times. Malachi, the last in the series, probably aided him in determining with infallible authority what books were entitled to be ranked in the inspired canon. The chronological order differs from the canonical. Joel, about 810 B.C.; Jonah, about 810 B.C., or, as others, first, 862 B.C.; Amos, about 790 B.C.; Hosea, about 784 B.C. Hosea, the contemporary of Isaiah, Micah, and Amos, seems to have entered on his prophetical office in the last years of Jeroboam (contemporary in part with Uzziah), and to have ended it in the beginning of Hezekiah's reign, 722 B.C., that is, about sixty years in all, from 784 B.C. to 722 B.C. The prophets, however, were not uninterruptedly engaged in prophesying. Considerable intervals elapsed, though their office as divinely commissioned public teachers was never wholly laid aside. The Book of Hosea which we have constitutes only that portion of his public teachings which the Holy Spirit saw fit to preserve for the benefit of the Church. The cause of his being placed first of the twelve was, probably, the length, the vivid earnestness, and patriotism of his prophecies, as well as their closer resemblance to those of the greater prophets. His style is abrupt, sententious, and unrounded; the connecting particles are few; there are changes of person, and anomalies of gender, number, and construction. His name means Salvation. He was son of Beeri, of the tribe of Issachar, born in Beth-shemesh [JEROME]. His mention, in the inscription, of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, is no proof that he belonged to Judah: for the prophets in Israel regarded its separation from Judah, civil as well as religious, as an apostasy from God, who promised the dominion of the theocracy to the line of David. Hence Elijah in Israel took twelve stones to represent Judah, as well as Israel
(1Ki 18:31).
Hence Hosea dates from Judah's kings, as well as from Jeroboam of Israel, though he belonged to Israel, with whose sins and fate his book is chiefly occupied. He, however, makes incidental references to Judah. His first prophecy foretells the overthrow of Jehu's house, fulfilled on the death of Jeroboam, Jehu's great-grandson
(2Ki 15:12),
in Zachariah, Jeroboam's son, the fourth and last from Jehu, conspired against by Shallum. This first prediction was doubtless in Jeroboam's life, as Zachariah, his son, was only suffered to reign six months; thus the inscription is verified that "the word of the Lord came unto him in the days of Jeroboam"
(Ho 1:1).
Again, in
Ho 10:14,
Shalmaneser's expedition against Israel is alluded to as past, that is, the first inroad against King Hoshea, who began to reign in the twelfth year of Ahaz; so that as Ahaz' whole reign was sixteen years, the prophecy seems to have been given about the beginning of Hezekiah's reign. Thus the inscription is confirmed that the exercise of his prophetical functions was of such a protracted duration.
Hosea
(Ho 11:1)
is quoted in
Mt 2:15;
also
Ho 6:6
in
Mt 9:13; 12:7;
compare
Ro 9:25, 26,
quoting
Ho 1:10; 2:1, 23;
1Co 15:55,
quoting
Ho 13:14;
1Pe 2:10,
quoting
Ho 1:9, 10; 2:23.
Messianic references are not frequent; but the predictions of the future conversion of Israel to the Lord their God, and David their king, and of the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham that his spiritual seed should be as the sand of the sea
(Ho 1:10; 3:5),
clearly refer to the New Testament dispensation.
The first and third chapters are in prose, the rest of the book is rhythmical.
1
Ho 1:1-11.
Ho 1:1-11.
题词
以色列属灵的淫乱借象征性的行动显明：歌篾奉神之命被娶为妻；耶斯列、罗·路哈玛、罗·阿米三个孩子。却也有犹大与以色列复兴的应许。
1. 耶和华的话临到何西阿——见引言。
耶罗波安——即第二代耶罗波安，死于乌西雅四十一年在位的第十五年。从他以后，以色列所有的王都拜假神：撒迦利雅（2Ki 15:9）、米拿现（2Ki 15:18）、比加辖（2Ki 15:24）、比加（2Ki 15:28）、何细亚（2Ki 17:2）。由于以色列在耶罗波安二世治下外表最为兴旺，他夺回了叙利亚所强占的领土，何西阿在此时预言其倾覆，就更显得惊人，因单凭人的眼光本无法预见。先知约拿曾奉神应许耶罗波安二世必得胜，并非因王的功劳，而是因神对以色列的怜悯；于是以色列的海岸从哈马口直到亚拉巴海，都被耶罗波安二世收回（2Ki 14:23-27）。
英文原文
Ho 1:1-11.
INSCRIPTION.
Spiritual whoredom of Israel set forth by symbolical acts; Gomer taken to wife at God's command: Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah, and Lo-Ammi, the children. Yet a promise of Judah and Israel's restoration.
1. The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea--See
Introduction.
Jeroboam--the second; who died in the fifteenth year of Uzziah's forty-one years' reign. From his time forth all Israel's kings worshipped false gods: Zachariah
(2Ki 15:9),
Menahem
(2Ki 15:18),
Pekahiah
(2Ki 15:24),
Pekah
(2Ki 15:28),
Hoshea
(2Ki 17:2).
As Israel was most flourishing externally under Jeroboam II, who recovered the possessions seized on by Syria, Hosea's prophecy of its downfall at that time was the more striking as it could not have been foreseen by mere human sagacity. Jonah the prophet had promised success to Jeroboam II from God, not for the king's merit, but from God's mercy to Israel; so the coast of Israel was restored by Jeroboam II from the entering of Hamath to the sea of the plain
(2Ki 14:23-27).
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2. 起初——不是指先知一切预言的开端，而是指何西阿所说预言的开端。
娶……淫妇为妻——不是外在的行动，而是内在与异象中的事，作为以色列不忠的生动描绘【亨斯滕伯格】。参结 16:8-15 等。若为外在的行动，除了婚姻的厌恶之外，三个孩子的出生需要数年，这将削弱其象征性（参结 4:4）。亨德森反驳说，没有暗示这交易是虚构的：歌篾是在与何西阿结合之后陷入淫乱的，而不是之前；因为只有这样她才是以色列的合适象征——以色列是在西奈山与神立婚约之后，甚至在以色列的先祖蒙召之时，陷入属灵淫乱的。歌篾被称为“淫妇之妻”，是预早地这样称呼。
淫乱的儿女——整个国家被视为一位母亲；其中的个别百姓被视为她的儿女。“娶”一词同时应用于两者，表明它们是指同一件事，只是从不同侧面看。“儿女”并非先知自己的，而是从淫乱所生的，被带给他当作他的儿女【基托，《圣经百科全书》】。更准确地说，“淫乱的儿女”意指这些儿女像他们的母亲一样，陷入了属灵的淫乱。参“为他生了一个儿子”（见 Ho 2:4-5）。作为属灵淫妇的儿女，他们自然也会坠入她淫乱的行径。
英文原文
2. beginning--not of the prophet's predictions generally, but of those spoken by Hosea.
take . . . wife of whoredoms--not externally acted, but internally and in vision, as a pictorial illustration of Israel's unfaithfulness [HENGSTENBERG]. Compare
Eze 16:8, 15,
&c. Besides the loathsomeness of such a marriage, if an external act, it would require years for the birth of three children, which would weaken the symbol (compare
Eze 4:4).
HENDERSON objects that there is no hint of the transaction being fictitious: Gomer fell into lewdness after her union with Hosea, not before; for thus only she was a fit symbol of Israel, who lapsed into spiritual whoredom after the marriage contract with God on Sinai, and made even before at the call of the patriarchs of Israel. Gomer is called "a wife of whoredoms," anticipatively.
children of whoredoms--The kingdom collectively is viewed as a mother; the individual subjects of it are spoken of as her children. "Take" being applied to both implies that they refer to the same thing viewed under different aspects. The "children" were not the prophet's own, but born of adultery, and presented to him as his [KITTO, Biblical Cyclopædia]. Rather, "children of whoredoms" means that the children, like their mother, fell into spiritual fornication. Compare "bare him a son" (see
Ho 2:4, 5).
Being children of a spiritual whore, they naturally fell into her whorish ways.
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3. 歌篾……底璧莱的女儿——象征性的名字；字面意为“完成，葡萄饼之女”；双数形式表示这些点心烘烤时的双层。故意为：完全沉迷于肉欲的人。毛勒将“歌篾”解释为字面上的“燃烧的炭”。关于淫妇，参箴 6:27-29; 伯 31:9-12。
英文原文
3. Gomer . . . daughter of Diblaim--symbolical names; literally, "completion, daughter of grape cakes"; the dual expressing the double layers in which these dainties were baked. So, one completely given up to sensuality. MAURER explains "Gomer" as literally, "a burning coal." Compare
Pr 6:27, 29,
as to an adulteress;
Job 31:9, 12.
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4. 耶斯列——即“神必分散”（参
Zec 10:9）。
这是亚哈及其继位诸王的王城，属以萨迦支派。耶户在此行了最大的暴虐
（2Ki 9:16, 25, 33; 10:11, 14, 17）。
这名字的字母和读音，含有暗指“以色列”的巧意。
英文原文
4. Jezreel--that is, "God will scatter" (compare
Zec 10:9).
It was the royal city of Ahab and his successors, in the tribe of Issachar. Here Jehu exercised his greatest cruelties
(2Ki 9:16, 25, 33; 10:11, 14, 17).
There is in the name an allusion to "Israel" by a play of letters and sounds.
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5. 弓——指武力
（Jer 49:35；
参
Ge 49:24）。
耶斯列谷——后来称为以斯德伦平原，宽十英里，长约从约旦河至地中海、迦密山附近，是巴勒斯坦的大战场
（Jud 6:33; 1Sa 29:1）。
英文原文
5. bow--the prowess
(Jer 49:35;
compare
Ge 49:24).
valley of Jezreel--afterwards called Esdraelon, extending ten miles in breadth, and in length from Jordan to the Mediterranean near Mount Carmel, the great battlefield of Palestine
(Jud 6:33; 1Sa 29:1).
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6. 罗·路哈玛——即“不蒙怜悯”，或不蒙恩惠之意。
夺去——以色列作为一个国度，从未从亚述归回，不像犹大在七十年后从巴比伦归回。毛勒（MAURER）按首要意义译作：“我必不再怜悯以色列家，以致赦免他们。”
英文原文
6. Lo-ruhamah--that is, "not an object of mercy or gracious favor."
take . . . away--Israel, as a kingdom, was never restored from Assyria, as Judah was from Babylon after seventy years. MAURER translates according to the primary meaning, "No more will I have mercy on the house of Israel, so as to pardon them."
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7. 提到犹大只是附带，为要形成与以色列的对比。
藉耶和华他们的神——比“借我自己”更有力；乃是借着他们所敬拜为他们的神的那位耶和华（即我），而你们却藐视祂。
不……借弓——你们以色列人所倚靠的
（Ho 1:5，
“以色列的弓”）；耶罗波安二世以战士闻名
（2Ki 14:25）。
然而耶和华拯救犹大，并不借着他们的武力
（1Sa 17:47; Ps 20:7）。
此处预言了耶路撒冷脱离西拿基立之手
（2Ki 19:35），
以及从巴比伦的归回。
英文原文
7. Judah is only incidentally mentioned to form a contrast to Israel.
by the Lord their God--more emphatic than "by Myself"; by that Jehovah (Me) whom they worship as their God, whereas ye despise Him.
not . . . by bow--on which ye Israelites rely
(Ho 1:5,
"the bow of Israel"); Jeroboam II was famous as a warrior
(2Ki 14:25).
Yet it was not by their warlike power Jehovah would save Judah
(1Sa 17:47; Ps 20:7).
The deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib
(2Ki 19:35),
and the restoration from Babylon, are herein predicted.
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8. 断奶——为使象征性画面完整才这样说，对以色列并无特别意义【亨德森（HENDERSON）】。以色列被剥夺了一切特权，正如奶之于婴孩那样不可或缺
（参
Ps 131:2; 1Pe 2:2）
【瓦塔布尔（VATABLUS）】。以色列不是忽然，而是渐渐被丢弃；神以长久忍耐宽容他们，直到他们无可救药【加尔文（CALVIN）】。但因断奶的不是神，而是歌篾，所以断奶或暗示歌篾的情欲——她才刚断奶不久，便又怀孕【曼格尔（MANGER）】。
英文原文
8. weaned--said to complete the symbolical picture, not having any special signification as to Israel [HENDERSON]. Israel was bereft of all the privileges which were as needful to them as milk is to infants (compare
Ps 131:2; 1Pe 2:2)
[VATABLUS]. Israel was not suddenly, but gradually cast off; God bore with them with long-suffering, until they were incurable [CALVIN]. But as it is not God, but Gomer who weans Lo-ruhamah, the weaning may imply the lust of Gomer, who was hardly weaned when she is again pregnant [MANGER].
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9. 罗·阿米——从前是“我的民”，如今却不是
（Eze 16:8）。
结婚与三个孩子相继出生之间的间隔，暗示所指的是相继的三代。长子耶斯列代表耶罗波安一世及其继位者的王朝，以耶户在耶斯列流耶罗波安家之血而告终；耶洗别正是死在那里——为在同一个耶斯列所流的拿伯之血报应
（1Ki 16:1; 2Ki 9:21, 30）。
耶斯列的一幕要在耶户堕落后裔身上重演。在耶斯列，亚述击溃了以色列【哲罗姆（JEROME）】。这孩子的名字将过去的罪、当中的刑罚与最终的覆亡联系在一起。次子罗·路哈玛（“不蒙怜悯”）是个女儿，代表第一王朝倾覆之后那段软弱无能的时期——以色列既卑屈又亵渎。第三子罗·阿米（“非我民”）是个儿子，代表耶罗波安二世强盛的王朝
（2Ki 14:25）；
但繁荣既未带来敬虔的复兴，他们仍不是神的子民。
英文原文
9. Lo-Ammi--once "My people," but henceforth not so
(Eze 16:8).
The intervals between the marriage and the successive births of the three children, imply that three successive generations are intended. Jezreel, the first child, represents the dynasty of Jeroboam I and his successors, ending with Jehu's shedding the blood of Jeroboam's line in Jezreel; it was there that Jezebel was slain, in vengeance for Naboth's blood shed in the same Jezreel
(1Ki 16:1; 2Ki 9:21, 30).
The scenes of Jezreel were to be enacted over again on Jehu's degenerate race. At Jezreel Assyria routed Israel [JEROME]. The child's name associates past sins, intermediate punishments, and final overthrow. Lo-ruhamah ("not pitied"), the second child, is a daughter, representing the effeminate period which followed the overthrow of the first dynasty, when Israel was at once abject and impious. Lo-Ammi ("not my people"), the third child, a son, represents the vigorous dynasty
(2Ki 14:25)
of Jeroboam II; but, as prosperity did not bring with it revived piety, they were still not God's people.
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10. 在从巴比伦归回时——许多以色列人与犹大人一同归回——部分字面应验。属灵上则应验于雅各或以色列信心的后裔，包括外邦人和犹太人，多“如海沙”
（Ge 32:12）；
外邦人从前不是神的子民，如今却成为祂的“众子”
（Joh 1:12; Ro 9:25, 26; 1Pe 2:10; 1Jo 3:1）。
将来以色列复兴之时，要在字面的丰满中应验
（Ro 11:26）。
永生神——与他们的死偶像相对。
英文原文
10. Literally fulfilled in part at the return from Babylon, in which many Israelites joined with Judah. Spiritually, the believing seed of Jacob or Israel, Gentiles as well as Jews, numerous "as the sand"
(Ge 32:12);
the Gentiles, once not God's people, becoming His "sons"
(Joh 1:12; Ro 9:25, 26; 1Pe 2:10; 1Jo 3:1).
To be fulfilled in its literal fulness hereafter in Israel's restoration
(Ro 11:26).
the living God--opposed to their dead idols.
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11. 犹大……以色列……一同——
（Isa 11:12, 13; Jer 3:18; Eze 34:23; 37:16-24）。
一个首领——预表性是所罗巴伯，本体性是基督；惟独在祂以下，以色列与犹大才得合一。祂是教会的“元首”
（Eph 1:22; 5:23），
也是将来犹大与以色列联合之国的元首
（Jer 34:5, 6; Eze 34:23）。
基督虽为父所“立”
（Ps 2:6），
但在另一意义上，祂是当祂的百姓接受并拥抱祂为元首时，才被他们“立”为元首。
从地——指他们寄居的外邦列国之地。
耶斯列的日子——“某人的日子”指神特别临到他的时刻，或为忿怒，或为怜悯。此处“耶斯列”与
Ho 1:4
含义不同，作“神必播种”，而非“神必分散”；他们必成为神的种子，被神重新栽种于自己的地
（Jer 24:6; 31:28; 32:41; Am 9:15）。
英文原文
11. Judah . . . Israel . . . together--
(Isa 11:12, 13; Jer 3:18; Eze 34:23; 37:16-24).
one head--Zerubbabel typically; Christ antitypically, under whom alone Israel and Judah are joined, the "Head" of the Church
(Eph 1:22; 5:23),
and of the hereafter united kingdom of Judah and Israel
(Jer 34:5, 6; Eze 34:23).
Though "appointed" by the Father
(Ps 2:6),
Christ is in another sense "appointed" as their Head by His people, when they accept and embrace Him as such.
out of the land--of the Gentiles among whom they sojourn.
the day of Jezreel--"The day of one" is the time of God's special visitation of him, either in wrath or in mercy. Here "Jezreel" is in a different sense from that in
Ho 1:4,
"God will sow," not "God will scatter"; they shall be the seed of God, planted by God again in their own land
(Jer 24:6; 31:28; 32:41; Am 9:15).
引言
何西阿书在正典顺序中，是十二小先知书中的第一卷（称为“小”，并非因默示权威较小，而只是因篇幅较短）。这十二卷书最早由西拉的儿子耶稣提及（《便西拉智训》49:10）。司提反在 Ac 7:42（引用 Am 5:27 时）将它们视为一个著作集合而引用，称之为“先知书”。哲罗姆和墨利托——最早为后世留下这些书卷目录的希腊教父——也是如此。圣书卷的集成，按犹太传统归功于以斯拉所召集的大学者会。许多人认为尼希米完成了这一集成，将他自己时代的书卷加入已纳入正典的书卷之中。玛拉基是这系列中最后一位，可能辅助了尼希米，以无误的权威断定哪些书卷有资格列为受默示的正典。其年代顺序与正典顺序不同：约珥约在主前 810 年；约拿约在主前 810 年，也有人认为首次在主前 862 年；阿摩司约在主前 790 年；何西阿约在主前 784 年。何西阿是以赛亚、弥迦、阿摩司的同时代人，似乎在耶罗波安（与乌西雅部分同期）的最后几年开始其先知职事，并在希西家作王初年、即主前 722 年结束，前后约共六十年，自主前 784 年至主前 722 年。不过先知们并非不间断地预言。其间有相当长的间隔，尽管他们作为受神所托的公众教师的职分从未完全搁下。我们所拥有的何西阿书，只构成他公开教训中圣灵认为适合保留以造就教会的那一部分。他之所以被列为十二先知之首，可能是因为他预言的长度、生动热切与爱国精神，以及它们与较大先知书更相近。他的风格突兀、凝练而不加修饰；连接词少；有人称的转换，以及性别、数目、结构上的不规则之处。他的名字意为拯救。他是备利的儿子，属以萨迦支派，生于伯·示麦【哲罗姆】。他在题词中提及犹大诸王乌西雅、约坦、亚哈斯、希西家，并不能证明他属于犹大；因为以色列中的先知视以色列与犹大的分离——民事上和宗教上的分离——为对神的背道，因神已将神治的统治权应许给大卫的后裔。因此以利亚在以色列取了十二块石头，以代表犹大和以色列（1Ki 18:31）。因此，何西阿从犹大诸王，也从以色列的耶罗波安为纪年，虽然他属于以色列，他的书也主要论及以色列的罪恶与命运。然而他也偶提犹大。他的首个预言预告耶户家的倾覆，应验于耶罗波安——耶户的曾孙——之死时（2Ki 15:12），即耶罗波安之子撒迦利雅——耶户以后第四代、也是末代——被沙龙背叛篡位之时。这首次的预言无疑是在耶罗波安生前发出的，因他的儿子撒迦利雅只被允许作王六个月；这样，题词所言“耶和华的话临到耶罗波安的日子”便得了印证（Ho 1:1）。再者，在 Ho 10:14 中，撒缦以色对以色列的征伐是作为已过之事被提及的，即对何细亚王的首次入侵；何细亚始于亚哈斯第十二年作王；亚哈斯全部在位十六年，所以这预言似乎是在希西家作王初年发出的。如此便印证了题词所言，他先知职事的执行确是延续多年。
何西阿书（Ho 11:1）被引用于 Mt 2:15；Ho 6:6 也被引用于 Mt 9:13; 12:7；参 Ro 9:25-26，引用 Ho 1:10; 2:1, 23；1Co 15:55，引用 Ho 13:14；1Pe 2:10，引用 Ho 1:9-10; 2:23。弥赛亚的指向不甚多；但关于以色列将来必归向耶和华他们的神、归向大卫他们的王，以及关于神对亚伯拉罕的应许必应验——他属灵的后裔要如海边的沙（Ho 1:10; 3:5）——这些预言都明确指向新约时代。
第一与第三章为散文体，其余部分为韵文体。