This prophecy was delivered about the time of Israel's seeking the aid of the Egyptian king So, in violation of their covenant with Assyria (see Hos 12:1). He exhorts them to follow their father Jacob's persevering prayerfulness, which brought God's favor upon him. As God is unchangeable, He will show the same favor to Jacob's posterity as He did to Jacob, if, like him, they seek God.
feedeth on wind-- (Pro 15:14; Isa 44:20). Followeth after vain objects, such as alliances with idolaters and their idols (compare Hos 8:7).
east wind--the simoon, blowing from the desert east of Palestine, which not only does not benefit, but does injury. Israel follows not only things vain, but things pernicious (compare Job 15:2).
increaseth lies--accumulates lie upon lie, that is, impostures wherewith they deceive themselves, forsaking the truth of God.
desolation--violent oppressions practised by Israel [MAURER]. Acts which would prove the cause of Israel's own desolation [CALVIN].
covenant with . . . Assyrians-- (Hos 5:13; Hos 7:11).
oil . . . into Egypt--as a present from Israel to secure Egypt's alliance (Isa 30:6; Isa 57:9; compare Kg2 17:4). Palestine was famed for oil (Eze 27:17).
Jacob--that is, the ten tribes. If Judah, the favored portion of the nation, shall not be spared, much less degenerate Israel.
power with God--referring to his name, "Israel," prince of God, acquired on that occasion (compare Mat 11:12). As the promised Canaan had to be gained forcibly by Israel, so heaven by the faithful (Rev 3:21; compare Luk 13:24). "Strive," literally, "as in the agony of a contest." So the Canaanitess (Mat 15:22).
his strength--which lay in his conscious weakness, whence, when his thigh was put out of joint by God, he hung upon Him. To seek strength was his object; to grant it, God's. Yet God's mode of procedure was strange. In human form He tries as it were to throw Jacob down. When simple wrestling was not enough, He does what seems to ensure Jacob's fall, dislocating his thigh joint, so that he could no longer stand. Yet it was then that Jacob prevailed. Thus God teaches us the irresistible might of conscious weakness. For when weak in ourselves, we are strong by His strength put in us (Job 23:6; Isa 27:5; Co2 12:9-10).
made supplication-- Gen 32:26; I will not let thee go, except thou bless me."
he found him--The angel found Jacob, when he was fleeing from Esau into Syria: the Lord appearing to him "in Beth-el" (Gen 28:11-19; Gen 35:1). What a sad contrast, that in this same Beth-el now Israel worships the golden calves!
there he spake with us--"with us," as being in the loins of our progenitor Jacob (compare Psa 66:6, "They . . . we;" Heb 7:9-10). What God there spoke to Jacob appertains to us. God's promises to him belong to all his posterity who follow in the steps of his prayerful faith.
of hosts--which Israel foolishly worshipped. Jehovah has all the hosts (saba) or powers of heaven and earth at His command, so that He is as all-powerful, as He is faithful, to fulfil His promises (Psa 135:6; Amo 5:27).
memorial--the name expressive of the character in which God was ever to be remembered (Psa 135:13).
to THY God--who is therefore bound by covenant to hear thy prayers.
keep mercy and judgment-- (Mic 6:8). These two include the second-table commandments, duty towards one's neighbor, the most visible test of the sincerity on one's repentance.
wait on thy God--alone, not on thy idols. Including all the duties of the first table (Psa 37:3, Psa 37:5, Psa 37:7; Psa 40:1).
oppress--open violence: as the "balances of deceit" imply fraud.
Yet I am . . . rich--I regard not what the prophets say: I am content with my state, as I am rich (Rev 3:17). Therefore, in just retribution, this is the very language of the enemy in being the instrument of Israel's punishment. Zac 11:5 : "They that sell them say . . . I am rich." Far better is poverty with honesty, than riches gained by sin.
my labours--my gains by labor.
they shall find none--that is, none shall find any.
iniquity . . . that were sin--iniquity that would bring down the penalty of sin. Ephraim argues, My success in my labors proves that I am not a guilty sinner as the prophets assert. Thus sinners pervert God's long-suffering goodness (Mat 5:45) into a justification of their impenitence (compare Ecc 8:11-13).
visions . . . similitudes--I adopted such modes of communication, adapted to man's capacities, as were calculated to arouse attention: I left no means untried to reform you. The first, second, and third chapters contain examples of "similitudes."
their altars are as heaps in the furrows--that is, as numerous as such heaps: namely, the heaps of stones cleared out of a stony field. An appropriate image, as at a distance they look like altars (compare Hos 10:1, Hos 10:4; Hos 8:11). As the third member in the parallelism answers 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 after crossing Jordan, is now the stronghold of Israel's idolatry.
country of Syria--the champaign region of Syria, the portion lying between the Tigris and Euphrates, hence called Mesopotamia. Padan-aram means the same, that is, "Low Syria," as opposed to Aramea (meaning the "high country") or Syria (Gen 48:7).
preserved--Translate, "kept"; there is an allusion to the same Hebrew word in Hos 12:12, "kept sheep"; Israel was kept by God as His flock, even as Jacob kept sheep (Psa 80:1; Isa 63:11).
leave his blood upon him--not take away the guilt and penalty of the innocent blood shed by Ephraim in general, and to Moloch in particular.
his reproach shall his Lord return unto him--Ephraim's dishonor to God in worshipping idols, God will repay to him. That God is "his Lord" by right redemption and special revelation to Ephraim only aggravates his guilt, instead of giving him hope of escape. God does not give up His claim to them as His, however they set aside His dominion.