Chapter 11

1 The ingratitude of Israel unto God for his benefits. 5 His judgment. 8 God’s mercy toward them.

1. Child. Verses 1–4 of this chapter give an account of the benefits the people of Israel had received from the Lord from the time of the Exodus, and of Israel’s subsequent ingratitude for these blessings. God had every reason to be provoked against Israel because of their attitude toward the love and care He bestowed upon them, from their infancy, so to speak (see Eze. 16:1–8; PK 312). His interest in them and for them was indeed that of a father toward his son, an interest no other nation shared to the same extent (see Deut. 7:6–8). Hosea refers to this relationship, beginning at the time Moses gave the Lord’s message to Pharaoh to let His people go (see on Ex. 4:22, 23). Hosea 11:1 shows that the one chief design of the Bible is to recommend to sinners the goodness and grace of God (see 8T 275). “The whole Scripture,” says Luther, “aims especially at this, that we doubt not, but certainly hope, trust, and believe that God is gracious, merciful and longsuffering.”

Called my son. The experience of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was declared by the Gospel writer Matthew, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to be a figure or prophecy of the experience of the child Jesus in Egypt and His return to Palestine (see on Matt. 2:15). Although Matthew’s reference may not be considered as a verbatim quotation of either the Hebrew or the LXX of Hosea 11:1, there is no doubt that the Gospel writer had this comparison of experiences in mind.

2. They called. Probably a reference to the various prophets and other messengers whom God employed to make known His will to the people.

They went from them. Refusing to acknowledge the call of God, Israel turned to idolatry, especially to Baalim, the various representations of the god Baal (see ch. 2:17).

3. By their arms. This is a beautiful picture of God’s loving care of Ephraim. Just as a fond parent teaches a child to walk, taking it up by the arms when it stumbles or falls, so the Lord had taught His son Israel (see Deut. 1:31; 33:27; Jer. 31:32). Just as a loving father patiently bears with a child who has not yet come to the age of discretion, so had the Lord borne patiently with His undeveloped people, people who were ignorant of the spiritual mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (see Deut. 32:10).

Healed. This appears to be an allusion to Ex. 15:26 (see also Isa. 57:18).

4. Cords. This is a further picture of the Lord’s fatherly guidance of Israel (see Jer. 31:3).

Bands of love. A significant expression, showing that these bands are far different from those which men employ in taming wild animals. The lower animals must sometimes be broken into useful labor with a degree of violence; but God does not so draw men. He uses neither hard cords nor iron bands, but draws us by rational means, courting our intelligence and appealing to our affections (see on Isa. 1:18). God draws us in a manner suitable to the dignity of our nature, as those made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26, 27). In working for souls we should ever follow this method of love (see 1 Cor. 9:19–23; 1 Thess. 2:7, 8; 3:12; Heb. 5:2). Christ drew us with the cords of a man when He became man, and lived and sacrificed Himself for our good (see John 12:32; Acts 10:38). One of the reasons the Son of God became man was to draw men with the cords of sympathy, by partaking of a common nature with them.

Meat. Anything edible, that is, food in general, not necessarily flesh. The Lord granted to Israel, in spite of their frequent faithless acts, His saving mercy and tender compassion, along with an abundant sustenance (see Ps. 23:5). This made all the more inexcusable their resorting to other gods to secure greater bounties.

5. Into the land of Egypt. Having been tributary to Assyria since the time of Menahem (2 Kings 15:17–20), Israel revolted and sought help from Egypt (2 Kings 17:1–4). However, no help would be permitted to come from Egypt; Israel would be compelled to submit to the yoke of Assyria. The Assyrian bondage would be a chastisement upon them for their unrepented sins.

6. Sword. There will be no escaping the invasion and its effects.

Branches. Literally, “sticks,” “staves,” or “shoots.” Evidently the “branches” were something to aid in the defense of the cities themselves, such as the bars of the city gates. Or “branches” may be understood figuratively of the frontier fortresses, or the nearby villages, related to the cities as shoots to a tree.

Counsels. The cause of all these coming afflictions was the nation’s evil counsels, which led the people into transgression and apostasy (see Ps. 5:10).

7. My people. How expressively this shows that notwithstanding all Israel’s guilt in persistent backsliding, the nation was still “my people” to God!

Called them. Though Israel is called upward to fellowship with the Most High, it seemed as though no one cared to have this exalted experience. Corruption was so deep rooted in Israel that the people generally gave no response to the prophets’ pleas for this higher higher spiritual life.

8. Give thee up. The thought of v. 8 represents a transition from dire predictions of severe chastisement to comforting promises of mercy. Frequently in Hosea’s prophecy threats and promises alternate, and sometimes commingle. Although Ephraim merited complete destruction because of its iniquities, the Lord, because of His enduring love and mercy, continued to strive for repentance and reformation on the part of His people (see Jer. 31:20).

Zeboim. Admah and Zeboim were among the cities of the plain that were destroyed by God (Gen. 14:8; Deut. 29:23). Although Israel had been as guilty and deserving of wrath as these cities (see Matt. 11:23, 24), God expresses His reluctance to deliver the northern kingdom into the hands of its enemies or to give it over to destruction.

My repentings. See on Num. 23:19.

9. Not execute. The prophet paints a glorious picture of the working of divine love. The Lord will not execute the burning heat of His wrath, nor destroy Ephraim utterly. If God’s love in the beginning of His interest in Israel was something great and exalted (see vs. 1–4), it is something greater now, as being in the form of compassion (vs. 8, 9), in which the Lord refuses to give up His people, altogether unworthy as they had become of the love He had shown them.

Destroy Ephraim. While man may punish to destroy, God punishes to correct and amend (see Jer. 29:11). God’s anger issues in a course very different from that of men. They are intent upon vengeance; He upon reconciliation.

I am God. This is the basic reason for the divine mercy just expressed—God’s inherently holy character that cannot but honor and fulfill His covenant of everlasting love with Israel. He is God, and so must be measured by the divine standard of that love (see Rom. 8:37–39; 1 John 4:16), and not by man’s vengeful standard.

The Holy One. This explains why God punishes iniquity and yet continues to show mercy. The holiness that cannot tolerate the guilty is also the holiness of truth and faithfulness.

Into the city. These words signify that God would not come as an enemy to destroy utterly, as He had come to the cities of the plain of Sodom (v. 8).

10. Roar like a lion. A figure denoting both the loudness of the call and the awful majesty of the Lord when thus summoning His people to return. This roaring may also mean His authoritative commands to Israel’s enemies when God calls His people back from their captivity. The majestic and commanding voice of the Lord to those who work iniquity, although full of love (Rom. 2:4), is also full of solemn potentiality of judgment. God calls sinners not only to flee to His mercy but also to flee from the wrath to come (see Matt. 3:7, 8).

11. As a bird. Evidently a reference to the return of the Jews after the 70 years’ captivity (see Jer. 29:10). Egypt and Assyria are here mentioned specifically because the Jews experienced subjection and oppression in both these countries.

12. Compasseth. The prophet presents the open idolatry of Israel in contrast to the spiritual condition of the southern kingdom of Judah, which was outwardly loyal to the Lord.

Ruleth. Or, “roams.” Possibly this indicates that Judah is still taking a vacillating, restlessly wandering course in its relation to the Lord, the faithful Holy One.

For cometh on the status of Judah at the time the northern kingdom of Israel fell see v. 2; see on ch. 4:15; see p. 31.

This last verse of ch. 11 is the first verse of ch. 12 in the Hebrew Bible.

Ellen G. White comments

1    PK 312; 8T 275

2–7 8T 276

3     PK 296

4     DA 480; Ev 211

7     PK 281

8     COL 235; TM 245

8, 9 COL 218; 8T 276

10, 11  8T 277