Chapter 12

1 A reproof of Ephraim, Judah, and Jacob. 3 By former favours he exhorteth to repentance. 7 Ephraim’s sins provoke God.

1. Ephraim. Here a synonym for the northern kingdom of Israel.

Feedeth on wind. Instead of seeking the Lord as the source of safety, Israel resorted to foreign alliances to assist in holding up its waning power. “Wind” is used figuratively to indicate what is empty and vain, of no real or practical value. Therefore, to feed on wind is to take pleasure or draw nourishment from what can supply neither.

East wind. See on Jer. 18:17. To follow after the east wind is to pursue vain hopes and plans that are impracticable. But to an even greater extent, it is the destructive power of the east wind that is alluded to, making it figuratively represent even more than something that is vain and empty. It represents that which is harmful and destructive. The east wind in Palestine, coming over large tracts of sandy waste, is parching, scorching, destructive to vegetation, oppressive to man, violent on the sea (see Ps. 48:7) and on land (see Job 27:21; Jer. 18:17). Therefore the figure of following after the east wind signifies destruction. The first part of Hosea 12:1 in the LXX reads, “But Ephraim is an evil spirit, he has chased the east wind all the day.”

Increaseth lies. Some explain this as describing Israel’s false worship and its harmful effects (see Amos 2:4). Others take this passage to be a reference to Ephraim’s conduct toward his fellow men in violence and robbery (see Jer. 6:7; Amos 3:10). The fact is, the whole life of the northern kingdom was a lie. Its people had renounced the divine authority. They had revolted from the dynasty of David. They had rejected the priesthood of the sons of Aaron. They worshiped the golden calves. They abjured the Lord to do homage to Baalim and Ashtaroth. They loosened the bands of morality in their social life. They sought help in times of national distress, not from the Lord, but at one period from Assyria, at another, from Egypt (see on Hosea 11:5). However, all the while they claimed to be God’s people. They boasted of Jacob as their father, which explains why Jacob’s life is cited (ch. 12:3, 4) as a rebuke to his descendants.

And desolation. It is meaningful that lies and desolation are coupled together here. Sins unrepented of and their punishment are always linked together by God. To multiply the one, therefore, is to multiply the other. Sin is the cause, of which punishment is the effect, an effect which, tragically enough, most men seem to overlook until it is too late (see Rom. 2:4–6).

They do make a covenant. Among other ancients also, such as the Greeks and the Romans, the slaying of animal sacrifices ratified the binding provisions of an agreement by the parties concerned. This urge for foreign alliances is given as a positive proof of Israel’s apostasy. Israel’s payment of large gifts to Assyria, instead of holding the Assyrians off from invading their land, only stimulated the Assyrians to invade the land of Israel for further wealth (see Eccl. 5:10). The political, economic, and territorial ambitions of imperial powers such as Assyria are never satisfied. Having once begun to pay tribute to this Mesopotamian power, Israel could not stop the irresistible demand of that empire for more and more. Thus Israel’s ruin was accomplished.

Oil. Usually referring to olive oil, an abundant product of Palestine (see Deut. 8:7, 8; Eze. 27:17). This oil was probably sent to Egypt as a gift to win over that country’s interest and assistance against Assyria.

2. Controversy. See on ch. 4:1. Here Judah is included in God’s complaint against His people. Judah’s transgression was not so serious as that of Israel at this time, for that nation was still outwardly loyal to the Lord (ch. 11:12), and was not so openly guilty of apostasy as was Israel. Notwithstanding, Judah must face punishment.

Jacob. In a particular sense Jacob here denotes the northern kingdom in contrast to Judah; but in a larger, more general sense, the name covers both the ten tribes making up Israel, and the two tribes making up Judah.

3. By the heel. The mention of the name Jacob (v. 2) leads to a reference in v. 3 to two prominent events in the life of the patriarch. Evidently the object of Hosea is to admonish his people to imitate the conduct of their progenitor, and to remind them of the distinction he had obtained thereby, as an encouragement to them to go and do likewise. At his birth Jacob laid hold of his elder brother’s heel, an incident that led to his receiving the name Jacob (see on Gen. 25:26). The second clause of v. 3 tells how Jacob, in the maturity of his manhood, wrestled with God, the Angel of the covenant (see Gen. 32:22–32), and prevailed, so that his name was changed from Jacob to Israel. The word “Israel” really means “he fights with God,” or “he prevails over God,” or “he rules with God” (see on Gen. 32:28). Jacob began that night with struggle but ended it in supplication. The end of all wrestling with God is not to conquer Him but to conquer self. The acknowledgment of weakness is our power, and those who come with the supplication, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me,” discover that it gives to them power with God.

4. Power. The experience of Jacob as an example for God’s people to follow is more fully described and dealt with in this verse in order to stimulate the Israel of Hosea’s day to imitate it. This experience brings out certain important lessons: (1) The efficacy of earnest and persistent prayer in this struggle (see Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; 1 Thess. 5:17). Jacob did not give way before the dangers that threatened him, nor succumb under the difficulties of his position. He bravely faced the discouragements that surrounded him, not, however, in his own strength. By the strength God gave, he had power with God; in the vigor of this strength he wrestled with the Angel of the covenant, and prevailed. The wrestling symbolized the intense earnestness and energy he put forth; the object of this wrestling was the blessing of God. The means employed were the prayers and tears and fervent supplications. The persistence with which he prayed and pleaded is expressed in the words, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” (2) Only through God’s help can we overcome the problem of evil in our lives. The touch that crippled Jacob’s thigh and took away his strength revealed for all time human inability to prevail in the conflict with sin, and assuredly demonstrated what God can do if we will place ourselves in His hands (see Matt. 1:21; John 15:5; Phil. 4:13; Heb. 13:20, 21).

Beth-nel. Bethel was the scene of two memorable occasions in the spiritual experience of Jacob (see Gen. 28:11–22; 35:1–5). On both occasions the patriarch had there consecrated himself to God. Now Hosea appeals to Jacob’s descendants to purge their lives of all idolatry, and to cease making Bethel a center of false worship (see on Hosea 4:15).

Spake with us. See on v. 5.

5. Even. The first half of v. 5 is a phrase in apposition with the pronoun “he” in the closing clause of v. 4. Thus the thought of the passage is: “And there He, even the Lord God of hosts, spake with us” (“with him” according to some MSS of the LXX and the Syriac). Some have interpreted this passage to mean that when God told Jacob that his name would no more be Jacob but Israel, He spoke not only to the patriarch but through him, representatively, to all his descendants. This interpretation would explain why Hosea tells his people that in Bethel the Lord “spake with us” (v. 4).

Lord God of hosts. See on Jer. 7:3. The covenant and the promise were confirmed to Israel by Him who has the power and the authority to do so, the Lord God of hosts, the Lord God of the armies of heaven, the One who guides and controls all events, and who rules the whole universe (see Ps. 103:19). The word “hosts” is specially appropriate in relation to Jacob, because of the angel hosts that met him before he wrestled with God (see on Gen. 32:2).

Memorial. That is, God’s “memorial name,” the name by which Israel was to remember Him (see Ex. 3:15; Ps. 135:13). To encourage the Lord’s people to have full confidence in God and His power to save, the prophet adds the clause, “the Lord is his memorial.” When a person’s name is mentioned, immediately memory recalls what kind of character he has, whether he is good or bad, whether he is to be trusted or despised. So it is with God; His name recalls to our mind His character, His attributes, His dealings with the children of men. God is here challenging His people to consider that His name is a precious memory to them of what He is to them and what He has done for them; that His name is freighted with the recollections of past blessings and so ought to be an assurance to His people that His ways are best. The unchangeableness of God, who not only accepted Jacob but blessed and prospered him, is held out to the patriarch’s descendants as a guarantee of like blessings in case they turn to the Lord and bring forth fruits meet for repentance. Because Bethel has just been mentioned (v. 4), it may be that this use of the term “memorial” is an allusion to one of the pillars Jacob set up at that place (see Gen. 28:18, 19; 35:9–15).

6. Turn thou. Because of God’s inherently righteous character and His faithful attitude toward Jacob and his descendants, this is a call to repentance and trust. The proof of sincerity in heeding this appeal is to be demonstrated, first toward their fellows, by keeping “mercy and judgment”; second, toward God, by waiting on Him continually. The literal rendering of the Hebrew of this first clause makes it most expressive: “And thou [emphatic] in thy God shall return.” This brings out the fundamental fact that in our weak and helpless condition, only by God’s help can we develop the characters we ought to possess (see John 15:4, 5). We may have the will to return to God, and that is good; but it is not good enough unless our will yokes up with the will and power of God to make our purpose effective (see Rom. 7:18–20; Phil. 2:12, 13; Heb. 13:20, 21). These words, “Turn thou to thy God,” are the grand and sublime call of the gospel for all men in all times (see Acts 2:37, 38; 3:19; 5:31; 17:30).

Mercy. Heb. chesed (see Additional Note on Psalm 36). This appeal for brotherly love and equity was one of the points the prophets emphasized (see Jer. 22:3; Micah 6:8).

Wait. If Israel would do this, they would rest in security and not be afraid of their enemies (see Isa. 30:15; 32:17). We must wait on God because of our need of Him amid the dangers that surround us, for in Him is the only source of strength and sufficiency. Waiting on God, then, denotes waiting on Him in expectation and hope, trusting in Him for help, looking to Him for deliverance (see Ps. 27:14; 40:1–3).

7. Merchant. In vs. 7–11 we have a further description of the apostasy of the northern kingdom, suggested by the first part of this chapter. Israel’s apostasy presents a strong contrast to Jacob’s earnestness to obtain the divine blessing, the sincerity of his repentance, the evidences of his conversion, and his constant waiting on God. This sad condition of the nation apparently prompts Hosea to repeat the story of Ephraim’s spiritual degeneracy.

Balances of deceit. Ephraim was not on the high spiritual plane of the patriarch, wrestling and prevailing with God, but was a materialistically-minded huckster and exploiter, given to fraud and oppression. Instead of the mercy and justice that God required, the Israelites had descended into greedy, dishonest, oppressive trafficking, using the “balances of deceit” (see Lev. 19:36; Deut. 25:13–16).

8. Yet. Heb. Хak, “only,” “surely,” “truly” (see on Ps. 62:1). This may be taken to be a defensive reply to the divine appeal, implying, “I have only become rich; I have done nothing wrong; therefore, no iniquity can be found in me.” Or this may be considered to be a self-sufficient reply to the prophet’s earnest appeal to wait on God (Hosea 12:6), implying, “Certainly, I have become rich through my own efforts and not through divine help.”

Become rich. Ephraim here boasts of his riches, in spite of the fact that they were procured by fraud and violence, maintaining at the same time that he has not transgressed thereby, and so does not deserve condemnation and punishment. The prosperous state of the northern kingdom during the reigns of Jehoash and Jeroboam II (see 2 Kings 14:11–16, 23–28) may have caused Israel’s under self-confidence and strange forgetfulness of God, blinding them to the knowledge of their real spiritual condition (see on Hosea 2:8). Prosperity is poor food for the soul, and a constant danger to the attainment of eternal life.

None iniquity. This protestation of innocence on the part of Ephraim foreshadowed the Pharisaical attitude of the Jews of Christ’s day, who stoutly justified themselves before men but were known to be hypocrites by God (see Luke 16:13–15; 18:9–14).

9. And I. This verse consists grammatically of two separate clauses that are independent statements. The first clause reads: “And I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt.”

Make thee to dwell. The following interpretations of this second clause have been suggested: (1) That it forms a divine warning, that as the Jews were once in bondage in Egypt, so again the Lord will put them in a land of bondage, Assyria. (2) That this is a promise, that as God brought His people out of Egypt and had them dwell in tents in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, so will He do again. There may be a threat here that God will drive His people out of their pleasant land and put them in a wilderness state because of their pride and ingratitude. However, notwithstanding threatened punishment, there is extended to Israel the promise and prospect of the Lord’s guiding care and wonderful guardianship, as in the early history of Israel, the memory of which was still kept alive by the Feast of Tabernacles. During the seven days of this feast the people dwelt in booths in commemoration of their having dwelt in tents in the wilderness after they had been delivered from Egypt (see Lev. 23:33–36, 39–43). Not only was the Feast of Tabernacles an occasion of yearly thanksgiving for the blessings with which God had crowned the year, but its booths symbolized that we have here “no continuing city” (see Heb. 11:9, 10; 13:14).

10. Visions. Heb. chazon (see on 1 Sam. 3:1).

Similitudes. These are comparisons likenesses, parables, symbols, which show the invisible by the visible. Frequently prophets used similitudes to convey the divine meaning to the people, employing such figures as the vineyard (Isa. 5), the image (Dan. 2), the beasts (Dan. 7), the tile and the iron pan (Eze. 4). The LXX for this clause significantly reads, “And by the means of the prophets I was represented.” Similitudes made the prophets’ messages more arresting, easier to understand, and easier to remember. God is here honoring His true prophets by showing that it is only through them that He reveals His will (see Amos 3:7).

11. Iniquity. Hosea asks the question only to answer it decisively. “Is there iniquity in Gilead?” “Indeed there is, and nothing else.”

Gilead. Some understand that Gilead and Gilgal here represent the two parts of the northern kingdom; Gilead the eastern part, Gilgal the western part. The prophet had previously referred to the grave wickedness of the inhabitants of Gilead (see on ch. 6:8).

Surely. Heb. Хak (see on Ps. 62:1; Hosea 12:8).

Vanity. Iniquity will lead any people into vanity and worthlessness. As one of the penalties, sin results in moral and physical degeneracy that terminates in eternal death.

Gilgal. See on ch. 4:15. The inhabitants of Gilgal on the west were on better than those of Gilead on the east of Jordan, which proves that the whole kingdom was given over to the worship of idols (see Amos 4:4; 5:5).

Heaps. Heb. gallim, “heaps of stones,” such as farmers collected on plowed ground and left in useless heaps for easy removal. The idolatrous altars of both Gilead (meaning, “heap of witness”; see on Gen. 31:47) and Gilgal are to be turned into stone heaps. This treatment of the altars implied not only their destruction but the desolation of the country. The very abundance of these altar ruins in the furrows of the field presents a conspicuous and prominent picture of the gross idolatry of the people.

12. Jacob fled. Jacob’s flight to, and servitude for, Laban (v. 12) are compared to Israel’s experience in Egypt (v. 13). Some hold that vs. 12, 13 set forth the double servitude of Israel: the first, that which their forefather Jacob endured; the second, that which the twelve tribes suffered in Egypt. It may also be that the distress and affliction of Jacob are presented as a contrast with the exaltation of his posterity, the object of this contrast being to impress God’s people with His goodness to them in rescuing them from their bondage and to inspire them with gratitude to God and with grateful yet humble acknowledgment of His mercy.

13. Prophet. Moses is the prophet here alluded to (see Ex. 3:4–12; Ps. 77:20; Isa. 63:11–14). Just as Israel of old was preserved by the prophet Moses, so will God’s people today be preserved by giving heed to the appointed messengers of God and ordering their lives in harmony with the counsel thus imparted (see 2 Peter 1:9).

14. Anger. Because of Ephraim’s falseness and lack of devotion, he provoked the Lord to bitter anger. Ephraim’s guilt and punishment would not be removed. See on Judges 2:20; 2 Kings 13:3.

Blood. Ephraim had shed blood profusely (see chs. 4:2; 5:2).

Reproach. The dishonor that Ephraim offered to God through idolatry and iniquity shall return unto him. Those who rebel against God and bring reproach upon His name must expect divine retribution (see 1 Sam. 2:30).

Ellen G. White comments

1    PK 280

4     Ed 147; GC 617; PP 197

4, 5 SR 96

5     DA 579

6     PK 282

7     4T 310