1 The time wherein Hoséa prophecied 2 The idolatrie of the people. 10 The calling of the Gentiles. 11 Christ is the head of all people.
1.The word of the Lord that came unto Hoséa the son of Beerí, in the days aof Uzziáh, Jothám, Aház, and Hezekiáh bKings of Judáh, and in the days of Jeroboám the son of Joásh King of Israél.
2.At the beginning the Lord spake by Hoséa, and the Lord said unto Hoséa, Go, ctake unto thee a wife of fornications, and children of fornications: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.
3.So he went, and took dGomer, the daughter of Dibláim, which conceived and bare him a son.
4.And the Lord said unto him, Call his name eJzreél: for yet a little, and I will visit the blood of Jzreél upon the house fof Jehú, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israél.
5.And at that gday will I also break the bow of Israél in the valley of Jzreél.
6.She conceived yet again, and bare a daughter, and God said unto him, Call her name hLo-ruhámah: for I will no more have pity upon the house of Israél: but I will utterly itake them away.
7.Yet I will have mercie upon the house of Judáh, and will ksave ÉA them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
8.Now when she had wained Lo-ruhámah, she conceived, and bare a son.
9.Then said God, Call his name l Lo-ammí: for ye are not my people: therefore will I not be yours.
10.Yet the number of the mchildren of Israél shalbe as the sand of the sea, which can not be measured nor told: and in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, it shal be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
11.Then shal the children of Judáh, and the children of Israél be ngathered together, and appoint them selves one head, and they shal come up out of the land: for great is the oday of Jzreél.
That is, one that of long time has accustomed to play the harlot: not that the Prophet did this thing in effect, but he saw this in a vision, or els was commanded by God to set forth under this parable or figure the idolatry of the Synagogue, and of the people her children.
Meaning, that they should be no more called Israelites, of the which name then boasted, because Israel did prevail with God: but that they were as bastards, and therefore should be called Jzreelites, that is, scattered people, alluding to Jzreel, which was the chief city of the ten tribes under Ahab where Jehu shed so much blood, 2 Kings 10.8.
I will be revenged upon Jehu for the blood that he shed in Jzreel: for albeit God stirred him up to execute his judgements, yet he did them for his own ambition, and not for the glory of God, as the end declared: for he built up that idolatry, which he had destroyed.
Because they thought that God could not have been true in his promise except he had preserved them, he declares, that though they were destroyed yet the true Israelites, which are the sons of the promise, should be without number, which stand both of the Jews, and the Gentiles, Rom. 9.26.
To wit, after the captivity of Babylon when the Jews were restored: but chiefly this referred to the time of Christ, who should be the head both of the Jews and Gentiles.