Hos 1:6, 8:8, 9:3, 15-17 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 6. Call her Lo-ruhamah ] , "Not having obtained mercy." This also was a prophetic or typical name; and the reason of its imposition is immediately given: For I will no more have mercy ] ki lo osiph od arachem , "For I will no more add to have mercy upon the house of Israel." This refers to the total destruction of that kingdom.

‏ Hosea 1:6

Verse 6. Call her Lo-ruhamah] , "Not having obtained mercy." This also was a prophetic or typical name; and the reason of its imposition is immediately given:

For I will no more have mercy] ki lo osiph od arachem, "For I will no more add to have mercy upon the house of Israel." This refers to the total destruction of that kingdom.

‏ Hosea 8:8

Verse 8. Now shall they be among the Gentiles] They shall be carried into captivity, and there be as a vessel wherein there is no pleasure; one soiled, unclean, infectious, to be despised, abhorred, not used. The allusion is to a rotten, corrupted skin-bottle; a bottle made of goat, deer, or calf hide, still commonly used in Asia and Africa. Some of them are splendidly ornamented. This is the case with one now before me made of a goat's skin well dressed, variously painted, and ornamented with leather fringes, tassels, &c. In such a bottle there might be pleasure; but the Israelites are compared to such a bottle, rough, ill-dressed, not ornamented, old, musty, and putrid. This shows the force of the comparison.

‏ Hosea 9:3

Verse 3. But Ephraim shall return to Egypt] See on Ho 8:13.

‏ Hosea 9:15-17

Verse 15. All their wickedness is in Gilgal] though we are not directly informed of the fact, yet we have reason to believe they had been guilty of some scandalous practices of idolatry in Gilgal. See Ho 4:15.

For there I hated them] And therefore he determined, "for the wickedness of their doings, to drive them out of his house," so that they should cease to be a part of the heavenly family, either as sons or servants; for he would "love them no more," and bear with them no longer.

Verse 16. Ephraim is smitten] The thing being determined, it is considered as already done.

Their root is dried up] They shall never more be a kingdom. And they never had any political form from their captivity by the Assyrians to the present day.

Yea, though they bring forth] See Clarke on Ho 9:11; "Ho 9:12".

Verse 17. My God will cast them away] Here the prophet seems to apologize for the severity of these denunciations; and to vindicate the Divine justice, from which they proceeded. It is-

Because they did not hearken unto him] That "my God," the fountain of mercy and kindness, "will cast them away."

And they shall be wanderers among the nations.] And where they have wandered to, who can tell? and in what nations to be found, no man knows. Wanderers they are; and perhaps even now unknown to themselves. Some have thought they have found them in one country; some, in another; and a very pious writer, in a book entitled, The Star in the West, thinks he has found their descendants in the American Indians; among whom he has discovered many customs, apparently the same with those of the ancient Jews, and commanded in the Law. He even thinks that the word Je-ho-vah is found in their solemn festal cry, Ye-ho-wa-he. If they be this long lost people, they are utterly unknown to themselves; their origin being lost in a very remote antiquity.