Ver. 1. When Israel was a child, then I loved him] On, because Israel was a child I loved him. Young things are lovely; young children especially, for their innocence and ignoscence. Some sense it thus, Israel was a child, and had nothing of worth or lovely in him; yet I loved him freely, Deuteronomy 7:7 Ho 10:9, called him out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, led him through the deep, as a horse in the wilderness, Isaiah 63:13, possessed him of the promised land. Out of which though I shall shortly cast him for his ingratitudes, yet there is hope of his restoration, by the Messiah my Son, whom when I have called out of Egypt, he shall gather together again the dispersed of Israel, and bring life and immortality to light by the gospel. The foundation of which restoration he here maketh to be his own free grace. He hath holpen his servant (or his child, του παιδας, Luke 1:53) Israel, in remembrance of his mercy. “God so loved the world, that be gave his only begotten Son,” &c., John 3:16. Here then beginneth our prophet’s first evangelical sermon, as Tarnovius observeth, who also readeth the text thus: Albeit Israel was a child, such a forlorn outcast child, as is described Ezekiel 17 Eze 23, yet I loved him, and adopted him for my son; not for any defect on my part (for I had an only begotten Son, in whom I am well pleased), or for any desert on his part, for I found him in his blood, in his blood, in his blood, when I cast my skirt of love over him, and said unto him, Live, Ezekiel 16:6. Yea, and for his salvation’s sake, I have called, that is, I have decreed to call, out of Egypt (whither he fled from Herod, and where he abode two or three years at least) my child Jesus, whose office it is to “save his people from their sins,” Matthew 1:21. And although I might justly have deprived them of such a Saviour for ever, because when he came to his own, his own received him not (yea, rejected him to whom their own signs given to Herod did so aptly and evidently agree), yet out of Eygpt, to show the constancy of my love to Israel, have I called (by mine angel, as Jacob by a messenger called his wives to him into the field, Genesis 31:4) my Son Christ, Matthew 2:23, who is God’s Son, first, by eternal generation, Proverbs 8:22,23; secondly, by personal union, Psalms 2:7. And thus God called out of Egypt, first Israel his people, and then Christ, the head of his people; in whom at length this prophecy was fulfilled.
Ver. 2. As they called them] i.e. As the prophets and ministers (whose names are here concealed, that the Word only may be glorified, as Acts 13:48) called to them, to come out of spiritual Egypt, out of darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among the saints, by faith that is in Christ, Acts 26:18. So they went from them] They went a contrary way, as the child Samuel, when God called him, ran to Eli; or rather as the wilful Jews, when God would have gathered them, as the hen doth her chickens, they would not. When God called his natural Son out of Egypt, he came presently, Hebrews 10:7 Ps 40:7,8; not so his adopted sons; for they turned upon him the back, and not the face, Jeremiah 2:27, they refused to be reformed, they hated to be healed. See Hosea 7:1. [See Trapp on “Ho 7:1”] Nay, to make up the full measure of their sins, and to heighten their contempt, They sacrificed unto Baalim, and burnt incense to graven images] Quasi aegre facturi Deo, as if they would despite God on purpose, and spit in his very face; commit the like villany in his presence, as the Irish rebels lately did, when they bound the husband to the bedpost, while they abused his wife before him. See the notes on Ho. 2, and almost on every chapter where their idolatry is cried out upon, and their extreme ingratitude.
Ver. 3. I taught Ephraim also to go] A child he was, Hosea 11:1, and like a child I dealt with him, teaching him how to set his feet, pedare, to foot it, as nurses do their little ones: he keepeth the feet of his saints, 1 Samuel 2:9; he guideth their feet in the way of peace, Luke 1:79. See for this, Deuteronomy 1:31 32:11 Nu 11:12. So great is the goodness of God to his people, that he dealeth with us as with his little children, nos sublevando, submonendo, docendo, ducendo, regendo, tegendo, convocando, condonando, portando, confortando, &c., we are supported, admonished, taught, lead, guided, protected, assembled, forgiven, carried, comforted, saith a learned interpreter truly, and trimly (Tarnovius). He speaketh unto us as unto children, Hebrews 12:5 paterne diligit, amice dirigit, he loveth us as a father, he directs us as a friend, guiding us with his eye, leading us in his hand, setting us between his knees, as some interpret that text, Deuteronomy 33:3, setting us upon his knees, as a father doth his darling, and rejoicing over us with joy, yea, joying over us with singing, Zephaniah 3:17. His affections are more than fatherly; and his expressions are according. “We are like infants” (saith Mr Baine), “newly born in a manner. They are kept by the loving parents from fire and water; they are fed, laid to sleep, made ready, and unready, and shifted in their scapes, but they know not who doth all this for them. So doth our heavenly Father by us in Christ.” But (he knows) little understanding have we of him. After this, he teacheth us to go, taking us by the arms.] to help our feeble knees. And taking us up in his own arms, when we come to a foul or rough place, helping us over the quagmires of crosses, and the difficulties of duties. And whereas we fall seven times a day, and in many things fail all; he taketh us up after that we have caught a knock, and cherisheth us in his bosom, &c. Montanus and Junius carry the sense another way, as if the words were not a description of God’s love to the people, but of their unthankfulness to God; rendering the words thus: When, as I inform Ephraim, he taketh them in his arms, that is, he setteth up idols, and after the manner of impudent and shameless strumpets, he taketh the puppets in his arms, and embraceth them before my face. But I like the former sense better. But they knew not that I healed them] Not only held them, that they might not fall, but healed them when they had fallen. Daring they would be sometimes to stand upon their own legs, to prevail by their own strength, 1 Samuel 2:9, to say with her in the poet, Consilii satis est in me mihi, &c. (Arachno apud Ovid. Metam.). I am wise enough, and able enough to go on, as if they were petty gods within themselves, and had no need of nor dependance upon me. Hence they hurt themselves, but I healed them. I forgave all their iniquities, I healed all their diseases, Psalms 103:3, their bruises and putrefying sores, that else had not been closed, bound up, nor mollified with ointment, Isaiah 1:6. God left not his people in their low estate, as some physicians do their patients; but provided a sovereign salve, a horn of salvation, such as would cure any disease or maim, even the sin against the Holy Ghost too, but that it is the nature of it to rage and rave both against the physic and the physician. Christ is both the one and the other; as being made unto us of God, wisdom righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30. Quod sanitas in corpore, id sanctitas in corde. He is Jehovah that healeth for he is Jehovah that sanctifieth. This Ephraim knew not, that is, out of pride and stoutness they acknowledged it not, but sacrificed to their own nets, wits, endeavours, &c. Of all things God can least endure to be neglected or to have the glory of his benefits transferred upon others, [see Hosea 2:8, with the note] When men shall either say, in the language of Ashdod, It is a chance, or else, I have made myself thus and thus happy, 1 Samuel 6:9 this, though the saints should at any time do yet God will pardon their frowardness, and say as Isaiah 57:17,18, I have seen his ways, his waywardness, and will heal him nevertheless and restore comforts to him. An injury to the body which causes the loss of a limb, or of the use of it; a mutilation, or mutilating wound. †In early use more widely, any lasting wound or bodily injury. ŒD