Hosea 8:10

Hos 8:10 Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

Ver. 10. Yea, though they have hired among the nations] The uncircumcised; strangers to the promises, and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, that they should so far distrust God and debase themselves as to seek help of such; this went near to the heart of God, and was very grievous. They brought up an evil report upon God’s housekeeping, charged him with unfaithfulness to his people, whom he now seemed to leave in the lurch, to shift for themselves in their straits; and hardened his enemies in their wicked but yet more prosperous condition. Felix scelus virtus vocatur Pleasent wickedness is called virtue. (Cic. de Divin., lib. ii.). How would these heathens hug themselves in the conceit that Israel should do thus, who was God’s portion, Deu 32:9, the dearly beloved of his soul, Jer 12:7, of whom it was anciently sung, and commonly said among the heathen, "The Lord hath done great things for them," Psa 126:2. "Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help; and who is the sword of thine excellence! and thine enemies shall he found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places," Deu 33:29. Whosoever was free of the city of Rome might not accept any freedom in another city; for they were counted a dishonour to Rome. And will not God take it in ill part from his covenanters, to seek or make after correspondence with his enemies, and safety by them? The help of the wicked are at the best perfidious, and at length pernicious to the Church: Ecclesiae sunt tandem perniciosa et semper perfidiosa.

Now will I gather them] This the Chaldee and the Vulgate make to he a promise of bringing back their captivity; when indeed it is a commination of carrying them into captivity.

I will gather them] That is, either the enemies against Israel or else Israel for the enemies; ut eos acervatim perdam, that I may lay them heaps upon heaps, and gather them, as dead corpses slain in battle are gathered together for burial. Or, I will gather them, to the end that I may disperse them.

And they shall sorrow a little] And but a little now,

for the burden of the king of princes] For the taxes and tributes exacted from them by the king of Assyria (whose nobles were princes, 2Ki 18:24 Isa 10:5-7 2Ki 15:19; 2Ki 15:29. But all this is but a little; it is but the beginning of sorrows; it is but small drops forerunning the great storm; or as a crack forerunning the fall of the house. They shall sorrow much more hereafter, when carried captive, and made a scorn to the scum of the people: see Deu 32:42. Some read the whole verse, "Yea, because they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them together (for they have begun a little): because of the burden of the king of princes." And they thus paraphrase it: Well may they bribe and hire, but this will be the end: the Israelites themselves shall fall by heaps; the nations whom they hire shall come so tumbling in upon them (as Isaiah told Ahaz, Isa 8:9). Do you not see it prettily well begun already? Look upon the late example that is yet now fresh and bleeding before your eyes; so you will the better believe my threatening in that which is to come; I mean, the sacking and carrying away of the tribes beyond Jordan, by Pul and Tiglathpileser. If you ask me the reason why God should be so angry with you? it is because you are so foolish, or so wicked rather, to send presents and tributes to the king of Ashur (who in the pride and vanity of his heart nameth himself the king of princes, the mighty and most potent king) with the pilling, polling, and burdening of your subjects.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hos 8:10. Yea, though they have hired — Namely, allies; among the nations — And have been no way solicitous to gain my favour or help; now will I gather them — I will now (though they make so little account of my power) bring those very allies, namely, the Assyrians, against them. Here God tells them, that whatever sums they might offer, or expense they might be at, in order to raise armies of foreign auxiliaries, he would imbody those armies, he would press the men, paid by their money, into his own service against them. And they shall sorrow a little — Or, in a little time; for the burden of the king of princes — “They shall be severely galled by the yoke of the Assyrian king, and of the princes set over his several provinces.” — Newcome. Bishop Horsley, who thinks that the kings and princes, or rulers, of Israel are here intended, renders this clause differently, thus: And ere long they shall sorrow on account of the burden, the king and the rulers: that is, “Ere long the king and the rulers will lament the impolitic expense incurred in gifts and presents to their faithless allies, and the burden of taxes for that purpose laid upon the people.” The reading of

ושׂרים, and rulers, “is supported,” says he, “by such a weight of authority, that I cannot but adopt it; and yet there is no difficulty in the construction of the common text. For it might be thus rendered: And ere long the rulers shall sorrow for the burden of the king, that is, for the burden imposed by the king [namely, the king of Israel] in taxes.”

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8:10 I will now gather them together: Although God sometimes promises to gather his people for deliverance (Zech 10:8-10), here the Lord would gather them for judgment (Joel 3:11).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

That is, for the king and the princes shall lay upon them: which means the Lord useth to bring them to repentance.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

will I gather them--namely, the nations (Assyria, &c.) against Israel, instead of their assisting her as she had wished (Eze 16:37).

a little--rather, "in a little" [HENDERSON]. English Version gives good sense: They shall sorrow "a little" at the imposition of the tribute; God suspended yet the great judgment, namely, their deportation by Assyria.

the burden of the king of princes--the tribute imposed on Israel (under Menahem) by the Assyrian king Pul, (Kg2 15:19-22), who had many "princes" under his sway (Isa 10:8).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 10. For the burden of the king of princes.] The exactions of the Assyrian king, and the princes of the provinces.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

But it follows, Though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them. This place may be variously expounded. The commonly received explanation is, that God would gather the hired nations against Israel; but I would rather refer it to the people themselves. But it admits of a twofold sense: the first is, that the great forces which the people has on every side acquired for themselves, would not prevent God from destroying them; for the verb קבף, kobets, which they render, “to gather,” often means in Hebrew to throw by a slaughter into an heap, as we say in French, Trousser, (to bundle.) And this meaning would be very suitable — that though they extended themselves far and wide, by gathering forces on every side, they would yet be collected in another way, for they would be brought together into a heap. The second sense is this — that when Israel should be drawn away to the Gentiles, the Lord would gather him; as though he said, “Israel burns with mad lusts, and runs here and there among the Gentiles; this heat is nothing else than dispersion; it is the same as if he designedly wished to destroy the unity in which his safety consists; but I will yet gather him against his will; that is, preserve him for a time.”

It then follows, They shall grieve a little for the burden of the king and princes. The word which the Prophet uses interpreters expound in two ways. Some derive יחלו, ichelu, from the verb חל, chel, and others from חלל, chelal, which means, “to begin;” and therefore give this rendering, “They shall begin with the burden of the king and princes;” that is, They shall begin to be burdened by the king and princes. Others offer this version, “They shall grieve a little for the burden of the king and princes;” that is, They shall be tributaries before the enemies shall bring them into exile; and this will be a moderate grief.

If the first interpretation which I have mentioned be approved, then there is here a comparison between the scourges with which God at first gently chastised the people, and the last punishment which he was at length constrained to inflict on them; as though he said, “They complain of being burdened by tributes; it is nothing, or at least it is nothing so grievous, in comparison with the dire future grief which their last destruction will bring with it.”

But this clause may well be joined with that mitigation which I have briefly explained, and that is, that when the people had willingly dispersed themselves, they had been preserved beyond expectation, so that they did not immediately perish; for they would have run headlong into destruction, had not God interposed an hindrance. Thus the two verses are to be read conjointly, They ascended into Assyria as a wild ass; that is, “They showed their unnameable and wild disposition, when thus unrestrainedly carried away; and then they offer me a grievous insult; for as if they were destitute of my help, they run to the profane Gentiles, and esteem as nothing my power, which would have been ready to help them, had they depended on me, and placed their salvation in my hand.” He then reproaches their perfidy, that they were like unchaste women, who leave their husbands, and abandon themselves to lewdness. Then it follows, Though they do this, that is, “Though having despised my aid, they seek deliverance from the profane Gentiles, and though they despise me, and choose to submit themselves to adulterers rather than to keep their conjugal faith with me, I will yet gather them, when thus dispersed.” The Lord here enhances the sin of the people; for he did not immediately punish their ingratitude and wickedness, but deferred doing so for a time; and in his kindness he would have led them to repentance, had not their madness been wholly incurable: though then they thus hire among the Gentiles, I will yet gather them, that is, “preserve them;” and for what purpose? That they may grieve a little, and that is, that they may not wholly perish, as persons running headlong into utter ruin; for they seemed designedly to seek their last destruction, when they were thus wilfully and violently carried away to profane nations. That is indeed a most dreadful tearing of the body, which cannot be otherwise than fatal. They shall, however, grieve a little; that is, “I will so act, that they may by degrees return to me, even by the means of moderate grief.”

We hence see more clearly why the Prophet said, that this grief would be small, which was to be from the burden of the king and princes. It was designed by the Israelites to excite the Assyrians immediately to war; and this would have turned out to their destruction, as it did at last; but the Lord suspended his vengeance, and at the same time mitigated their grief, when they were made tributaries. The king and his counsellors were constrained to exact great tributes; the people then grieved: but they had no other than a moderate grief, that they might consider their sins and return to the Lord; yet all this was without any fruit. Hence the less excusable was the obstinacy of the people. We now perceive what the Prophet meant. It now follows —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(10) There is much difference of opinion as to the interpretation of this verse. Much depends on the reference of the word “them.” We prefer to regard it as referring to Ephraim rather than to the nations (i.e., Assyria and Egypt). Render, I will gather them (Israel) together, so that in a short time they may delay (this translation approved by Ewald, Wünsche, and Simson) to render the tribute burden due to the king of princes (i.e., the Assyrian monarch). “Gather them together,” i.e., in restraint, so that they cannot roam so wildly, seeking help (Ewald). This accords with Hos_2:8-9; Hos_3:4. Such non-payment of tribute actually occurred a few years later (2Ki_17:4). Others render it: I will gather these nations (of the East) round about her to look scornfully on her ruin, and they shall sorrow a little (used ironically) at the imposition of the king of the princes.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. This verse is obscure, and open to a variety of interpretations; the following however seems by far the most probable.

Yea, though they have hired among the nations] Rather, Yea, though they hire, &c. i.e. though they attain a certain amount of success in their negotiations, and win the protection of some stronger nation, yet the time has come for me to check their misplaced activity.

now will I gather them] Surely not, ‘now will I gather the Assyrian army to fight against them’, which does not suit the context (mark ‘yea, though’), but, ‘now will I restrain their roving propensities.’ Where or how, we are not yet told; it is captivity which is dimly hinted at. This interpretation is strongly confirmed by the next clause.

and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes] ‘The king of princes’ is a phrase not found elsewhere, but might conceivably = ‘the king of kings’, which is a title claimed by Tiglath-Pileser I. (Records of the Past, Hos_5:8, comp. Eze_26:7). The ‘burden’ might be the heavy tribute paid by Menahem (2Ki_15:20). But why ‘sorrow a little’? No better sense is made by rendering ‘and they shall begin to be diminished [in numbers, or in prosperity] by reason of the burden of the king of princes’; why ‘begin’? A third rendering, ‘and they shall soon be in anguish through the burden’ &c. involves a violation of Hebrew usage (‘soon’ should be ‘a little’). The only remedy is to follow the Septuagint, which reads two of the Hebrew words differently, and render that they may cease for a little from anointing a king and princes (all the versions and some Hebr. MSS. sanction ‘and’). Comp. Hos_13:10 ‘Give me a king and princes’, from which it seems as if the personnel of the class of ‘princes’ would vary according as the king were of one dynasty or another. In Judah, at any rate, as well as in Egypt, we know that the royal princes enjoyed many of the more important offices under the crown (comp. Isa_7:13; Jer_17:20; 1Ki_22:26; 2Ki_25:25).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Yea, though they have hired among the nations,.... That is, lovers, as before; got into confederacies and alliances with the nations about them, thinking thereby to strengthen their hands, and secure themselves and their kingdom; particular regard may be had to the Egyptians, as distinct from the Assyrians, whom they privately engaged on their side to shake off the Assyrian yoke, or their obligation to send yearly presents to the Assyrian king:

now will I gather them; either the Assyrians against them, to invade their land, besiege their city, and take and carry them captive; or the Israelites in a body into the city of Samaria, and there be cooped up, and taken and destroyed, or carried captive; for this is not to be interpreted of the collection of them out of their captivity, as the Targum and Jarchi, but of the gathering of them together for their destruction:

and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes; the tax or tribute imposed upon them by the king of Assyria, whose princes were altogether kings, Isa 10:8; and who used to be called king of kings, being at the head of a monarchy, which had many kings subject to it; as the kings of Babylon were afterwards called, Eze 26:7; this may refer to the yearly present or tribute, which Hoshea king of Israel was obliged to give to the king of Assyria, which he was very uneasy at, and did not pay it, which drew upon him the resentment of the Assyrian king; and that sorrow and uneasiness which that tribute gave the king of Israel and his people were but little and small in comparison of what they after found; it was the beginning of sorrows to them: and so some render the words, "they began" (l); that is, to sorrow and complain "a little"; or this may refer to their burdens and oppressions when in captivity, which were laid upon them by the king of Assyria, and the princes, the rulers, and governors of the several places where the Israelites were carried captive: even the "few that shall remain" (m), as some render it; and not die by famine, pestilence, and sword. Kimchi and Ben Melech think there is a deficiency of the copulative and between king and princes; which is supplied by the Targum, and by the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, which read, "the king and princes".

(l) "incipient", Calvin; "ceperunt enim paululum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Zanchius, Drusius, Tarnovius, so Ben Melech. (m) "et remanebunt pauci", Schmidt; a rad. "durare, permanere".

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Yea, though they have hired - Or better, “because or when they hinge among the pagan, now will I gather them;” i. e., I will gather the nations together. The sin of Israel should bring its own punishment. He sent presents to the king of Assyria, in order to strengthen himself against the will of God; “he thought himself secured by his league made with them; but he should find himself much deceived in his policy;” he had “hired among them” only; “now,” ere long, very speedily, God Himself would “gather them,” i. e., those very nations, not in part, but altogether; not for the help of Israel, but for its destruction. As though a man would let out some water from a deep lake ponded up, the water, as it oozed out, loosened more and more the barriers which withheld it, until, at length, all gave way, and the water of the lake was poured out in one wide wild waste, desolating all, over which it swept. It may be, that Assyria would not have known of, or noticed Israel, had not Israel first invited him.

And they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes - So great shall be the burden of the captivity hereafter, that they shall then sorrow but little for any burdens put upon them now, and which they now feel so heavy. “The king of princes” is the king of Assyria, who said, “Are not my princes altogether kings?” Isa 10:8. The burden of plained will then be the thousand talents of silver which Menahem gave to Pul, king of Assyria, to support him in his usurpation, and in order to pay which, he “exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver” 2Ki 15:19-20.

If we adopt the English margin, “begin,” we must render, “and they shall begin to be minished through the burden of the king of the princes,” i. e., they shall be gradually reduced and brought low through the exactions of the Assyrians, until in the end they shall be carried away. This describes the gradual decay of Israel, first through the exactions of Pul, then through the captivity of Gilead by Tiglathpileser.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Princes. Hebrew, "king of kings." This proud title was afterwards taken by the monarchs of Babylon and Persia. Israel ceased to pay taxes, having nothing left. They shall cease to be a people. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "I will receive them, and they shall cease a little to anoint a king and princes." (Haydock) --- They had none during the captivity, as they would not consult God before in their appointment, ver. 4. He speaks ironically. I will conduct them beyond the Euphrates, where they shall have nothing to pay for some time. (Calmet) --- This wretched condition was of long continuance; (Tournemine) though short, if compared with their crimes. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Yea, though; or, Yea, because; they think this the way to prevent their calamities, but it shall appear this was the ready way to bring their calamities upon them; and forasmuch as they have hired the aid of the nations to secure them against their God and his judgments, therefore, &c.

Gather them; bring Israel together by a secret and unfailing train. I will, saith God, assemble and herd them together, that they may be taken and destroyed together. Others say, God will gather the nations together against Israel.

They shall sorrow a little, for a while before their final captivity they shall complain and be grieved,

for the burden of the king of princes; the tribute laid on them by the king and princes, i.e. of Israel; but better as we read it, the king of Assyria, the great king who boasted of his princes.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them. Instead of "have hired," "sue" would make the sense more obvious. But who are they of whom it is here said, "I will gather them"?

(1) The nations, among whom Ephraim has been suing for endearments from paramours, shall be gathered together to effect the hurt or ruin of Ephraim; while for this explanation Eze_16:37, is cited as parallel: "Behold, therefore, I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness." But

(2) others maintain that the persons gathered are the Ephraimites whom the Lord will gather, that is to say,

(a) will bring them all together among the nations, leading them thither; and to this exposition Hos_9:6 is thought to furnish a parallel, at least as far as the meaning of the verb to gather" is concerned: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them.

(b) Or the Ephraimites shall be gathered together to be led away in chains and dispersed among the nations;

(c) or shall be gathered for death and to perish by sword and famine; or

(d) to be gathered together unto Samaria and other fortified cities, in order to be taken to. gather and carried by their enemies away into captivity.

(3) Rashi understands the gathering together of Israel, but in the sense of a promise. "Though they have sued for endearments among the nations, I will gather them out of the nations among which they have been dispersed, as the same verb, xbq, is used in Isa 54 and Jer_31:10, viz. "I will not delay their deliverance. This exposition is not in harmony with the context, from which we expect a threat of punishment rather than a promise of reward. Both Kimchi and Aben Ezra favor exposition (1) "What benefit is it to them, asks the prophet, that they sue among the nations? For soon I will gather the nations against them to carry them into captivity." Thus Kimchi and somewhat similarly Aben Ezra. Whether we take the verb as pointed with daghesh in the tav, and so from jn, to give, that is, gifts to lovers, or without daghesh, and from hnj equivalent to jnijia, jn, to hire or bargain, makes little difference in the general sense of the clause. And they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes. This fixes with more definiteness the meaning of the foregoing member of the verse. According to

(1) this rendering of Wljey (Qeri) Hiph. from lWh, "a little" would require to be taken Ironically; it is better, therefore, to render it "in a little time." The burden is not that of taxation or even deportation, but of oppression in exile. The oppressor is the monarch of Assyria, who asks boastingly. "Are not my princes altogether kings?" Another

(2) translation is, "They will begin to diminish on account of the burden of the king of princes." According to this the verb WlheYw is future of Hiph. ljeje from llj, to begin, and fm is either an infinitive for fm, or rather a verbal adjective: and the sense is that they begin to be or become fewer in consequence of the Assyrian"s oppression. But

(3) taking the verb from the same root llj cognate with Greek calaw , loose, set free, Gesenius translates, And they (the hostile nations) shall presently force them from the burden (i.e. the unpleasant dominion)of the king." The Septuagint

(4) read jvMmi instead of aCMmi, and a copula between, i.e." and princes;" and render, Kai kopasousi mikroein basilea kai arcpntav , equivalent to And they shall cease a little to anoint a king and princes." Our choice must lie between (1) and (2) in interpreting this difficult clause; there is a modification of (1) worth mentioning; it is: "They shall in a little while sorrow for the burden which they pay ( i.e. the tribute which they pay) kings and princes," viz. all of them, the two concluding words being thus in apposition to the subject of the verb. On the whole, we prefer there rendering of the clause in the Authorized Version, as both grammatical and supplying a sense consistent with the context. The prophet foretells that Israel would ere long feel painfully the sorrowful consequences of their going to Assyria and suing there for help. Oppressed by a yearly tribute to the Assyrian king, they would smart under the yoke, and long to be free.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gather them - I will assemble them together, that they may be taken and destroyed together. A little - For a while before their final captivity. The burden - The tribute laid on them by the king.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Although they pay hire among the nations Although they did this, that they paid for lovers of the nations.

now I will gather them When the time of their redemption arrives, I will not delay it.

and they will be humbled a little from the burden of the king and the princes And they will be humbled a little in their exile from the fear of the burden of the king and the princes, i.e. from the yoke of the kings of the nations among whom they were.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.