
Text -- Hosea 13:1 (NET)




Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics



collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
The ten tribes, of which Ephraim was the chief.

So soon as they sinned, taking Baal to be their God.
JFB: Hos 13:1 - -- Rather, "When Ephraim (the tribe most powerful among the twelve in Israel's early history) spake (authoritatively) there was trembling"; all reverenti...
Rather, "When Ephraim (the tribe most powerful among the twelve in Israel's early history) spake (authoritatively) there was trembling"; all reverentially feared him [JEROME], (compare Job 29:8-9, Job 29:21).

JFB: Hos 13:1 - -- That is, in respect to Baal, by worshipping him (1Ki 16:31), under Ahab; a more heinous offense than even the calves. Therefore it is at this climax o...
That is, in respect to Baal, by worshipping him (1Ki 16:31), under Ahab; a more heinous offense than even the calves. Therefore it is at this climax of guilt that Ephraim "died." Sin has, in the sight of God, within itself the germ of death, though that death may not visibly take effect till long after. Compare Rom 7:9, "Sin revived, and I died." So Adam in the day of his sin was to die, though the sentence was not visibly executed till long after (Gen 2:17; Gen 5:5). Israel is similarly represented as politically dead in Eze. 37:1-28.
Clarke: Hos 13:1 - -- When Ephraim spake trembling - When he was meek and humble, of a broken heart and contrite spirit
When Ephraim spake trembling - When he was meek and humble, of a broken heart and contrite spirit

Clarke: Hos 13:1 - -- He exalted himself in Israel - He became great in God’ s sight; he rose in the Divine esteem in proportion as he sank in his own. But this did ...
He exalted himself in Israel - He became great in God’ s sight; he rose in the Divine esteem in proportion as he sank in his own. But this did not continue

He offended in Baal - He became an idolater

Clarke: Hos 13:1 - -- He died - The sentence of death from the Divine justice went out against him
This has been differently understood: "As soon as Ephraim spake (To you...
He died - The sentence of death from the Divine justice went out against him
This has been differently understood: "As soon as Ephraim spake (To your tents, O Israel!) There was a trembling or commotion: then the kingdom was exalted in Israel."Thus taken, it refers to the division of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, son of Solomon, 1Ki 12:16, etc., and the establishment of the kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam in opposition to that of Judah; which breach was never healed.
Calvin -> Hos 13:1
Calvin: Hos 13:1 - -- Interpreters agree not in their view of this verse. Some say that trembling was excited in Israel when Ephraim, that is, Jeroboam, who was born of th...
Interpreters agree not in their view of this verse. Some say that trembling was excited in Israel when Ephraim, that is, Jeroboam, who was born of that tribe, exhorted the people to worship the calves. By the word
He therefore says, When Ephraim spake formerly, his voice dreaded, 89 and he raised himself in Israel; that is, among the whole race of Abraham. But now he is dead, or is fallen, after he has begun to sin in Baal. Then, in the first sentence, the Prophet records the honours with which God had favoured that tribe. Ephraim, we know, was the younger of the sons of Joseph. Manasseh ought not only to have had the pre-eminence, but also to have reigned alone in that family; for the people were divided into twelve tribes. But God intended to raise up two chiefs in the house of Joseph, and preferred the younger to the first-begotten. Hence Ephraim, who had increased in number and power, and had at length obtained the royal dignity, ought to have acknowledged the singular favour of God. And by way of reproach, the Prophet here says, that all trembled at the single voice of Ephraim; that is, when he became endued with authority, and then, that he was exalted in Israel. He ought to have been deemed of no account, he ought to have been inferior to his brother, who was the first-born, and yet he excelled all the tribes. Since, then, God had conferred so much honour on the tribe of Ephraim, the more grievous was his fault, that he afterwards had fallen away unto idols; yea, that he began his reign with superstition, when God was pleased to choose and anoint Jeroboam king. And surely that he, when raised beyond all hope to the throne by the hand of God, should, instead of testifying his gratitude, immediately corrupt the whole worship of God, this was extremely inconsistent.
But the Prophet says, in the second place, that they died from the time they had thus fallen away from true and lawful worship, in order that they might understand that they received the just reward of their impiety when God’s hand was opposed to them, when they were oppressed by adversity. We now perceive the obvious meaning, of the Prophet to be, that the Israelites formerly flourished, especially the tribe of Ephraim, from whom Jeroboam arose, so that, by their voice alone, they subdued all their neighbours, and that beyond the expectation of men, they suddenly emerged and erected a new kingdom among the children of Abraham.
He afterwards adds, that after they had sinned by Baal, they became dead: for God deprived the tribe of Ephraim of the power with which he had before adorned him, so that they were but little short of being destroyed. For though his kingdom had not wholly fallen, it had yet come to such an extremity that the Prophet might justly say that they, who were so far removed from their former state, were dead. But when he says that they sinned by Baal, he does not mean that this was the beginning of their idolatry; for Jeroboam at first made the calves, and it was his successor who built Baal, and borrowed that superstition, as it is supposed, from the neighbouring Sidonians. But God records here what is more grievous, and less excusable, — that the Israelites polluted themselves with the filth of the Gentiles, so that they differed nothing from the profane and unbelieving, who had no acquaintance with sound doctrine.
We are moreover taught in this place, that when kings are endued with any authority, when they are strong in power, all this comes from God; for unless God strikes terror into men, no one would receive the yoke of another, at least all would desire equality, or one would raise himself above others. It is then certain, that when any one excels among many in power, this is done through the secret purpose of God, who constrains to order the common people, and causes them not to deny obedience to the command of one man. This is what Hosea now teaches, when he upbraids the tribe of Ephraim with respect to this terror; for if Ephraim had been formidable through his own power, there would have been no room for the Prophet’s reproof: but as this was the peculiar gift of God, the Prophet justly says, that the tribe of Ephraim were in great honour until they had fallen into superstition. Let us now proceed —
TSK -> Hos 13:1
TSK: Hos 13:1 - -- Ephraim : 1Sa 15:17; Pro 18:12; Isa 66:2; Luk 14:11
exalted : Num 2:18-21, Num 10:22, Num 13:8, Num 13:16, Num 27:16-23; Jos 3:7; 1Ki 12:25
offended :...
Ephraim : 1Sa 15:17; Pro 18:12; Isa 66:2; Luk 14:11
exalted : Num 2:18-21, Num 10:22, Num 13:8, Num 13:16, Num 27:16-23; Jos 3:7; 1Ki 12:25
offended : Hos 11:2; 1Ki 16:29-33, 1Ki 18:18, 1Ki 18:19; 2Ki 17:16-18

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Hos 13:1
Barnes: Hos 13:1 - -- When Ephraim spake trembling - that is, probably "there was ‘ trembling.’ ": "Ephraim was once very awful, so as, while he spake, the...
When Ephraim spake trembling - that is, probably "there was ‘ trembling.’ ": "Ephraim was once very awful, so as, while he spake, the rest of the tribes were ready to tremble."The prophet contrasts two conditions of Ephraim, of prosperity, and destruction. His prosperity he owed to the undeserved mercy of God, who blessed him for Joseph’ s sake; his destruction, to his own sin. There is no period recorded, "when Ephraim spake trembling,"i. e., in humility. Pride was his characteristic, almost as soon as he had a separate existence as a tribe (see the note at Hos 5:5). Under Joshua, it could not be called out, for Ephraim gained honor, when Joshua, one of themselves, became the captain of the Lord’ s people. Under the Judges, their pride appeared. Yet God tried them, by giving them their hearts’ desire. They longed to be exalted, and He satisfied them, if so be they would thus serve Him. They had the chief power, and were a "terror"to Judah. "He exalted himself,"(or perhaps "he was exalted,) in Israel; but when he offended in Baal he died;"literally, "and he offended in Baal and died."
He abused the goodness of God; his sin followed as a consequence of God’ s goodness to him. God raised him, and he offended. The alliance with a king of Tyre and Sidon, which brought in the worship of Baal, was a part of the worldly policy of the kings of Israel (1Ki 16:31, see Introduction). "As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took to wife the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him."The twenty-two years of Ahab’ s reign established the worship. The prophets of Baal became 450; the prophets of the kindred idolatry of Ashtoreth, or Astarte, became 400; Baal had his one central temple, large and magnificent 2Ki 10:21-22, 2Ki 10:25, a rival of that of God. The prophet Elijah thought the apostasy almost universal; God revealed to him that He had "reserved"to Himself "seven thousand in Israel."Yet these were "all the knees which had not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which had not kissed him"1Ki 19:18.
And died - Death is the penalty of sin. Ephraim "died"spiritually. For sin takes away the life of grace, and separates from God, the true life of the soul, the source of all life. He "died more truly, than he who is dead and at rest."Of this death, our Lord says, "Let the dead bury their dead"Mat 8:22; and Paul, "She who liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth"1Ti 5:6. He "died"also as a nation and kingdom, being sentenced by God to cease to be.
Poole -> Hos 13:1
Poole: Hos 13:1 - -- When; so soon as, or according as as the Hebrew phrase bears it, and implieth there was a time when according to the word of Ephraim there was deep ...
When; so soon as, or according as as the Hebrew phrase bears it, and implieth there was a time when according to the word of Ephraim there was deep impression on the hearers. Ephraim; Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephraimite, say some; but this is wide of truth, nor suits the text, which refers to their worshipping of Baal, and this came into use in Israel in Ahab’ s time, 1Ki 16:31 ; his wife Jezebel, daughter to Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, prevailed with him to take her country idol and add to Jeroboam’ s calves.
Ephraim here is either the tribe of Ephraim, which was of all the ten tribes most powerful, and when angry and discontented made the other tribes afraid; or rather the whole kingdom of Israel, called frequently in Hosea Ephraim.
Spake when he consulted, commanded, threatened, or sent out his proclamation; it is a speaking like a king’ s or kingdom’ s speaking, which is backed with power sufficient to act as they speak;
trembling the tribes and the neighbouring kingdoms apprehended danger, were put into a fear of the consequence too, all men felt a commotion within them. Such once was the authority, power, and glory of Ephraim.
He exalted himself in Israel was magnified, advanced, and made glorious, the kingdom flourished in multitudes of people, in abundance of wealth, in the successes of their counsels, and in their credit abroad. In this flourishing state Ephraim, a principal tribe, and which first set up for the royal dignity and carried it, had-principal share, and is mid to exalt himself in or with Israel.
But when so soon as he sinned,
he offended in Baal by taking Baal to be their god added this idolatry to their former sins,
he died undid himself, lost his power, glory, and bravery, as a dead man.
Haydock: Hos 13:1 - -- Death. This must be understood of eternal misery, from which the just are preserved. All must die, and many suffered a violent death from the Assyr...
Death. This must be understood of eternal misery, from which the just are preserved. All must die, and many suffered a violent death from the Assyrians. (Worthington) ---
After denouncing the severest judgments, the prophet promises redress and a sort of resurrection, which was a figure of the real sufferings and rising of Jesus Christ. The apostle applies this text to him, but follows not the Hebrew or Septuagint, 1 Corinthians xv. 55. (Calmet) ---
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? Protestants read, O grave, (marginal note: hell ) instead of the latter death. Hebrew ehi has been twice placed for aie, I will be instead of where? (Haydock) as the Greek, Arabic, and Syriac versions, as wll as the context, evince. All the versions prove the same corruption to be [in] ver. 10. Kennicott, Aquila, and the 5. edition read where? Symmachus I will be: (St. Jerome) so that the change probably took place between the year of the Lord 130 and 200. Septuagint, "Where is thy cause gained, ( in a lawsuit, or thy justice; Greek:dike .; Haydock) O death?" &c. ---
Eyes. I can find no consolation, (St. Jerome) because the people cause dissension by their perseverance in evil. Hebrew also, "repentance," &c. I will utterly destroy Ephraim; or rather, "vengeance....because he shall flourish," &c. If Ephraim would repent, this should not take place; but now, the Lord will bring Salmanasar, a burning wind, ver. 15. (Calmet)

Haydock: Hos 13:1 - -- Spoke. When Jeroboam proposed to erect the golden calves, people were seized with horror; yet they consented, and soon after Baal and other idols we...
Spoke. When Jeroboam proposed to erect the golden calves, people were seized with horror; yet they consented, and soon after Baal and other idols were worshipped. (Worthington) ---
Ephraim was one of the greatest tribes, and by its example the rest were drawn into idolatry. Achab principally introduced the worship of Baal, which caused God to decree the misery of his people, 3 Kings xvi. 31.
Gill -> Hos 13:1
Gill: Hos 13:1 - -- When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel,.... Or, with trembling, as Jarchi: so Jeroboam, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, spake bef...
When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel,.... Or, with trembling, as Jarchi: so Jeroboam, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, spake before Solomon, a great king, as he observes. R. Moses the priest interprets it of Jeroboam; but it may be understood of the tribe in general, and especially of the heads of it, at anytime before it fell into idolatry; when they spake with submission and humility, they were attended to by the other tribes in all consultations and debates, and great deference was paid unto them; and they were find in great esteem, and highly honoured, agreeably to that common saving of our Lord, "he that humbleth himself shall be exalted", Luk 14:11; or, "when he spake there was trembling" q; either the neighbouring nations, when he threatened them with war: or among the other tribes of Israel, when he spake in counsel, and with authority, they rose up and heard him with great reverence and respect; see Job 29:8. So the Targum,
"when anyone of the house of Ephraim spake, trembling laid hold on the people; they became princes in Israel.''
Some refer this to the times of Joshua, who was of that tribe, and whom the Israelites feared as they had feared Moses, Jos 4:14; others to the times of Gideon and Jephthah, with whom the tribe of Ephraim expostulated, Jdg 8:1; but others interpret it of Jeroboam's idolatry, of his setting up the worship of the calves, which he did upon his exalting himself, and setting himself up as king of the ten tribes; and, in some agreement with this, Schmidt understands, by "trembling", a terrible and horrible thing, idolatry, which he commanded and appointed; and which he "bore" or "carried", as the word r is interpreted by him, and may be; that is, his sin, and the punishment of it, which Jeroboam and his posterity did bear; and so it agrees with what follows:
but, or "and",
when he offended in Baal, he died; or when he sinned, and became guilty of more idolatry still, by worshipping Baal, as well as the calves, which was done in the times of Ahab, 1Ki 16:31; when Ephraim or the kingdom or Israel fell into distresses and calamities, sunk in their grandeur and authority, declined in their wealth and riches, and were insulted by their enemies, particularly by Benhadad king of Syria, who sent to Ahab, and challenged his silver and gold, his wives and children, as his own, 1Ki 20:3; and so they gradually decreased in credit and reputation, in power and authority, in wealth and substance, and at last were delivered to the sword of the enemy, and to captivity, which was their civil death.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes: Hos 13:1 The MT vocalizes the consonantal text as נָשָׂא (nasa’, “he exalted”; Qal perfect 3rd person mas...
Geneva Bible -> Hos 13:1
Geneva Bible: Hos 13:1 When Ephraim spake ( a ) trembling, he ( b ) exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, ( c ) he died.
( a ) He shows the excellency an...

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Hos 13:1-16
TSK Synopsis: Hos 13:1-16 - --1 Ephraim's glory vanishes.4 God's anger.9 God's mercy.15 The judgment of Samaria.
MHCC -> Hos 13:1-8
MHCC: Hos 13:1-8 - --While Ephraim kept up a holy fear of God, and worshipped Him in that fear, so long he was very considerable. When Ephraim forsook God, and followed id...
Matthew Henry -> Hos 13:1-4
Matthew Henry: Hos 13:1-4 - -- Idolatry was the sin that did most easily beset the Jewish nation till after the captivity; the ten tribes from the first were guilty of it, but esp...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Hos 13:1-2
Keil-Delitzsch: Hos 13:1-2 - --
Because Israel would not desist from its idolatry, and entirely forgot the goodness of its God, He would destroy its might and glory (Hos 13:1-8). B...
Constable: Hos 11:12--Joe 1:1 - --VI. The fifth series of messages on judgment and restoration: historical unfaithfulness 11:12--14:9
A tone of ex...

Constable: Hos 11:12--14:1 - --A. Judgment for unfaithfulness 11:12-13:16
Hosea again established Israel's guilt and predicted her puni...

Constable: Hos 11:12--13:1 - --1. The deceitfulness of Israel 11:12-12:14
Several comparisons of Israel and the patriarch Jacob...

Constable: Hos 13:1-16 - --2. Israel's impending doom ch. 13
Again Hosea charged Israel with covenant unfaithfulness that c...
