SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:11
¿Es Galaad iniquidad? Ciertamente vanidad son; en Gilgal sacrificaron bueyes; y aún son sus altares como montones en los surcos del campo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hosea 12:11
Verse 11. Iniquity in Gilead] Gilgal and Gilead are equally iniquitous, and equally idolatrous. Gilead, which was beyond Jordan, had already been brought under subjection by Tiglath- Pileser. Gilgal, which was on this side Jordan, shall share the same fate; because it is now as idolatrous as the other. Their altars are as heaps] They occur everywhere. The whole land is given to idolatry.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. [Is there] iniquity [in] Gilead ? etc.] Idolatry there? strange that there should be, seeing it was a city of the priests; a city of refuge; or there is none there, say the priests, who pretended they did not worship idols, but the true Jehovah in them: or, “is [there] not iniquity”, or idolatry, “in Gilead” f248 ? verily there is, let them pretend to what they will: or, “is [there only] iniquity in it” f249 ? that the men of it should be carried captive, as they were by TiglathPileser, before the rest of the tribes; (see 2 Kings 15:29); no, there is iniquity and idolatry committed in other places, as well as there, who must expect to share the same fate in time: or, “is Gilead Aven?” that is, Bethaven, the same with Bethel; it is as that, as guilty of idolatry as Bethel, where one of the calves was set up: surely they are vanity : the inhabitants of Gilead, as well as of Bethel, worshipping idols, which are most vain things, vanity itself, and deceive those that serve them, and trust in them: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal : to idols, as the Targum adds; and so Jarchi and Kimchi; according to Aben Ezra, they sacrificed them to Baal; this shows that Gilead was not the only place for idolatry, which was on the other side Jordan, but Gilgal, which was on this side Jordan, was also polluted with it. The Vulgate Latin version is, “in Gilgal they were sacrificing to bullocks;” to the calves there, the same as were at Daniel and Bethel; so, in the Septuagint version of ( 1 Kings 12:29); it was formerly read: and so Cyril quotes it, “[he] (Jeroboam) set the one (calf) in Gilgal, and the other [in] Dan”; hence the fable that Epiphanius makes mention of, that, when Elisha was born, the golden ox or heifer at Gilgal bellowed very loudly, and so loud as to be heard at Jerusalem. The Targum makes mention of an idol temple here; and as it was near to Bethel, as appears from ( 1 Samuel 10:3,8); and from Josephus f253 ; and so Jerom says f254 , hard by Bethel; some suspect another Gilgal; hence it might be put for it; however, it was a place of like idolatrous worship; it is mentioned as such along with Bethaven or Bethel, in ( Hosea 4:15); see also ( Hosea 9:15); yea, their altars [are] as heaps in, the furrows of the fields ; not only in the city of Gilgal, and in the temple there, as the Targum; but even without the city, in the fields they set up altars, which looked like heaps of stones; or they had a multitude of altars that stood as thick as they. So the Targum, “they have multiplied their altars, like heaps upon the borders of the fields;” and the Jewish commentators in general understand this as expressive of the number of their altars, and of the increase of idolatrous worship; but some interpret it of the destruction of their altars, which should become heaps of stones and rubbish, like such as are in fields. These words respect Ephraim or the ten tribes, in which these places were, whose idolatry is again taken notice of, after gracious promises were made to Judah. Some begin here a new sermon or discourse delivered to Israel.
Matthew Henry Commentary
God's regard for Israel; their ingratitude. (Hos. 11:1-7) The Divin mercy yet in store. (Hos. 11:8-12)
Hos. 11:1-7 When Israel were weak and helpless as children, foolish an froward as children, then God loved them; he bore them as the nurs does the sucking child, nourished them, and suffered their manners. All who are grown up, ought often to reflect upon the goodness of God to them in their childhood. He took care of them, took pains with them not only as a father, or a tutor, but as a mother, or nurse. When the were in the wilderness, God showed them the way in which they shoul go, and bore them up, taking them by the arms. He taught them the way of his commandments by the ceremonial law given by Moses. He took the by the arms, to guide them, that they might not stray, and to hold the up, that they might not stumble and fall. God's spiritual Israel ar all thus supported. It is God's work to draw poor souls to himself; an none can come to him except he draw them. With bands of love; this wor signifies stronger cords than the former. He eased them of the burden they had long groaned under. Israel is very ungrateful to God. God' counsels would have saved them, but their own counsels ruined them They backslide; there is no hold of them, no stedfastness in them. The backslide from me, from God, the chief good. They are bent to backslide; they are ready to sin; they are forward to close with ever temptation. Their hearts are fully set in them to do evil. Those onl are truly happy, whom the Lord teaches by his Spirit, upholds by his power, and causes to walk in his ways. By his grace he takes away the love and dominion of sin, and creates a desire for the blessed feast of the gospel, that they may feed thereon, and live for ever.
Hos. 11:8-12 God is slow to anger, and is loth to abandon a people to utter ruin, who have been called by his name. When God was to give sacrifice for sin, and a Saviour for sinners, he spared not his ow Son, that he might spare us. This is the language of the day of his patience; but when men sin that away, then the great day of his wrat comes. Man's compassions are nothing in comparison with the tende mercies of our God, whose thoughts and ways, in receiving returnin sinners, are as much above ours as heaven is above the earth. God know how to pardon poor sinners. He is faithful and just to forgive us ou sins, and therein declares his righteousness, now Christ has purchase the pardon, and he has promised it. Holy trembling at the word of Christ will draw us to him, not drive us from him, the children tremble, and flee to him. And all that come at the gospel call, shal have a place and a name in the gospel church. The religious service of Israel were mere hypocrisy, but in Judah regard was had to God's laws and the people followed their pious forefathers. Let us be faithful those who thus honour God, he will honour, but such us despise Hi shall be lightly esteemed __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
אם 518 גלעד 1568 און 205 אך 389 שׁוא 7723 היו 1961 בגלגל 1537 שׁורים 7794 זבחו 2076 גם 1571 מזבחותם 4196 כגלים 1530 על 5921 תלמי 8525 שׂדי׃ 7704
