SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:1
¶ Sacerdotes, oíd esto, y estad atentos, Casa de Israel; y Casa del Rey, escuchad: porque para vosotros es el juicio, pues habéis sido lazo en Mizpa, y red extendida sobre Tabor.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hosea 5:1
Verse 1. Hear ye this, O priests] A process is instituted against the priests, the Israelites, and the house of the king; and they are called on to appear and defend themselves. The accusation is, that they have ensnared the people, caused them to practice idolatry, both at Mizpah and Tabor. Mizpah was situated beyond Jordan; in the mountains of Gilead; see Judg. xi. 29. And Tabor was a beautiful mountain in the tribe of Zebulum. Both these places are said to be eminent for hunting &c., and hence the natural occurrence of the words snare and net, in speaking of them.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. Hear ye this, O priests , etc.] Though idolatrous ones, who called themselves priests, and were reckoned so by others, though not of the tribe of Levi, but such as Jeroboam had made priests, or were their successors; and there might be some of the family of Aaron and tribe of Levi, that might continue in the cities of Israel, and who gave in to the idolatrous worship of those times. Some render it “princes” and the word signifies both: and hearken, ye house of Israel ; not the kingdom of Judah, as Kimchi, for this is manifestly distinguished from Israel in this chapter; nor the sanhedrim, to which sense Aben Ezra seems to incline; but the ten tribes, the whole kingdom of Israel, the common people in it: and give ye ear, O house of the king ; of the king of Israel, who, at this time, is thought to be Menahem; the royal family, the princes of the blood, and all that belonged to the king’s court; all of every office, priestly or kingly, of every rank, high and low, are called upon to hearken to what is about to be said, both concerning their sin and punishment: for judgment [is] toward you : either to know and do that which is just and right; it belonged to the priests to know and teeth divine judgment, to instruct the people in the knowledge of the judgments, statutes, and laws of God; and it belonged to, the king to execute human judgment, to do justice and judgment according to the laws of God, and of the realm; and it belonged to the people to attend to both: so the Targum, “does it not “belong” to you to know judgments?” or rather this is to be understood of punitive justice and judgment, of the sentence of condemnation, or denunciation of punishment for sin: the reasons of which follow, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor ; these were two high mountains in the land of Israel; the former was near Hermon and Lebanon, and the same with Gilead, ( Joshua 11:3 Judges 11:29); the latter was a mountain in Galilee, between Issachar and Zebulun, six miles from Nazareth: it was, according to Joseph ben Gorion almost four miles high, had on the top of it a plain of almost three miles; the true Josephus says is was three and a quarter miles; (see Gill on “ Jeremiah 46:18”); the Jews have a tradition, that Jeroboam set spies upon these mountains at the time of the solemn feasts, to watch who went to them out of Israel, and to inform against them; but these could not command all the roads leading to Jerusalem. It may be these mountains were much infested with hawkers and hunters, to which there may be an allusion; and the sense be, ye priests, people, and king, are like to those that set snares and nets on those hills, as they to ensnare and catch creatures, so ye to ensnare and draw men into idolatrous practices; or rather, since there is no note of comparison, the meaning is, that they set up altars, and offered sacrifices on these hills, and thereby ensnared not only those of their own tribes, but drew and enticed many of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to fall in with the same idolatrous practices.
Matthew Henry Commentary
God's judgments against the sins of the people. (Hos. 4:1-5) and of the priests. (Hos. 4:6-11) Idolatry is reproved, and Judah is admonished (Hos. 4:12-19)
Hos. 4:1-5 Hosea reproves for immorality, as well as idolatry. Ther was no truth, mercy, or knowledge of God in the land: it was full of murders, II Kin. 21:16. Therefore calamities were near, which woul desolate the country. Our sins, as separate persons, as a family, as neighbourhood, as a nation, cause the Lord to have a controversy with us; let us submit and humble ourselves before Him, that he may not go on to destroy.
Hos. 4:6-11 Both priests and people rejected knowledge; God will justl reject them. They forgot the law of God, neither desired no endeavoured to retain it in mind, and to transmit the remembrance to their posterity; therefore God will justly forget them and their children. If we dishonour God with that which is our honour, it will sooner or later, be turned into shame to us. Instead of warning the people against sin, from the consideration of the sacrifices, whic showed what an offence sin was to God, since it needed an atonement the priests encouraged the people to sin, since atonement might be mad at so small an expense. It is very wicked to be pleased with the sin of others, because they may turn to our advantage. What is unlawfull gained, cannot be comfortably used. The people and the priests hardene one another in sin; therefore justly shall they share in the punishment. Sharers in sin must expect to share in ruin. Any lus harboured in the heart, in time will eat out all its strength an vigour. That is the reason why many professors grow so heavy, so dull so dead in the way of religion. They have a liking for some secre lust, which takes away their hearts.
Hos. 4:12-19 The people consulted images, and not the Divine word. Thi would lead to disorder and sin. Thus men prepare scourges for themselves, and vice is spread through a people. Let not Judah com near the idolatrous worship of Israel. For Israel was devoted to idols and must now be let alone. When sinners cast off the easy yoke of Christ, they go on in sin till the Lord saith, Let them alone. The they receive no more warnings, feel no more convictions: Satan take full possession of them, and they ripen for destruction. It is a sad and sore judgment for any man to be let alone in sin. Those who are no disturbed in their sin, will be destroyed for their sin. May we be kep from this awful state; for the wrath of God, like a strong tempest will soon hurry impenitent sinners into ruin __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
שׁמעו 8085 זאת 2063 הכהנים 3548 והקשׁיבו 7181 בית 1004 ישׂראל 3478 ובית 1004 המלך 4428 האזינו 238 כי 3588 לכם המשׁפט 4941 כי 3588 פח 6341 הייתם 1961 למצפה 4709 ורשׁת 7568 פרושׂה 6566 על 5921 תבור׃ 8396
