SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:13
Y verá Efraín su enfermedad, y Judá su llaga: irá entonces Efraín al Assur, y enviará al rey de Jareb; mas él no os podrá sanar, ni os curará la llaga.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hosea 5:13
Verse 13. When Ephraim saw his sickness] When both Israel and Judah felt their own weakness to resist their enemies, instead of calling upon and trusting in me, they sought sinful alliances, and trusted in their idols. King Jareb] This name occurs nowhere in Scripture but here and in chap. x. 6. The Vulgate and Targum render bry yareb, an avenger, a person whom they thought able to save them from their enemies. It is well known that Menahem, king of Israel, sought alliance with Pul and Tiglath-pileser, kings of Assyria, and Ahaz, king of Judah. These were the protectors that Ephraim sought after. See 2 Kings xv. and xvi. But far from healing them by making them tributary, the Assyrians made their wound more dangerous.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 13. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah [saw] his wound , etc.] That their civil state were in a sickly condition, very languid, weak, feeble, and tottering, just upon the brink of ruin; (see Isaiah 1:6); then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to King Jareb ; that is, the ten tribes, or the king of them, went and met the Assyrian king; and Judah the two tribes, or the king of them, sent ambassadors to King Jareb; which sense the order of the words, in connection with the preceding clause, seems to require: by the Assyrian and King Jareb we are to understand one and the same, as appears from the following words, “yet could he not heal etc.”, whereas, if they were different, it would have been expressed, “yet could they not heal etc.”, and the king of Assyria is meant, who: also is called King Jareb, or rather king of Jareb f108 ; (see Hosea 10:6); for this does not seem to be the name of the king of Assyria himself; though it may be that Pul, or Tiglathpileser, or Shalmaneser, might have more names than one, whoever is meant; but rather it is the name of some place in Assyria, as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, from which the country may be here denominated; though the Targum takes it to be, not the proper name of a man or place, but an appellative, paraphrasing it, “and sent to the king that shall come to avenge them;” and so other interpreters understand it, rendering it, either the king that should defend, as Tremellius; or the king the adversary, or litigator, as Cocceius, Hillerus f110 , and Gussetius f111 ; a court adversary, that litigates a point, contends with one, and is an advocate for another; or, as Hiller elsewhere renders it, the king that lies in wait: this was fulfilled with respect to Ephraim, when Menahem king of Israel, or the ten tribes, often meant by Ephraim, went and met Pul king of Assyria, and gave him a thousand talents to depart out of his land; perceiving his own weakness to withstand him, and in order to strengthen and confirm the kingdom in his hand, ( 2 Kings 15:19); or when Hoshea king of Israel gave presents to Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and became a servant to him, till he could get stronger, and shake off his yoke, ( 2 Kings 17:3); and with respect to Judah it had its accomplishment when Ahaz king of Judah sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria to come and help him against the kings of Syria and Israel, finding he was not strong enough to oppose them himself, ( 2 Kings 16:7); now all this was highly provoking to the Lord, that when both Israel and Judah found themselves in a weak condition, and unable to resist their enemies, instead of seeking to him for help they applied to a foreign prince, and which proved unsuccessful to them: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound ; but, on the contrary, afflicted them, hurt and destroyed them; there being a “meiosis” in the words, which expresses less than is designed; for though, with respect to Ephraim or Israel, Pul king of Assyria desisted from doing any damage to Israel, yet a successor of his, TiglathPileser, came and took several places of Israel, and carried the inhabitants captive; and at last came Shalmaneser, and took Samaria, the metropolis of the land, and carried all the ten tribes captive, ( 2 Kings 15:29 17:4-6); and so, with respect to Judah, Tiglathpileser, whom Ahaz sent unto for help, not only did not help and strengthen him, but afflicted him, ( 2 Chronicles 28:20); thus when sensible sinners see their spiritual maladies, and feel the smart of their wounds, and make a wrong application for relief, to their tears, repentance, and humiliation, and to works of: righteousness, or to anything or person short of Christ the great Physician, they meet with no success, find no relief until better directed.
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
וירא 7200 אפרים 669 את 853 חליו 2483 ויהודה 3063 את 853 מזרו 4205 וילך 1980 אפרים 669 אל 413 אשׁור 804 וישׁלח 7971 אל 413 מלך 4428 ירב 3377 והוא 1931 לא 3808 יוכל 3201 לרפא 7495 לכם ולא 3808 יגהה 1455 מכם 4480 מזור׃ 4205
