SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:9
Comieron extraños su sustancia, y él no lo supo; y aun vejez se ha esparcido por él, y él no lo entendió.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hosea 7:9
Verse 9. Gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.] The kingdom is grown old in iniquity; the time of their captivity is at hand, and they are apprehensive of no danger. They are in the state of a silly old man, who through age and infirmities is become neariy bald, and the few remaining hairs on his head are quite gray. But he does not consider his latter end; is making no provision for that eternity on the brink of which he is constantly standing; does not apply to the sovereign Physician to heal his spiritual diseases; but calls in the doctors to cure him of old age and death! This miserable state and preposterous conduct we witness every day. O how fast does the human being cling to his native earth! Reader, hear the voice of an old man:- O my coevals! remnants of yourselves, Shall our pale withered hands be still stretched out? Trembling at once with eagerness and age; With avarice and ambition grasping-fast Grasping at air! For what hath earth beside? We want but little; nor THAT LITTLE long.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. Strangers have devoured his strength , etc.] Or his substance, as the Targum; his wealth and riches, fortresses and strong holds: these strangers were either the Syrians, who, in the times of Jehoahaz, destroyed Ephraim or the Israelites, and so weakened them, as to make them like the dust by threshing, ( 2 Kings 12:7); or the Assyrians, first under Pul king of Assyria, who came out against Menahem king of Israel, and exacted a tribute of a thousand talents of silver, and so drained them of their treasure, which was their strength, ( 2 Kings 15:19,20); and then under Tiglathpileser, another king of Assyria, who came and took away from them many of their fortified places, and carried the inhabitants captive, ( 2 Kings 15:29); and he knoweth [it] not ; is not sensible how much he is weakened by such exactions and depredations; or does not take notice of the hand of God in all this; does not consider from whence it comes, what is the cause of it, and for what ends; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not ; or, “old age has sprinkled itself upon him” f137 ; or, “gray hairs are sprinkled on him”; gray hairs, when thick, are a sign that old age is come; and, when sprinkled here and there, are symptoms of its coming on, and of a person’s being on the decline of life; and here it signifies the weak and declining state of Israel, through the exactions and depredations of their neighbours, and that theft utter ruin was near; and yet they did not know nor consider their latter end, nor repent of their sins and acknowledge them, and return unto the Lord, and implore his mercy: so carnal professors, who mix with the men of the world, that are strangers to God and godliness, and everything that is divine and good, are devoured by them; they lose their time and substance, and their precious souls, and are not aware of it. The symptoms of the declining state of the church of God are at this time upon us, and yet not taken notice of; such as great departures from the faith; a number of false teachers risen up; great failings off of professors, and of such who have made a great figure in the church; a small number of faithful men; great coldness and lukewarmness to spiritual things; little faith on the earth; great neglect of Gospel worship and ordinances; much sleepiness and drowsiness; great immorality and profaneness: as also the symptoms of the declining state of the world, and of its drawing to its period; as wars, and rumours of wars, famine, pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places; volcanos, burning mountains, eruptions of subterraneous fire, which portend the general conflagration; and yet these things are little attended to.
Matthew Henry Commentary
An exhortation to repentance. (Hos. 6:1-3) Israel's instability an breach of the covenant. (Hos. 6:4-11) Hos. 6:1-3 Those who have gone from God by consent, and in a body drawing one another to sin, should, by consent and in a body, return to him, which will be for his glory, and their good. It will be of grea use for support under afflictions, and to encourage our repentance, to keep up good thoughts of God, and of his purposes and design concerning us. Deliverance out of trouble should be to them as lif from the dead. God will revive them: the assurance of this shoul engage them to return to him. But this seems to have a furthe reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us admire the wisdo and goodness of God, that when the prophet foretold the deliverance of the church out of her troubles, he should point out our salvation by Christ; and now these words are fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ, it confirms our faith, that this is He that should come and we are to look for no other. Here is a precious blessing promised; this is life eternal, to know God. The returns of the favour of God are secure to us as firmly as the return of the morning after a dark night. He shall come to us as the latter and former rain unto the earth, whic refreshes it, and makes it fruitful. The grace of God in Christ is bot the latter and the former rain; and by it the good work of ou fruit-bearing is begun and carried on. And as the Redeemer was raise from the grave, so will He revive the hearts and hopes of all tha trust in him. The feeblest glimpse of hope in his word, is a sure earnest of increasing light and comfort, which shall be attended with purifying, comforting grace that makes fruitful.
Hos. 6:4-11 Sometimes Israel and Judah seemed disposed to repent unde their sufferings, but their goodness vanished like the empty mornin cloud, and the early dew, and they were as vile as ever. Therefore the Lord sent awful messages by the prophets. The word of God will be the death either of the sin or of the sinner. God desired mercy rather tha sacrifice, and that knowledge of him which produces holy fear and love This exposes the folly of those who trust in outward observances, to make up for their want of love to God and man. As Adam broke the covenant of God in paradise, so Israel had broken his nationa covenant, notwithstanding all the favours they received. Judah also wa ripe for Divine judgments. May the Lord put his fear into our hearts and set up his kingdom within us, and never leave us to ourselves, no suffer us to be overcome by temptation __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
אכלו 398 זרים 2114 כחו 3581 והוא 1931 לא 3808 ידע 3045 גם 1571 שׂיבה 7872 זרקה 2236 בו והוא 1931 לא 3808 ידע׃ 3045
