The Divine Lamp

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Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the desert, I saw their fathers like the first fruits of the fig tree. The reference to “first fruits” a “grapes” shows that the prophet still has the theme of the harvest feast of Tabernacles in mind (see previous post). The feast of Tabernacles was dedicated to God and celebrated the fall harvest in recognition that the fruits of the land-and indeed, the land itself-were gifts from God. However, the people had perverted this celebration with Baalism. Baal was a fertility god who was worshiped with sexual rites. In performing these rites the devotees believed that baal would send down the rain, conceived of as his seed (sperm) and impregnate the land, making it fertile. For more on Baal see my comments on Hosea 1:2 here. For more on Tabernacles see my comments on Hosea 9:1-9; especially those on verse 1.

Finding grapes in the desert and the coming of the first fruits of the fig tree are things to take great joy in; and joy was one of the hallmarks of the Tabernacles feast. God, in describing Israel in this fashion is witnessing to their initial devotion to Him, a theme already alluded to in the second half of Hosea 2:17. God once took delight in his people, as the farmer delights in and celebrates the first fruits of the harvest, but they went in to Beelphegor (i.e., Baal-Peor) and alienated themselves to that confusion, and became abominable, as those things were, which they loved.

In Numbers 25:1-18 we read of the crime of Baal-Peor and its aftermath. At the time of the Feast of Tabernacles the people would reflect upon the events in the desert, especially recalling the various rebellions narrated in Exodus 16-17; 32-34; Numbers 11-25. The events at Baal-Peor are, as it were, the capstone upon these rebellions.

They alienated themselves to that confusion. The text reads literally: “They consecrated themselves to shame. Consecration is a cultic word meaning “set apart.” The idea was that Israel was to be consecrated, set apart from all that was profane, instead, they set (alienated) themselves apart from God by the rites of Baal, who is here described as “shame.” This word is used to describe Baal in Jeremiah 3:24; 11:13. As a result of this “consecration,” the people became “abominable,” like “those things were, which they loved.” The term translated here as “abominable” is shiqquwts, which is pronounced shik-kuts, an obvious word-play on the Hebrew word for Taernacles: Sukkuth. The term “abominable is often employed in reference to idols (Deut 29:16; Isaiah 66:3).

Hosea 9:11 As for Ephraim, their glory hath flown away like a bird from birth, and from the womb, and from conception. See the NAB and RSV translations offered in the pop-up box. Ephraim was the largest of the tribes of the northern kingdom and is, as here, often used to refer to the entire kingdom. Children are described here as “glory,” but it is a glory that has (or will) fled away from the people. The irony is obvious: having participated in pagan fertility rites the people of God will become infertile (see the covenant curses in Deut 28:18).

Hosea 9:12 And though they should bring up their children, I will make them without children among men. This could be taken two ways: (1) the childlessness threatened in the previous verse will effect the people’s existing children (i.e., their children will have no children), or, (2) the children will begin to die off. The NAB translation supports #1, while the RSV supports #2.

Yea, and woe to them, when I shall depart from them. The flying away of the glory of children will be the result of God’s departure from the people. One of the hallmarks of the feast of Tabernacles is that it celebrated God’s presence with the people. This presence was manifested by God’s glory (Exodus 33:18; 1 Kings 8:11). The departure of that glory/presence was a sign of disfavor. See Ezekiel chapters 10 and 11 where the departure of God’s glory from Jerusalem signifies the impending doom of the city (avoid the NAB translation here).

Hosea 9:13 The Douay-Rheims (like the NAB) is translating the Hebrew text of this verse. For a translation of the Greek see the RSV. The nation, once as beautiful and prosperous as Tyre, will suffer defeat at the hands of an enemy (”the murderer”). Tyre was an island nation devoted to the worship of Baal, and it naturally attributed its fortunes to this devotion. King Ahab (Achab) of Israel was married to Jezebel (Jezabel), a Tyrian who supported the cult of Baal in Israel with disastrous consequences