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Selected Verse: Hosea 7:11 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ho 7:11 |
Strong Concordance |
Ephraim [0669] also is like a silly [06601] dove [03123] without heart [03820]: they call [07121] to Egypt [04714], they go [01980] to Assyria [0804]. |
| |
King James |
Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
like a silly dove--a bird proverbial for simplicity: easily deceived.
without heart--that is, understanding.
call to Egypt--Israel lying between the two great rival empires Egypt and Assyria, sought each by turns to help her against the other. As this prophecy was written in the reign of Hoshea, the allusion is probably to the alliance with So or Sabacho II (of which a record has been found on the clay cylindrical seals in Koyunjik), which ended in the overthrow of Hoshea and the deportation of Israel (Kg2 17:3-6). As the dove betrays its foolishness by fleeing in alarm from its nest only to fall into the net of the fowler, so Israel, though warned that foreign alliances would be their ruin, rushed into them. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Ephraim is - (become) like a silly dove "There is nothing more simple than a dove," says the Eastern proverb. Simplicity is good or bad, not in itself, but according to some other qualities of the soul, good or evil, with which it is united, to which it opens the mind, and which lead it to good or mislead it to evil. The word describes one, easily persuaded, open, and so, one who takes God's word simply, obeys His will, without refinement or subtlety or explaining it away; in which way it is said, "The Lord preserveth the simple;" or, on the other hand, one who lets himself easily be led to evil, as the pagan said of youth, that they were "like wax to be bent to evil" Psa 116:6. In this way, it is said, "How long, ye simple one, will ye love simplicity?" Pro 1:22. Our Lord uses this likeness of the dove, for good, "be wise as serpents, simple, or harmless as doves" Mat 10:16. Hosea speaks of simplicity without wisdom, for he adds, "a silly dove without understanding," (literally, "without a heart,") whereby they should love God's will, and so should understand it. Ephraim "became," he says, like a silly dove. Neglecting God's calls, unmoved by calamity or sufferings, and not "seeking" to God "for all this" which He has done to recall them, they grew in folly. Man is ever "growing in wisdom" or in folly, in grace or in gracelessness. This new stage of folly lay in their flying to Assyria, to help them, in fact, against God; as it follows,
They call to Egypt - Instead of "calling to" God who could and would help, they "called to Egypt" who could not, and "went to Assyria" who would not. So God complains by Isaiah, "To Me, thou hast not called, O Jacob" Isa 43:22. This was their folly; they called not to God, who had delivered them out of Egypt, but, alternately, to their two powerful neighbors, of whom Egypt was a delusive promiser, not failing only, but piercing, those who leant on it; Assyria was a powerful oppressor. Yet what else is almost the whole history of Christian states? The "balance of power," which has been the pride of the later policy of Europe, which has been idolized as a god, to which statesmen have looked, as a deliverance out of all their troubles; as if it were a sort of divine providence, regulating the affairs of human beings, and dispensing with the interference of God; what is it but the self-same wisdom, which balanced Egypt against Assyria? |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
| "And Ephraim has become like a simple dove without understanding; they have called Egypt, they are gone to Asshur. Hos 7:12. As they go, I spread my net over them; I bring them down like fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, according to the tidings to their assembly." The perfects in Hos 7:1 describe the conduct of Israel as an accomplished fact, and this is represented by ויהי as the necessary consequence of its obstinate impenitence. The point of comparison between Israel and the simple dove, is not that the dove misses its proper dwelling and resting-place, and therefore goes fluttering about (Ewald); nor that, in trying to escape from the hawk, it flies into the net of the bird-catcher (Hitzig); but that when flying about in search of food, it does not observe the net that is spread for it (Rosenmller). אין לב is to be taken as a predicate to Ephraim in spite of the accents, and not to yōnâh phōthâh (a simple dove), since phōthâh does not require either strengthening or explaining. Thus does Ephraim seek help from Egypt and Assyria. These words do not refer to the fact that there were two parties in the nation - an Assyrian and an Egyptian. Nor do they mean that the whole nation applied at one time to Egypt to get rid of Asshur, and at another time to Asshur to escape from Egypt. "The situation is rather this: the people being sorely pressed by Asshur, at one time seek help from Egypt against Asshur; whilst at another they try to secure the friendship of the latter" (Hengstenberg, Christology, i. p. 164 transl.). For what threatened Israel was the burden of the "king of princes" (Hos 8:10), i.e., the king of Asshur. And this they tried to avert partly by their coquettish arts (Hos 8:9), and partly by appealing to the help of Egypt; and while doing so, they did not observe that they had fallen into the net of destruction, viz., the power of Assyria. In this net will the Lord entangle them as a punishment. As they go thither, God will spread His net over them like a bird-catcher, and bring them down to the earth like flying birds, i.e., bring them down from the open air, that is to say, from freedom, into the net of captivity, or exile. איסירם, a rare hiphil formation with Yod mobile, as in Pro 4:25 (see Ewald, 131, c). "According to the tidings (announcement) to their assembly:" i.e., in accordance with the threatening already contained in the law (Lev 26:14.; Deu 28:15.), and repeatedly uttered to the congregation by the prophets, of the judgments that should fall upon the rebellious, which threatening would now be fulfilled upon Ephraim. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Like a silly dove - Ephraim is now become like the dove in weakness and fear, as well as in imprudence and liableness to be deceived. Without heart - Without either discretion or courage. To Assyria - Instead of going to God, who alone can help. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart - A bird that has little understanding; that is easily snared and taken; that is careless about its own young, and seems to live without any kind of thought. It has been made, by those who, like itself, are without heart, the symbol of conjugal affection. Nothing worse could have been chosen, for the dove and its mate are continually quarrelling.
They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria - They strive to make these their allies and friends; but in this they showed that they were without heart, had not a sound understanding; for these were rival nations, and Israel could not attach itself to the one without incurring the jealousy and displeasure of the other. Thus, like the silly dove, they were constantly falling into snares; sometimes of the Egyptians, at others of the Assyrians. By the former they were betrayed; by the latter, ruined. |
3 Against him came up [05927] Shalmaneser [08022] king [04428] of Assyria [0804]; and Hoshea [01954] became his servant [05650], and gave [07725] him presents [04503].
4 And the king [04428] of Assyria [0804] found [04672] conspiracy [07195] in Hoshea [01954]: for he had sent [07971] messengers [04397] to So [05471] king [04428] of Egypt [04714], and brought [05927] no present [04503] to the king [04428] of Assyria [0804], as he had done year [08141] by year [08141]: therefore the king [04428] of Assyria [0804] shut him up [06113], and bound [0631] him in prison [01004] [03608].
5 Then the king [04428] of Assyria [0804] came up [05927] throughout all the land [0776], and went up [05927] to Samaria [08111], and besieged [06696] it three [07969] years [08141].
6 In the ninth [08671] year [08141] of Hoshea [01954] the king [04428] of Assyria [0804] took [03920] Samaria [08111], and carried [01540] Israel [03478] away [01540] into Assyria [0804], and placed [03427] them in Halah [02477] and in Habor [02249] by the river [05104] of Gozan [01470], and in the cities [05892] of the Medes [04074].
22 But thou hast not called [07121] upon me, O Jacob [03290]; but thou hast been weary [03021] of me, O Israel [03478].
16 Behold [2400], I [1473] send [649] you [5209] forth [649] as [5613] sheep [4263] in [1722] the midst [3319] of wolves [3074]: be ye [1096] therefore [3767] wise [5429] as [5613] serpents [3789], and [2532] harmless [185] as [5613] doves [4058].
22 How long, ye simple ones [06612], will ye love [0157] simplicity [06612]? and the scorners [03887] delight [02530] in their scorning [03944], and fools [03684] hate [08130] knowledge [01847]?
6 The LORD [03068] preserveth [08104] the simple [06612]: I was brought low [01809], and he helped [03467] me.
15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken [08085] unto the voice [06963] of the LORD [03068] thy God [0430], to observe [08104] to do [06213] all his commandments [04687] and his statutes [02708] which I command [06680] thee this day [03117]; that all these curses [07045] shall come [0935] upon thee, and overtake [05381] thee:
14 But if ye will not hearken [08085] unto me, and will not do [06213] all these commandments [04687];
25 Let thine eyes [05869] look [05027] right on [05227], and let thine eyelids [06079] look straight [03474] before thee.
9 For they are gone up [05927] to Assyria [0804], a wild ass [06501] alone [0909] by himself: Ephraim [0669] hath hired [08566] lovers [0158].
10 Yea, though they have hired [08566] among the nations [01471], now will I gather [06908] them, and they shall sorrow [02490] a little [04592] for the burden [04853] of the king [04428] of princes [08269].
1 When I would have healed [07495] Israel [03478], then the iniquity [05771] of Ephraim [0669] was discovered [01540], and the wickedness [07451] of Samaria [08111]: for they commit [06466] falsehood [08267]; and the thief [01590] cometh in [0935], and the troop [01416] of robbers spoileth [06584] without [02351].
12 When they shall go [03212], I will spread [06566] my net [07568] upon them; I will bring them down [03381] as the fowls [05775] of the heaven [08064]; I will chastise [03256] them, as their congregation [05712] hath heard [08088].