Hos. 10 Israel is reproved and threatened for their impiety and idolatry, and exhorted to repentance. Israel and Ephraim are terms our prophet doth ordinarily use, and they signify the same people, the ten tribes revolted from the house of David, and from the true worship of God.

Is an empty vine; a vine wasted and spoiled, that hath lost its strength to bring forth any fruit, or that is robbed and pilled of the fruit it doth bring forth; this partly for want of the Divine protection and benediction, which they were wont to have, and partly from an inherent barrenness and…

Their heart is divided from God and his worship, or between God and Baal, such as Zeph. 1:5 speaks of, or else divided one from another by parties, and factions, and civil wars, which tended to their ruin.

For; surely. Now; ere long. They shall say; see, and feel, and be convinced too of this truth. We have no king; either no king at all, as in an interregnum, or no such king as we expected and hoped: our dependence was much upon the wise, valiant, and successful conduct of our king; but he is either…

They, the nobles and great men in Israel, the heads of the parties, or the counsellors of the kingdom, have spoken words; have in long and repeated consultations and debates contrived and laid forth the designs most like to help us; but all in vain, all is but words; or thus they have deceived one…

The citizens who dwelt yet safe in Samaria, but knew that the Assyrian invaded the kingdom, beat Israel’s army, and took his city; these idolatrous citizens were in bodily fear for their gods, lest the Assyrians should rudely spoil their godships.

It; the golden calf made by Jeroboam the First, 1 Kings 12:28. Shall be carried; though it hath feet, it cannot go, it must be borne; as Isaiah derides the idols of Babylon, Isa. 46:2, Isa. 46:7, Jer. 10:5; and it is carried in triumph.

As for Samaria, after three years’ siege she shall be cut off. Her king is cut off; for all the rest of the kingdom was lost, and now he is pent up there also; he that was once the confidence of the ten tribes, and king of a mighty people, is now spoiled of all but one only city, where he is rather…

The high places; the temples and altars of Baal and other idols. Aven, for Beth-aven, say most interpreters: what if. Aven, vanity, folly, be here put for all idol worship and rites, which was notoriously the sin of Israel? Shall be destroyed; utterly overthrown; and lie so long waste and desolate,…

O Israel, thou hast sinned; you of the ten tribes with such consent have sinned, that you seem to do it as one man. From the days of Gibeah; ever since the days, so we; but, as Rivet observes, it will bear a comparative thus, thou hast sinned above, or more than.

Our version leaves this verse somewhat obscure, but our reading in the margin doth much clear the words, and maketh them much more easily intelligible.

As an heifer; a young and wanton heifer, unaccustomed to the yoke, not used to hard labour. Taught; used to, and so skilled in or acquainted with. Loveth to tread out the corn: what we do by thrashing, the Jews did by these heifers or oxen, tread out the corn, and in doing this the law provided…

Sow to yourselves in righteousness: the prophet continueth his care of their welfare, by exhorting them yet at last to repent, which, as learned interpreters observe, the prophet doth here in the same elliptic speech which is used before these imperatives, and is to be made up thus, The Lord hath…

You, O Israelites, subjects of the kingdom of the ten tribes, have ploughed wickedness; instead of repentance, and a life of righteousness, you have lived in wickedness, and propagated it, you have increased all manner of impieties; thus you have abused and perverted the fruits of God’s goodness.

Therefore, since such are their sins, and such will be their disappointments, since their refuges will be so vain, cud their enemies so many and strong, shall a tumult arise; a discontent, murmur, and outcry, as of men affrighted, not knowing what course to take when the alarm is given, and certain…

So; mercilessly and universally min. Beth-el; one place put for every one, and the place put for the idolatry committed there. Do; procure, bring your idolatry and sins, do all this evil against you. Unto you, O Samaritans, and the rest of the ten tribes.