Verse 1

Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment [is] toward you, because ye have been a a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.

(a) The priests and princes caught the poor people in their snares, as the fowlers did the birds, in these two high mountains.

Verse 2

And the revolters are profound to make b slaughter, though I [have been] a c rebuker of them all.

(b) Even though they seemed to be given altogether to holiness, and to sacrifices which here he calls slaughter in contempt.

(c) Though I had admonished them continually by my Prophets.

Verse 3

I know d Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, [and] Israel is defiled.

(d) They boasted themselves not only to be Israelites, but also Ephraimites, because their King Jeroboam came from that tribe.

Verse 5

And the e pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.

(e) Meaning their condemning of all admonitions.

Verse 7

They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten f strange children: now shall g a month devour them with their portions.

(f) That is, their children are degenerate, so that there is no hope in them.

(g) Their destruction is not far off.

Verse 8

Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, [and] the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud [at] Bethaven, after thee, O h Benjamin.

(h) That is, all of Israel that was included under this tribe, signifying that the Lord's plagues would pursue them from place to place until they were destroyed.

Verse 9

Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made i known that which shall surely be.

(i) By the success they will know that I have surely determined this.

Verse 10

The princes of Judah were like them that k remove the bound: [therefore] I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

(k) They have turned upside down all political order and all manner of religion.

Verse 11

Ephraim [is] oppressed [and] broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the l commandment.

(l) That is, after King Jeroboam's commandment, and did not rather follow God.

Verse 13

When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah [saw] his wound, then went Ephraim to m the Assyrian, and sent to king n Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

(m) Instead of seeking for remedy from God's hand.

(n) Who was king of the Assyrians.