Book of Hosea Chapter 10 Vs. 4

ONCE MORE: PUPPET-KINGS AND PUPPET-GODS

 

They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field. Hos. 10:4

They have spoken... The nobles and great men in Israel, the heads of the parties, or the counsellors of the kingdom.

words, swearing falsely... 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 another, and ruined all; and this latter seems exactly to suit with what follows.

in making a... By perjury deceiving those they treated with, in making a covenant; either among themselves, accepting a usurper, promising and swearing loyalty to him; or with their allies, as with the Assyrian king, whose covenant they broke by perjury and contrary to oath, sent to and confederated with Sun, or So, king of Egypt.

Thus Judgment springeth... i.e. Divine revenges do so abound everywhere; or else unequal and sinful projects, counsels, and resolutions of their rulers. They are instead of just, wholesome and saving, turned into bitter, poisonous and pernicious as hemlock.

as hemlock in... A proverbial speech expressing the greatness of this pernicious evil. So this will be explained by (Amos 6:12), oppression, injustice, and all sins spread as hemlock quickly overruns a field, over the entire kingdom. Hemlock—poppy.

They had not kept their covenant with God. It appears; even their day to day life was full of deceit and lies. They made agreements; they had no intention of keeping. God had forbidden them to swear at all, but worse than that, they had sworn lies. Hemlock seems to be associated with bitter herbs. This is speaking of the chastisement of God that comes upon them for their lies. Instead of producing sweet edible food, their land is full of bitterness.

He shall break the neck of their altars; He shall ruin their pillars. For already they are saying, No king have we, for we have not feared Jehovah, and the king-what could he do for us?

Speaking of words, swearing of false oaths, making of bargains-till law breaks out like weeds in the furrows of the field.

The people’s lack of respect for the Lord was illustrated by their lack of regard for legal agreements they made with each other. Their attitude toward fellow Israelite's including frequently taking each other to court simply reflected their lack of loyalty to God.