Book of Hosea Chapter 12 Vs. 3

The Lord's Indictment of Israel and Judah

 

He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: Hos. 12:3

He took his... Jacob Hebrew: Ya‛aqob, heel-catcher, supplanter, cheater, defrauder, deceiver. For his history see Gen. 25:23-34; 27:1-50:14; also see Jacob.

Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. Abraham waited twenty-five years (Gen. 12:4; 21:5) and Isaac waited twenty years for a son (Gen. 25:20, 25:26). Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born (Gen. 17:17; 21:5); and Isaac was threescore or sixty years old when Jacob and his twin brother were born (Gen. 25:26).

Before further developing the themes of guilt and judgment (cf. 12:9-13:16), Hosea reminded the nation of her need to repent (Hos. 12:5-6). In doing so he drew a lesson from the life of Jacob (Hos. 12:3-4).

Jacob’s birth gave a hint of the kind of person he would be. His grasping Esau’s heel (cf. Gen. 25:26) foreshadowed his deception of his brother in stealing his birthright and blessing (cf. Gen. 27:35-36).

He took his... Whether or not the act of Jacob was beyond the strength, ordinarily given to infants in the womb, the meaning of the act was beyond man's wisdom to declare. Whence the Jews paraphrased, "Was it not predicted of your father Jacob, before he was born; that he should become greater than his brother?" Yet this was not fulfilled until more than 500 years afterward, or completely until the time of David.

by his strength... The strength, by which he did this, was God's strength, as well as that by which God contended with him; yet it is well called his, as being by God given to him. God so ordering it, that the strength which was in Jacob, should put itself forth with greater force, than that in the assumed body, whereby He so dealt with Jacob. God, as it were, bore the office of two persons, showing in Jacob more strength than He put forth in the Angel.

This is speaking of Jacob and Esau when they were born. We remember from previous lessons, the birthright belonged to Esau, but he traded it to his brother Jacob for a bowl of soup. Even in their mother's womb, before they were born, there was war going on between the two. It has never stopped until this very day. Jacob tricked His father into giving him the right hand (preferential), blessing.

Jacob’s birth gave a hint of the kind of person he would be. His grasping Esau’s heel (cf. Gen. 25:26) foreshadowed his deception of his brother in stealing his birthright and blessing (cf. Gen. 27:35-36).