Page:06.CBOT.KD.PropheticalBooks.B.vol.6.LesserProphets.djvu/673

 the pen for שׁוּר (Ewald, Hitzig, etc.), since שׁוּר, to look, construed with מן, in the sense of to look away from a person, is never met with, although the meaning is just the same.

Verses 13-14
The vanishing of the glory of Ephraim is carried out still further in what follows. Hos 9:13. “Ephraim as I selected it for a Tyre planted in the valley; so shall Ephraim lead out its sons to the murderer. Hos 9:14. ''Give them, O Jehovah: what shalt Thou give him? Give them a childless womb and dry breasts.” In Hos 9:13 Ephraim'' is the object to ראיתי (I have seen), but on account of the emphasis it is placed first, as in Hos 9:11; and ראה with an accusative and ל dna evi signifies to select anything for a purpose, as in Gen 22:8. The Lord had selected Ephraim for Himself to be a Tyre planted in the meadow, i.e., in a soil adapted for growth and prosperity, had intended for it the bloom and glory of the rich and powerful Tyre; but now, for its apostasy, He would give it up to desolation, and dedicate its sons, i.e., its people, to death by the sword. The commentators, for the most part, like the lxx, have overlooked this meaning of ראה, and therefore have not only been unable to explain letsōr (for a Tyre), but have been driven either to resort to alterations of the text, like letsūrâh, “after the form” (Ewald), or to arbitrary assumptions, e.g., that tsōr signifies “palm” after the Arabic (Arnold, Hitzig), or that letsōr means “as far as Tyre” (ל = עד), in order to bring a more or less forced interpretation into the sentence. The Vav before ‘Ephraim introduces the apodosis to כּאשׁר: “as I have selected Ephraim, so shall Ephraim lead out,” etc. On the construction להוציא, see Ewald, §237, c. In Hos 9:14 the threat rises into an appeal to God to execute the threatened punishment. The excited style of the language is indicated in the interpolated mah-titteen (what wilt Thou give?). The words do not contain an intercessory prayer on the part of the prophet, that God will not punish the people too severely but condemn them to barrenness rather than to the loss of the young men (Ewald), but are expressive of holy indignation at the deep corruption of the people.

Verse 15
The Lord thereupon replies in Hos 9:15 : “All their wickedness is at Gilgal; for there I took them into hatred: for the evil of their doings will I drive them out of my house, and not love them any more; all their princes are rebellions.” How far all the