1 qSee Ps. 80:8-11 Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
rch. 8:11 the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
2 Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars
and destroy their pillars.
3 For now they will say:
s[ver. 7, 15; 1 Sam. 12:12] “We have no king,
for we do not fear the Lord;
and a king—what could he do for us? ”
4 They uttert[ch. 4:2] mere words;
with empty oaths they make covenants;
souAmos 5:7; 6:12 judgment springs up like poisonous weeds
vch. 12:11 in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria tremble
forwSee 1 Kgs. 12:28 the calf1Or calves ofxSee ch. 4:15 Beth-aven.
Its people mourn for it, and so do its idolatrous priests—
those who rejoiced over it andych. 9:11; [1 Sam. 4:21, 22] over its glory—
for it has departed2Or has gone into exile from them.
6 z[Isa. 46:2] The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria
as tribute toach. 5:13 the great king.1Or to King Jareb
Ephraim shall be put to shame,
and Israel shall be ashamedbch. 11:6 of his idol.2Or counsel
7 c[ver. 3] Samaria's king shall perish
like a twig on the face of the waters.
8 The high places ofx[See ver. 5 above] Aven,d1 Kgs. 12:30; Amos 8:14 the sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed.
e[ch. 9:6] Thorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars,
andfLuke 23:30; Rev. 6:16; [Isa. 2:19] they shall say to the mountains, Cover us,
and to the hills, Fall on us.
9 Fromgch. 9:9 the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel;
there they have continued.
Shall not the war against the unjust overtake them in Gibeah?
10 h[Ex. 32:34] When I please,ich. 7:12 I will discipline them,
and nations shall be gathered against them
when they are bound up forj[1 Kgs. 12:28] their double iniquity.
11 Ephraim was a trained calf
thatk[Deut. 25:4; 1 Cor. 9:9; 1 Tim. 5:18] loved to thresh,
and I spared her fair neck;
but I will putlSee ch. 6:4 Ephraim to the yoke;
lSee ch. 6:4 Judah must plow;
Jacob must harrow for himself.
12 m[ch. 8:7; Gal. 6:8] Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
nJer. 4:3 break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come andoIsa. 45:8 rain righteousness upon you.
13 p[ch. 8:7] You have plowed iniquity;
you have reaped injustice;
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way
and in the multitude of your warriors,
14 thereforeq[ch. 1:5] the tumult of war shall arise among your people,
and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,
asr2 Kgs. 17:3 Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle;
s[ch. 13:16] mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15 Thus it shall be done to you, Ot[ver. 5] Bethel,
because of your great evil.
At dawna[See ver. 6 above] the king of Israel
shall be utterly cut off.