Albert Barnes Commentary Hosea 7:1

"When I would heal Israel, then is the iniquity of Ephraim uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief entereth in, and the troop of robbers ravageth without." — Hosea 7:1 (ASV)

When I would have healed Israel – God begins anew by appealing to Israel, showing that all He had done to heal them had only served to make their sin more evident; and “that,” from highest to lowest, concerning all kinds and methods of sin. When the flash of God’s light on the sinner’s conscience does not enlighten it, it only discloses its darkness. The name “Israel” includes the whole people; the names Ephraim and Samaria are probably meant to designate the chief among them, Ephraim having been their royal tribe and being the chief tribe among them, and Samaria being their royal city.

The sins which Hosea denounces in this chapter are chiefly the sins of the great, which, from them, had spread among the people. Whatever healing methods God had used, whether through the teaching of the prophets or through His own fatherly chastisements, they “would not listen nor be reformed, but persisted even more obstinately in their evil ways. The disease prevailed against the remedy and was irritated by it, so that the remedy served only to “lay open” the extent of its malignity and to show that there was worse in it than at first appeared.” Paul says of all human nature, When the commandment came, sin revived (Romans 7:9).

Apart from grace, the knowledge of good only enhances evil:

“So, when God, made Man, present and visible, willed to “heal Israel,” then that iniquity of the Jews and wickedness of the Scribes and Pharisees was discovered, of which this iniquity of Ephraim and wickedness of Samaria was a type.

“For an evil spirit goaded them to mock, persecute, and blaspheme the Teacher of repentance who, together with the word of preaching, did works such as no other man did.

“For Christ did not please them—a Teacher of repentance, persuading to poverty, a Pattern of humility, a Guide to meekness, an Admonisher to mourn for sins, a Proclaimer of righteousness, a Requirer of mercy, a Praiser of purity of heart, a Rewarder of peace, a Consoler of those who suffered persecution for righteousness’ sake.

“Why did they reject, hate, and persecute Him who taught thus? Because they loved all that was contrary to it and wished for a Messiah who would exalt them in this world, disturb the peace of nations until he would by war subdue all the rest of the world to their empire, build for them on earth a Jerusalem of gold and gems, and fulfill their covetousness in all things of this sort.

“He once briefly expressed this mindset of theirs: How can ye believe which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor which cometh from God only? (John 5:24).

“They then persecuted Him who willed to heal them, as madmen strike the physician offering them medicine, and they did not cease until they demanded that He, their King, be crucified.

“Thus was the “iniquity of Ephraim and wickedness of Samaria discovered” and yet filled up by them; and so they filled up the measure of their fathers, and revealed and testified that they were of the same mind as their fathers. In all these things they “committed falsehood,” lying against their King whom they denied and accused as seditious.”

For they commit falsehood – (that is, all of them). Falsehood was the whole habit and tissue of their lives:

“They dealt falsely in all their actions both with God and man, being hypocritical and false in all their words and actions, given to fraud and deceit, from the highest to the lowest.”

Night and day; in silence and in open violence; “within,” where all seemed guarded and secure, and “without,” in open defiance of law and public justice; these deeds of wrong went on in an unceasing round.

In the night, the thief cometh in, breaking into people’s houses and pillaging secretly; a troop of robbers spoileth without, spreading their ravages far and wide and desolating without resistance.

It was all one state of anarchy, violence, and disorganization.