Albert Barnes Commentary Hosea 9:1

"Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, like the peoples; for thou hast played the harlot, [departing] from thy God; thou hast loved hire upon every grain-floor." — Hosea 9:1 (ASV)

Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people - Literally, “rejoice not to exultation,” so as to bound and leap for joy .

The prophet seems to come across the people in the midst of their festivity and mirth, and arrests them, abruptly stopping it, telling them that they had no cause for joy.

Hosea witnessed Israel’s prosperity under Jeroboam II; the land had peace under Menahem after the departure of Pul. Pekah was even strong, so that, in his alliance with Rezin, he was an object of terror to Judah (Isaiah 7:0), until Tiglath-Pileser came against him.

At some of these times, Israel seems to have given itself to exuberant mirth, whether at harvest-time or on any other ground, enjoying the present, secure for the future.

On this rejoicing Hosea breaks in with his stern, “Rejoice not.” In His presence is fulness of joy (Psalms 16:11), true, solid, lasting joy. How then could Israel joy, who had gone a whoring from his God? Other nations might joy, for they had no imminent judgment to fear.

Their sins had been sins of ignorance; none had sinned like Israel. They had not even changed their gods, which were no gods (Jeremiah 2:11). If other people did not thank God for His gifts and thanked their idols, they had not been taught otherwise. Israel had been taught. And so, his sin was sin against light.

Thus God says by Amos, You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities (Amos 3:2).

“It was ever the sin of Israel to wish to joy as other nations. So they said to Samuel, make us a king to judge us, like all the nations. And when Samuel “told the people the word of God, they have rejected Me that I should not reign over them,” they still said, Nay, but we will have a king over us, that we may be like all the nations (1 Samuel 8:5, 1 Samuel 8:10, 1 Samuel 8:7, 1 Samuel 8:19–20).”

This was the joy of the nations: to have another king than God. With this joy Israel wished to exult when it asked for Saul as king, when it followed Jeroboam, and when it denied Christ before the presence of Pilate, saying, we have no king but Caesar.

But the people who received the law and professed the worship of God could not exult as other people who had not the knowledge of God, nor expect that, like them, after forsaking God, it should be allowed to enjoy temporal prosperity like theirs.

He says, rejoice not like the nations, namely, because it is not allowed you. Why? For you have gone a whoring from your God.

The punishment of the adulteress, who departs by unfaithfulness from her husband, is different from that of the harlot, who had never plighted her faith nor had ever been bound by the bond of marriage.

You obtained God for your Husband and forsook Him for another—indeed, for many others—in the desert, in Samaria, even in Jerusalem, for the golden calves, for Baal, and the other monstrous gods, and lastly, when, denying Christ, you preferred Barabbas.

Rejoice not then, with the joy of the nations; for the curses of the law, written against you, do not allow you. Cursed shall you be in the city, cursed in the field; cursed your basket and your store; cursed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your land, the increase of your kine and the flocks of your sheep; cursed you in your coming in, and cursed you in your going out (Deuteronomy 28:16–19). Other nations enjoyed the fruit of their own labors; you took the labors of others as a hire, to observe His laws (Psalms 105:45).

You have loved a reward - (Literally, “the hire” (Hosea 2:12; Hosea 8:9; Ezekiel 21:31, 34; Micah 1:7) of a harlot) on every grain-floor.

Israel had no heart, except for temporal prosperity. This he loved, wherever he found it. And so, on every grain-floor, on which the fruits of the earth were gathered for the threshing, he received it from his idols as the “hire,” for which he praised them “for the good things which he had received from a better Giver.”

“Perverse love! You ought to love God and use His rewards. You loved the reward, and despised God. So then you went whoring from your God, because you turned away the love with which you ought to love God, to love the hire: and this not sparingly, nor in just any way, but on every barnfloor, with avarice so boundless and so deep, that all the barn-floors could not satisfy you.”

The first-fruits and the freewill offering they retained, turned them away from the service of God, and offered them to their idols.