John Calvin Commentary Hosea 12:9

"But I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt; I will yet again make thee to dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn feast." — Hosea 12:9 (ASV)

In the first clause, God reproaches the Israelites for having forgotten the benefit of his redemption, the memory of which ought always to have prevailed and flourished among them. I yet, he says, am your God from the land of Egypt; that is, “It is strange that you are so forgetful that your redemption does not come to your mind, which nevertheless ought to be well known, and be always, as it were, before your eyes.” That was, as we know, a memorable instance of God’s kindness.

But when he says that he is the God of that people from the land of Egypt, he points out the purpose of redemption, as if he said, “I redeemed you for this purpose, that you might be forever bound to me.” For we know that when he delivered that people from their cruel tyranny, he at the same time acquired for himself an eternal kingdom; he was then sanctified in his elect people.

The purpose of redemption is then to be observed in the words of the Prophet. He says, I am your God from the land of Egypt; how otherwise could you have come forth from your grave? For they were like the dead when God stretched out his hand to them.

From the land of Egypt then I am your God, which means this: “Since you have been so wonderfully restored from death to life by my favor, am I not your God from that day? You then owe yourself and all yours to me; for I purchased you for myself as a peculiar possession. When you now petulantly detest and reject my Prophets, who speak in my name, it is surely an ingratitude not to be endured, that you forget your redemptions and the purpose for which I made known to you my power and grace.”

But as to the second clause, interpreters vary. Some explain it in this way: that God would not cease to show mercy to the Israelites, however unworthy they were, I will make you to dwell in your tabernacles; and they take "tabernacles," not in its strict sense, to mean houses. Then they say, according to the days of Moed, that is, of ancient agreement, or, according to appointed days; for God had promised to give the land of Canaan to the posterity of Abraham for their perpetual rest.

But this interpretation seems unsuitable. Others say that the Israelites are here reproved because they neglected the command of God, who had instituted a festival day on which they were to commemorate yearly their redemption. We indeed know that there was the annual Feast of Tabernacles, so they think the meaning of the Prophet to be this: “I not only once redeemed you, but I also wished that there should be a memorial of this favor; and for what purpose have I commanded you to keep a yearly festival, except that you might retain in your memory what otherwise might have been forgotten? But I have effected nothing by this rite, for I am now rejected, and my prophets possess no authority among you.”

But this interpretation also is unconvincing. Some think that the Prophet here threatens the Israelites, as if he said, “God will again drive you out, that you may dwell in tents as you did formerly in the desert.”

Though I do not reject this opinion, yet I think there is something more emphatic in the Prophet’s words. That is, God here says in an indirect way that there was a need for a new redemption, that he might bind the people more to himself, as if he said, “I see that you are unmindful of my former redemption; for I see that you esteem it as nothing, as if it were obsolete. I must then lose all my labor, unless the memory of my ancient favor is renewed. I will therefore make you to dwell again in tents. It is necessary to eject you again from your heritage, and to restore you again—and that in a manner unusual and least expected—that you may understand that I am your Redeemer.”

We now therefore understand what the Prophet meant. After God had said that he was the God of Israel from the land of Egypt, he then adds, “Inasmuch as your former redemption has lost all its influence through your wicked forgetfulness, I will become again your Redeemer; I will therefore make you to abide or dwell in tents as formerly; as your first redemption avails nothing, I will add a second, that you may at length repent, and know how much you are indebted to me.”

He takes the days of Moed to mean their manner of proceeding in the desert as described by Moses, for they assembled together for sacrifices from their camps. Hence God does not speak here of the covenant he had made with his people, as if he pointed out some perpetual compact; but he calls those the days of Moed on which the Israelites were assembled, when they were located in their camps according to the account given by Moses.