John Calvin 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)

God, so that He might show how corrupt the state of all the people of Israel was, compares Himself here to a physician. A physician, while wishing to try remedies, acknowledges that there are hidden, graver diseases; this is often the case.

When a sick person sends for a physician, his disease will soon be discovered. However, it may be that he has for many years suffered from other hidden complaints which do not immediately come to the physician's attention. The physician may indeed think that the symptoms of the disease are those which proceed from a more hidden source; but on the third or fourth day, after having tried some remedies, he then knows that there is some hidden malady.

God then says that by applying remedies He had discovered how corrupt Israel was: While I was healing my people, He says, then I knew what was the iniquity of Samaria and of all Ephraim.

By Samaria the Prophet means the principal part of the kingdom, for that city, as is well known, was the capital and the chief seat of government. The Prophet therefore says that the iniquities of Samaria were then discovered to be, not common, but inveterate diseases. This is the meaning.

We now see what God intended, for the people might deceive themselves, as often happens, and say, “We are not indeed entirely free from every vice; but God ought not, however, to punish us so severely, for what nation is there under the sun which does not suffer from common diseases?” But the Prophet here answers that the people of Israel were so corrupt that mild remedies would not be sufficient for them.

God then here takes on the role of a physician and says, “I have until now wished to heal Israel, and this was My design when I hewed them by My Prophets and employed My word as a sword, and afterwards when I added chastisements. But now I have found that their wickedness is greater than can be corrected by such remedies.” The iniquity of Ephraim then has been discovered, He says, and then I perceived the vices of Samaria.

Now this passage teaches that though the vices of men do not immediately appear, yet those who deceive themselves and disguise themselves to others gain nothing. They are not freed before God, their fault is not lessened, nor are they absolved from guilt, for at last their hidden vices will come to light. This especially happens when the Lord acts as a physician toward them, for we see that men then cast out their bitterness when the Lord seeks to heal their corruptions.

Under the papacy, even those who are the worst conceal their own vices. How so? Because God does not try them; there is no teaching that cauterizes or that draws blood. Since then the Papists rest quietly in their own dregs, their perverseness does not appear. But in other places, where God puts forth the power of His word, and where He speaks effectually by His servants, there men show what great impiety was before hidden in them; for in full rage they rise up against God, and they cannot endure any admonition.

As soon then as God begins to act as a physician, men then reveal their diseases. And this is the reason why the world so greatly shuns the light of heavenly doctrine; for he who does evil hates the light (John 3:20).

We may also observe the same regarding chastisements. When God indulges the wicked, they then at least with their mouths bless Him; but when He begins to punish their sins, they clamor against Him and are angry, and at length show how much fury was before hidden in their hearts.

We now see what the Prophet here charges against the people of Israel. It may also be observed today throughout the whole world, that the curing of diseases reveals evils which were before unknown.

But we have said, and this ought to be kept in mind, that Ephraim is here expressly named by the Prophet, and also the city, Samaria. This is because He wished to intimate that their diseases were inveterate, existing not only in the outermost members, but deeply fixed in the head and bowels, and occupying the vital parts. It then follows, Because they have acted mendaciously, or, done falsely.

By this expression, the Prophet signifies that there was nothing sound in the whole people, because they were addicted to their own depravities. By the word שקר, shikor, He means every kind of falseness; that is, that men were thoroughly imbued with depraved lusts, and that there was nothing sound or whole now remaining in them. This then is the main point: that the wickedness of the people was discovered, and that it could not be cured by moderate severity, because it had penetrated into the very bowels and spread over the whole body.

What follows interpreters usually regard as the punishment which God had already inflicted. The Prophet says, The thief has entered in, and the robber has plundered without. They therefore think that this is to be referred to the manner in which God had already begun by punishment to recall the people to a sound mind, as though He said, “You have been pillaged by thieves as well as harassed by robbers.”

But I rather think that the Prophet here pursues the same subject and shows that the people were inwardly and outwardly so infected with vices that there was now no sound part. He does this by mentioning a part for the whole, here designating every kind of evil, for He specifies two kinds which may represent all things in general.

He therefore says, The thief has entered in, that is, stealthily, and causes harm insidiously, or even openly like robbers who use open violence. This means that impiety so prevailed, either by fraud or by open force, that they were in every way corrupt.

But when He says that the thief had entered in, He means that many of the people were like foxes, who craftily cause harm. And when He says that the robber had plundered in the open, He means that others, like lions, openly and shamelessly seized what belonged to others, and thus by open force stripped and plundered the wretched and the poor.

We now understand the Prophet's meaning. Having said that the Israelites and the citizens of Samaria had behaved so deceitfully, He now, by specifying two things, shows how they had departed from all uprightness and prostituted themselves to every kind of wickedness. For where violence reigned, there also fraud and all kinds of evil reigned. The thief then had entered in, and the robber plundered in the open; that is, they secretly circumvented their neighbors and also went forth like robbers, openly and without any shame.