John Calvin Commentary Hosea 7:15

"Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet do they devise mischief against me." — Hosea 7:15 (ASV)

God again reproaches the Israelites for having in a shameful manner abused his goodness and forbearance. Some consider the verb יסר, isar, as meaning “to chastise,” because God had disciplined the Israelites; and, as I said yesterday, it is often taken in this sense. But as it sometimes signifies “to bind,” it seems a more fitting metaphor for this place.

I have bound and strengthened their arms; as if God had said that he had caused their arms not to be weakened. For we know that the strength of the arm depends on the structure of the nerves. Unless the bones were bound together by the nerves, a collapse would immediately follow.

Hence God says, I have bound and strengthened their arms; these two actions combine for the same end, and the notion of chastising does not seem to me to be in any way suitable to the context. The meaning is that the Israelites had until now continued, because God had sustained them by his power.

Just as one binds up and strengthens a weak or loose arm, so God here reminds Israel that he had preserved them in their position. And the Prophet, I have no doubt, alludes here to the many calamities by which the strength of Israel might have been broken, had not a timely remedy been applied by the Lord.

God then compares himself here to a physician or a surgeon when he says that he had bound the arm of Israel and strengthened it, when it might have otherwise been broken; for they had often been, as it were, weakened, but the Lord restored them. We now understand the Prophet’s meaning to be that God had not only sustained the Israelites by his power but had also performed the role of a surgeon or a physician when he saw their arms broken, when they were depleted by slaughters in wars and by other adversities.

Now the Israelites were so far from being grateful to God and mindful of him, that they were even devising evil against him. For after obtaining victories, after being restored and even replenished with the fullness of all blessings, they all the more boldly conspired against him. For under this pretense, superstitions were established, and then followed the indulgence of all vices, as pride, cruelty, ambition, and deceit prevailed more and more.

Since the Israelites had thus perverted the blessings of God, was not the hope of pardon and salvation justly cut off from them? We are reminded in this place that whenever God heals our afflictions, raises us up in adversity, and helps us, we ought devoutly to acknowledge his favor and not plot evil against him when he so kindly extends his hand to us.