John Calvin Commentary Hosea 7:3

"They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies." — Hosea 7:3 (ASV)

The Prophet now accuses all the citizens of Samaria, and in them the whole people, because they gave obedience to the king through flattery, and to the princes in wicked things, concerning which their own conscience convicted them. He had already in the fifth chapter mentioned the falling away of the people in this respect: that they had obeyed the royal edict.

It might indeed have appeared something worthy of praise that the people had quietly embraced what the king commanded. This is the case with many today, who offer this kind of pretext. Under the papacy, they dare not withdraw from their impious superstitions, and they offer this excuse: that they ought to obey their princes.

But, as I have already said, the Prophet has previously condemned this sort of obedience. Now he shows that the falling away which then prevailed throughout all Israel should not be ascribed to the king or to a few men, but that it was a common evil, which involved everyone in the same guilt, without exception. How so? By their wickedness, he says, they have exhilarated the king, and by their lies the princes; that is, if they wish to cast the blame on their governors, it will be done in vain; for from where did such readiness then come?

As soon as Jeroboam formed the calves, as soon as he built temples, religion instantly collapsed, and whatever was before pure, degenerated. How was the change so sudden? It was because the people had inwardly devised their wickedness, which showed itself when an occasion arose, for hypocrisy lay hidden in all of them and was then discovered. We now perceive what the Prophet intended.

And this passage should be carefully noted, for it often happens that some vice, which proceeds from one person or from a few, creeps in. But when all readily embrace what a few introduce, it is quite evident that they have no living root of piety or of the fear of God. Then those who are so prone to adopt vices were previously hypocrites; and we daily find this to be the case.

When pious men govern a city and act prudently, then the whole populace will give some hope that they will fear the Lord; and when any king, influenced by a desire to advance God's glory, endeavors to keep all his subjects in the pure worship of God, then the same feeling of piety will be seen in all. But when an ungodly king succeeds him, most people will immediately fall back again; and when a magistrate neglects his duty, most of the people will break out into open impiety.

I wish there were no proofs of these things; but throughout the world, the Lord has intended for such examples to exist.

This purpose of God should therefore be noted, for he accuses the people of having made themselves too submissive and compliant. When King Jeroboam set up corrupt worship, the people immediately showed themselves ready to obey; thus impiety became quite open. They then delighted the king by their wickedness, and the princes by their lies; as if he said, "They cannot transfer the blame to the king and princes. Why? Because they delighted them by their wickedness; that is, they controlled the king by their wickedness and delighted the princes by their lies."