John Calvin Commentary Hosea 9:6

"For, lo, they are gone away from destruction; [yet] Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them; their pleasant things of silver, nettles shall possess them; thorns shall be in their tents." — Hosea 9:6 (ASV)

The Prophet confirms here what is contained in the last verse; that is, that the Israelites would eventually find that the Prophets had not threatened them in vain, though at the time they heedlessly despised the judgment of God. Lo, he says, they have departed; he speaks of the exile as if it had already taken place, when it was only close at hand.

The Israelites were then living in their own country, yet he speaks of them as having already gone away. But he demonstrates the certainty of the prediction by this manner of speaking, so that ungodly men might cease to promise themselves impunity when God summons them to His tribunal. Indeed, he shows that God was already armed to take vengeance.

He says, They have gone away on account of desolation. Then he adds, Egypt shall gather them. Here, "to gather" is to be understood in a negative sense, for it means the same as trousser (to pack up, to bundle) in our language. It is often used in this sense by the Prophets when destruction is mentioned. This becomes even clearer from the word "burying," which the Prophet immediately adds.

Egypt shall gather them. He certainly does not speak of a kind retreat but declares that Egypt would be a tomb for them, in which they would remain confined. Thus, he removes from them any hope of deliverance.

The Israelites expected that they would find shelter for a time in Egypt when they headed there for fear of their enemies. The Prophet now shows that they would be disappointed in dreaming of a return, for they would remain there gathered up. That is, a free return, as they imagined, would not be permitted them, but a permanent dwelling, indeed, a grave.

Egypt will gather them, Memphis will bury them. There is a striking correspondence between the words here used, קבר, kober, and קבף, kobets. By the first, the Prophet signifies that they would be confined, so as to be, as it were, bound and fixed to a place; and then he adds that they would be buried.

He then says, The desirable place of their silver the nettle shall possess, as by hereditary right, and the thorn, etc.; some translate it as 'paliurus,' but I follow what is more commonly accepted: the thorn then shall be in their tabernacles. The meaning is that the Israelites would be exiles and sojourners, not for a short time, but their exile would be so long that their land would become desolate and uncultivated, for neither nettles nor thorns grow in an inhabited place.

Hosea then declares that their land would be deserted and without inhabitants, for nettles and thorns would occupy it instead of people. Now, it greatly tended to increase the sorrow of exile that their hope of return was cut off from them; and God had also declared that Egypt, where they had sought refuge for themselves, would be like a grave to them.

And so it usually happens to the ungodly who resort to futile comforts to escape God's vengeance. For they throw themselves into deep labyrinths where they think they will find a harbor of rest for a time and a comfortable dwelling, but there they find either a gulf or a grave.

This is the meaning. Let us proceed—