101 Israel is a luxuriant vine ; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit , The more altars he made ; The richer his land , The better he made the sacred pillars . 2 Their heart is faithless ; Now they must bear their guilt . The Lord will break down their altars And destroy their sacred pillars . 3 Surely now they will say , "We have no king , For we do not revere the Lord . As for the king , what can he do for us?" 4 They speak mere words , With worthless oaths they make covenants ; And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field . 5 The inhabitants of Samaria will fear For the calf of Beth-aven . Indeed , its people will mourn for it, And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it, Over its glory , since it has departed from it. 6 The thing itself will be carried to Assyria As tribute to King Jareb ; Ephraim will be seized with shame And Israel will be ashamed of its own counsel . 7 Samaria will be cut off with her king Like a stick on the surface of the water . 8 Also the high places of Aven , the sin of Israel , will be destroyed ; Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars ; Then they will say to the mountains , "Cover us!" And to the hills , "Fall on us!"
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Hosea 10:1-8
Commentary on Hosea 10:1-8
(Read Hosea 10:1-8)
A vine is only valuable for its fruit; but Israel now brought no fruit to perfection. Their hearts were divided. God is the Sovereign of the heart; he will have all, or none. Were the stream of the heart wholly after God, it would run strongly, and bear down all before it. Their pretences to covenant with God were false. Even the proceeding of justice was as poisonous hemlock. Alas, how empty a vine is the visible church even at this day! But all earthly prosperity is but a collection of bubbles, soon destroyed like foam upon the water. Sinners will in vain seek shelter from that Judge, whom they now despise as a Saviour.