Hosea 11:10-11

10, 11. No promise is made that judgment will be withheld entirely. It must come, but it will not result in destruction. When it has accomplished its purpose the divine mercy will again manifest itself in the home-gathering of the dispersed exiles.

They shall walk after Jehovah Can, in this connection, mean only that when he gives the signal they will readily respond.

Roar like a lion That is, with a powerful voice. Not as in Hosea 5:14; Hosea 13:7, but to summon the scattered people (Isaiah 11:12; Isaiah 27:13; Isaiah 49:22). When the signal is heard the exiles shall tremble [“come trembling”] Though they recognize the call as the call of love, they tremble before the majesty and power of the caller (compare Hosea 3:5).

The children In Hebrew without the article, “sons” or “children”; only those whom he may acknowledge as sons (Hosea 11:1; Hosea 1:10).

From the west Literally, from the sea, the Mediterranean, which is west of Palestine; perhaps equivalent to “the islands of the sea” (Isaiah 11:11). Hosea expects the Israelites to go into exile to Assyria and to Egypt (Hosea 11:11), that is, to the south and east. Only in this passage he introduces a third place of exile. This peculiarity leads some to change the text so as to read, “from their captivity.”

Bird… dove Ordinarily the flight of birds represents swiftness (Psalms 55:6; Isaiah 60:8). If so here, come trembling cannot be a correct reproduction of the prophet’s thought. “A thrill of eagerness doubling the speed of motion is what is meant”; equivalent to they shall come swiftly (see the comparison in Hosea 7:11).

I will place them For the promise to re-establish Israel in the old home see also Hosea 2:23.

Most recent commentators consider Hosea 11:10-11 later additions, because (1) they are thought to be out of harmony with Hosea 11:9 where the withdrawal of judgment is announced, while in these verses a dispersion is presupposed; (2) the verses contain expressions foreign to Hosea. To these verses are sometimes added Hosea 11:8-9, in part, or even entire. The chief objection to these two verses is that they contain a promise which, it is said, weakens the preceding threat. In reply it may be said (1) Hosea 11:8-9 do not imply a complete withholding of judgment; (2) the only peculiar expression is “from the west” (Hosea 11:10); (3) a promise does not necessarily weaken a previous threat. It would do so only if the promise were unconditional. Hosea believes that the divine favor may be regained; but he makes it perfectly clear that it can be done only on condition of sincere repentance (Hosea 14:1-3). As soon as the conditional character of a promise is recognized, the promise, far from weakening a threat, may become a strong incentive to repentance, to avert the fulfillment of the threat. Hence it will be seen that the objections raised against the originality of these verses are not conclusive.