Hosea 12:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord guided Israel out of Egypt through a prophet, providing leadership in their journey. Here, He elucidates why Israel failed to uphold the commandments and scorned God, who commanded, ‘Let no man be thy gods except Me’ (Ex. 20:3), and why they did not aspire to emulate the bravery of their ancestors. He reproaches them for submitting to human authority despite God's sovereign rule through the holy prophets, ensuring their well-being. It is worth recalling that during the time of Samuel, while he was alive and delivering God's messages, the people insisted on having a king. Despite God's displeasure and feeling disregarded, He still appointed Saul (1 Sam. 8; 1 Sam. 9). They are strongly reproved for choosing the rule of men instead of accepting God’s governance through His prophets.

Jacob fled to Syria, where he served to acquire a wife and tended sheep for her. The Lord delivered Israel from Egypt through a prophet, and it was by this prophet that he was redeemed. It appears somewhat perplexing and against the customary order of prophecy to find Jacob's narrative in Genesis introduced abruptly, following the references to the idols of Gilead and Gilgal, yet this becomes clear when one recalls the prior mention of Jacob. In the womb, he contended with his brother, and through his strength stood before the angel and triumphed; he wept and pleaded with him, ultimately encountering him at Bethel, where he received divine communication.

Your patriarch, following the counsel of his mother, chose to depart from his father’s household, favoring a foreign land over his homeland in search of a wife, consciously avoiding a Canaanite union in favor of one from the lineage of Shem. He preferred servitude to liberation and adhered to the marital laws established by his ancestors. Consequently, his descendants partook of God's blessings; while his lineage found themselves in bondage to the Egyptians, God provided their liberation through the mighty Prophet Moses. In their time in the wilderness, the Lord safeguarded them, employing the same Prophet to guide them.