Hosea 4:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, do not harbor jealousy, says Judah; though Israel has strayed in fury like the heifers, this misdeed shall not go without consequence: they shall be taken captive, forsaking their homeland to dwell in the land of the Persians and Medes. They shall no longer act with insolence, as if untamed and distanced from the flock, but will become like the gentlest lambs. This change arises from the plight of captives, which is often diminished and filled with hardship, accompanied by a perpetual anticipation of suffering, compounded by the oppression of their conquerors. The term ‘space’ here denotes the territory of the Persians and Medes, suggesting that they will inhabit a land vast and boundless, transitioning through many regions, not under a singular ruler, but shifting to the domain of whoever will receive them. In a similar manner, a human soul, despairing of divine love, becomes captive, insignificant, and powerless, drawn to whatever pleases the forces of darkness, and rightfully hears the Lord’s proclamation: ‘Your backsliding will punish you, and your wickedness will rebuke you’ (Jer. 2:19).

This refers to Bethel, previously known as the house of God, but after the idols were erected there, it became Bethaven, meaning a house devoid of purpose, a house of an idol, as interpreted through the Hebrew. This signifies why the Israelites in the wilderness crafted an image of a bull to worship, and why Jeroboam, son of Nebat, constructed golden calves, desiring to hold onto the superstitions learned in Egypt—namely, that Apis and Mnevis, depicted as bulls, were their deities.

Let us explore the implications of this portion. If you, O Israel, are eternally tainted by falsehood, uniting with corrupt practices, such that anyone who fulfills their own desires or those of the king, offering bribes, is made a priest of high places; then, at the very least, you, O Judah, who dwell in Jerusalem, with legal Levites and engaging in sacred rites at the temple, should not follow in the footsteps of Oolle, once your sister, nor serve false idols alongside her. You are not to visit Galgaleh, of which the prophet claims, “All their wickedness is in Galgaleh” (Hos. 9:15), where Saul was anointed king and where the people, after their exodus from the wilderness, were ritually cleansed by circumcision (Josh. 4). Eventually, the deception of false religion took root in this storied site.

Furthermore, do not ascend to Bethaven, the city once termed Bethel, for once Jeroboam set the golden calves there, it lost its title as the house of God and became the house of an idol. I find it curious that the LXX translates it as the house of ὢν instead. One might surmise that an error led to the misidentification of the middle letter iod, flanked by aleph and nun, as vav. However, it is more plausible to consider it the other way around—an error of mistaking vav for iod, with the distinction being merely one of size.

And do not swear: the Lord lives. I do not desire My name to be spoken by lips tainted with idol worship. For like a stubborn heifer that breaks free of its yoke, Israel—meaning the ten tribes—has distanced itself from the service of the Lord. The LXX renders stubborn heifer as one troubled by a gadfly, a buzzing creature infamous for its torment. As Virgil notes in the third book of Georgics, this insect drives its victim into a frenzy at the sound of its buzzing, creating chaos among the animals. Since Israel has become wild, struck by the spirit of fornication, becoming irrationally fierce, the Lord will lead them like a lamb in a broad pasture, fulfilling this during my prophetic ministry while His spirit reigns in my being.

Thus, drawing from the imagery of a rebellious calf or a disruptive gadfly, the prophet likens the impending captivity in Assyria and the dispersal of Israel across vast terrains of Midian to how a shepherd gathers flocks in flourishing pastures. This serves as a clear admonition to heretics: if you, heretic, engage in spiritual infidelity while being part of the Church, do not sin, do not go to Galgaleh, the gatherings of heretics where their wrongdoings are laid bare, wading like swine in mire. Do not contemplate ascending to the arrogant fabrications of false beliefs; for there it is not a house of God, but a house of an idol. And do not invoke the name of Christ, whose glory you tarnish by mingling with falsehoods. Like a heifer tormented by a gadfly, heretics have been struck by the fiery arrows of the devil, forsaking the knowledge of the law. Consequently, they will wander on the expansive path leading to destruction, where the enduring love of the Lord and the good Shepherd will only pave their way to ruin.

Galgalah is identified as a city dedicated to many idols. It was here that Joshua circumcised the uncircumcised Israelites with stone knives, and he erected twelve stones which God commanded be taken from the Jordan River, serving as a memorial of His favor and a reminder of how the people crossed the dry land. It stands as a testament to the utmost ingratitude that this city, filled with divine reminders, became a center of wickedness.

There is a significant reason for the command, “You shall not blaspheme the living Lord,” as those who clung to On and swore by him referred to him as the living Lord. This can also be supported by scripture. It states, “If you will remove the idols from your mouth and swear, saying, ‘As the Lord lives in truth,’” (Jer. 4:1), indicating a call to forsake idols and serve Me while declaring Me the living Lord. In doing so, you will swear with honor for the truth, rejecting falsehood.

Consequently, as a young woman is akin to an arrow, Israel declared, saying, “Now the Lord will save me, like a lamb in the field.” The fly that torments the cattle is metaphorically called a dragonfly; its painful stings lead the afflicted cattle to ignore the shepherd's voice and prevent them from grazing peacefully with the herd. They become frantic, carried away by the currents. God speaks of Ephraim, who was harmed by the desire to serve idols. Ephraim, as mentioned earlier, represents the ten tribes. Yet, despite this, I will not abandon them without salvation; even if I scatter them and make them captives, they will become like a lost lamb searching for its mother’s milk. However, Ephraim shall bear this pain because, seduced by temptations and idols in the form of young women, he displayed jealousy towards the sins of the Canaanites, arrogantly choosing the service of idols over My own.