Hosea 12:12

And Jacob fled into the country of Syria,.... Or, "field of Syria" (m); the same with Padanaram; for "Padan", in the Arabic language, as Bochart has shown, signifies a field; and "Aram" is Syria, and is the word here used.

And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep. And Jacob fled into ... Syria; and Israel served for a wife.

Jacob, the patriarch, fled into the country of Syria, for fear of Esau. And Israel, though honoured with that great name, served, stooped to the condition which is next door to slave, for a wife; a wife was his wages. And for a wife he kept sheep of Laban. All which in the history is related at large, Genesis 29.

Hosea 12:12 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [sheep].Ver. 12. And Jacob fled into the country of Syria] Jacob, in whom ye glory, was a poor forlorn fugitive, glad to run for his life, and to take hard on for his livelihood, Genesis 28:1-22; Genesis 29:1-35. This they were bound by the law to make confession of ever when they offered their basket of firstfruits, and to say, "A Syrian ready to perish was my father," &c., Deuteronomy 26:5; that, considering the meanness of their origin, they might not boast of their ancestry, but magnify God’ s free grace in their present enjoyments; and say, as that noble Athenian general, Iphicrates, did, in the midst of all his triumphs, εξοιωνειςοια, from how great baseness and misery to what great blessedness and glory are we exalted! King Agathocles would be served in earthen vessels, to remind him of his father, who was a poor potter. Willigis, Archbishop of Mentz, A.D. 1011, being a wheelwright’ s son, hanged wheels and wheel wrights’ tools round about his bedchamber, and underwrote in capital letters, Willigis,!! Willigis,!! recole unde veneris, Remember thine origins (Bucholcer). How low and mean were we of this nation at first! Brith signifieth blue-coloured, sc. with woad; hence our name Britains. This was their fine clothing; their food was bark of trees and roots. Holinshed saith, that some old men he knew, who told of times in England, that if the good man of the house had a mattress, or a flock bed, and a sack of chaff to rest his head on, he thought himself as well lodged as the lord of the town; for ordinarily, they lay upon straw pallets covered with canvas, and a round log under their heads instead of a bolster; they said pillows were fit only for women in childbed; and in a good farmer’ s house it was rare to find four pieces of pewter; and it was accounted a great matter that a farmer should show five shillings, or a noble, together in silver. There are those who render the text thus: Thither fled Jacob out of the country of Syria, after Israel had served for a wife, and for a wife had kept sheep. And Israel served for a wife] He had nothing to endow her with, he would therefore earn her with his hard labour; wherein he showed singular humility, patience, meekness, waiting upon God’ s providence; none of all which graces were found in his degenerate posterity, who yet prided themselves in their father Jacob. And for a wife he kept sheep] q.d. Jacob, that he might obey his father, was content to serve his uncle, and to suffer a great deal of wrong from him; but ye refuse to serve me though a liberal lord, a bountiful benefactor, He held close to me in that hard service; but you, abusing your liberty, enslave yourselves to false gods.

(12) Jacob . . . Israel.—Resuming the retrospect over early patriarchal history, begun in Hosea 12:4. Notwithstanding the loneliness and humble position of the patriarch, God took care of him, and he won the mighty name of Israel, and gave it to his descendants. Country.—More accurately, plain.

Verse 12. Served for a wife] Seven years for Rachel. For a wife he kept sheep.] Seven years for Leah; having been cheated by Laban, who gave him first Leah, instead of Rachel; and afterwards made him serve seven years more before he would confirm his first engagement. Critics complain of want of connection here. Why is this isolated fact predicted? Thus, in a detached sentence, the prophet speaks of the low estate of their ancestors, and how amply the providence of God had preserved and provided for them. This is all the connection the place requires.

8–15. Not Israel, but Canaan should he be called; for his ideal is Canaan’s. The end justifies the means, and his end is—to become rich! But how bitterly will he be disappointed. He must in short begin his history over again, and repeat his wilderness-wanderings. Or to speak more plainly, idolatry must be rooted out. Jehovah must take up the challenge thrown down by Ephraim. Just before the severe final rebuke, Hosea resumes his appeal to the instructive history of Jacob; but Hosea 12:12-13 may be misplaced.

And Jacob fled into the country of Syria - Jacob chose poverty and servitude rather than marry an idotatress of Canaan.

10, 11. In manifold ways Jehovah sought to warn the people. By the prophets — This is better than R.V. “unto” (compare Amos 2:11; Jeremiah 7:25).