Hosea 5:11

Ephraim [is] oppressed, [and] broken in judgment,.... Here the prophet again returns to the ten tribes, who were oppressed and broken, either by their own judgments, as the Targum; by the tyranny of

Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment - namely, 'crushed' in the "judgment" of God on him .

Ephraim; the subjects of the kingdom of Israel, the ten tribes; the prophet resumeth his threat against them. Is oppressed; supposing, as well we may, that this prophecy respecteth Ahaz’ s time, it will appear that the reigns of Zachariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, and Pekah were past, which were unjust, seditious, bloody, and tyrannical times, in which oppressions abounded, and of which our prophet now speaketh. The ten tribes are by sedition, civil wars, and bloody conspiracies eaten up already almost. But to those God will add his displeasure, and the Assyrians shall be the executioners, and shall oppress Ephraim. Broken in judgment, i.e. through fear of the partiality of the judge; though his cause be equal and just, yet money, or money’ s worth, is extorted, to prevent an unjust, or to procure a just sentence; a known course in such days as those the prophet lived in, or as the days of Marius and Sylla. Because he, Ephraim, spoken of as if one person, perhaps to intimate the universal defection, willingly walked; it was not forced upon them, they did it willingly. Though there was a law commanding, yet there was in the people a forwardness, and too great a readiness, to comply and obey that law which made idolatry the establishment in the ten tribes. After the commandment; to forbear going to the temple, and to worship the calves at Dan and Beth-el, as Jeroboam son of Nebat required.

Hosea 5:11 Ephraim [is] oppressed [and] broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.Ver. 11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment] Calumniam passus est Ephraim, so the Vulgate hath it: Ephraim was falsely accused and slandered; he suffered much by malicious accusers, who depraved his good actions, drew him before the judgment seats, and there oppressed him, as James 2:6. But the word here used signifieth all manner of injuries and oppressions, whether by vexatious suits, by fraud or by force, virulent tongues or violent hands, wrangling or otherwise wronging a man, to his crushing and utter undoing many times: for a poor man in his house is like a snail in his shell; crush that, and you kill him. Ephraim was crushed in judgment by his countrymen, who would do him no right; but much more by the cruel Assyrians, who soon after this carried him captive, and left him without all remedy of law, without hope of a better condition or place for a worse. And what wonder though men so set against him, when God was pouring out his wrath upon him as water? since all creatures are up in arms against God’ s rebels. If the cause go against a man, though he have never so much right on his side (for often times cedit viribus aequum, might overcomes right), and he be broken in judgment, let him see whether things be right between God and himself; and if broken in judgment, let him be of a broken spirit, and he shall be relieved. Because he willingly followed after the commandment] He was too sequacious and obsequious to Jeroboam and his princes, commanding him to worship the golden calves. Quoniam voluit, iuvat, like a tame fool, or at least as a foolish child (so this prophet calleth him), he was soon won over, he came off with litle ado. Jeroboam did but hold up his finger, and he had him straight; a mere crass stupidity carried away to those dumb idols even as he was led, 1 Corinthians 12:2; a Melchite, such a generation of heretics there were in the primitive Church, so called because they followed the examples and decrees of the emperors; resolving to be of the king’ s religion, whatsoever it were, right or wrong (Nicephorus). The Russians are such at this day. God and their emperor, they say, know best what is truth or falsehood; and it is their part to obey, not to inquire. But all Christ’ s sheep are rational; and will try before they trust, look before they leap; the spiritual man judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged by no man, 1 Corinthians 2:15. Show him a clear text of Scripture for what you would persuade him to, and convince him thereby that it is the mind of God, and you may have what you will of him, James 2:1.

(11) Broken in judgment.—The Authorised version is probably right in this rendering, the phrase having reference to rights pertaining to individuals. Interpreters differ as to the rare word tsav, translated “commandment.” It only occurs in one other place (Isaiah 28:10; Isaiah 28:13). Ewald regards it as meaning “wooden post,” i.e., their idol, but this has no basis in Old Testament usage, though etymologically ingenious. The majority of Jewish and modern commentators take it as meaning the evil ordinance of Jeroboam, who demanded the reverence of his subjects for the calf-symbol of Jehovah. The LXX. had another text (shav instead of tsav), which they render “vanities,” and are followed by the Targum and Syriac version. This is worthy of attention. Willingly—i.e., “waywardly.”

Verse 11. Walked after the commandment.] Jeroboam's commandment to worship his calves at Dan and Beth-el. Many of them were not forced to do this, they did it willingly.

11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment] The same two participles are again combined in Deuteronomy 28:33, and, as here, in connexion with invasion, ‘thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway’ (so Auth. Vers.). The judgment meant is God’s. The idea was so familiar that a more distinct form of expression was unnecessary. The Hebrews and the other Semitic peoples regarded war as a kind of pleading before a judge; comp. for the latter, the Syriac khayeb ‘damnavit, vicit’, and for the former Isaiah 54:17, where ‘weapon’ is parallel to ‘tongue that riseth against thee’). Compare Schiller’s Die Weltgeschichte ist das Weltgericht. Somewhat less probable is the rendering ‘crushed as to (his) right’, i.e. his right of national independence. he willingly walked after the commandment] ‘The commandment’ (or, ‘ordinance’) is generally explained of the arbitrary calf-worship (rather bull-worship) set up by Jeroboam I., but as the word only occurs once again in the stammering speech of the drunkards (Isaiah 28:10), it seems more than probable that we should adopt the reading of Septuagint and Peshito, and render the whole clause, he would go after vanity (i.e. after idols, as Jeremiah 18:15; Psalms 31:6). With this reading, too, we can account for the fact that the noun has no article. Archbishop Seeker well points out that the two initial letters of the next word in the Hebrew are such as help to account for the scribe’s supposed error.

Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment - Literally, “crushed in judgment.” Holy Scripture, elsewhere also, “combines” these same two words, rendered “oppressed” and “crushed,” in speaking of man’s oppression by man.

9. The alarm may indeed be given, for Ephraim is doomed. Day of rebuke — Of judgment. Tribes of Israel — The northern tribes only. Among — Perhaps better, concerning, or with regard to.