Matthew Henry’s Modern English CommentaryHosea 12

Israel’s Lies and Trust in Foreign Alliances This section describes how the people of Israel (called Ephraim) and Judah have turned away from God. Instead of trusting in the Lord, they tell lies and depend on their own clever ideas. They make alliances with foreign countries like Egypt and Assyria, hoping these nations will save them. But all their efforts are empty and useless, just like chasing after the wind. God wants His people to remember their past and return to Him, trusting only in His power and promises.v. 1: Ephraim (Israel) tries to feed on the wind and keeps running after the east wind. This means they chase after things that cannot help them at all—just empty promises and false hopes. They become more and more dishonest and violent. Instead of turning to God, they make agreements with Assyria and send oil as a gift to Egypt, hoping these nations will protect them. But these alliances will not bring them any real help or safety.

v. 2: God also has a charge against Judah. He will punish Jacob (meaning the people of Israel) for their actions. God will repay them according to what they have done. This shows that both Israel and Judah are guilty and will face God’s judgment if they do not change their ways.

v. 3: From the very beginning, Jacob tried to get ahead by his own strength. Even in the womb, he grabbed his brother’s heel, and as a man he struggled with God. This reminds the people that Jacob, their ancestor, was always trying to use his own cleverness instead of trusting God.

v. 4: Jacob struggled with the angel and won, but only because he wept and begged for help. He found God at Bethel, and there God spoke to him. This shows that Jacob’s true victory came when he was humble and prayed to God, not by his own power.

v. 5: The Lord God Almighty, whose name is the Lord

v. 6: God tells Israel to return to Him, to practice love and justice, and to always wait for Him. This means they must stop trusting in foreign nations and their own ways, and start living according to God’s will—showing kindness and fairness, and trusting in God’s timing.

Israel’s Dishonesty and God’s Coming Judgment This section describes how the people of Israel have become dishonest and proud. They use tricks and lies to get rich, thinking their wealth will protect them. But God sees everything they do. He reminds them that He is the one who brought them out of Egypt and cared for them in the wilderness. God also sent prophets to warn them, but the people refused to listen. Because of their sins, God will bring judgment. True safety comes from returning to God, practicing justice, and trusting in Him—not in wealth or false religion.v. 7: The people of Israel are compared to dishonest merchants who use false scales to cheat others. They think only about making money, even if it means doing wrong. Their business is full of lies and tricks, and they do not care about being fair or honest with others. They are proud of their riches and say, “I am very rich; I have found wealth for myself. No one can find anything wrong with me that deserves punishment.” They believe that because they are rich, they must not be guilty. But God sees their hearts and knows their sins, even if they try to hide them.

v. 8: God reminds them that He is the one who brought them out of Egypt and cared for them in the wilderness. He gave them everything they needed, but they have forgotten Him and trusted in their own riches and plans.

v. 9: God warns that He will make them live in tents again, like they did during the feast of tabernacles, as a reminder of their time in the wilderness. This means He will humble them and take away their comforts because of their sins.

v. 10: God sent prophets with many visions and messages to warn His people. He used stories and examples to help them understand, but they still would not listen and change their ways. God’s patience has limits, and if people keep ignoring His warnings, judgment will come.

v. 11: Gilead is full of evil and wickedness. Even when they offer sacrifices, their altars are like piles of stones in a plowed field—useless and rejected by God. Their worship is empty because their hearts are far from Him.

v. 12: Jacob had to run away to Aram and work as a shepherd to get a wife. Israel (Jacob) had to serve and work hard, just as the people now must suffer because of their disobedience. Their past shows that relying on their own strength only brings trouble.

v. 13: God sent a prophet (Moses) to bring Israel out of Egypt and take care of them. God was the one who saved and led them, not their own efforts or foreign alliances.

v. 14: But Ephraim (Israel) has made God very angry with their bitter and sinful actions. God will punish them for their guilt and repay them for their sins. Unless they repent and return to Him, they will suffer the consequences of turning away from God.In summary, Israel’s dishonesty, pride, and refusal to listen to God’s warnings have brought them to the point of judgment. God wants His people to be honest, practice justice, and trust in Him—not in riches or empty religious rituals. If they refuse to change, they will face God’s punishment. Only by returning to God in humility can they find true safety and blessing.