1 When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they practise falsehood; and the thief entereth in, [and] the troop of robbers assaileth without.
Jerome · AD 420 When I wanted to heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed, and the malice of Samaria: for they have wrought falsehood, and a thief is come in to spoil, a robber without. The Septuagint likewise.
2 And they say not in their hearts [that] I remember all their wickedness: now do their own doings encompass them; they are before my face.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 Therefore each one must keep his heart with all watchfulness, for when the Lord comes in the day of judgment, "He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts," "all the thoughts of men meanwhile accusing or else excusing them," "when their own devices have beset them about." But of such a nature are the evil thoughts that…
Jerome · AD 420 "And lest perhaps they should say in their hearts: all their wickedness (all wickedness Vulg.) I have remembered, they have encompassed me in the inventions of their own thoughts, before my face they are made." LXX: "That they may sing as it were a new song in their hearts, all their wickedness I have remembered." "Now their own devices have encompassed them about, they have be…
3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
Jerome · AD 420 "In their malice, they made the king rejoice, and in their lies, the princes." LXX: "In their wickedness, the kings rejoiced, and in their lies, the princes." It explains what they did before Him: In their wickedness, they made King Jeroboam rejoice, and in their lies, the princes who led the people under Jeroboam.
4 They all practise adultery, as an oven heated by the baker: he ceaseth from stirring [the fire] after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 But where shall I find on a sudden the divine Scripture which may teach me what the "oven" is? I must call upon my Lord Jesus, that he may make me who seek to find, and open to me who knock, so that I may find in the Scriptures the "oven" where I may cook my sacrifice, so that God may receive it.
Caesarius of Arles · AD 542 Although you might marry and in the face of the authority of all the Scriptures never commit adultery, why do you not with God's grace accept what is lawful? Instead you dare to offend God and commit what is unlawful.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Those who bent their knee to drink are those who inclined themselves totally to philosophy: and the same are inclined to an infinite number of errors, and that is how the leaven of error is warmed.
5 In the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine: he stretched out his hand to scorners.
Jerome · AD 420 "The day of our king: the princes began to rage from wine: he stretched out his hand with the mockers." LXX: "The days of your kings. The princes began to rave from wine: he stretched out his hand with pestilences." A dark place and in need of the attentive reader's sense, so that we may first understand the history.
6 For they have applied their heart like an oven to their lying in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth like a flaming fire.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 But where shall I find on a sudden the divine Scripture which may teach me what the "oven" is? I must call upon my Lord Jesus, that he may make me who seek to find, and open to me who knock, so that I may find in the Scriptures the "oven" where I may cook my sacrifice, so that God may receive it.
Jerome · AD 420 "who placed his heart in the oven as he dined with them. He slept throughout the entire night cooking them, and in the morning he burned like a flame of fire." LXX: "because their hearts were burning like an oven, when they were rushing down all night.
7 They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
Jerome · AD 420 "all of them were heated like a hot oven, and they devoured their judges: all their kings fell, there is none who cries out to me from them." LXX: "All are heated like an oven of burning fire, and fire devoured their judges. All their kings fell: there is none among them who calls upon me." What more?
8 Ephraim, he mixeth himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Jerome · AD 420 The kingdom of the ten tribes has become like any other nation because they went away from the Lord. And he [Ephraim] is like a bread beneath the ashes that is not turned, that is, he does not repent.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ephraim is a cake under the ashes not turned. For a cake under the ashes, that hath ashes upon it, lays the cleaner side flat to the ground, and has the upper side the fouler, in proportion as it carries the ashes upon it. And so with the mind that harbours earthly thoughts, what else does it carry upon itself but a load of ashes?
9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth [it] not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and he knoweth [it] not.
Jerome · AD 420 "Foreigners have devoured his strength, and he knew it not. Yea, gray hairs also are spread upon him, and he is not aware of it." LXX: "strangers have devoured his strength, and he knew it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not." The Assyrians and the Chaldeans have eaten up its strength, and whatever it could have in terms of power, they have devo…
John Cassian · AD 435 Not content with these words, the blessed Anthony entered upon a wider field of discussion, and he said, "This way of life and this most lukewarm condition not only causes you the loss that I have spoken of, even though you yourself may not feel it now.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he hath known it not. For by 'strangers' are usually understood apostate angels, who devour our strength, when they consume the virtue of the mind by perverting it.
10 And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face; and they do not return to Jehovah theirGod, nor seek him for all this.
Jerome · AD 420 "And the pride of Israel shall be humbled before his face: and they have not returned to the Lord their God, nor have they sought him in all these." LXX: "And the pride of Israel shall be humbled before his face: and they have not returned to the Lord their God, nor have they sought him in all these." Therefore, the pride of Israel will be humbled not long after, but now and in…
11 And Ephraim is become like a silly dove without understanding: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
Jerome · AD 420 One may ask: Why was Ephraim compared with a dove and not with other birds? The other birds hurry to protect their offspring even at the risk of life, and when they see a bird of prey, snake, raven or crow approaching their nest, they fly to and fro, and attack with their beak, and wound with their claws, and with a crying voice show the parent's suffering.
Philoxenus of Mabbug · AD 523 And the prophet of God abuseth those who are foolish in respect of good things, and wise in respect of evil things. "Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding; he cometh to Egypt and he goeth to Assyria, and in the way of repentance towards Me he walketh not." Now the prophet maketh an accusation against such silliness, because it is not simplicity, but folly.
12 When they go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowl of the heavens; I will chastise them, according as their assembly hath heard.
13 Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! for they have transgressed against me. And I would redeem them; but they speak lies against me.
Jerome · AD 420 "Woe to them, for they have departed from me; they will be destroyed because they have transgressed against me. I redeemed them, yet they spoke lies against me and did not cry out to me in their hearts, but instead howled in their beds." LXX: "Woe to them, for they have departed from me: they have acted wickedly against me: but I have redeemed them: but they spoke falsehood aga…
John Cassian · AD 435 If [birds] do not hold to the narrow path with cautious and careful restraint as they go their way, making their airy progress through the void, thanks to their marvelous skill, the earth, which is as it were the natural mooring for everyone and the most solid and safe foundation for all, becomes for them a present and manifest danger—not because its nature is changed but becau…
Theodoret of Cyrus · AD 458 "First I will educate them through the threat of sufferings. Then I will catch all of them like birds, placing around them a cloud of enemies like a net." And having said that, he does not forget his love for mankind but offers a dirge from fatherly love for them.
14 And they cried not unto me in their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they assemble themselves for corn and new wine; they have turned aside from me.
Jerome · AD 420 "They muttered about wheat and wine: they separated themselves from me." LXX: "Over wheat and wine they were being cut to pieces." On account of the abundance, they said, they have fallen because of their own foolishness. Which Ezekiel also mentions was done in Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezek.
15 I have indeed trained, I have strengthened their arms, but they imagine mischief against me.
Jerome · AD 420 "and I taught them a lesson. I strengthened their arms, and they thought evil against me." LXX: "they were instructed in me, and I strengthened their arms, and they thought evil against me." The Lord says, "I have taught them, I have provided strength, and they have raised their necks against me; not that they can do anything and harm their Creator, but what they could do, they…
16 They return, [but] not to the [Most] High: they are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
Jerome · AD 420 "They turned back, so as to be without a yoke: they became as a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, by the rage of their tongue: this their derision in the land of Egypt." LXX: "they were turned into nothing, they became like a tense bow, their rulers shall fall by the sword because of their lack of understanding; this is their derision in the land of Egypt."…