SEV Biblia, Chapter 13:2
Y ahora añadieron a su pecado, y de su plata se han hecho según su entendimiento estatuas de fundición, ídolos, toda obra de artífices; acerca de los cuales dicen a los hombres que sacrifican, que besen los becerros.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hosea 13:2
Verse 2. And now they sin more and more] They increase in every kind of vice, having abandoned the great Inspirer of virtue. Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.] This was the test. If there be a Jew that pretends to sacrifice, and whose conversion is dubious, let him come openly and kiss the calves. This will show what he is; no real Jew will do this. If he be an idolater, he will not scruple. This was the ancient method of adoration. 1. They kissed the idol. 2. When the statue was too high or too far off, they presented the hand, in token of alliance. 3. They brought that hand respectfully to their mouths, and kissed it. This was the genuine act of adoration; from ad, to, and os, oris, the mouth. So PLINY, Hist. Nat., lib. xxviii., c. 1. Adorando, dexteram ad oscula referimus.
And APULEIUS, Asin., lib. iv.: Admoventes oribus suis dexteram, ut ipsam prorsus deam religiosis adorationibus venerabantur. See Calmet, and see the note on Job xxxi. 17.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. And now they sin more and more , etc.] Since the times of Jeroboam, and also of Ahab, adding other deities to the calves, and to Baal, as follows; increasing the number of their idols, and their idolatrous sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies: this they did in the times the prophet, who prophesied after the times of as it is common with evil men and seducers to wax worse and worse, and to proceed to more ungodliness, and from evil to evil; such is the way of idolaters, they stop not, but run into greater absurdities and grosser idolatries: and have made them molten images of their silver : which is to be understood, not of the calves, or of Baal, made of gold, which they purchased with their silver; but of other images they had in their houses, or carried about with them, made of their silver, of their plate, which they melted and cast images of it, of whatsoever shape or form they pleased: [and] idols according to their own understanding ; which were entirely of man’s device, and had nothing divine in them, either as to matter or form, but wholly the invention of the human brain; or, “according to their own likeness”, as the Targum, and so other Jewish interpreters; after the form of a man, and yet were so weak and stupid as to account them gods: all of it the work of the craftsmen ; of silversmiths and founders, and such like artificers; the same, or of the same sort, with the craftsmen that made shrines for Diana, ( Acts 19:24,38); and therefore such a work, wrought by such hands, could never be a deity, or have anything divine in it; they must be as stupid and senseless as the work itself to imagine there should: and yet they say of them ; the false prophets, or the idolatrous priests, say of such idols: let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves : let those that bring their sacrifices, or those that offer them, pay religious worship and adoration to the calves; which they signified by kissing the idols they sacrificed to, either their mouths, or their hands; or, if out of their reach, they kissed their own hands in token of honour to them; which rites were commonly used among the Heathens. Cicero says at Agrigentum, where was a temple or Hercules, where the people not only used to show a veneration to his image by prayers and thanksgivings, but they used to kiss it. So Apuleius speaks of a beautiful virgin, the report of whose beauty brought together a vast number of citizens and strangers; who, amazed at the sight of her, put their right hand to then mouths, the first finger resting upon the thumb erect, and gave her reverence with religious adoration, as if she had been the goddess Venus herself; and Minutius Felix says of Caecilius, that, observing the image of Serapis (probably much like one of these calves), putting his hand to his mouth, according to the superstitious custom of the common people, with his lips smacked a kiss; and so Pliny f264 observes, in worshipping, the right hand is used for a kiss, turning about the whole body, which to do to the left was reckoned the more religious; hence it is observed of Aemilius, a derider of and scoffer at things divine, that he would never make supplication to any god, nor frequent any temple; and if he passed by any place of worship, he reckoned it a crime to put his hand to his lips by way of adoration, or on account of that; and it seems to have obtained as early as the times of Job among idolatrous people, that, upon the sight of the sun or moon, they immediately with their mouth kissed their hands; (see Job 31:26,27); hence Lucian f266 , speaking of the Indians, says, rising early in the morning, they worship the sun, not as we, who think the prayers are finished when the hand is kissed; and Tertullian f267 , addressing the Heathens in his time, thus bespeaks them, most of you, out of an affectation of worshipping the celestial bodies at the rising of the sun, move and quaver your lips; hence kissing is used for the worship of the Son of God, ( Psalm 2:12). Some read the words, “let those that sacrifice a man kiss the calves”; as if it respected the abominable practice of sacrificing men to Moloch; or intimated that men were sacrificed to the calves at Bethel.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Judah and Israel reminded of the Divine favours. (Hos. 12:1-6) The provocations of Israel. (Hos. 12:7-14)
Hos. 12:1-6 Ephraim feeds himself with vain hopes of help from man when he is at enmity with God. The Jews vainly thought to secure the Egyptians by a present of the produce of their country. Judah is contended with also. God sees the sin of his own people, and wil reckon with them for it. They are put in mind of what Jacob did, an what God did for him. When his faith upon the Divine promise prevaile above his fears, then by his strength he had power with God. He is Jehovah, the same that was, and is, and is to come. What was revelation of God to one, is his memorial to many, to all generations Then let those who have gone from God, be turned to him. Turn thou to the Lord, by repentance and faith, as thy God. Let those that ar converted to him, walk with him in all holy conversation and godliness Let us wrestle with Him for promised blessings, determined not to giv over till we prevail; and let us seek Him in his ordinances.
Hos. 12:7-14 Ephraim became a merchant: the word also signifies Canaanite. They carried on trade upon Canaanitish principles covetously and with fraud and deceit. Thus they became rich, an falsely supposed that Providence favoured them. But shameful sins shal have shameful punishments. Let them remember, not only what a might prince Jacob was with God, but what a servant he was to Laban. The benefits we have had from the word of God, make our sin and folly the worse, if we put any slight upon that word. We had better follow the hardest labour in poverty, than grow rich by sin. We may form judgment of our own conduct, by comparing it with that of ancien believers in the like circumstances. Whoever despises the message of God, will perish. May we all hear his word with humble, obedient faith __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ועתה 6258 יוספו 3254 לחטא 2398 ויעשׂו 6213 להם מסכה 4541 מכספם 3701 כתבונם 8394 עצבים 6091 מעשׂה 4639 חרשׁים 2796 כלה 3605 להם הם 1992 אמרים 559 זבחי 2076 אדם 120 עגלים 5695 ישׁקון׃ 5401
