Fathers

Hosea 7

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When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, also the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief enters in, and the gang of robbers ravages outside. They don’t consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own deeds have engulfed them. They are before my face. They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies. They are all adulterers. They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring, from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened. On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He joined his hand with mockers. For they have prepared their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire. They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to me. Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations. Ephraim is a pancake not turned over. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he doesn’t realize it. Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him, and he doesn’t realize it. The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they haven’t returned to Yahweh their God, nor sought him, for all this. “Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria. When they go, I will spread my net on them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard. Woe to them! For they have wandered from me. Destruction to them! For they have trespassed against me. Though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me. They haven’t cried to me with their heart, but they howl on their beds. They assemble themselves for grain and new wine. They turn away from me. Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me. They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.

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What the Fathers say

Hosea 7:4

Western Saints

Jerome

"All adulterers are like an oven heated by the baker: the city rested for a little while from the mixture of the ferment, until it had fermented all. " LXX: "All adulterers are like a burning oven for baking bread, heated by the fire of mixed bread, until it has fermented all." Those who rejoice in their wickedness, kings in their lies, are all adulterers, and like a burning oven, consumed by the fire of Jeroboam's idolatry, to bake bread of impiety which, when it sent an error into their souls, like an oven and kiln first set on …

Commentary on Hosea 7:4 ↗

Bonaventure

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. As Osee writes, "the city rested a little from the mingling of the leaven, till the whole was leavened." They warm the eggs of asps, so that what has been warmed breaks out into a serpent.

Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 19 ↗