Hosea 12:8

Yet. Heb. ’ak, “only,” “surely,” “tally” (see on Ps. 62:1). This may be taken to be a defensive reply to the divine appeal, implying, “I have only become rich; I have done nothing wrong; therefore, no iniquity can be found in me.” Or this may be considered to be a self-sufficient reply to the prophet’s earnest appeal to wait on God (Hosea 12:6), implying, “Certainly, I have become rich through my own efforts and not through divine help.” Become rich. Ephraim here boasts of his riches, in spite of the fact that they were procured by fraud and violence, maintaining at the same time that he has not transgressed thereby, and so does not deserve condemnation and punishment. The prosperous state of the northern kingdom during the reigns of Jehoash and Jeroboam II (see 2 Kings 14:11—16, 23-28) may have caused Israel’s under self-confidence and strange forgetfulness of God, blinding them to the knowledge of their real spiritual condition (see on Hosea 2:8). Prosperity is poor food for the soul, and a constant danger to the attainment of eternal life. None iniquity. This protestation of innocence on the part of Ephraim foreshadowed the Pharisaical attitude of the Jews of Christ’s day, who stoutly justified themselves before men but were known to be hypocrites by God (see Luke 16:13-15; 18:9-14).