Hosea 11:2

“[As] they called them, so they went from them, etc.] That is, the prophets of the Lord, the true prophets, called Israel to the worship and service of God; but they turned a deaf ear to them, and their backs upon them; and the more they called to them, the further they went from them, and from the way of their duty; (see <281107>Hosea 11:7). So the Targum, “I sent the prophets to teach them, but they wandered from them;” Moses and Aaron were sent unto them, and called them out of Egypt, but they hearkened not unto them; (see <020609>Exodus 6:9,12); in later times the prophets were sent unto them, to exhort them to their duty, and to reclaim them from their evil ways, but they despised and…”

“As they called them--"they," namely, monitors sent by Me. "Called," in Hos 11:1, suggests the idea of the many subsequent calls by the prophets. went from them--turned away in contempt (Jer 2:27). Baalim--images of Baal, set up in various places.”

“As they called them, so they went from them - The prophet changes his tone, no longer speaking of that one first call of God to Israel as a whole, whereby He brought out Israel as one man, His one son; which one call he obeyed. Here he speaks of God’s manifold calls to the people, throughout their whole history, which they as often disobeyed, and not disobeyed only, but went contrariwise. “They called them.” Whether God employed Moses, or the judges, or priests, or kings, or prophets, to call them, it was all one. Whenever or by whomsoever they were called, they turned away in the opposite direction, to serve their idols. They proportioned and fitted, as it were, their disobedience to God’s…”

“They - Moses and Aaron, and other prophets. Called - Persuaded, intreated, and urged by exhortations, the whole house of Israel. From them - From the prophets counsel and commands. Baalim - In the desert they began this apostacy, and held on with obstinacy in it. Hosea 11:3”

“11:2 In spite of God’s love, Israel had become a rebellious child, offering sacrifices to . . . Baal. The penalty for a rebellious son was death (Deut 21:18-21).”

“they called: Hos 11:7; Deu 29:2-4; Sa1 8:7-9; Kg2 17:13-15; Ch2 36:15, Ch2 36:16; Neh 9:30; Isa 30:9-11; Jer 35:13, Jer 44:16, Jer 44:17; Zac 1:4, Zac 7:11; Luk 13:34; Joh 3:19; Act 7:51; Co2 2:15, Co2 2:16 they sacrificed: Hos 2:13, Hos 13:1, Hos 13:2; Jdg 2:13, Jdg 3:7, Jdg 10:6; Kg1 16:31, Kg1 16:32, Kg1 18:19; Kg2 17:16 burned: Kg1 12:33; Isa 65:7; Jer 18:15, Jer 44:15 Hosea 11:3”