Hosea 11:9

“I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, etc.] That is, his wrath and fury to the uttermost; his people are deserving of his wrath as others, being by nature children of wrath as the rest; which they are sensible of under spiritual conviction, and therefore flee from it, where they may be safe: and though the Lord often chastises and afflicts them, yet not in wrath; or however but in a little wrath, as it seems to them; he does not stir up all his wrath, nor any in reality; all being poured upon his Son, their surety, who saves and delivers them from wrath to come; I will not return to destroy Ephraim; or “again”, or “any more, destroy”f225 him; not twice; he might be destroyed when…”

“I will not return to destroy Ephraim--that is I will no more, as in past times, destroy Ephraim. The destruction primarily meant is probably that by Tiglath-pileser, who, as the Jewish king Ahaz' ally against Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Syria, deprived Israel of Gilead, Galilee, and Naphtali (Kg2 15:29). The ulterior reference is to the long dispersion hereafter, to be ended by God's covenant mercy restoring His people, not for their merits, but of His grace. God, . . . not man--not dealing as man would, with implacable wrath under awful provocation (Isa 55:7-9; Mal 3:6). I do not, like man, change when once I have made a covenant of everlasting love, as with Israel (Num 23:19). We measure…”

“I will not execute the fierceness of Mine anger - It is the voice of “mercy, rejoicing over judgment.” mercy prevails in God over the rigor of His justice, that though He will not suffer them to go utterly unpunished, yet He will abate of it, and not utterly consume them. I will not return to destroy Ephraim - God saith that He will not, as it were, glean Ephraim, going over it again, as man doth, in order to leave nothing over. As it is in Jeremiah, “They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel, as a vine. Turn back thine hand, as a grapegatherer into the baskets” Jeremiah 6:9; and, “If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning-grapes? but I have made Esau bare”…”

“Return - Conquerors that plunder the conquered city, carry away the wealth of it, and after some time return to burn it; God will not do so. Not man - Therefore my compassions fail not. The holy One - A holy God, and in covenant, though not with all, yet with many among you. Enter into the city - Utterly to destroy thee, as I did Sodom. Hosea 11:10”

“11:9 No: The Lord alone would determine Israel’s fate. God repeated the words I will not three times, emphasizing his decision not to completely destroy his people. • The reason for the divine decision is, I am the Holy One living among you. God’s holiness distinguishes him from every created thing (see “God’s Absolute Holiness” Theme Note). An offended mortal might very well destroy a rebel out of pique and spite. The Holy One does not operate out of those motives.”

“not execute: Hos 14:4; Exo 32:10-14; Deu 32:26, Deu 32:27; Psa 78:38; Isa 27:4-8, Isa 48:9; Jer 30:11, Jer 31:1-3; Eze 20:8, Eze 20:9, Eze 20:13, Eze 20:14, Eze 20:21-23 return: Sa1 26:8; Sa2 20:10 for: Num 23:19; Isa 55:8, Isa 55:9; Mic 7:18-20; Mal 3:6; Rom 11:28, Rom 11:29 the Holy One: Isa 12:6; Eze 37:27, Eze 37:28; Zep 3:15-17 Hosea 11:10”