Hosea 4:13

“They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, etc.] The highest part of them, nearest to the heavens, where they built their altars to idols, and offered sacrifice unto them, as we often read in Scripture they did: and burn incense upon the hills; to their idols, which was one kind of sacrifice put for all others: under oaks, and poplars, and elms; and indeed under every green tree that grew upon them, where there were groves of them raised up for this purpose; (see <240220>Jeremiah 2:20 <240306>3:6): because the shadow, thereof is good; the shadow of these trees, of each of them, was large, and preserved them from the sultry heat of the sun, as well as hid them from the sight of men; they…”

“upon . . . mountains--High places were selected by idolaters on which to sacrifice, because of their greater nearness to the heavenly hosts which they worshipped (Deu 12:2). elms--rather, "terebinths" [MAURER]. shadow . . . good--screening the lascivious worshippers from the heat of the sun. daughters . . . commit whoredom . . . spouses . . . adultery--in the polluted worship of Astarte, the PhÅ“nician goddess of love.”

“They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains - The tops of hills or mountains seemed nearer heaven, the air was purer, the place more removed from the world. To worship the Unseen God upon them, was then the suggestion of natural feeling and of simple devotion. God Himself directed the typical sacrifice of Isaac to take place on a mountain; on that same mountain He commanded that the temple should be built; on a mountain, God gave the law; on a mountain was our Saviour transfigured; on a mountain was He crucified; from a mountain He ascended into heaven. Mountains and hills have accordingly often been chosen for Christian churches and monasteries. But the same natural feeling, misdirected,…”

“Good - Convenient for the sacrificers. Shall commit whoredom - Shall dishonour themselves, and their families, with fornicators. Hosea 4:14”

“4:13 Many Canaanite religious rites were practiced on the mountaintops and hills. On these pagan “high places,” sacred trees were usually used in fertility worship (1 Kgs 14:23; Jer 2:20). • Israelite daughters and brides also committed sexual acts in the worship of Baal; they were possibly forced to do so by their fathers and husbands.”

“sacrifice: Isa 1:29, Isa 57:5, Isa 57:7; Jer 3:6, Jer 3:13; Eze 6:13, Eze 16:16, Eze 16:25, Eze 20:28, Eze 20:29 therefore: Sa2 12:10-12; Job 31:9, Job 31:10; Amo 7:17; Rom 1:23-28 Hosea 4:14”

“This whoredom is still further explained in the next verse. Hos 4:13. "They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and upon the hills they burn incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, for their shadow is good; therefore your daughters commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery." Mountain-tops and hills were favourite places for idolatrous worship; because men thought, that there they were nearer to heaven and to the deity (see at Deu 12:2). From a comparison of these and other passages, e.g., Jer 2:20 and Jer 3:6, it is evident that the following words, "under oak," etc., are not to be understood as signifying that trees standing by themselves upon mountains and hills…”