How do harvest loss and bereavement develop the oracle’s warning?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Failed provisions and worship lead into remembered apostasy, loss of offspring and wandering.

Chapter breakdown

Israel is forbidden to rejoice like the nations because of fornication against God and a loved reward on every cornfloor. Floor and winepress fail to feed them, and wine deceives. They will not remain in the Lord's land: Ephraim has returned to Egypt and eaten unclean things among Assyrians. Wine offerings will not please God; sacrifices are like mourners' bread, defiling eaters. Bread sustains their souls but does not enter the Lord's house. The oracle asks what they will do on the solemn feast day. Those leaving because of destruction are gathered by Egypt and buried by Memphis; nettles inherit their beloved silver and burs their dwellings.

Days of visitation and repayment have come. The prophet is foolish and the spiritual man mad amid multiplied iniquity and madness. Ephraim's watchman was with God, but the prophet becomes a snare of ruin and madness is in God's house. They sin deeply as in Gabaa's days, and God remembers and visits it. Israel was found like desert grapes and the fathers like fig firstfruits; at Beelphegor they alienated themselves and became abominable like what they loved.

Ephraim's glory flies like a bird from birth, womb and conception. Even raised children are taken away, and divine departure brings woe. Ephraim was like Tyre founded in beauty but brings children to the murderer. A petition asks for a childless womb and dry breasts. Wicked devices at Galgal bring expulsion from God's house and loss of love; the princes are revolters. Ephraim's root dries and yields no fruit; even beloved offspring face death. Because they did not listen, God casts them away as wanderers among nations. This chapter does not narrate Nile roundups, specify court prognosticators or make this warning a medical explanation of infertility.

The story inside

Egypt gathers and Memphis buries those leaving destruction. Israel’s firstfruit promise contrasts with its turn to Beelphegor. Tyre’s beauty, a dry root and threatened children form distinct images.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Egypt gathers and Memphis buries those leaving destruction.
2
Israel’s firstfruit promise contrasts with its turn to Beelphegor.
3
Tyre’s beauty, a dry root and threatened children form distinct images.

Test your recall

What request follows the children being brought to the murderer?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 99745–99750
9:1. Rejoice not, O Israel: rejoice not as the nations do: for thou hast committed fornication against thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor. 9:2. The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the wine shall deceive them.
Lines 99767–99770
9:7. The days of visitation are come, the days of repaying are come: know ye, O Israel, that the prophet was foolish, the spiritual man was mad, for the multitude of thy iniquity, and the multitude of thy madness.
Lines 99783–99788
9:11. As for Ephraim, their glory hath flown away like a bird from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. 9:12. And though they should bring up their children, I will make them without children among men: yea, and woe to them, when I shall depart from them.
Lines 99800–99805
9:16. Ephraim is struck, their root is dried up, they shall yield no fruit. And if they should have issue, I will slay the best beloved fruit of their womb. 9:17. My God will cast them away, because they hearkened not to him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.