Hosea 7:4, Hosea 7:6, and Hosea 7:7 are linked together by the figure of an "oven," common to them; while 4 and 6 have also in common the figure of a "baker." Further, we are helped to the literal meaning of the metaphorical language of Hosea 7:4 and Hosea 7:6 by Hosea 7:5 and Hosea 7:7 respectively.
They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker. Whether the sin indicated was idolatry, which is often represented as spiritual adultery, or adultery in the literal sense, which was its frequent accompaniment; or in a larger sense faithlessness to solemn obligations such as treason, treachery, or perfidy in general; it was their habitual practice, as intimated by Piel participle in its iterative or intensive sense.
The persons charged with this sin were kullam, all of them—sovereign and subjects, princes and people alike. The traitors of the time referred to, or rather their heart heated with lawless lust and pernicious passion, is pictured by the prophet as an oven; and the oven is heated by tile baker, or more literally, burning from the baker.
Who or what is represented by the baker? This may be a personification of the spirit of treason like the spirit of whoredoms (Hosea 5:4), or evil agency that impelled these men to their nefarious deeds; or we may understand by the "baker" those persons who were the prime movers in such matters, and who instigated others to become their tools and execute their plans.
In either case the burning, once commenced, continued of itself; the primary instigators had no difficulty in securing agents ready and willing as themselves for such bad and bloody work, and who, once set ageing, needed no further impulse, but of their own motion delighted to carry it through.
Who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened. An interval of time elapses between the inception and execution of the work. The baker ceaseth from raising, more literally, from stirring or stoking; after kindling the fire in the oven he lets it burn on and leaves off stirring it until the kneaded dough is fully fermented.
This respite is allowed that the leaven of wickedness may do its work, and completely pervade the minds into which it has been introduced, and until matters are thoroughly matured for action. Meantime the fire burns steadily and sufficiently, until the oven requires to be more highly heated for the well-prepared and perfectly leavened dough.
The use of the participle מֵעִיד is well explained by the principle stated by Ewald as follows: "Just as the idea of the verb 'to be' is placed in immediate construction with the word which more exactly forms the predicate, so also may those verbs which describe a somewhat more specific kind of being, e.
g. verbs which signify 'commencing' to be, i.e. becoming … verbs of hastening, i.e. quickly becoming … and those of ceasing to be, Hosea 7:4 … The following verb, if such a word be required for the more specific predicate, most readily chooses the participial form.
; verbs denoting continuance would be constructed in the same way." The particle עַד, equivalent to usque ad, implies the completeness of the leavening.