Verse 8

VER. 8.

The watch-man of Ephraim was with my God: but the Prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his waies, and hatred in the House of his God.

In this, and the former verse God charges (as the cause of much evil in Israel) the false Prophets, but yet through the people's sin, for it was through the multitude of their wickedness that they were so guided by those false Prophets, whom they followed in times of their prosperity. But God would have a time wherein they should know they were but fools, and the spiritual man but mad. And this was likewise because of their great hatred, the great hatred of the true Prophets, their spirits were against them, and therefore God gave them up to those that were false: the same argument follows here in the eighth verse, The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the Prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his waies, and hatred in the house of his God.