Hosea 8:9

9 They have gone up to Assyria for help. They are like a wild donkey that wanders around by itself. Ephraim's people have sold themselves to their Assyrian lovers.

Hosea 8:9 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 8:9

For they are gone up to Assyria
Or, "though they should go up to Assyria" ^F7; to the king of Assyria, to gain his friendship, and enter into alliance with him; as, when Pal king of Assyria came against them, Menahem king of Israel went forth to meet him, and gave him a thousand talents of silver to be his confederate, and strengthen his kingdom, ( 2 Kings 15:19 ) ; yet this hindered not but that Israel was at length swallowed up by that people, and scattered by them among the nations; for this is not to be understood of their going captive into the land of Assyria, as the Targum interprets it: a wild ass alone by himself;
which may be applied either to the king of Assyria, and be considered as a description of him, to whom Israel went for help and friendship; who, though he took their present, and made them fair promises, yet was perfidious, unsociable, and inhuman, studied only his own advantage, and not their good: or to the Israelites that went to him, who were as sottish and stupid as the ass, and as headstrong and unruly as that, and, like it, lustful, and impetuous in their lusts; running to and fro for the satisfying of them, and taking no advice, nor suffering themselves to be controlled, and, being alone, became an easy prey to the Assyrian lion: or yet they should be as "a wild ass alone by itself" ^F8; notwithstanding all the methods they took to obtain the friendship and alliance of the king of Assyria, yet they should be carried captive by him, and dwell in the captivity like a wild ass in the wilderness; and so it is to be understood here, agreeably to ( Job 24:5 ) ( Jeremiah 2:24 ) ; otherwise, as Bochart

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 has proved from various writers, these creatures go in flocks: Ephraim hath hired lovers;
by giving presents to the kings of Assyria and Egypt, to be their allies and confederates, patrons and defenders, ( 2 Kings 15:19 ) ( 2 Kings 17:3 2 Kings 17:4 ) ; who are represented as their gallants, with whom Ephraim or the ten tribes committed adultery, departing from God their Husband, and liege Lord and King, and from his true worship; see ( Ezekiel 16:26 Ezekiel 16:28 Ezekiel 16:33 ) ( Ezekiel 23:4 Ezekiel 23:5 ) . R. Elias Levita ^F11 observes, that some interpret the words, "Ephraim made a covenant with lovers".
F7 (wle hmh yk) "quamvis, etiamsi ascenderint"; so Schmidt observes it may be rendered, though he chooses to render it by "quando", "when they should go up"
F8 (wl ddwb arp) "erunt onager, qui solitarius sibi est", Schmidt.
F9 Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 16. col. 870.
F11 Tishbi, p. 267.

Hosea 8:9 In-Context

7 The LORD says, "Worshiping other gods is like worshiping the wind. It is like planting worthless seeds. Assyria is like a windstorm. That is all my people will harvest. There are no heads of grain on the stems that will come up. So they will not produce any flour. Even if they did produce grain, the Assyrians would eat all of it up.

8 So the people of Israel are swallowed up. Now they are like a worthless pot to me among the nations.

9 They have gone up to Assyria for help. They are like a wild donkey that wanders around by itself. Ephraim's people have sold themselves to their Assyrian lovers.

10 They have sold themselves to the nations to get their help. But now I will gather them together. They will get weaker and weaker. The mighty kings of Assyria will crush them.

11 "Ephraim built many altars where they sacrificed sin offerings to other gods. So their altars have become places where they commit sin.