Hosea 10:7

7 transire fecit Samaria regem suum quasi spumam super faciem aquae

Hosea 10:7 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 10:7

[As for] Samaria
The metropolis of the ten tribes of Israel, and here put for the whole kingdom: her king is cut off;
which some understand of Pekah, who was killed by Hoshea; others of several of their kings cut off one after another, very suddenly and quickly, as the metaphor after used shows; or rather Hoshea the last king is meant, who was cut off by the king of Assyria; the present tense is used for the future, to denote the certainty of it. Aben Ezra thinks the verb "cut off" is to be repeated, Samaria is "cut off, her king [is] cut off"; both king and kingdom destroyed. So the Targum,

``Samaria is cut off with her king:''

as the foam upon the water;
as any light thing flowing upon it; as the bark of a tree, as Kimchi and Abarbinel; or as the scum upon a boiling pot of water, as Jarchi, and the Targum; or as foam, which is an assemblage of bubbles upon the water; such are kings and kingdoms, swell, look big and high for a while; but are mere bubbles, empty things; and are often suddenly, quickly, and easily destroyed; so Samaria and her king were by the Assyrian army; the Lord of hosts, the King of kings, being against them.

Hosea 10:7 In-Context

5 vaccas Bethaven coluerunt habitatores Samariae quia luxit super eum populus eius et aeditui eius super eum exultaverunt in gloria eius quia migravit ab eo

6 siquidem et ipse in Assur delatus est munus regi ultori confusio Ephraim capiet et confundetur Israhel in voluntate sua

7 transire fecit Samaria regem suum quasi spumam super faciem aquae

8 et disperdentur excelsa idoli peccatum Israhel lappa et tribulus ascendet super aras eorum et dicent montibus operite nos et collibus cadite super nos

9 ex diebus Gabaa peccavit Israhel ibi steterunt non conprehendet eos in Gabaa proelium super filios iniquitatis