CHAPTER 8
Corruption of Cult, Domestic and Foreign Politics
One like an eagle* is over the house of the LORD!
Because they have violated my covenant,
and rebelled against my law,
“My God! We know you!”
the enemy* shall pursue him.
they established princes, but without my knowledge.
With their silver and gold
they made idols for themselves,
to their own destruction.
My wrath is kindled against them;
How long will they be incapable of innocence
in Israel?
it is no god at all.c
The calf of Samaria
will be dashed to pieces.
they will reap the whirlwind;d
The stalk of grain that forms no head
can yield no flour;
Even if it could,
strangers would swallow it.
now they are among the nations,
like a useless vessel.
a wild ass off on its own—
Ephraim bargained for lovers.e
I will now gather them* together;
They will soon succumb
under the burden of king and princes.
they became altars for sinning.
they are considered like a stranger’s.
they sacrifice meat and eat it,
but the LORD is not pleased with them.f
Now he will remember their guilt
and punish their sins;g
they shall return to Egypt.* h
and has built palaces.
Judah, too, has fortified many cities,
but I will send fire upon his cities,
to devour their strongholds.j
* [8:1] Eagle: perhaps an image for Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria, who overran the land of Israel in 733 B.C. (Jer 48:40; 49:22; Ez 17:3).
* [8:3] Enemy: Assyria.
* [8:4] Hosea is not against the monarchy, but against the conspiracies at the royal court (see note on 7:3–7). The king should be chosen by God (1 Kgs 19:15–16).
* [8:5] Calf: a cultic object introduced by Jeroboam I after the separation of the Northern Kingdom from the Southern Kingdom (1 Kgs 12:26–30; cf. Ex 32).
* [8:9] They went up to Assyria: a reference to the politics of appealing to Assyria (cf. 5:13; 7:11). There is a play on the Hebrew word for “wild ass” (pere) and “Ephraim.”
* [8:10] I will now gather them: for judgment and for deportation.
* [8:11] The altars had become places of self-serving worship (cf. v. 13).
* [8:13] Return to Egypt: to punish their violation of the covenant they will experience a reversal of the exodus.
b. [8:5] 1 Kgs 12:28.
c. [8:6] Ex 20:4; 34:17; Is 40:19–20; 44:9–20; Jer 10:1–16.
d. [8:7] Jb 4:8; Prv 22:8; 2 Cor 9:6; Gal 6:7–8.
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