Hosea 10:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As noted in the Book of Kings, when the king of Syria laid siege to the cities of Samaria, Manaim, the ruler of Israel at that time, unable to confront him with his own army, sought assistance from Ful, the king of Assyria, persuading him with gifts to come to his aid and drive off the Syrians. Ful successfully captured Damascus and eliminated Ader himself. It is reported that when an abundant amount of gold was necessary, Manaim faced such dire circumstances that he sent one of the golden calves away with his envoys. The people of Israel were grieved to see what they believed to be their God departed; however, they consoled themselves with vain hopes, thinking that he would receive greater reverence and that the Babylonian would place him in far more magnificent temples. Moreover, they speculated that more nations would honor him, specifically the countless nations of the Persians and Medes. Hence, Manaim dispatched a calf, completely made of gold. Ful received it but shattered it, for they worshipped another deity and did not acknowledge the calf. Consequently, it was revealed that the item was not truly gold, but rather brass plated in gold. Thus, they declare that the Assyrian ridiculed Ephraim, that is, Manaim, king of the Ephraimite tribe, thereby exposing the folly of the Israelites. Having narrated this historical account from Jewish tradition, we must now turn to the text. The phrase "they shall revive them that dwell in Samaria" remains unclear. "They shall live," suggests instead of "shall be stirred," or "shall be moved," referring to those currently present in Samaria, implying oxen or calves, as I have indicated, since they were sent to Babylon. And "his people wept for them." Whom do we refer to as "his"? Is it not evident that it signifies She, meaning Anis? Yet, he argues, the more they seemed to burden and upset him by sending him to others, the more they would exult in his glory—believing he would gain even greater honor if more nations worshipped him. However, they were misled in their expectations: he was shattered and became a source of mockery for the Babylonians. In accordance with the words of the prophet (Hos. 10:2), their idol was indeed broken. The calf's anger was not genuine, for how could this insensate material possess emotion? Rather, one could say it would have been provoked to anger by the nature of its actions, had it truly been God and been aware of what transpired.

In fact, at Beth-Aven, also known as Bethel, the people of Samaria worshipped golden calves, ironically referred to not as oxen, the male variants, but as heifers—the female ones—indicating that Israel revered not only oxen as deities but also heifers as goddesses. This shows that the heifers at Beth-aven imply the singular calf at Bethel, as it does not mention that the people mourned for them, but for him, that is, for the golden calf. But if the people lamented for him, why did his priests celebrate? The Hebrews report that the priests secretly removed the golden calves, substituting them with brass and gilded replicas. Thus, when the Israelites, in times of need, grieved about the gold calves sent by the Israelite king to the Assyrian kings—especially King Sennacherib—the priests rejoiced that their deception remained concealed. This is the essence of the statement that the priests of the calf celebrated over him, the calf representing the people's glory, which they acknowledged as such, because it was taken from them and carried into Assyria. The following verse illustrates this clearly: he himself was conveyed to Assyria as a gift to the avenging king. The subsequent line states that Ephraim will feel disgrace and Israel will be humiliated due to his designs. Scripture reveals that the king of Israel learned of the exposure regarding the gilded calves, and their misguided intents not only shamed but also offended those to whom the offerings were made, who believed the gifts stemmed from the priests' theft rather than the kings' deception. In the Book of Kings, it is documented that Menahem, king of Israel, sent a thousand talents of silver to Pul, king of Assyria, seeking his favor and assistance, including, as some suggest, sending golden calves. Instead of using Jarib in this context, Simmichus translated it as “the patron and protector.” When examining the spiritual significance, it is crucial to recognize how all these matters pertain to heretics. The calf of Beth-aven, or the house of Oen, symbolizing labor, was worshipped by heretics who claimed to uphold God's commandments, situated in Samaria. On the day of judgment, when justice emerges akin to bitter grass in the furrows, the people will weep for him—the calf—and for the false doctrine they mistook for divinity. However, it is noted that the priests do not rejoice in the future tense, but rather have rejoiced in the past over their fading glory, for the people have abandoned God or because the glory of God has departed from those who forsook it. Everything uttered by the heretics, along with their well-crafted narratives, are tributes sent to their king, the devil, undertaking all they do for him. Therefore, they will be enveloped in eternal shame, experiencing humiliation regarding their aspirations. Some interpretations suggest that by King Jarib, the avenger, Christ is to be understood, but I find this perspective untenable. Equating Christ to this figurative interpretation would be irreverent, for the historical context clearly pertains to the king of Assyria.