Hosea 10:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Samaria will cast off her king just as a reed is swept along by the current of water, and the efforts of Onah will be rejected, while the sins of Israel will give rise to thorns and thistles in their endeavors. This clearly demonstrates the fickleness and unhealthy conduct of the Israelites, or the residents of Samaria, towards those they perceived as deities. It is not surprising that those who have brazenly disrespected the one true and living God, engaging in idolatry and pursuing all manner of immoral acts, would find it difficult to be genuine in their devotion to numerous false gods fashioned from stone and wood.

Samaria's king has vanished like the fleeting foam on the water's surface, and the high places dedicated to idols, which represent the sins of Israel, will face destruction. Samaria has cast aside her ruler like tinder floating atop the water, and the altars of ᾿Ων are destined for ruin, emblematic of Israel's transgressions. Instead of using the term for foam, which the LXX and Theodotion render as kindling, referring to dried herbs prepared for the fire, Simmachus chose a word that illustrates foam and bubbles rising from boiling water, termed πομφόλυγας in Greek.

Upon witnessing his weakness, they offered it as a tribute to the king of Egypt, seeking his assistance; yet, they found no aid there. It is declared that Ephraim will encounter disgrace and be filled with shame for his misguided decisions, as they were steeped in foolishness. He ought to have turned to God for guidance, but instead sought help from idols and human beings. The Prophet then unveils how the king of Samaria, much like a hebridean swept away by powerful waters, will be rendered insignificant. The altars of July, which had facilitated the wickedness of the Israelites, will be completely destroyed, and the sites of their affliction will become choked with thorns. Following this, in illustrating the depth of the impending disasters, he added: