Hosea 11:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Those who seek to understand the reasons will learn from the All-Knowing One that it is because he chose not to return. As a result, he was taken captive and fell into the hands of his enemies—indeed, “the weapons were weary in his cities, and were silent in his hand.” This signifies a lack of capable warriors within Ephraim, as those once skilled in arms became powerless, their strength seemingly stripped away. Acting on their own malign thoughts, they reaped the consequences of their folly. Such are the harsh realities of offending the Savior through disobedience: even if one might find an opportunity for forgiveness through God’s grace, negligence will still bear consequences. We become like exiles in Egypt, wanderers losing not merely a physical land but the inheritance of the saints (Colossians 1:12). Under the authority of Asshur, the ruler of this age, we become his servants, subject to his desires, because we have grown "weary and silent in arms." It is impossible for sinners to wield "all the weapons of God" (Eph. 6:11) or the spiritual sword, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17). The sword may also symbolize the fervor of our thoughts, which, when directed towards resisting passions and battling against the wickedness of the devil, pave a righteous and pure path, allowing us to adorn ourselves with the treasures of the gospel life.

By declaring that he shall not return to Egypt, God reveals that He desires Israel to look back, yet they cannot. Israel sought to return to Egypt for assistance, yet was dominated by the Assyrians, who conquered him as victors, enduring this fate due to his refusal to turn and repent. Alternatively, it could be interpreted that he returned to Egypt when he began to serve the gods of Egypt in the holy land, or as noted previously, he called upon the Egyptians and turned to Assyria (Hosea 7:11). Thus, the sword began to either invade his cities, as Aquila translated, or to inflict wounds, as rendered by Simmachus. Observe how severe the calamities are: it is not the fields or villages that face devastation, but enemies will breach his cities and annihilate his elect, or as Simmachus phrases it, his very sinews, known in Hebrew as baddan.

When the sword slaughters the elect and the leaders—representatives of the army’s strength—and consumes either their heads or their ambitions, leaving them without assistance; the unfortunate people, who refused to turn to Me, will await My return. They will repent, but only too late when devastation has consumed everything. Since grave sins warrant significant punishments, a heavy yoke of bondage will be placed upon the remnant of the people following the death of their king and princes by the Assyrian sword—a yoke that cannot be removed legally, only spiritually, through Christ.

According to the LXX translation, Ephraim will dwell in Egypt; even though he claims possession of the holy land and the Church of the Lord Savior, he remains enmeshed in Egypt due to his transgressions, sins, and erroneous beliefs. As he resides in Egypt, he will be ruled by arrogance or the spirit of Assyria; his unwillingness to turn toward the Church has left him devoid of strength—namely, Christ, the power and wisdom of God—rendering him perpetually frail and vulnerable to demonic influences and passions. Therefore, the sword—symbolizing the spiritual authority or word of the Church that conquers and obliterates all—will continually stay in his cities, which he has unlawfully established contrary to the will of the Lord, and this very sword will remain in his grasp, preventing him from either defending himself or retaliating against the enemy. Ultimately, they shall reap the consequences and will experience the full weight of their own designs.

The wretched people and the unwise masses will yearn for their ancestral land and feel the burden of their captivity, torn between indecision, unsure of what to do and where to turn. The wrath of God will strike their precious possessions, meaning their gold and silver given by Him—of which we have often spoken—and He will not rescue them, for they have fallen by their own error. This interpretation aligns with the LXX and holds true for the Hebrew text as well.