Hosea 5:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The descendants of Judah and Benjamin maintained some reverence for the laws of Moses and a desire for righteousness; not all had forsaken the faith, as many mourned the apostasy of those who did, expressing righteous indignation towards those who turned from the God of all to engage in idolatrous practices. Therefore, the blessed prophet Ezekiel recounts how certain men were sent to Jerusalem bearing axes, compelled by the clear charge of God to follow the path of the man dressed in linen, sparing no one. He testified, “And behold six men went from the way of the gate... looking northward, and one of them had an axe in his hand... And the Lord said unto the man clothed with linen, Go through the midst of the city of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of those men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; slay utterly the old and young, both maids and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary” (Ezekiel 9:1-6). Listen: those who received ‘the mark’ were spared from punishment, wrath, and guilt because they desired to think righteously, live according to the law, strive for justice, and genuinely love the divine. In contrast, Samaria saw Israel stray in every conceivable way, to the point of effectively ignoring the decrees of Moses and leading a life in opposition to them, treating the law of God as an adversary, and unashamedly turning away from the one who could lead them to a righteous path. This is further confirmed by the prophetic word, which, as previously noted, is conveyed in a gentle manner, stating, “Soodole,” meaning Ephraim overcame his adversary – a victory deemed foolish and destructive, marking a triumph over the law that he abhorred. And since the message may seem opaque, it is understood as meaning he ‘trampled on the judgment’, showing utter disregard for the truth of the law, which is typically viewed as unworthy of respect and consideration. Thus, our Lord Jesus Christ articulated, “Good is salt” (Mark 9:50); “But if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” (Matthew 5:13). When ‘judgment’ is mentioned, it should be understood as ‘law’; as David proclaimed, “Judgment and justice are the habitation of thy throne” (Psalm 89:14). The reason Ephraim saw the law as an enemy and trampled on judgment is made clear in the words, “because he began to walk in the way of vanity.” The root of this corruption lies in his choice to honor ‘vanities’ and walk ‘in the footsteps’ of idols, as following both God and wickedness is impossible. Hence, the apostolic writer Paul stated, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons: you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21), for there is but one path for the God-loving individual, while the restless man follows various paths. Thus, he notes, “there were princes of Judah who transgressed the limits”; moreover, “Ephraim also overcame his rival and trampled on judgment”, ultimately stating “I am as a rebel to Ephraim and as a warning to Judah.” This phrase must be thoroughly interpreted. Some interpreters, instead of ‘rebellion’, prefer ‘appearance’, and instead of ‘warning’, they use ‘rottenness’, but the seventy translators have settled on ‘rebellion’ and ‘warning.’ When Ephraim or the ten tribes faced significant adversities due to conflict with their neighboring Syrians, Persians, and Assyrians, Judah also experienced distress and deep anxiety, fearing that it too would soon face similar or greater calamities. As the war broke out in the cities of Samaria, the neighboring cities of Judah and Benjamin were also vulnerable to destruction. Hence, ‘rebellion’ symbolizes the approach of war, while ‘warning’ signifies the sorrow and despair that accompany it—emotions that those striving to think in accordance with Christ can escape through Him, with whom and through whom God the Father is glorified with the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

He was given over to these aggressors, not due to their righteousness, but because those who were once part of God's people were punished after He had abandoned them. The true injustice lies not with God, who administers just judgement, but with the chastised, who surrender themselves to foes even more wicked than they. The Lord provides insights for their condition, explaining why they are subjected to certain oppressors and why it may seem that justice is absent in their suffering: Ephraim, specifically Jeroboam, began to walk in the way of idols and turned away from God by creating golden calves. The Septuagint indicates that Ephraim, or Jeroboam, oppressed his adversary Rehoboam, the leader of the tribe of Judah, precisely because he rejected Jerusalem and the temple in favor of the unclean idols of Egypt. In relation to heretics, the understanding is evident: through their cunning arguments and reasoning, they often bring oppression upon the Church's faithful. However, in doing so, they stray from the purity of genuine faith, embracing falsehoods, and as they submit to the influence of the devil, they perceive their circumstances as oppression and a violation of justice. Consequently, Israel finds itself in desolation, its endeavors undone by the Assyrians' victorious onslaught, having lost the shelter of God's protection and suffering under His judgement due to their waywardness in idol worship.