Hosea 8:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“Now will I take them up,” declares the Lord, not on account of their moral integrity, nor their commitment to lead righteous lives, nor their desire to live under His statutes, but as a necessity, demanding accountability for their actions, and summoning them to judgment. In times past, I have compassionately postponed the consequences of divine anger; “but now will I take them,” says He, so that through their trials, they might finally comprehend that they too fall within My dominion and are not outside the reach of My authority. To emphasize that the time for correction had come, He declared, “Now.” Thus, as they face God's discipline, they will ultimately cease anointing kings and princes. For despite having opportunities to retreat while under the dominion of the Assyrians and Midianites, they continuously mourned over their sudden misfortunes. It is important to note that following the liberation of Israel from captivity by Cyrus, son of Cambyses, no anointed kings from the tribe of Ephraim remained in Samaria; all were subjected to the authority of Jerusalem's kings from the tribe of Judah. They were not living separately but were all tied to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel, son of Salathiel of the tribe of Judah, was the first to govern both kingdoms after the exile (1 Ezra 3:8), while Jesus, son of Josedech, presided over the Levitical and high priestly offices.

They were not sheep under the care of the Lord; instead, they abused their liberty and were taken captive. The prophet laments, saying, “Ephraim gave gifts to the Assyrians and sought out companions for payment," of whom Ezekiel writes, “All prostitutes are paid, but you gave wages to your lovers,” and yet you resisted (Ezekiel 16:33-34). Despite their giving of tributes to other nations and hiring their aid for financial gain, when they gather for battle, they will ultimately suffer defeat and be taken prisoner. As they delight in presenting gifts to their adversaries, they temporarily escape the obligation of taxes to the kings and princes, until they reach Assyria, where they will not simply be free from taxation but will face extreme bondage. Regarding the heretics, it is clear that in fleeing to the Assyrians, they mistakenly believe they are ascending rather than descending. Hence, Isaiah asks, "What is it to you now that all have gone up to empty temples?" (Isaiah 22:1). The leader of these Assyrians is arrogance. Thus, Ephraim began to flourish in his own territory, misguidedly believing himself to be raised high. Instead, he became like a lonely wild donkey, wandering not into the fields of the church but into the wilderness of evil. He loved gifts due to his delusion—whether in hope of a reward or motivated by sordid gain. He offered tributes and remuneration to his adversaries, the demons, and for this, he will be betrayed to the nations. Just as the pagans venerate physical idols, so too do heretics worship the false gods they fabricate in their hearts, thereby placing themselves among the pagans. However, he affirms that if they repent now in this life and I receive them, they will cease to elevate the petty king and his princes. This petty king signifies the devil, in contrast to the Sovereign King, who is entirely unlike Beliar and, upon being welcomed by believers, expels from their hearts the petty king and his princes. According to the Hebrew text, those who previously wandered and sought nations for payment will be gathered into the church of God and liberated from the weight of the king, concerning whom the apostle reproaches those who have distanced themselves from the church, saying, “Without us you reign, oh, that you might indeed reign” (1 Cor. 4:8), and from the princes they had appointed in the synagogues of evil.