They would escape from destruction, from the evil that was coming upon them. But Egypt would gather them, and Moph (Memphis, an Egyptian city near the Nile) would bury them. As for their desirable things of silver (idols), nettles would dispossess them. Thistles would be in their tents (v. 6). On the one hand, this is a picture of punishment; on the other hand, it is a picture of how sinful they were. They did not even care for their lodging but only for their sinful enjoyment.
Verse 7 says that the days of visitation had come; the days of the recompense had come. The prophet was a fool, and the inspired man was mad, because of the greatness of Israel’s iniquity and because of the greatness of the enmity. Instead of love and sympathy among the people, there were hatred and enmity. They considered a man of the spirit, or an inspired one, as mad. This indicates that they did not care for God’s interests. On the contrary, they thought that caring for God’s interests was foolishness.
Verse 8a says, “Ephraim was a watchman / With my God.” This indicates that in the past the northern kingdom of Israel was quite good.
Verse 8b continues, “As for the prophet, a fowler’s trap / Is in all his ways; / Enmity is in the house of his God.” This may mean that the prophets had become so evil that wherever they went they were a trap to snare the people. In the temple the prophets created enmity; they did not have love or sympathy.
In verse 9 Hosea goes on to say concerning Ephraim, “They have deeply corrupted themselves / As in the days of Gibeah; / He will remember their iniquity; / He will punish their sins.” The corruption of Ephraim was so great that it matched the corruption in the days of Gibeah described in Judges 19:15-30. Because Israel had become like those in the days of Gibeah, God would come in to punish their sins.
Jehovah found Israel like grapes in the wilderness, and saw their fathers as the first ripe fruit on the fig tree at its beginning (Hosea 9:10a). This refers to the time of God’s “honeymoon” with Israel. At the time of the exodus from Egypt, God considered Israel a young wife. However, when this wife grew up, she left God for Baal and went to Baal-peor (a city named after the idol Baal of Peor—Num. 25:3; Psa. 106:28) and sanctified herself unto the shameful thing (idol) and became an abomination, like the thing (idol) that she loved (Hosea 9:10b).
The glory of Ephraim, the glory of the northern kingdom of Israel, would fly away like a bird. This means that there would be no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception. Even if they brought up their children, Jehovah would bereave them, so that not a man would be left. Indeed woe would also be to them when Jehovah turned away from them. Ephraim was planted in Tyre in a meadow, but he would still bring forth his children to the slayer. Jehovah would give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. All their evil was in Gilgal (the focus of idolatry—4:15), for there Jehovah hated them. Because of the evil of their doings, Jehovah would drive them from His house; He would love them no more. All their princes were rebels. Ephraim was stricken. Their root was dried up; they would not bear fruit. If they brought forth, Jehovah would kill the beloved fruit of their womb. God had rejected them, for they did not listen to Him. They would be wanderers among the nations (9:11-17).