Hosea 7:8-10

In Turning To Foreign Nations For Their Support Instead Of Turning To YHWH, Ephraim Do Not Realise What The Consequences Will Be (Hosea 7:8).

Hosea now parodies the people's attempts to find help from foreign nations. This initially had included Aram (Syria), but then moved on to the Philistine nations and Egypt, and at other times to Assyria itself. To them anything was preferable to returning to YHWH. He pictures Ephraim, as a result of having mixed with the nations, as ‘a cake not turned', that is as not having turned to YHWH, or alternately as being like half-baked bread and therefore inedible, or as being weak because not properly prepared. And he sees them as having handed over its wealth to different foreigners, and as reaching senility (or going mouldy) without realising it.

Analysis.

a Ephraim, he mixes himself among the peoples, Ephraim is a cake not turned (Hosea 7:8).

b Strangers have devoured his strength, and he does not know it (Hosea 7:9 a).

c Yes, grey hairs are here and there on him (or ‘steal up on him'), and he does not know it (Hosea 7:9 b).

b And the pride of Israel testifies to his face (Hosea 7:10 a).

a Yet they have not returned to YHWH their God, nor sought him, for all this (Hosea 7:10 b).

Note that in ‘a' Israel have turned to the nations, and in the parallel have not turned to YHWH. In ‘b' their ‘strength' has gone and they do not know it, and in the parallel it is only their pride which keeps them going. Centrally in ‘c' they have become aged and decrepit (or mouldy) without realising it.