Hosea 10:7

her king i. e. not merely the king who happened to be on the throne, but the monarchy itself (as Hosea 10:15). Others, less probably, her idol-god (comp. Amos 5:26).

as the foam, &c. A striking figure, and singled out for its beauty by so good a judge as Mr Ruskin, but Hosea's is still more appropriate. Render, as a chip on the face of the water (following the Septuagint instead of the Targum), and note the contrast between the helpless fragment of wood and the irresistible power of the current.