The Meaning of Hosea 8:9 Explained

Hosea 8:9

KJV: For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

YLT: For they -- they have gone up to Asshur, A wild ass alone by himself is Ephraim, They have hired lovers!

Darby: For they are gone up to Assyria as a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

ASV: For they are gone up to Assyria, like a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For they are gone up  to Assyria,  a wild ass  alone  by himself: Ephraim  hath hired  lovers. 

What does Hosea 8:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Ephraim (Israel) had made treaties with Assyria to help protect her from her enemies (cf. Hosea 7:11), but the Assyrians would turn and devour Israel. Wild donkeys were notorious for their willfulness and being difficult to control (cf. Jeremiah 2:24), and so was Israel. Ephraim was also like a harlot but even worse in that she paid others to love her rather than receiving pay from them (cf. Hosea 2:5; Jeremiah 2:23-25). Yahweh had promised to care for the nation because He loved her.

Context Summary

Hosea 8:1-14 - Reaping The Whirlwind
A conqueror was at hand who should subdue and punish the whole nation for taking its own course, irrespective of God, Hosea 8:4-8; for seeking foreign alliances which could bring only oppression in their train, Hosea 8:9-10; and for multiplying altars and fortresses which were destined to be destroyed, Hosea 8:11; Hosea 8:14. The circumstances referred to in this chapter seem to point to the reigns of Menahem and Uzziah, 2 Kings 15:19; 2 Chronicles 26:6-15.
Hosea 8:5 is very striking. Israel had renounced Jehovah for the likeness of a calf, and now in the misfortunes which had overtaken them, their calf had cast them off. What is it that you are putting in the place of God? Power, wealth, the help of influential friends? Sooner or later it will fail you. How different is the One who perpetually encourages us, saying, "I will not fail nor forsake thee," and who promises to carry us to hoar hairs. The persistence with which Israel turned to other lovers left God no option but to put them back into a furnace such as Egypt had been, which would finally burn put their apostasy. Only when we walk before God with a perfect heart are we strong and happy. Once entangle yourself with expedients and alliances, and you lay yourself open to many sorrows. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 8

1  Destruction is threatened both to Israel and Judah for their impiety and idolatry

What do the individual words in Hosea 8:9 mean?

For they have gone up to Assyria [Like] a wild donkey alone by itself Ephraim has hired loves
כִּֽי־ הֵ֙מָּה֙ עָל֣וּ אַשּׁ֔וּר פֶּ֖רֶא בּוֹדֵ֣ד ל֑וֹ אֶפְרַ֖יִם הִתְנ֥וּ אֲהָבִֽים‪‬‪‬

עָל֣וּ  have  gone  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אַשּׁ֔וּר  to  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
פֶּ֖רֶא  [Like]  a  wild  donkey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּרֶא 
Sense: wild ass.
בּוֹדֵ֣ד  alone 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּדַד  
Sense: to withdraw, be separate, be isolated.
ל֑וֹ  by  itself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
אֶפְרַ֖יִם  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
הִתְנ֥וּ  has  hired 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: תָּנָה  
Sense: to hire.
אֲהָבִֽים‪‬‪‬  loves 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אַהַב  
Sense: loves, amours (only in plural).