John Trapp on Hosea 10:5

Verſe 5. The inhabitants of Samaria ſhall fear,] ſc. When God ſhall break the necks of their altars, and ſpoil their images, as verſe 2. They feared not God, by their own confeſſion verſe 3. therefore they are full of baſe fears, whereof the true fear of God would have freed them, Matth. 10.28. Hee that feareth God needeth not fear any other thing, or perſon, Pſal. 112.7. but can ſay with David, My feet, Horat. that is, mine affections, ſtand in an even place, that is, in an equable tenour: Impavidum ferient ruinae, I ſhall reſt in the day of trouble, when he cometh up againſt the people, (ſaith holy Habakkuk. chap. 3.16.) I ſhall rejoyce in the God of my ſalvation: when thoſe that fear not God ſhall be at their wits end: yea they ſhall be mad for the ſight of their eyes that they ſhall ſee, Deut. 28.34.

Becauſe of the calves of Beth-aven,] Calves in the feminine gender, Shee-calves, by way of contempt and deriſion,S. H. Blounts voyage. 122. Grand Sign. Serag. 199. Virg. Aeneid. 9 Hom. Il. 8. In loc. as Hierom noteth: as Eſay 3.12. Women rule over them. The Jewes at this day look upon women as a lower creation, and ſuffer them not to enter into the Synagogue. As among the Turks they never go to Church, neither is there any reckoning made of their religion. The Heathens had the like conceits and expreſſions: O Phrygiae, neque enim Phryges—[non-Latin text not transcribed], &c. We cannot ſpeak over-baſely of idols: the Scriptures calleth them, excrements, Nothings, &c. Luther wonders that Jeroboam knowing how ill the people had ſped with their golden. Calf in the wilderneſſe, ſhould yet dare to ſet up two at Dan and Bethel (both here called Bethaven, or houſes of iniquity:) and a man might as well wonder, that having as great a miracle wrought before him in the drying up of his hand, as St. Paul at his converſion, yet was he no whit wrought upon. But if God ſtrike not the ſtroke, if the Spirit ſet not in with the means, all's to no purpoſe. Who would think that men ſhould ever be ſo void of reaſon, as to truſt in that which cannot ſave it ſelf from the enemies hands? as theſe calves of Beth-aven, and as the Papiſts breaden-god, brought into the field by the rebels of North-folk, in King Edward the ſixths dayes: neither was there lacking maſſes, croſſes, banners, candleſticks, with holy-bread, and holy-water plenty, to defend them from devils and all adverſary power: which in the end, neither could help their friends, nor ſave themſelves from the hands of their enemiees: but eft-ſoons both the conſecrated god, and all the trumpery about him,Act. and Mon. 1190. was taken in a cart, and there lay all in the duſt; Leaving to them a notable leſſon of better experience, ſaith Mr. Fox, who relateth it.

For the people thereof] i. e. of the calf, to whom they had dedicated themſelves; as the Moabites are called the people of Chemoſh, Num. 21.29. and Turks, Mahometans. For all people will walk every one in the name of his God; and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever, Mic. 4.5.

Do mourn over it,] As thoſe women wept for Tammuz, Ezech. 8.14. that is, for Oſiris king of Egypt, whoſe image they had adored, as thoſe Rev. 18. wailed over that old whore, when they ſaw her a broyling; as Idolatrous Micah cried after his gods, Judg. 18. and as the people of the Eaſt-Indies in the Iſle Zeylon, having an apes tooth which they had conſecrated, gotten from them, mourned, and offered an incredible maſſe of treaſure to recover it. Should not men then mourn after the ſincere ſervice of God, and hold it dear to their ſoules?

And the Prieſts thereof that rejoyced in it] Heb. the Chemarims, or Chimney-chaplaines, that were all black and ſooty with the ſmoak of the ſacrifices, and were therefore called Chemarim or Camilli, as affecting a black habite ſanctimoniae ergo; or having black brand-marks upon their bodies, in honour of their Idols, whereof theſe haply were the Hierophantae, or maſters of the Ceremonies, and made a great gain thereof the ground of their joy: for it is [non-Latin text not transcribed], gain ſo called, becauſe it delights the heart.

For the glory thereof.] i. e. of the calf, the beauty and bravery of its worſhip, all is now utterly gone.