John Trapp on Hosea 11:5

Verſ. 5. He ſhall not return unto the land of Egypt] That is, he needs not run to Egypt for help, (as King Hoſea did) nor to the Aſſyrian, to whom they were tributaries from the time of Menahem: for they wanted nothing, and leſs ſhould have wanted, if they would have been ruled by me.

but they refuſed to return.] He was not to have returned to the land of Egypt or of the Aſſyrian who is his king; ſo ſome read the text. Others ſenſe it thus: When I threaten them with the Aſſyrian, they think to ſhift and ſhelter themſelves in Egypt: but I ſhall keep them thence, or find and ferret them out there. God knowes how to croſs wicked men of their will, to ſpoyle their plots. Egypt ſhall prove no better then a broken reed running into the hand of him that leaneth on it 2 King. 18.21. The Egyptian was ever an enemy to Iſrael: and though for his own ends he gave goodly words, and ſeem reconciled: yet ſuch Reconciliations are but vulpinae amicitiae. But were he never ſo faſt a friend, yet ſin-guilty Iſrael ſhall not have their an Aſylum, nec ſtabile ſtabulum (ſee Chap 9.3. with the Note) becauſe the deſire of the wicked ſhall periſh Pſal. 112.10. They take counſell together, but it ſhall come to nought, they ſpeak the word, but it ſhall not ſtand Eſay. 8.10. Confer Eſay. 30.1.2. and 31.1.2.3. Prov. 21.38.

but the Aſſyrian ſhall be his king] Will they, nill they, they ſhall be carried captive to Aſſyria: and ſith they will needs be croſſing of God, he will croſs them much more: he will walk contrary to thoſe that walk contrary to him Lev. 26.21. and be as froward as they for the hearts of them Pſal. 18.26. They will not return to me, ſaith the Lord, they ſhall not therefore return to Egypt: they will not ſubmit to my ſcepter, they ſhall therefore have the Aſſyrian for their King, that proud cruel ſtout-hearted Prince Iſay. 10.5.7.12. who will tyranniſe over their bodies, and over their cattle at their pleaſure, ſo that they ſhall be in great diſtreſs Neh. 9.37. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

becauſe they refuſed to return] Heb. they diſdained to do it, ſcorned the motion, ſlighted the meſſenger.Sen: in Agamem. Plus eſt a vi[illegible: 1 letter]s ſe revocaeſſe quàm vitia ipſa neciviſſe Amb. in Pſal. [non-Latin text not transcribed] By their ſins they had run from God: by repentance they ſhould have returned unto him, and then the amends had been well-nigh made: for Quem poenitet peccaſſe paenè eſt innocens the penitent is in almoſt as good a caſe as the innocent; Ambroſe ſaith he is in a better. But for theſe men, to all other their ſins to add obſtinacie and impenitencie, as Herod to all his former evils did the death of the Baptiſt, this was to heap up wrath againſt the day of wrath Rom. 2.5. The word here rendred (refuſed) is by the Seventy turned They would not. That therefore thy returned not to God, it was the fault of their will. True it is, they had no power to turn themſelves: but the cauſe of that inability too, was in themſelves. They therefore neither could nor would return: and both by their own fault and folly.