John Trapp on Hosea 13:15

Verſe 15. Though he be fruitfull among his brethren,] In alluſion to his name Ephraim, which ſignifieth fruitfull and flouriſhing, Gen. 41.52. Confer Gen. 48.16, 19, 20, &c. & 49.22. See the like alluſions, Am. 5.5. Mic. 1.10.

An Eaſt-winde ſhall come,] which is violent and hurtfull to the fruits of the earth.

the winde of the Lord,] a mighty ſtrong winde: meaning that moſt mercileſſe and impetuous enemy the Aſſyrian, ſent by the Lord to avenge the quarrell of his Covenant.

ſhall come up from the wilderneſſe,] where the winds blow moſt fiercely, becauſe they meet with no reſiſtance.

and his ſpring ſhall become dry, &c. This is a deſcription of extreme deſolation, and it is explained and amplified in the next words.

he ſhall ſpoil the treaſure of all pleaſant veſſels.] He, that is, the Aſſyrian, not Chriſt (as Hierom, Mercer, and Ribera will have it) who ſhall take away from Death and Hell all matter of glorying. Not the fire of the laſt day, as Lyra. No, nor Ephraim, as Pareus, and Tarnouius carry it: as if it were a promiſe of their conqueſt in Chriſt over all their enemies, corporall, and ſpirituall, dividing the ſpoil of the converted Gentiles, who ſhall come in to them with all their deſireable things, as ſome read that Text, Hag. 2.7. Confer Am. 9.11, 12. Obad. 18. Zech. 14.14, 16, 20, 21. That this whole verſe containeth a promiſe of Ephraim's reduction to the Church of God, I could eaſily yeeld; reading it eſpecially, as many good Interpreters do. For he ſhall fructifie among his brethren, after that an Eaſt-wind coming, a wind of Jehovah coming up from the deſert, his ſpring ſhall become dry, and his fountain ſhall dry up: the ſame ſhall ſpoil the treaſure of all pleaſant veſſels. This is a ſimilitude (ſay they) from a piece of ground all dried up and parched, that nothing is able to grow: notably expreſſing the miſerable and diſtreſſed eſtate of this people; that as an eaſterly wind, and a tempeſtuous ſtorm, hath dried them quite, and ſpoiled all their delightfull treaſures, made them the vileſt, and moſt contemptible of the earth. (Marcellinus tells of an Emperour,Am. Marcel. lib. 2. that meeting with ſome of this Nation, and annoyed with the ſight and ſtench of them, cryed out, ô Marcommani, ô Quadi, ô Sarmatae, &c. O Marcoman's, Quades, and Sarmatians, I have found at length a more loathſome and ſordid people then you.) All which notwithſtanding, Ephraim ſhall flouriſh again, and hold up their head among their brethren, ſc. by the merit and ſpirit of Him who ranſometh them from the power of the grave, from the dint of death. This ſence of the words, is confirmed by that which followes in the next Chapter verſ. 5, 6, 7.