John Trapp on Hosea 13:2

Verſe 2. And now they ſinne more and more,] Heb. They adde to ſinne: God in his juſt judgement hath given them up unto hardneſſe of minde, and to their hearts luſt: that for all this ſudden change, they repent not, but run more and more into Idolatry. Not content to worſhip Baal, and ſuch Heathen-Deities, They make them molten images of their ſilver,] they laid their monies together, to make the golden-calves, or ſilver-ſhrines, as Acts 19.24. and other idolatrous trinkets: they laviſhed ſilver out of the bag, and were at no ſmall charge. They multiplied their altars, chap. 10. and abuſed Gods gold and ſilver to myſticall adultery, chap. 2. All this they did Now, ſaith the Text: moſt unſeaſonably, and as it were in flat oppoſition to God; after he had ſought to reclaim them both by counſels, and corrections, and had hang'd Ahab and his houſe up in gibbets, as it were, before them, for their admonition. Surely it is a juſt both preſage and deſert of ruine, not to bee warned. See chap. 7.1. with the Note,

And idols according to their own underſtanding,] i. e. according to their own inventions, motu ſuo proprio; forſaking the Rule of the Word, they will needs be ſchollers to their own Rea2on, though they are ſure to have a fool to their Maſter. That's a good ſaying of Solomon, Prov. 3.5. Truſt in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own underſtanding, in matters of Gods worſhip eſpecially: for there Deus damnat quicquid arridet judicio hominum vel rationi, Calv. in loc. that which is highly eſteemed amongſt men, is abomination in the ſight of God, Luke 16.15.

all of it the work of the craftſmen,] And ſhould men worſhip the work of their own hands? what can be imagined more irrationall and ſottiſh? But it is a moſt righteous recompence of their errour. See Eſay 29.13, 14. God doth blinde and blaſt ſuch,Rom. 1.27. cauſing their madneſſe to appear to all, and that they are men compact of meer incongruities, ſolaeciſing in opinion, ſpeeches, actions, all: nothing is more irrationall then irreligion.

they ſay of it, Let the men that ſacrifice kiſſe the calves.] They, that is, the king and his counſellours, or the idolatrous prieſts by their appointment. Theſe were active to invite, and incite men to partake of thoſe idolatrons ſervices. Should we be leſſe diligent in calling upon others to kiſſe the Son, with a kiſſe of love and homage? ſhould we not be as ſerious and ſedulous in building ſtair-caſes for heaven, as the wicked are in digging d[illegible: 3 letters]nts to hell?

kiſſe the calves.] That the cuſtome of kiſſing in divine worſhip was uſed in all Nations, is evident. They kiſſed either the idols mouth, or their own hand (where the idoll ſtood on high, ſo that they could not come at it) in token of homage. See 1 King. 19.8. Job 31.27.Aderare est quaſi applicare manum ad os. So (after the example of Diocleſian) the Pope holds forth his foot to be kiſſed by the greateſt Potentates: whiles he ſitteth as God, in the Temple of God, &c.