John Trapp on Hosea 8:5

Verſe. 5. Thy calf, O Samaria, hath caſt thee off,] That is, it can do thee no ſtead, nor deliver thee from the deſtroyer. Be not afraid of ſuch mawmets (ſaith Jeremy) for they cannot do evil, neither alſo is it in them to do good, [illegible: 1 span] chap. 10.5. they can neither hurt, nor help: for an idoll is nothing in the world, 1 Cor. 8.4. nothing but a meer fiction: it hath no god-head, or power divine in it ſelf, as the following words ſhew, that there is none other God but one. How then can help be reaſonably expected from it? Iſrael had caſt off the thing that is good, for calf-worſhip, ver. 3. therefore is he worthily caſt off by his calf, called here Samaria's calf, or calves, becauſe that was the chief City, the Palace of the King, and is therefore put for the whole Province: and their idols called a calf, by way of contempt, as the brazen-ſerpent is called Nehuſhtan, or a piece of braſſe when once it was Idolized. See how Rabſhakeh inſults over thoſe Heathen-deities, 2 King. 18.33, 34, 35. and blaſphemouſly applieth it to the God of Iſrael, who never caſteth off his faithfull ſervants: but is with them in trouble, to deliver them, and honour them, Pſal. 91.15. Surely the Lord will not caſt off his faithfull people, neither will he forſake his inheritance, Pſal. 94.14. Behold, God will not caſt away a perfect man, Job 8.20. But though he cauſe grief, yet he will have compaſſion according to the multitude of his mercies, Lam. 3.31, 32. ſome reads it thus, Thy calf, O Samaria, hath been carried away into a far countrey, namely into Aſſyria: as the idols of the nations which were overcome, were carried away captive in triumph by the Conquerours. See Hoſ. 10.6.

Mine anger is kindled againſt them,] God is ſaid to be angry againſt idolaters, becauſe he doth that which an angry man uſeth to do, viz. 1. chide, 2. fight; ſee the ſecond commandement in the ſanction of it, and tremble at Gods diſpleaſure, which when once kindled, and comes into his face, or, noſtrils (as here) it burneth to the loweſt hell, conſumeth the earth with her increaſe and ſets on fire the foundations of the mountains, Deut. 32.22. It is ill angring him that is the Ancient of dayes, and a conſuming fire. The Jewes uſe to ſay to this day, that there is no puniſhment befalleth them, in which there is not an ounce of Aarons golden calf.

How long will it be ere they attain to innocencie?] Quouſque non poterunt innocentiam? a forcible ellipſis: as if God were ſo vexed, that he could not fully utter himſelf, nor at all ſpeak to Samaria as he had begun, but turn his diſcourſe to others, ſaying, How long will they not be cleanſed? or, not abide innocency? By which powerfull expreſſion three things are intimated. Firſt, that theſe Iſraelites were refractarie and deſperate: not onely unclean, but enemies to innocency, ſuch as could not abide it: they were inveterate, and incurable, their diſeaſes ingrained, and not eaſily ſtirred by any potion. Secondly, that God is moſt patient, who though he thinks over-long of the time that men continue in their evil courſes, and therefore cries, Quouſque, How long, &c. and when will it once be? yet bears with their evil manners, and inviteth them to better. Thirdly, that he will at length break off his patience, and proceed to puniſhment, ſith there is no other remedy, 2 Chron. 34.16. Prov. 29.1.

Compenſet longas ut gravitate moras.