John Trapp on Hosea 8:9

Verſe 9. For they are gone up to Aſſyria, a wilde aſſe alone by himſelf,] This was that that moſt moved the Lord to denounce and determine hard and heavy things againſt Iſrael, they had ſuſpicious thoughts of God, as if he either could not, or would not do for them, and help them out, as the Aſſyrian (though an enemy) would. This prank of theirs, God uttereth here with as great indignation, and diſlike, as old Iacob did his ſonne Reub[illegible: 1 letter]ns inceſt, when he ſaid, He went up to my couch. The Lord is as jealous of his glory as any man can be of his wife: neither will he give it to another, Eſay 42.8. he admits not of any corrivall in heaven or earth, as Potiphars wife was his own peculiar. Now God is no way more glorified by us, then when we put our truſt in his love and faithfulneſſe, and expect from him ſafety here, and ſalvation hereafter. For in ſo doing, we ſet him up for our king, Iudg. 9.15. and put the crown royall upon his head, Cant. 3.11. As in doing otherwiſe, we turn his glory into ſhame, loving vanity, ſeeking after leaſing. Pſal. 4.2. Hence that angry expoſtulation, Ier. 2.36. Why gaddeſt thou about ſo much to change thy way? How doſt think to mend thy ſelf, by running to the creature; as if there were no God in Iſrael? thou alſo ſhalt be aſhamed of Egypt, as thou waſt aſhamed of Aſſyria: Yea thou ſhalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head (after the manner of mourners, 2 Sam. 13.19.) for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou ſhalt not proſper in them.

a wilde aſſe alone by himſelf:] Fooliſh and fierce above meaſure, untameable and untractable: loving to be alone, and ſo becomes a prey to the lion,Lib. 8. cap. 40. as ſaith Siracides, chap. 13. verſe 21. Pliny ſpeaketh much of the wilde aſſe, and his properties: and Interpreters on this Text, bring many reaſons why Iſrael is compared to him. Iſrael is as ſtupid, and as mad as the wilde aſſe, ſaith Lyra. He is all for himſelf, ſaith Iunius: he caſteth off Gods yoak, ſaith Tremellius: he is a contemptible creature, ſaith Kimchi: he walks where he liſts, as maſterleſſe, ſaith the Chaldee: hee ſeeketh water in the wilderneſſe, but hardly findeth it, ſo doth Iſrael help of the cruell enemies, and hath it not, ſaith Oecolampadius: he taketh a great deal of pains for his belly, ſaith Mercer: he cannot be tamed and made ſerviceable, ſaith Geſner. He is left alone by God to be carried captive by the Aſſyrian, ſaith Ribera. The Scripture deſcribeth the nature of this creature in many places, Gen. 16.12. Iob 6.5. & 11.12. & 24.5. & 39.8. Pſal. 104.11. Eſay 32.14. Ier. 2.23. & 14.6. Dan. 5.21.

Ephraim hath hired lovers.] This is the ſecond ſimilitude, taken from a moſt libidinous harlot. See the like baſeneſſe in Judah, Ezek. 16.33. They were ſo mad upon their idols, and creature-confidences, that they were at no ſmall charge for them: they laviſhed money out of the bag: and laid on,Jer. 5.38. as if they ſhould never ſee an end of their wealth. They ſent great gifts and ſummes of money to the Aſſyrians and Egyptians; and leaned upon them as their champions: they hired loves, as the Hebrew here hath it. But love as it cannot well be counterfeited, (a man may paint fire, but he cannot paint heat) ſo it cannot at all be hired or purchaſed. Thoſe that go about it ſhall finde loathing for love, and be ſcorned of thoſe mercenaries, which are ſeldome either ſatisfied, or ſure.