Hosea 8:9 For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.

◄ Hosea 8:9 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.

English Standard Version
For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone; Ephraim has hired lovers.

New American Standard Bible
For they have gone up to Assyria, Like a wild donkey all alone; Ephraim has hired lovers.

King James Bible
For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey going off on its own. Ephraim has paid for love.

International Standard Version
"Because they went over to Assyria, they are like a wild donkey alone by itself. Ephraim has hired some lovers.

American Standard Version
For they are gone up to Assyria, like a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath given gifts to his lovers.

Darby Bible Translation
For they are gone up to Assyria as a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

Young's Literal Translation
For they -- they have gone up to Asshur, A wild ass alone by himself is Ephraim, They have hired lovers!

Cross References

Job 39:6
Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.

Jeremiah 2:24
A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffs up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

Ezekiel 16:33
They give gifts to all whores: but you give your gifts to all your lovers, and hire them, that they may come to you on every side for your prostitution.

Ezekiel 16:34
And the contrary is in you from other women in your prostitutions, whereas none follows you to commit prostitutions: and in that you give a reward, and no reward is given to you, therefore you are contrary.

Ezekiel 23:5
And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,

Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

Hosea 7:11
Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

8:5-10 They promised themselves plenty, peace, and victory, by worshipping idols, but their expectations came to nothing. What they sow has no stalk, no blade, or, if it have, the bud shall yield no fruit, there was nothing in them. The works of darkness are unfruitful; nay, the end of those things is death. The hopes of sinners will deceive them, and their gains will be snares. In times of danger, especially in the day of judgment, all carnal devices will fail. They take a course by themselves, and like a wild ass by himself, they will be the easier and surer prey for the lion. Man is in nothing more like the wild ass's colt, than in seeking for that succour and that satisfaction in the creature, which are to be had in God only. Though men may sorrow a little, yet if it is not after a godly sort, they will be brought to sorrow everlastingly.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

9. gone … to Assyria—referring to Menahem's application for Pul's aid in establishing him on the throne (compare Ho 5:13; 7:11). Menahem's name is read in the inscriptions in the southwest palace of Nimrod, as a tributary to the Assyrian king in his eighth year. The dynasty of Pul, or Phalluka, was supplanted at Nineveh by that of Tiglath-pileser, about 768 (or 760) B.C. Semiramis seems to have been Pul's wife, and to have withdrawn to Babylon in 768; and her son, Nabonassar, succeeding after a period of confusion, originated "the era of Nabonassar," 747 B.C. [G. V. Smith]. Usually foreigners coming to Israel's land were said to "go up"; here it is the reverse, to intimate Israel's sunken state, and Assyria's superiority.

wild ass—a figure of Israel's headstrong perversity in following her own bent (Jer 2:24).

alone by himself—characteristic of Israel in all ages: "lo, the people shall dwell alone" (Nu 23:9; compare Job 39:5-8).

hired lovers—reversing the ordinary way, namely, that lovers should hire her (Eze 16:33, 34).