Here the immoral cultus is no longer the subject, but the inner moral corruption of the state and its leaders. The parallelism of Judah and Ephraim in this section is remarkable, but seems to be original. [10] Judah's political leaders are specially singled out as examples of fraudulent dealing, and shall incur the Divine wrath. N. Israel (Ephraim) also suffers oppression, the whole social fabric is rotten, because the people have wilfully followed after vanity (mg.). Internal decay has set in in both kingdoms (after the death of Uzziah and Jeroboam II) (Hosea 5:10-12). Too late both peoples recognise the desperate case of the body politic, and resort to Assyria for aid (king Jareb, i.e. king Pick-quarrel, [11] is a nickname for the king of Assyria), but without avail; Yahweh Himself is their adversary (Hosea 5:13 f.).
Hosea 5:10. Land-grabbing on the part of the rich in Judah is specially denounced in Isaiah 5:8; Micah 2:2 (cf. Deuteronomy 27:17).
Hosea 5:13. If Jareb is a name for the king of Assyria, the reference may be to Menahem's tribute to Assyria in 738. This will also be the case if great king or exalted king (cf. LXX) be read. Wellhausen reads, and Judah sent to king Jareb. The reference would then be to Ahaz in 734.
[10] Marti changes Judah throughout to Israel: cf. also Welch, p. 268, n. 18.
[11] So G. A. Smith.