The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth-aven.
These verses dilate, with keen irony, on the fate of the first half of Israel’s sin, the calf. It was thought a god, but its worshippers would be in a fright for it. “Calves,” says Hosea, though there was but one at Bethel; and he uses the feminine, as some think, depreciatingly. “Beth-aven,” or the “house of vanity,” he says, instead of “Beth-ei,” the “house of God.” A fine god whose worshippers had to be alarmed for its safety! “Its people,”--what a contrast to the name they might have borne, “My people!” God disowns them, and says, “They belong to it, not to Me.” The idolatrous priests of the calf worship will tremble when that image, which had been shamefully their “glory,” is carried off to Assyria and given as a present to “King Jareb,”--a name for the King of Assyria meaning the fighting or quarrelsome king. The captivity of the god is the shame of the worshippers. To be “ashamed of their own counsel” is the certain fate of all who depart from God; for, sooner or later, experience will demonstrate to the blindest that their refuges of lies can neither save themselves nor those who trust in them. But shame is one thing and repentance another; and many a man will say, “I have been a great fool, and my clever policy has all crumbled to pieces,” who will only therefore change his idols, and not return to God. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
The degrading influence of false worship
Doctrine--
I. Idolatry is matter of ignominy to any place or interest that owns it; for it turns Beth-el into Beth-aven.
2. It proves the vanity of idols that their worshippers cannot trust in them, but must be solicitous and anxious about them in straits; for so were they about the calves of Beth-aven. This solicitude differs far from the fear of God’s people about His worship and ordinances in times of danger, which does not flow from their diffidence in God, but from the sense of their guilt.
3. Anything that men place their confidence in beside God will prove matter of fear and terror. For so did the calves prove to Samaria in the time of their siege.
4. Albeit corrupt worship and religion may seem strange at first to them who have been bred up in the truth, yet in process of time, and being attended with success, it may take with them who are not well rooted.
5. Such as are eminently employed in and great gainers by corrupt worship have a sad day abiding them, therefore it is added in special that mourning is abiding the priests.
6. The glory of idolatry and of a false religion (being but borrowed, and having nothing to commend it but novelty and success) will at last vanish and depart. God will bring about this by judgments, when no other means will effectuate it. “The glory thereof is departed from it.” This will be the lot of all false ways; whereas truth, however men loathe it for awhile, will still at last be found to be lovely, and to have a native unstained beauty. (George Hutcheson.)