Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
Ver. 11. Ephraim also is like a silly dove] That may be drawn any way for want of wit (so the word פיתה signifieth), easily persuaded, enticed, deceived. The Septuagint render it ανους, insensata, witless, or wanting a heart, as the next words explain it; the heart being put for the understanding, as Jeremiah 5:21, and often in the Proverbs, Proverbs 6:32; Proverbs 11:12; Proverbs 10:13. Lo, such a thing is Ephraim; and yet he holds himself wondrous wise, in calling to Egypt, and going to Assyria for help. Which was as wisely done as if sheep should commit themselves to the wolf for safeguard. The Egyptians were their ancient oppressors; the Assyrians should be shortly their executioners. Between these two, as between two millstones, they had been, and were to be ground to powder, as it were; and yet to these they were ready to run for refuge. This was indeed to be like a silly dove, which flies from the claws of the hawk into the net of the fowler, who will soon make a breakfast of them; or that waits till the fowler be gone, that she may fall upon the bait, never fearing the snare that is laid for her. See 2 Kings 17:4. A serpent's eye in a dove's head is a singular ornament. "Be ye wise as serpents, innocent as doves," Matthew 10:16. The serpent, when charmed, stoppeth his ears, by applying one to the earth, and covering the other with his tail. The dove is too credulous and persuasible, dulce canente fistula. She is also dull, and defends not her young ones, as other creatures do. She will sit quiet in her columbary, and see her nest destroyed, her young ones taken away and killed before her eyes, and never offer to rescue or revenge; which the hen and other fowls seem in some sort to do. Lo, such was Ephraim's stupidity. The Philistines were upon him, the enemies spoiled and made a prey of him, yet he knew it not, as it is Hosea 7:9; he was not affected with it, nor driven to God by it; but either sat still, as the spoiled dove doth in her nest, or upon her dove cot, delighted in the beauty of her feathers, priding herself in the clapping of her wings; or else ran a wrong way for refuge; flew to king Jareb, to human helps, to carnal confederates, which never were true to those that trusted them. See Hosea 5:13. See Trapp on " Hos 5:13 " where you shall see that from the Assyrian they had pro praesidio ludibrium as likewise those Christians had that called in the Turk or the like to help them. True it is that religion without policy is too simple to be safe; but it is no less true that policy without religion is too subtle to be good. As the dove without the serpent is easily caught; so the serpent without the dove stings deadly. Let that be held and remembered, that there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord, Proverbs 21:30, and that he takes it very ill when we decline him, and knock at the creature's door for help, Jeremiah 2:13, shifting and sharking in every bycorner for comfort. This is the devil's policy, to draw men from God, the Rock of ages (as Joshua did the men of Ai out of their city, Joshua 8:5, and as Bristow counselleth his fellows, the pope's janissaries, to draw the Lutherans out of their stronghold of the Scriptures, into the open field of councils and fathers), that he may do what he will with them, and destroy them. For he knows, that be our hopes never so high, our helps from the creature never so likely, yet if God deny his concurrence and influence, the arm of flesh (as Jeroboam's) shrinks up presently; and the strongest sinew of it cracks, and becomes useless.