And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.
The pride of Israel - wherewith they reject the warnings of God's prophets (Hosea 5:2), and prefer their idols to God (Hosea 7:10; Jeremiah 13:17).
Doth testify to his face - openly to his face he shall be convicted of the pride which is so palpable in him. Before God there is no need of any other witness against the sinner than his own conscience silently speaking in his countenance. Or, 'in his face,' as Isaiah 3:9, "The show of their countenance doth witness against them,"
Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity. They were too proud to give the political supremacy to Judah. In order to avoid this, and be independent of Jerusalem and its temple, they maintained the rival calf-worship, in open sin against God. Then fornications followed (Hosea 5:5): for pride and carnal sins are closely akin. Ephraim, as the royal tribe, is distinguished from the whole of Israel, of which it was a part.
Judah also shall fall with them. This prophecy is later than Hosea 4:15, when Judah had not gone so far in idolatry; now her imitation of Israel's bad example provokes the threat of her being doomed to share in Israel's punishment.