And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her
lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours, Which were clothed with
blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen
riding upon horses. Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with
all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom
she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself. Neither left
she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with
her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their
whoredom upon her. Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of
her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.
These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her
daughters, and slew her with the sword and she became famous among
women; for they had executed judgment upon her (verses 5-10).
Aholah's, Samaria's, wickedness is described first. It began with
Jeroboam's idolatry (1 Kings xii:25) and became worse and worse. They
went to Assyria and shared their corruption in idolatry and made a
covenant with that nation (Hosea xii:2). Thus Samaria played the harlot
by forsaking the Lord and turning to Assyria, trusting on Assyria
instead of on the Lord, and then she defiled herself with all their idols.
Hosea described their condition. "Ephraim also is like a silly dove
without heart; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. When they shall
go I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls
of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
Woe unto them! for they have fled from me; destruction unto them!
because they have transgressed against me, though I have redeemed them,
yet they have spoken lies against me" (Hosea vii:11-13). The judgment of
Samaria is also mentioned. The Lord delivered the people into the hands
of the nation with which they had become enamored, to discover their
nakedness. "Wherefore, I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers,
into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted." The historical
record of this is found in 2 Kings xvii, when Hoshea, King of Samaria,
became servant to Shalmaneser, King of Assyria. And when Hoshea acted
treacherously, Shalmaneser imprisoned Samaria's king and led the people
away into Assyria.