The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.
The people living in Samaria are going to be terrified about what happens to their golden calf idols in Beth-aven. Everyone who used to worship there, the regular people and the priests who were so proud of it, they're all going to be devastated when its glory is stripped away and taken from them.
When you put your trust in fake things, losing them hits different.
📚 Historical Context
In the 8th century BC, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, with its capital in Samaria, had fallen into idolatry by worshiping golden calves set up at sites like Bethel, which Hosea mockingly calls Bethaven to underscore its spiritual corruption. Hosea, as a prophet sent by God, warned the people that their devotion to these false idols would lead to fear and mourning, as divine judgment would strip away the false security they derived from them. This reflects the broader biblical narrative of God's covenant people repeatedly straying from true worship and facing consequences.
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