Hosea 11:5

“He shall not return into the land of Egypt, etc.] Ephraim or Israel, the ten tribes: and the Septuagint and Arabic versions express them by name, though they give a wrong sense of the words, rendering them, “and Ephraim dwelt in Egypt”; he did so indeed with the other tribes formerly; but here it is said he shall not go thither again to be a captive there, but shall go into bondage more severe than that in Egypt, even into captivity in Assyria: rather the sense is, they should not go thither for shelter, at least not as a body, though some few of them might, as in (<280903>Hosea 9:3); the far greater part of them should he carried captive by the Assyrians: or they should not return to Egypt…”

“He shall not return into . . . Egypt--namely, to seek help against Assyria (compare Hos 7:11), as Israel lately had done (Kg2 17:4), after having revolted from Assyria, to whom they had been tributary from the times of Menahem (Kg2 15:19). In a figurative sense, "he shall return to Egypt" (Hos 9:3), that is, to Egypt-like bondage; also many Jewish fugitives were literally to return to Egypt, when the Holy Land was to be in Assyrian and Chaldean hands. Assyrian shall be his king--instead of having kings of their own, and Egypt as their auxiliary. because they refused to return--just retribution. They would not return (spiritually) to God, therefore they shall not return (corporally) to Egypt,…”

“He shall not return to Egypt - Some had probably returned already to Egypt; the rest were looking to Egypt for help, and rebelling against the Assyrian, (whose servant their king Hoshea had become), and making alliance with So king of Egypt. The prophet tells them, as a whole, that they shall not return to Egypt to which they looked, but should have the Assyrian for their king, whom they would not. “They refused to return” to God, who lovingly called them; therefore, what they desired, they should not have; and what they feared, that they should have. They would not have God for their king; therefore “the Assyrian” should “be their king,” and a worse captivity than that of Egypt should…”

“He - Ephraim. Shall be king - Shall rule them with rigour and cruelty. They refused - The reason of all is, their obstinacy in idolatry. Hosea 11:6”

“11:5-7 Because the Israelites had refused to return to the Lord, they would return to Egypt and . . . serve Assyria. Their past bondage in Egypt was a symbol for their coming exile in Assyria.”

“shall not: Hos 7:16, Hos 8:13, Hos 9:3, Hos 9:6 but: Hos 5:13, Hos 10:6; Kg2 15:19, Kg2 15:29, Kg2 17:3-6, Kg2 18:11; Isa 8:6-8; Amo 5:27 "They became tributaries to Salmanasser." because: Hos 6:1; Kg2 17:13, Kg2 17:14, Kg2 18:12; Jer 8:4-6; Amo 4:6, Amo 4:8-10; Zac 1:4-6 Hosea 11:6”

“By despising this love, Israel brings severe punishment upon itself. Hos 11:5. "It will not return into the land of Egypt; but Asshur, he is its king, because they refused to return. Hos 11:6. And the sword will sweep round in its cities, and destroy its bolts, and devour, because of their counsels. Hos 11:7. My people is bent upon apostasy from me: and if men call it upwards, it does not raise itself at all." The apparent contradiction between the words, "It will not return into the land of Egypt," and the threat contained in Hos 8:13; Hos 9:3, that Israel should return to Egypt, ought not to lead us to resort to alterations of the text, or to take לא in the sense of לו, and connect it with…”