Hosea 13:9

“O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, etc.] Though the Lord was a lion, a leopard, and a bear to them, yet their destruction was not owing to him, but to themselves; he was not chargeable with it, but they only; the fault and blame was theirs; their own sins brought it on them, and provoked him to such righteous wrath and vengeance before expressed: this is said to clear the Lord from any imputation of this kind, and to lay it where it should be It may be rendered, “it hath destroyed thee”f277; either the calf, as Kimchi, and the worshipping of that, their idolatry; or their king, as others, taking it from the following verse by way of anticipation; or rather it may refer to all their sins…”

“thou . . . in me--in contrast. hast destroyed thyself--that is, thy destruction is of thyself (Pro 6:32; Pro 8:36). in me is thine help--literally, "in thine help" (compare Deu 33:26). Hadst thou rested thy hope in Me, I would have been always ready at hand for thy help [GROTIUS].”

“O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in Me is thy help - This is one of the concise sayings of Hosea, which is capable of many shades of meaning. The five words, one by one, are literally, “Israel, thy destruction, for” or “that, in” or “against Me, in” or “against thy help.” Something must be supplied any way; the simplest seems; “O Israel, thy destruction” is, “that” thou hast been, hast rebelled “against Me, against thy help” . Yet, in whatever way the words are filled up, the general sense is the same, that God alone is our help, we are the sources of our own destruction; and “that,” in separating ourselves from God, or rebelling against Him who is our help until we depart from…”

“13:9 me, your only helper: See Pss 70:5; 115:9; 121:2; 124:8. Israel’s sin had turned their helper into their destroyer.”

“thou: Hos 14:1; Kg2 17:7-17; Pro 6:32, Pro 8:36; Isa 3:9, Isa 3:11; Jer 2:17, Jer 2:19, Jer 4:18, Jer 5:25; Mal 1:9 but: Hos 13:4; Deu 33:26; Psa 33:20, Psa 46:1, Psa 121:1, Psa 121:2, Psa 146:5; Eph 1:3-5; Tit 3:3-7 is thine help: Heb. in thy help Hosea 13:10”

“Hos 13:9 commences a new strophe, in which the prophet once more discloses to the people the reason for their corruption ( Hos 13:9-13); and after pointing to the saving omnipotence of the Lord ( Hos 13:14), holds up before them utter destruction as the just punishment for their guilt ( Hos 13:15 and Hos 14:1). Hos 13:9. "O Israel, it hurls thee into destruction, that thou (art) against me, thy help. Hos 13:10. Where is thy king? that he may help thee in all thy cities: and (where) they judges? of whom thou saidst, Give me king and princes! Hos 13:11. I give thee kings in my anger, and take them away in my wrath." שׁחתך does not combine together the verbs in Hos 13:8, as Hitzig supposes; nor…”