‘The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years.’ This means that, as we commence looking at Hosea 13, things were looking very black indeed for Ephraim. As he speaks to the people, Hosea again takes them back into their past history. He reminds them that there was a time when they were a force to be reckoned with. Ephraim (the tribe who were descended from the second son of Joseph) was exalted in
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