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Hosea 8:7
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

Job 15:2
Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

Jeremiah 22:22
The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.

he daily.

Hosea 11:12
Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

and they.

Hosea 5:13
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judahsaw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

2 Kings 15:19
And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

2 Kings 17:4-6
And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, ashe had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison…

and pursues the east wind all day long;
The "east wind" in the Bible is often associated with destruction and desolation, as seen inGenesis 41:6 andExodus 10:13. By pursuing the east wind, Ephraim is depicted as chasing after destructive and harmful endeavors. This reflects their misguided alliances and reliance on foreign powers rather than trusting in God.

he multiplies lies and violence;
Ephraim's actions are characterized by deceit and aggression. This reflects the moral and spiritual decay within the nation, as they have turned away from God's commandments. The multiplication of lies and violence indicates a society deeply entrenched in sin, reminiscent of the conditions described inMicah 6:12.

he makes a covenant with Assyria
This refers to the political alliances that Israel sought with Assyria, a dominant power at the time. Such covenants were often made for protection or political gain but were contrary to God's desire for Israel to rely solely on Him. This is a direct violation of the covenantal relationship Israel was supposed to maintain with God, as seen inDeuteronomy 7:2.

and sends olive oil to Egypt.
Sending olive oil to Egypt signifies attempts to secure alliances and favor with another powerful nation. Olive oil, a valuable commodity in the ancient Near East, symbolizes the resources and wealth that Israel was willing to expend to secure these alliances. This reflects a lack of faith in God's provision and protection, similar to the warnings given inIsaiah 30:1-2 against relying on Egypt.

“Ephraim feeds on the wind” paints a picture of a people trying to nourish themselves on what can never satisfy.

• Wind is empty, transient, and impossible to grasp; living on it is futile (Ecclesiastes 5:16;Hosea 8:7).

• Spiritually, Israel was taking in ideas and practices that looked enticing but left them hollow (Isaiah 55:2).

• The image condemns self-reliance and idolatry: they sought sustenance everywhere except from the LORD who had provided manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:15, 35).

The “east wind” in Scripture is hot, scorching, and destructive (Job 27:21;Jeremiah 18:17).

• Chasing that wind pictures relentless pursuit of what finally harms.

• Israel’s alliances, strategies, and false worship brought immediate excitement yet produced devastation—like the east wind that withers crops (Genesis 41:6, 23).

• Their pursuit was constant—“all day long”—revealing an unbroken pattern of misguided ambition (Isaiah 30:15-16).

Turning from God bred both deception and brutality (Hosea 4:1-2).

• Lies: broken covenants, false prophets, empty promises (Micah 6:12;Jeremiah 9:3-6).

• Violence: oppression of the poor, bloodshed in the streets (Amos 6:12-13;Habakkuk 1:2-3).

• Moral collapse always accompanies spiritual infidelity; what fills the heart inevitably shapes society (Matthew 15:19).

Rather than trusting the LORD, Ephraim sought security in Assyria (2 Kings 17:3-4;Hosea 5:13).

• Political deals replaced covenant faithfulness to God (Deuteronomy 17:16).

• Alliances with pagan powers never stayed neutral; they drew Israel deeper into idolatry (2 Kings 16:7-10).

• The gesture exposed fear of men over fear of God (Isaiah 31:1).

Olive oil, a prized export, became a bribe for Egypt’s protection (Isaiah 30:2-6;Jeremiah 2:18).

• Splitting allegiance between two rival empires—Assyria and Egypt—showed spiritual adultery (1 Kings 18:21).

• Lavishing resources on foreign nations robbed what belonged to worship and care for the needy at home (Malachi 3:8-9).

• Instead of offering firstfruits to the LORD (Deuteronomy 26:1-11), they poured blessings into the hands of unbelievers, hoping to buy peace.

Hosea 12:1 exposes Israel’s futile quest for security apart from God. Feeding on wind, chasing a scorching east wind, multiplying deceit and cruelty, cutting deals with Assyria, and bribing Egypt—all illustrate a nation refusing the only Source of life. The verse warns that every alternative to wholehearted trust in the LORD is empty, destructive, and morally corrosive, while reminding believers today that true sustenance, protection, and peace are found solely in covenant faithfulness to Him.

(1)East wind.--Comp.Isaiah 27:8 andJob 27:21. On the latter passage Wetzstein remarks:--"This wind is more frequent in winter and early spring, when, if it continues long, the tender vegetation is parched up, and a year of famine follows. Both man and beast feel sickly while it prevails." Hence, that which is unpleasant and revolting in life is compared by Orientals to the east wind. The idea expressed by the east wind here is the same as inJob 15:2, combining the notions of destructiveness and emptiness. The covenant with Assyria refers to the events of the reign of Hoshea. Covenants with Assyria, and presents to Egypt were to Hosea curses in disguise. (See Note onHosea 7:11.)

1. To feed on wind is to take pleasure in or draw sustenance from what can really afford neither; while following after the east wind is

(1) to pursue vain hopes and ideals which are unattainable. According to this view, the prominent idea of the east wind is its fleetness, which passed into a proverb; thus Horace says, "Agents nimbos Oeior Euro." To outrun the swift and stormy east wind would represent an undertaking at once impracticable and hopeless. But

(2) it is rather the blasting influence of the east wind that is referred to, so that it is a figurative representation, not so much of what is vain and hopeless, as of what is pernicious and destructive. Thus their course was not only idle, but injurious; not only delusive, but destructive; not only fruitless, but fatal. Their career, which is thus represented, included their idolatry and foreign alliances Kimchi explains this clause as follows: "In his service of the calves he is like him who opens his mouth to the wind and feeds on it, though he cannot support life thereby." And followeth after the east wind; ' he repeats the sense in different words, and mentions the east wind because it is the strongest and most injurious of winds to the sons of men. So with them: it is not enough that the idolatry of the calves does not profit them, but it actually injures them." . . .

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