Book of Hosea Chapter 5 Vs. 11

 Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah

Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment. Hos. 5:11

Ephraim is oppressed... He is delivered over to oppressors by God’s just judgment. Such were Pul and Tiglath-pileser, kings of Assyria. Archbishop Newcome distinguishes between these phrases thus.

because he willingly... It was not forced upon them, they did it willingly. Though there was a law commanding, yet there was in the people a forwardness and too great a readiness, to comply and obey that law which made idolatry the establishment in the ten tribes.

after the commandment... To forbear going to the temple, and to worship the calves at Dan and Beth-el, as Jeroboam son of Nebat required. The commandment of Jeroboam to worship the golden calves and go into idolatry (1Kgs. 12:28; 2Kgs. 10:29-31).

God allowed Ephraim to be oppressed and broken by his neighbors, as judgment from God for his unfaithfulness to God.

Ephraim is oppressed, crushed is his right, for he willfully went after vanity.

According to Hos. 5:11-14, judgment had already begun. Ephraim was oppressed and trampled. Again Hosea alluded to a covenant curse (cf. Deut. 28:33 2, NASB). This judgment may refer to the Assyrian invasion of 733 B.C (cf. 2Ki. 15:29). However, Israel’s troubles were ultimately attributable to her own sin, not to Assyrian imperialism. The word idols is a conjecture (cf. NIV marg.), for the Hebrew word ṣāw is obscure. Man’s command (NASB) is a highly unlikely translation. The word is possibly a corruption of vanity (šāw’, RSV, following the LXX) or filth (ṣāw’, i.e., excrement. The reference is probably to false gods (hence NIV’s idols). The Hebrew literally reads, for he persistently walked after vanity/filth (?). The idiom walk after, translated follow(ed)(ing), appears elsewhere with false gods as an object (cf. Deut. 4:3; 6:14; 8:19; 28:14; Jer. 2:5; etc.).