Book of Hosea Chapter 10 Vs. 8

 ONCE MORE: PUPPET-KINGS AND PUPPET-GODS

The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us. Hos. 10:8

The high places...The high places had been where much of the worship of the false gods took place. Aven here, is speaking of the Beth-aven we spoke of earlier. It had been Beth-el (house of God) but became a place where evil worship took place. The sites of idolatrous worship would be destroyed as well, the ruins becoming overgrown with thorns (cf. Hos. 9:6) and thistles. The reference to the destruction of the high places (bāmôṯ) is ironic (cf. Lev. 26:30-31). When Israel entered the land, the Lord commanded her to destroy these worship centers (Num. 33:52; Deut. 12:2-3). Because of Israel’s dismal failure in carrying out this charge, the Lord chose to use a foreign army to accomplish His purpose. In utter desperation the people would beg the mountains to fall on them.

the thorn and... Now they will grow up with weeds. There will be no one to care for them. The growing of the thorn and thistle show the lack of use. It was almost as if the altars themselves were ashamed.

Cover us; and… An expression of extreme fear. The captivity would be so severe that the people would pray for the mountains and hills to fall on them, similar to the last days (Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16). The battle would be so great, many would choose to die, rather than be captured.

Wickedness translates ’āwen, which occurs, spelled slightly differently, in Beth Aven, the derogatory name for Bethel (cf. Hos. 4:15; 5:8; 10:5).

And the high places of idolatry shall be destroyed, the sin of Israel; thorn and thistle shall come up on their altars. And they shall say to the mountains, cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us. It cannot be too often repeated: these handmade gods, these chips of kings, shall be swept away together.

Again, the sites of idolatrous worship would be destroyed as well, the ruins becoming overgrown with thorns (cf. Hos. 9:6) and thistles. The reference to the destruction of the high places (bāmôṯ) is ironic (cf. Lev. 26:30-31). When Israel entered the land, the Lord commanded her to destroy these worship centers (Num. 33:52; Deut. 12:2-3). Because of Israel’s dismal failure in carrying out this charge, the Lord chose to use a foreign army to accomplish His purpose. In utter desperation the people would beg the mountains to fall on them. A similar plea will be made by unbelievers in the Tribulation in response to the terror of God’s wrath in the seal judgments (Rev. 6:16).