The Hebrew word ki rendered For is most likely a logical connector here. It introduces why Israel is useless among the nations (8.8). Andersen and Freedman treat it as an emphatic particle, saying “Indeed,” which is also acceptable. Other translations omit this word (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, NET Bible), but it should be expressed in some way.

They have gone up to Assyria means the Israelites have sought assistance from Assyria (compare 5.13; 7.11). They renders an independent pronoun in Hebrew, so it is emphatic and may be translated “they themselves.”

A wild ass wandering alone: The Hebrew word for wild ass refers to an onager. An onager is a species of horse that is known for being wild. It looks like a donkey. Good News Translation says “wild donkeys,” since the word ass in English is more often used today in a crude way to refer to a part of a person’s body (the buttocks). Translators in other languages will not have the same problem here that English has, but they need to be aware constantly of how words will sound when they are read. In English it would be better to say “wild horse” rather than “wild donkey,” since donkeys are usually domesticated. The Hebrew word for wild ass is singular. Onagers usually stay together and do not associate with other animals or with humans, so one that is wandering alone loses the protection of the herd.

In the Hebrew text this line about an onager comes between two lines about Israel. In Revised Standard Version it is not clear whether Israel or Assyria is the wild ass? There are four ways of relating it to the rest of the verse:

(1) The wild ass may be understood as referring to Israel (they). Good News Translation interprets it in this way, rendering the first two lines as “Stubborn as wild donkeys, the people of Israel go their own way. They have gone off to seek help from Assyria.” This model makes it clear that the comparison of the wild ass applies to Israel (so also New Living Translation, New English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). “Stubborn” interprets the idea of wandering alone. New English Bible says “For, like a wild ass that has left the herd, they have run to Assyria.” In view of the onager’s behavior as an animal that moves around in small herds, this model makes good sense.

(2) It is possible but not a good choice to understand the figure of the wild ass as referring to Assyria. Revised Standard Version is somewhat ambiguous, but the grammatical form of its English here makes it appear that this is the interpretation of Revised Standard Version. Applying this figure to Assyria would mean that Assyria was not looking for contact with Israel when Israel approached Assyria for help. However, this is not an accurate historical description of what occurred, nor is it the normal way to understand the Hebrew here.

(3) Another interpretation is that the figure of the wild ass stands by itself in contrast with the behavior of Ephraim; for example, Bible en français courant renders the last two lines of this verse as “A wild donkey keeps its independence, but the people of Ephraim buy lovers” (similarly Einheitsübersetzung). There is a play on words in Hebrew, because the word for wild ass rearranges some of the consonants of the name Ephraim.

(4) A better interpretation is that of Mays, who also takes the figure to refer to Ephraim, noting that such animals normally stay with the herd for mutual protection. By seeking help from other nations (lovers), Israel resembles the action of a wild ass wandering alone. Being alone, it seeks the wrong companions. Israel is in danger because it avoids God’s guidance. This seems to be the best interpretation (see the model below).

Ephraim has hired lovers: This line compares Israel to a harlot who, instead of receiving pay from her lovers, is so desperate that she is willing to pay them once she has found them. In the same way Israel has paid other nations to be her allies. The Hebrew also allows for a slightly different translation: “Ephraim has hired herself out to lovers” (NET footnote). New Living Translation is similar with “The people of Israel have sold themselves—sold themselves to many lovers.” For Ephraim see 4.17.

A translation model for this verse is:

• because they themselves have gone to Assyria.
Wandering alone, away from the herd like a wild ass,
they have sold themselves to lovers.

Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .