The utterances in this section indicate hostility between Israel and Judah, the divided halves of the people of God, at a time of involvement with Syria. It is therefore likely that Hosea's words refer to the attempt of Israel and Syria to force Judah into a coalition to resist Assyria, when Pekah was king of Israel and Ahaz king of Judah. As we have seen, the result of this ill-fated attempt was that Assyria turned more fiercely against Israel and Syria. Verses 8-9 and 14 indicate that the people of Israel cannot escape the judgement that God is sending on them, what-ever political maneuvers they planned. Chapter 5: 14 reminds us of Amos' comparison of God with a lion; 5: 15 reflects the idea in the account of Hosea's marriage, that it is necessary to take the unfaithful wife into the bare desert to make her learn that God alone cares for her. The idea of suffering being a path to the knowledge of God's will and love is expressed in this verse.