en_tn_condensed/hos/12/01.md

General Information:

Hosea the prophet is speaking.

Ephraim feeds on the wind

Here "Ephraim" represents all the people of Israel. Also "wind" represents something that is useless or temporary. The people of Israel doing things that will not help them is spoken of as if they eat the wind. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

follows after the east wind

East winds were very hot and destructive to the land. Here it represents anything that is destructive. The people doing things that will destroy themselves is spoken of as if they are following the east wind. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

carry olive oil to Egypt

The people of Israel sent olive oil as a present to the king of Egypt to try and persuade him to help them.