Charles Ellicott Commentary Hosea 13:2

"And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves." — Hosea 13:2 (ASV)

Ewald, following the hint of the Septuagint (who had a slightly different text), renders “according to their pattern of idols.” (Compare to the language of satire in Psalm 115:0; Isaiah 44:10–17.)

Men that sacrifice. More accurately, sacrificers from among men. Others would render “sacrificers of men.” But the former is quite consistent with Hebrew usage, while the latter compels us to adopt the unwarrantable supposition that human sacrifices formed part of the calf-worship. The calf images were kissed like those of the Madonna in Roman Catholic churches at the present day. The Greek προσκυνέω, “to worship,” meant originally to adore by kissing (Curtius, Greek Etymology, p. 158).