Charles Ellicott Commentary Hosea 7:5

"On the day of our king the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with scoffers." — Hosea 7:5 (ASV)

Following the hint of the Septuagint and other versions, whose rendering is based on a slightly different punctuation of the Hebrew, we prefer to translate: the day of our king the princes have begun with the glowing (or fever) of wine — that is, the carousal of the princely retinue in celebration of the sovereign’s coronation day (or birthday) commences at an early hour, significant of monstrous excess. (Compare to Acts 2:15.)

There is bitterness in the use of the pronoun “our” before “king.” Otherwise, we must render: have made themselves ill with the fever of wine (the Authorized Version is inaccurate here).

The last clause is obscure; it probably means, “he (that is, our king) has made common cause with scorners” and is a boon companion of the dissolute and depraved. (Compare to Exodus 23:1.)