Charles Ellicott Commentary Hosea 9:10

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree at its first season: but they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves unto the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved." — Hosea 9:10 (ASV)

Grapes in the wilderness.—Rich delicacies for the desert traveler. In this way, Jehovah had regarded His people at the beginning of their national history in the wilderness.

Firstripe.—The early fig that ripens in June, while the rest reach maturity around August (Isaiah 28:4; Micah 7:1; Jeremiah 24:2).

Baal-peor was the place where Moabite idolatry was practiced. This great disgrace had burned itself into their national traditions and literature (Numbers 25:0; Deuteronomy 4:3; Psalms 106:28–31).

Shame.—The Hebrew bosheth was a euphemism for Baal. Observe that names ending in "-bosheth" (Ish-bosheth, etc.) are replaced by the older forms in "-baal" in 1 Chronicles. The last clause should be rendered as follows: they have become abominations like their love (that is, Baal).