Hosea 13:9-16

9 It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are 1against Me, against your 2help.
10 Where now is your 3king That he may save you in all your cities, And your 4judges of whom you requested, "Give me a king and princes "?
11 I 5gave you a king in My anger And 6took him away in My wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; His sin is 7stored up.
13 The pains of 8childbirth come upon him; He is 9not a wise son, For it is not the time that he should 10delay at the opening * of the womb.
14 Shall I 11ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? 12O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? 13Compassion will be hidden from My sight.
15 Though he 14flourishes among the reeds, An 15east wind will come, The wind of the LORD coming up from the wilderness; And his fountain will 16become dry And his spring will be dried up; It will 17plunder his treasury of every precious article.
16 Samaria will be held 18guilty, For she has 19rebelled against her God. 20They will fall by the 21sword, Their little ones will be 22dashed in pieces, And their pregnant 23women will be ripped open.

Hosea 13:9-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 13

This chapter begins with observing the different state and condition of Ephraim before and after his idolatry, Ho 13:1; his increase in it, Ho 13:2; and therefore his prosperity was very short lived, which is signified by various metaphors, Ho 13:3; and his sins are aggravated by the former goodness of God unto him his great ingratitude unto God, and forgetfulness him, Ho 13:4-6; hence he is threatened with his wrath and vengeance in a very severe manner, Ho 13:7,8; for which he had none to blame but himself; yea, such was the grace and goodness of God to him, that though he had destroyed himself, yet there were help and salvation for him in him, Ho 13:9; though not in his king he had desired, and was given, and was took away in wrath, Ho 13:10,11; but his sin being bound up and hid, and he foolish and unwise, sharp corrections would be given him, Ho 13:12,13; and yet a gracious promise is made of redemption from death and the grave by the Messiah, Ho 13:14; but, notwithstanding this, and all his present prosperity, he would be blasted in his wealth and riches; and Samaria the metropolis of his country would he desolate; and the inhabitants of it be used in the most cruel manner, because of their rebellion against God, Ho 13:15,16.

Cross References 23

  • 1. Jeremiah 2:17, 19; Malachi 1:12, 13
  • 2. Deuteronomy 33:26, 29
  • 3. 2 Kings 17:4; Hosea 8:4
  • 4. 1 Samuel 8:5, 6
  • 5. 1 Samuel 8:7; 1 Samuel 10:17-24
  • 6. 1 Samuel 15:26; 1 Kings 14:7-10; Hosea 10:7
  • 7. Deuteronomy 32:34, 35; Job 14:17; Romans 2:5
  • 8. Isaiah 13:8; Micah 4:9, 10
  • 9. Deuteronomy 32:6; Hosea 5:4
  • 10. Isaiah 37:3; Isaiah 66:9
  • 11. Psalms 49:15; Ezekiel 37:12, 13
  • 12. 1 Corinthians 15:55
  • 13. Jeremiah 20:16; Jeremiah 31:35-37
  • 14. Genesis 49:22; Hosea 10:1
  • 15. Genesis 41:6; Jeremiah 4:11, 12; Ezekiel 17:10; Ezekiel 19:12
  • 16. Jeremiah 51:36
  • 17. Jeremiah 20:5
  • 18. Hosea 10:2
  • 19. Hosea 7:14
  • 20. 2 Kings 8:12
  • 21. Hosea 11:6
  • 22. Hosea 10:14
  • 23. 2 Kings 15:16

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Or "But in Me is your help"
  • [b]. Lit "said"
  • [c]. Lit "it is the time that he should not tarry at the breaking forth of children"
  • [d]. Lit "hand"
  • [e]. Or "brothers"
  • [f]. Ch 14:1 in Heb
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