Hosea 9:14

14 Give them, LORD— what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that are dry.

Hosea 9:14 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
14 Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
English Standard Version (ESV)
14 Give them, O LORD-- what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
New Living Translation (NLT)
14 O LORD, what should I request for your people? I will ask for wombs that don’t give birth and breasts that give no milk.
The Message Bible (MSG)
14 Give it to them, God! But what? Give them a dried-up womb and shriveled breasts.
American Standard Version (ASV)
14 Give them, O Jehovah--what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
14 LORD, give them what they deserve. Make the women miscarry, or else make them unable to nurse their babies.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
14 Give them, Lord- What should You give? Give them a womb that miscarries and breasts that are dry!
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
14 Lord, what should you do to Ephraim's people? Give them women whose babies die before they are born. Give them women whose breasts don't have any milk.

Hosea 9:14 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 9:14

Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give them?
&c.] The prophet foreseeing the butchery and destruction of their children, his heart ached for them; and, to show his tender affection for this people, was desirous of putting up a supplication for them; but was at a loss what to ask, their sins were so many, and so aggravated, and the decree gone forth for their destruction: or, "give them what thou wilt give them" {l}; so Jarchi, Kimchi, and Abarbinel, what thou hast threatened before to give them, ( Hosea 9:11 ) ; do not give them to be butchered and murdered before the eyes of their parents by their enemies; but rather let them die in the womb, or as soon as born; so it follows: give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts;
the latter being a sign of the former, as physicians observe; or the words may be rendered disjunctively, give them one, or the other; that is, to the wives of the people of Israel, if they conceive, let them miscarry, prove abortive, rather than bring forth children to be destroyed in such a cruel manner by murderers; or if they bear them to the birth, and bring them forth, let their breasts be dried up, and afford no milk for their nourishment; and so die for lack of it, rather than fall into the hands of their merciless enemies: thus, of two evils, the prophet chooses and prays for the least. Some interpret this as a prediction of what would be, or an imprecation of it; but it rather seems a pathetic wish, flowing from the tender affection of the prophet, judging such a case to be preferable to the former; see ( Luke 23:29 ) ; though the other sense seems best to agree with what follows, and which is favoured by the Targum,

``give thou, O Lord, the recompence of their works; give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.''

FOOTNOTES:

F12 (Ntt hm Mhl Nt) "da eis quod daturus es", Junius & Tremellius, Vatablus, Grotius; "da illis id quod dabis", Schmidt.

Hosea 9:14 In-Context

12 Even if they rear children, I will bereave them of every one. Woe to them when I turn away from them!
13 I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place. But Ephraim will bring out their children to the slayer.”
14 Give them, LORD— what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that are dry.
15 “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.
16 Ephraim is blighted, their root is withered, they yield no fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay their cherished offspring.”

Cross References 1

  • 1. ver 11; Luke 23:29
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