Focused Passage

Hosea 13:1-8

Forgotten Mercy, False Kingship, and Death Under Covenant Judgment

Hosea 13 moves from Ephraim's former weight and Baal-caused death, to the LORD's reminder of exodus mercy, to judgment against proud forgetfulness, to the exposure of failed kingship, to birth-pang and death imagery, and finally to Samaria's guilt under violent judgment.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal, and he died.

2 Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”

3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, like smoke through an open window.

4 Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, for there is no Savior besides Me.

5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.

6 When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.

7 So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path.

8 Like a bear robbed of her cubs I will attack them, and I will tear open their chests. There I will devour them like a lion, like a wild beast tearing them apart.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

When Ephraim אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ H669 Noun - proper - masculine singular spoke כְּדַבֵּ֤ר H1696 Preposition-k | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct there was trembling רְתֵ֔ת H7578 Noun - feminine singular he ה֖וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular was exalted נָשָׂ֥א H5375 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular in Israel בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל H3478 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular But he incurred guilt וַיֶּאְשַׁ֥ם H816 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular through Baal בַּבַּ֖עַל H1168 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular and he died וַיָּמֹֽת׃ H4191 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, the northern kingdom of Israel; also in verse 12
Verse 2

Original words

Now וְעַתָּ֣ה׀ H6258 Conjunctive waw | Adverb they sin לַחֲטֹ֗א H2398 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct more and more יוֹסִ֣פוּ H3254 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural and make וַיַּעְשׂ֣וּ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural for themselves לָהֶם֩ Preposition | third person masculine plural cast images מַסֵּכָ֨ה H4541 Noun - feminine singular idols עֲצַבִּ֔ים H6091 Noun - masculine plural skillfully made כִּתְבוּנָם֙ H8394 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural from their silver מִכַּסְפָּ֤ם H3701 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural all כֻּלֹּ֑ה H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular of them לָהֶם֙ Preposition | third person masculine plural the work מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה H4639 Noun - masculine singular construct of craftsmen חָרָשִׁ֖ים H2796 Noun - masculine plural People הֵ֣ם H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural say of them אֹמְרִ֔ים H559 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural They offer human sacrifice זֹבְחֵ֣י H2076 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct . . . אָדָ֔ם H120 Noun - masculine singular [and] kiss יִשָּׁקֽוּן׃ H5401 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun the calves עֲגָלִ֖ים H5695 Noun - masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or “The men who sacrifice kiss the calves!” See 1 Kings 19:18.
Verse 3

Original words

Therefore לָכֵ֗ן H3651 Adverb they will be יִֽהְיוּ֙ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural like the morning בֹּ֔קֶר H1242 Noun - masculine singular mist כַּעֲנַן־ H6051 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct like the early מַשְׁכִּ֣ים H7925 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular dew וְכַטַּ֖ל H2919 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular that vanishes הֹלֵ֑ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular like chaff כְּמֹץ֙ H4671 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular blown יְסֹעֵ֣ר H5590 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular from a threshing floor מִגֹּ֔רֶן H1637 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular like smoke וּכְעָשָׁ֖ן H6227 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular through an open window מֵאֲרֻבָּֽה׃ H699 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 4

Original words

Yet I [am] וְאָנֹכִ֛י H595 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular ever since the land מֵאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרָ֑יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular you know תֵדָ֔ע H3045 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular no לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle God וֵאלֹהִ֤ים H430 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural but Me זֽוּלָתִי֙ H2108 Preposition | first person common singular for [there is] no אַ֖יִן H369 Adverb Savior וּמוֹשִׁ֥יעַ H3467 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular besides Me בִּלְתִּֽי׃ H1115 Preposition
Verse 5

Original words

I אֲנִ֥י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular knew you יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular in the wilderness בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר H4057 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular in the land בְּאֶ֖רֶץ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of drought תַּלְאֻבֽוֹת׃ H8514 Noun - feminine plural
Verse 6

Original words

When they had pasture כְּמַרְעִיתָם֙ H4830 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural they became satisfied וַיִּשְׂבָּ֔עוּ H7646 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural when they were satisfied שָׂבְע֖וּ H7646 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural their hearts לִבָּ֑ם H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural became proud וַיָּ֣רָם H7311 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and as a result עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּ֖ן H3651 Adverb they forgot Me שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃ H7911 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular
Verse 7

Original words

So like כְּמוֹ־ H3644 Preposition a lion שָׁ֑חַל H7826 Noun - masculine singular I will pounce וָאֱהִ֥י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular on them לָהֶ֖ם Preposition | third person masculine plural like a leopard כְּנָמֵ֖ר H5246 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular I will lurk אָשֽׁוּר׃ H7789 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular by עַל־ H5921 Preposition the path דֶּ֥רֶךְ H1870 Noun - common singular
Verse 8

Original words

Like a bear כְּדֹ֣ב H1677 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular robbed of her cubs שַׁכּ֔וּל H7909 Adjective - masculine singular I will attack them אֶפְגְּשֵׁם֙ H6298 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural and I will tear וְאֶקְרַ֖ע H7167 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular open their chests סְג֣וֹר H5458 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . לִבָּ֑ם H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural There שָׁם֙ H8033 Adverb I will devour them וְאֹכְלֵ֥ם H398 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural like a lion כְּלָבִ֔יא H3833 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular like a wild הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה H7704 Article | Noun - masculine singular beast חַיַּ֥ת H2416 Noun - feminine singular construct tearing them apart תְּבַקְּעֵֽם׃ H1234 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.