Focused Passage

Hosea 13:9-16

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

9 You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against Me—against your helper.

10 Where is your king now to save you in all your cities, and the rulers to whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?

11 So in My anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.

12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is stored up.

13 Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.

14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes.

15 Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come—a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert. His fountain will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder his treasury of every precious article.

16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 9

Original words

You are destroyed שִֽׁחֶתְךָ֥ H7843 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular O Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular because you are כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction against Me בִ֥י Preposition | first person common singular against your helper בְעֶזְרֶֽךָ׃ H5828 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

Where is אֱהִ֤י H165 Interjection your king מַלְכְּךָ֙ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular now אֵפ֔וֹא H645 Conjunction to save you וְיוֹשִֽׁיעֲךָ֖ H3467 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular in all בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct your cities עָרֶ֑יךָ H5892 Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular and the rulers וְשֹׁ֣פְטֶ֔יךָ H8199 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular to whom אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative you said אָמַ֔רְתָּ H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Give תְּנָה־ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular me לִּ֖י Preposition | first person common singular a king מֶ֥לֶךְ H4428 Noun - masculine singular and princes וְשָׂרִֽים׃ H8269 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or Shall I be your King now
Verse 11

Original words

So in My anger בְּאַפִּ֔י H639 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular I gave אֶֽתֶּן־ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular you לְךָ֥ Preposition | second person masculine singular a king מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ H4428 Noun - masculine singular and in My wrath בְּעֶבְרָתִֽי׃ס H5678 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular I took [him] away וְאֶקַּ֖ח H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular
Verse 12

Original words

The iniquity עֲוֺ֣ן H5771 Noun - common singular construct of Ephraim אֶפְרָ֔יִם H669 Noun - proper - masculine singular [is] bound up צָרוּר֙ H6887 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular his sin חַטָּאתֽוֹ׃ H2403 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular [is] stored up צְפוּנָ֖ה H6845 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Verse 13

Original words

Labor יֽוֹלֵדָ֖ה H3205 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular pains חֶבְלֵ֥י H2256 Noun - masculine plural construct come יָבֹ֣אוּ H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural upon him ל֑וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular but he is הוּא־ H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular vvv לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle an unwise חָכָ֔ם H2450 Adjective - masculine singular son בֵן֙ H1121 Noun - masculine singular When כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the time arrives עֵ֥ת H6256 Noun - common singular he בָּנִֽים׃ H1121 Noun - masculine plural fails לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle to present himself יַעֲמֹ֖ד H5975 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular at the opening of the womb בְּמִשְׁבַּ֥ר H4866 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 14

Original words

I will ransom them אֶפְדֵּ֔ם H6299 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural from the power מִיַּ֤ד H3027 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Sheol שְׁאוֹל֙ H7585 Noun - common singular I will redeem them אֶגְאָלֵ֑ם H1350 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural from Death מִמָּ֖וֶת H4194 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Where אֱהִ֨י H165 Interjection O Death מָ֗וֶת H4194 Noun - masculine singular are your plagues דְבָרֶיךָ֜ H1698 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular Where אֱהִ֤י H165 Interjection O Sheol שְׁא֔וֹל H7585 Noun - common singular is your sting קָֽטָבְךָ֙ H6987 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Compassion נֹ֖חַם H5164 Noun - masculine singular is hidden יִסָּתֵ֥ר H5641 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular from My eyes מֵעֵינָֽי׃ H5869 Preposition-m | Noun - cdc | first person common singular

BSB notes

  • Or Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death?
  • LXX Where, O Death, is your penalty? Where, O Hades, is your sting? Cited in 1 Corinthians 15:55
Verse 15

Original words

Although כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction he ה֔וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular flourishes יַפְרִ֑יא H6500 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular among בֵּ֥ן H1121 Noun - masculine singular his brothers אַחִ֖ים H251 Noun - masculine plural an east wind קָדִים֩ H6921 Noun - masculine singular will come יָב֣וֹא H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular a wind ר֨וּחַ H7307 Noun - common singular construct from the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular rising up עֹלֶ֗ה H5927 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular from the desert מִמִּדְבָּ֣ר H4057 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular His fountain מְקוֹרוֹ֙ H4726 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular will fail וְיֵב֤וֹשׁ H3001 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular and his spring מַעְיָנ֔וֹ H4599 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular will run dry וְיֶחֱרַ֣ב H2717 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular The wind ה֣וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular will plunder יִשְׁסֶ֔ה H8154 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular his treasury אוֹצַ֖ר H214 Noun - masculine singular construct of every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct precious חֶמְדָּֽה׃ H2532 Noun - feminine singular article כְּלִ֥י H3627 Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 16

Original words

Samaria שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן H8111 Noun - proper - feminine singular will bear her guilt תֶּאְשַׁם֙ H816 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular because כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction she has rebelled מָרְתָ֖ה H4784 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular against her God בֵּֽאלֹהֶ֑יהָ H430 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular They will fall יִפֹּ֔לוּ H5307 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural by the sword בַּחֶ֣רֶב H2719 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular their little ones עֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם H5768 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural will be dashed to pieces יְרֻטָּ֔שׁוּ H7376 Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine plural and their pregnant וְהָרִיּוֹתָ֖יו H2030 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular women ripped open יְבֻקָּֽעוּ׃פ H1234 Verb - Pual - Imperfect - 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.