Hosea 13

General context

"When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died." Now they sin more, making molten images of silver, "all of it the work of the craftsmen," and say, "Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves." So they will be "as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away," as chaff and as smoke. "Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me." He knew them in the wilderness; once filled, "their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me." So he will be to them a lion, a leopard by the way, and "a bear that is bereaved of her whelps," rending "the caul of their heart." "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help." "I will be thy king"; where are the judges of whom they said, "Give me a king and princes?" "I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath." Ephraim's iniquity is bound up and his sin hid. The sorrows of a travailing woman will come on him, "an unwise son" who stays too long at the birth. "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." An east wind from the wilderness will dry his spring and fountain and spoil his treasure. "Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up."

Cited passages: Hosea 13:1, Hosea 13:2, Hosea 13:3, Hosea 13:4, Hosea 13:5, Hosea 13:6, Hosea 13:7, Hosea 13:8, Hosea 13:9, Hosea 13:10, Hosea 13:11, Hosea 13:12, Hosea 13:13, Hosea 13:14, Hosea 13:15, Hosea 13:16

Hosea 13 (KJV)

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Historical context

The Lord speaks in the first person throughout, "I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt," repeating the self-description of 12:9. The king given "in mine anger" and taken away "in my wrath" is not named, and the request "Give me a king and princes" is quoted without an occasion. Verse 1 says of Ephraim that "he died" when he "offended in Baal" without explaining the death. The calves recall Samaria's calf in 8:5 and the calves of Beth-aven in 10:5. "Morning cloud" and "early dew" repeat 6:4, where they described the people's goodness; here they describe the people themselves. The words to death and the grave in verse 14 are echoed in 1 Corinthians 15:55, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?", in different wording. The same verse both promises ransom from the grave and says "repentance shall be hid from mine eyes," and the text does not resolve how the two clauses relate. Samaria's fate is stated plainly, including the killing of infants and of pregnant women; the chapter names no attacker. "The caul of their heart" and "the breaking forth of children" are the KJV's phrases and are not explained further.

Cited passages: Hosea 13:4, Hosea 12:9, Hosea 13:11, Hosea 13:10, Hosea 13:1, Hosea 8:5, Hosea 10:5, Hosea 6:4, Hosea 13:3, 1 Corinthians 15:55, Hosea 13:14, Hosea 13:16, Hosea 13:8, Hosea 13:13

Literary context

The chapter works in sets. Verse 3 gives four images of vanishing: morning cloud, early dew, chaff in the whirlwind, smoke from the chimney. Verses 7 and 8 give four animals: lion, leopard, bereaved bear, wild beast, with a lion named twice. The memory of Egypt and the wilderness in verses 4 and 5 sits between the images of vanishing and the animals, and the turn from being fed to forgetting is stated in one line, "they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me." Verse 9 sets destruction and help in one sentence, "thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help." The king theme from chapter 10 returns as question and answer: "where is any other that may save thee," and the king given and taken. Verse 14 addresses death and the grave directly, and its last clause withholds repentance in the same breath. Birth imagery appears again, as in chapter 9, this time with an "unwise son" who stays too long "in the place of the breaking forth of children." The chapter ends on Samaria's destruction just before chapter 14 opens with "O Israel, return."

Cited passages: Hosea 13:3, Hosea 13:7, Hosea 13:8, Hosea 13:6, Hosea 13:9, Hosea 13:10, Hosea 13:11, Hosea 13:14, Hosea 13:13, Hosea 9:14, Hosea 13:16, Hosea 14:1

Key moments

1. Kiss the calves (Hosea 13:2). They make molten images and tell those who sacrifice to kiss the calves.
2. No saviour beside me (Hosea 13:4). The Lord names himself their God from Egypt, beside whom there is no saviour.
3. Filled and forgetting (Hosea 13:6). Filled according to their pasture, their heart is exalted and they forget the Lord.
4. Lion, leopard and bear (Hosea 13:8). The Lord will meet them like a bear bereaved of her whelps and devour them like a lion.
5. A king given and taken (Hosea 13:11). The Lord gave a king in anger and took him away in wrath.
6. O death, I will be thy plagues (Hosea 13:14). The Lord promises ransom from the grave while saying repentance is hid from his eyes.
7. Samaria desolate (Hosea 13:16). Samaria will fall by the sword, its infants dashed and its pregnant women ripped up.

For reflection

One verse promises, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave," and ends, "repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." How does a reader hold both halves of verse 14 at once?

People in this chapter

• Jacob

Also indexed here:

• Ephraim