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.

Samaria {H8111} shall become desolate {H816}; for she hath rebelled {H4784} against her God {H430}: they shall fall {H5307} by the sword {H2719}: their infants {H5768} shall be dashed in pieces {H7376}, and their women with child {H2030} shall be ripped up {H1234}.

Shomron will bear her guilt, for 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.

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.

Samaria shall bear her guilt; 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.

Hosea 13:16 delivers a stark and sobering prophecy concerning the utter destruction of Samaria, the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), due to its profound and persistent rebellion against God. This verse encapsulates the severe consequences of national apostasy, culminating in the brutal realities of ancient warfare.

Context

The prophet Hosea ministered to the Northern Kingdom during its final decades before its fall to the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC. Throughout his book, Hosea consistently exposes Israel's spiritual adultery – their abandonment of the Lord for Baal worship, their reliance on unstable foreign alliances, and their political instability rooted in a rejection of divine kingship. Samaria, as the spiritual and political heart of the kingdom, became a symbol of this systemic unfaithfulness. The phrase "rebelled against their God" (Hebrew: marad, signifying willful defiance and insurrection) summarizes generations of covenant-breaking. This judgment is the culmination of numerous warnings and calls to repentance that Israel ignored, leading to the prophesied desolation by invading forces, specifically the Assyrians, known for their extreme brutality.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The verse powerfully illustrates God's unyielding justice and holiness, demonstrating that persistent sin and rebellion against Him will ultimately incur severe consequences. It reflects the truth that God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.
  • Consequences of Rebellion: The graphic imagery of infants being "dashed in pieces" and pregnant women "ripped up" underscores the horrific and complete nature of the judgment. This language, while disturbing, was a common description of the brutality of ancient warfare and served as a dire warning of the full extent of divine wrath against a nation that had utterly forsaken its covenant with God.
  • Desolation: "Samaria shall become desolate" signifies complete ruin and abandonment. The city, once a symbol of Israel's strength, was destined for utter destruction, reflecting the spiritual barrenness brought on by idolatry.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "desolate" is shamem, which conveys a sense of utter ruin, waste, and astonishment at the devastation. It implies a state of shock and desolation. The word "rebelled" (marad) emphasizes a deliberate and defiant turning away from God's authority, not merely an accidental transgression. This highlights the intentional nature of Israel's sin, making the judgment a direct and just response to their persistent and open defiance.

Reflection and Application

While the imagery in Hosea 13:16 is intensely disturbing, it serves as a powerful reminder of the profound seriousness of sin and rebellion against a holy God. For ancient Israel, it was a literal prophecy of impending doom due to their persistent idolatry and disobedience. For us today, this verse underscores several enduring truths:

  • God's Justice: It affirms that God is not indifferent to sin. His justice demands a response to rebellion, especially from those who know Him.
  • Seriousness of Sin: The severe consequences described highlight the gravity of turning away from God and His commands.
  • Call to Repentance: Though this verse focuses on judgment, the broader message of Hosea, and indeed the entire Bible, is that God desires repentance and reconciliation, not destruction. As God declares in Ezekiel 33:11, He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.

This passage, therefore, compels us to reflect on our own faithfulness to God and to remember that His character encompasses both righteous judgment and boundless mercy, the latter most fully revealed in Jesus Christ.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.
  • 2 Kings 15:16

    Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that [were] therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not [to him], therefore he smote [it; and] all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
  • 2 Kings 8:12

    And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
  • Isaiah 13:16

    Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
  • Psalms 137:8

    O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy [shall he be], that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
  • Psalms 137:9

    Happy [shall he be], that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
  • Amos 1:13

    Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away [the punishment] thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:
  • Nahum 3:10

    Yet [was] she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

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