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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Hosea 13:9–16. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The first of these verses is the summary, or contents, of all the rest (Hos 13:9), where we have, 1. All the blame of Israel's ruin laid upon themselves: O Israel! thy perdition is thence; it is of and from thyself; or, "It has destroyed thee, O Israel! that is, all that sin and folly of thine which thou art before charged with. As thy own wickedness has many a time corrected thee, so that has now at length destroyed thee." Note, Wilful sinners are self-destroyers. Obstinate impenitence is the grossest self-murder. Those that are destroyed of the destroyer have their blood upon their own head; they have destroyed themselves. 2. All the glory of Israel's relief ascribed to God: But in me is thy help. That is, (1.) It might have been: "I would have helped thee and healed thee, but thou wouldst not be healed and helped, but wast resolutely set upon thy own destruction." This will aggravate the condemnation of sinners, not only that they did that which tended to their own ruin, but that they opposed the offers God made them and the methods he took with them to prevent it: I would have gathered them, and they would not. They might have been easily and effectually helped, but they put the help away from them. Nay, (2.) It may be: "Thy case is bad, but it is not desperate. Thou hast destroyed thyself; but come to me, and I will help thee." This is a plank thrown out after shipwreck, and greatly magnifies not only the power of God, that he can help when things are at the worst, can help those that cannot help themselves, but the riches of his grace, that he will help those that have destroyed themselves and therefore might justly be left to perish, that he will help those that have long refused his help. Dr. Pocock gives a different reading and sense of this verse: "O Israel! this has destroyed thee, that in me is thy help. Presuming upon God and his favour has emboldened thee in those wicked ways which have been thy ruin."
Now, in the rest of these verses, we may see,
I.How Israel destroyed themselves.
It is said (Hos 13:16), They rebelled against God, revolted from their allegiance to him, entered into a confederacy with his enemies, and took up arms against him; and this was the thing that ruined them, for never any hardened themselves against God and prospered. Note, Those that rebel against their God destroy themselves, for they make him their enemy for whom they are an unequal match.
1.They treasure up wrath against the day of wrath, and so they destroy themselves. They are doing that, every day, which will be remembered against them another day (Hos 13:12): The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, and his sin is hid; God took notice of it, kept it upon record, and will produce it against him and reckon with him for it afterwards. Their former sins contributed to their present destruction; for they were laid up in store with God, Deu 32:34, Deu 32:35; Job 14:17. It is laid up in safety, and will not be forgotten, nor the evidence against him lost; but it is laid up in secret; it is hid; the sinner himself is not aware of it. It is bound up in God's omniscience, in the sinner's own conscience. Note, The sin of sinners is not forgotten till it is pardoned, but an exact account is kept of it, which will be opened in proper time.
2.They make no haste to repent and help themselves when they are under divine rebukes; they are their own ruin because they will not do what they should do towards their own salvation, Hos 13:13.
(1.)They are brought into trouble and distress by sin: The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him. They shall smart for sin, and so be made sensible of it; they shall be thrown into pangs and agonies by it, very sharp and severe, and yet, like the pains of a woman in labour, hopeful and promising, and in order to deliverance; and by these, though God corrects them, yet he designs their good. They are chastened, that they may not be destroyed. But,
(2.)They are not by these forwarded as they ought to be towards repentance and reformation, which would cause their sorrows to issue in true joy: He is an unwise son, for he should not stay long, as he does, in the place of the breaking forth of children, but, being brought to the birth, should struggle to get forth, lest he be stifled and still-born at last. Were the child which the mother is in travail of capable of understanding its own case, we should reckon it an unwise child that would choose to stay long in the birth; for the captive exile hasteth to be loosed, lest he die in the pit, Isa 51:14. Note, Those may justly be reckoned their own destroyers who defer and put off their repentance, by which alone they might help themselves. Those are in danger of miscarrying in conversion who delay it, and will not put forth themselves to speed the work and bring it to an issue.
3.Therefore they are destroyed because they have done that which will be their certain ruin and neglected that which would have been their only relief. Here is a sad description of the desolation they are doomed to, Hos 13:15, Hos 13:16. It is here taken for granted that Ephraim is fruitful among his children; his name signifies fruitfulness. He is fruitful in respect of the plentiful products of his country and the great numbers of its inhabitants; it was both a rich and a populous tribe, as was foretold concerning it; but sin turns this fruitful tribe into barrenness. Joseph was a fruitful bough, but for sin it was blasted. The instrument is an east wind, representing a foreign enemy that should invade it. It is called the wind of the Lord, not only because it shall be a very great and strong wind, but because it shall be sent by divine direction; it shall come from the Lord, and do whatever he appoints; and see what effect it shall have upon that flourishing tribe, what desolations war shall make.
(1.)Was it a rich tribe? The foreign enemy shall make it poor enough. This wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, a freezing blasting wind, and shall dry up the springs and fountains with which this tree is watered, shall exhaust the sources of its wealth. The invader shall waste the country and so impoverish the husbandman, shall intercept trade and commerce and so impoverish the merchant; and let not the great men, whose wealth lies in their rich furniture, think that they shall be exempted from the judgment, for he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels. See the folly of those that lay up their treasure on earth, that lay it up in pleasant vessels (vessels of desire, so the word is), on which they set their affections, and in which they place their comfort and satisfaction. This is treasure that may be spoiled and that they may be spoiled of; it is what either moth or rust may corrupt, or what thieves and soldiers may steal and carry away. But wise and happy are those who have laid up their treasures in heaven, and in the pleasant things of that world, which cannot be spoiled, which they cannot be stripped of; ever happy are they, and therefore truly wise.
(2.)Was it a populous tribe, and numerous? The enemy shall depopulate it and make its men few: Samaria shall become desolate, without inhabitants.
[1.]Those shall be cut off who are the guard and joy of the present generation; the men who bear arms shall bear them to no purpose, for they shall fall by the sword, so that there shall be none to make head against the fury of the conqueror nor to take care of the concerns either of the public or of private families.
[2.]Those shall be cut off who are the seed and hope of the next generation, who should rise up in the places of those who fell by the sword; the whole nation must be rooted out, and therefore the infants shall be dashed to pieces, in the most cruel and barbarous manner, and, which is if possible yet more inhuman, the women with child shall be ripped up. Thus shall the glory of Samaria flee away from the birth, and from the womb, Hos 9:11; Hos 10:14. See instances of this cruelty, Kg2 8:12; Kg2 15:16; Amo 1:13.
II.Let us now see how God was the help of this self-destroying people, how he was their only help (Hos 13:10):
I will be thy King, to rule and save thee. Though they had refused to be his subjects and had rebelled against him, yet he would still be their King and would not abandon them. The business and care of a good king is to keep his people, not only from ruined by foreign enemies, but from ruining themselves and one another. Thus will God yet be Israel's King, as he was their King of old. Note, Our case would be sad indeed if God were not better to us than we are to ourselves.
1.God will be their King when they have no other king; he will protect and save them when those are cut off and gone who should have been their protectors and saviours: I will be he (so Hos 13:10 may be read), he that shall help thee. "Where is the king that may save thee in all thy cities, that may go in and out before thee, and fight thy battles, when thy cities are invaded by a foreign power, and suppress the more dangerous quarrels of thy citizens among themselves? Where are thy judges, who by administering public justice should preserve the public peace? For it is righteousness and peace that kiss each other. Where are thy judges that thou hadst such a desire of and such a dependence upon, of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? This refers,
(1.)To the foolish wicked desire which the whole nation had of a kingly government, being weary of the theocracy, or divine government, which they had been under during the time of the Judges, because it looked too mean for them. They rejected Samuel, and in him the Lord, when they said, Give us a king like the nations, whereas the Lord was their King.
(2.)To the desire which the ten tribes had of a kingly government different from that of the house of David, because they thought that was too absolute and bore too hard upon them, and they hoped to better themselves by setting up Jeroboam. Both these are instances,
[1.]Of men's improvidence for themselves. When they are uneasy with their present lot they are fond of novelty, and think to better themselves by a change; but they are commonly disappointed, and do not find that advantage in the alteration which they promised themselves.
[2.]Of men's impiety towards God, in thinking to refine upon his appointments and amend them. God gave Israel judges and prophets for their guidance; but they were weary of them, and cried, Give us a king and princes. God gave them the house of David, established it by a covenant of royalty; but they were soon weary of that too, and cried, We have no part in David. Those destroy themselves who are not pleased with what God does for them, but think they can do better for themselves. Well, in both these requests, Providence humoured them, gave them Saul first, and afterwards Jeroboam. And what the better were they for them? Saul was given in anger (given in thunder, Sa1 12:18, Sa1 12:19) and soon after was taken away in wrath, upon Mount Gilboa. The kingly government of the ten tribes was given in anger, not only against Solomon for his defection, but against the ten tribes that desired it, for their discontent and disaffection to the house of David; and God was now about to take that away in wrath by the power of the king of Assyria. And then, where is thy King? He is gone, and thou shalt abide many days without a king, and without a prince (Hos 3:4), shalt have none to save thee, none to rule thee. Note, First, God often gives in anger what we sinfully and inordinately desire, gives it with a curse, and with it gives us up to our own hearts' lusts. Thus he gave Israel quails. Secondly, What we inordinately desire we are commonly disappointed in, and it cannot save us, as we expected it should. Thirdly, What God gives in anger he takes away in wrath; what he gives because we did not desire it well he takes away because we did not use it well. It is the happiness of the saints that, whether God gives or takes, it is all in love, and furnishes them with matter for praise. To the pure all things are pure. It is the misery of the wicked that, whether God gives or takes, it is all in wrath; to them nothing is pure, nothing is comfortable.
2.God will do that for them which no other king could do if they had one (Hos 13:14): I will ransom them from the power of the grave. Though Israel, according to the flesh, be abandoned to destruction, God has mercy in store for his spiritual Israel, in whom all the promises were to have their accomplishment, and this among the rest, for to them the apostle applies it (Co1 15:55), and particularly to the blessed resurrection of believers at the great day, yet not excluding their spiritual resurrection from the death of sin to a holy, heavenly, spiritual, and divine life. It is promised,
(1.)That the captives shall be delivered, shall be ransomed, from the power of the grave. Their deliverance shall be by ransom; and we know who it was that paid their ransom, and what the ransom was, for it was the Son of man that gave his life a ransom for many, Mat 20:28. It is he that thus redeemed them. Those who, upon their repenting and believing, are, for the sake of Christ's righteousness, acquitted from the guilt of sin and saved from death and hell, which are the wages of sin, are those ransomed of the Lord that shall, in the great day, be brought out of the grave in triumph, and it shall be as impossible for the banks of death to hold them as it was to hold their Master.
(2.)That the conqueror shall be destroyed: O death! I will be thy plagues. Jesus Christ was the plague and destruction of death and the grave when by death he destroyed him that had the power of death, and when in his own resurrection he triumphed over the grave. But the complete destruction of them will be in the resurrection of believers at the great day, when death shall for ever be swallowed up in victory, and it is the last enemy that shall be destroyed. But the word which we translate I will may as well be rendered Ubi nunc - Where now are thy plagues? And so the apostle took it: 'O death! where is thy plague, or sting, with which thou hast so long pestered the world? O grave! where is thy victory, or thy destruction, wherewith thou has destroyed mankind?" Christ has abolished death, has broken the power of it and altered the property of it, and so enabled us to triumph over it. This promise he has made, and it shall be made good to all that are his; for repentance shall be hidden from his eyes; he will never recall this sentence passed on death and the grave, for he is not a man that he should repent. Thanks be to God therefore who gives us the victory.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
"Your destruction, Israel, only your help is with me. Where is your king? May he save you now in all your cities; and your judges, of whom you said: Give me a king and princes: I will give you a king in my fury, and take away in my indignation." LXX: "Who will help you in your corruption, O Israel? Where is your king? May he save you in all your cities and judge you as you said: 'Give me a king and prince.' I gave you a king and prince in my anger and took away in my fury." Because the seventy interpreted it as "I have had," everyone translated "I took away." Unhappy is Israel and worthy of eternal curse, who has descended into such profound impiety that he can be saved only by the mercy of God. Yet this may be read in Hebrew and understood in this sense: "May you perish, Israel, because there is nothing left for you except that you be preserved by my mercy alone." But the meaning in the LXX is different: "To your corruption, Israel, who will give assistance?" that is, who will be able to provide help for your captivity and ultimate servitude, those whom you esteemed as your princes? Where is your king, whom you said to Samuel: 'Establish a king over us, to judge us, just as the other nations have'? (2 Kings 8:5). And when he objected, you replied: 'No, but we will have a king, and we will be like all the other nations, and our king will judge us, and he will go out before us and fight for us.' Therefore, where is the promise you made that he would wage your wars, that now he may come to your aid in this time of need, and liberate all your cities from servitude? Where are your judges? Where are your kings? For you have said: "Give me a king and princes"; therefore I gave you Saul as king in my anger, so much so that in the days of the harvest I brought rain contrary to the nature of the province of Judah. "I have removed," he says, "the king in my indignation," that is to say, Zedekiah, "whom I gave in anger, and whom I took away in indignation." Others believe that Jeroboam the son of Nabat was given as king in anger, and the last king of the ten tribes, Hoshea, was taken away in indignation. What we have explained, I gave you a king and took away a king in my indignation, the Hebrews report for future times. At that time, when you said, "Give me a king and princes," I would respond to you through Samuel that I would give it to you in my fury and take it away in my indignation. Every heretic is lost and handed over to corruption; for he who corrupts the temple of God, the Lord will corrupt him: he has no aid in any other way except in the mercy of God, which he attains through penitence. This king and judges are the devil and demons, or all the princes of perverse dogmas, who could not free them in times of necessity and distress, who were given in fury, and taken away in indignation: not that the Lord wanted to have such kings: otherwise he would not take away those whom he had given willingly, but because he left them to their own wills: so that they, eating and fattening up their flesh, would become nauseous, and vomit through their noses, and begin to hate those whom they had so eagerly followed.
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Summary
Hosea 13:9 delivers a profound declaration from God to Israel, encapsulating both their dire spiritual condition and the enduring hope found only in the Divine. It powerfully asserts that Israel's ruin is a direct consequence of their own choices and persistent rebellion, emphasizing human accountability for sin. Simultaneously, it offers a stark contrast by proclaiming that despite their self-inflicted destruction, God alone remains the exclusive and unfailing source of their help, salvation, and ultimate restoration, highlighting His sovereign mercy amidst righteous judgment.
CONTEXT
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term refers to the Northern Kingdom, the ten tribes who separated from Judah. Derived from "he will rule as God," it is a symbolic name for Jacob and, by extension, his posterity. In Hosea, it often carries a tone of lament, reminding the people of their covenant identity and calling them back to their foundational relationship with God, whom they had forsaken.
This powerful verb signifies to decay, ruin, mar, or corrupt, often with an active or causative sense. Its use in the reflexive form ("destroyed thyself") is crucial, emphasizing that Israel's ruin was not an external imposition but an internal, self-inflicted consequence of their own choices, idolatry, and moral decay. It implies a process of self-corruption and waste.
This noun denotes aid, succor, or assistance. Throughout the Old Testament, ʻêzer frequently refers to divine assistance, highlighting God's unique ability to provide deliverance and support when all human efforts fail. In this context, it stands in stark contrast to Israel's self-destruction, emphasizing that true and lasting rescue can only come from God.
Verse Breakdown
"O Israel,"
A direct address, filled with pathos and lament. It invokes the covenant name, reminding the people of their special relationship with Yahweh, even as they have strayed. It sets a tone of divine sorrow and confrontation, expressing God's deep concern for His wayward people.
"thou hast destroyed thyself;"
This is the core indictment. The reflexive verb emphasizes Israel's active role in their own downfall. Their spiritual apostasy, idolatry, political instability, and moral corruption were not merely external pressures but internal, self-inflicted wounds that led to their national and spiritual ruin. It highlights human responsibility for sin and its devastating consequences, asserting that their demise was a direct result of their choices.
"but in me [is] thine help."
This clause offers a profound contrast and the sole glimmer of hope. The emphatic "in me" (literally "in Me") underscores that help originates exclusively from God. Despite Israel's utter self-destruction, God remains the only source of salvation, restoration, and true deliverance. It is an offer of grace amidst judgment, asserting God's sovereign capacity and willingness to save those who turn to Him, even when all other avenues have failed.
Literary Devices
Hosea 13:9 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message. The direct address "O Israel" functions as an apostrophe, drawing the listener or reader into a personal confrontation with God's lament and accusation, intensifying the emotional weight of the statement. The verse is structured as a powerful antithesis, contrasting Israel's self-inflicted destruction with God's exclusive provision of help. This stark opposition highlights the futility of human self-reliance and the absolute necessity of divine intervention. The use of the reflexive verb "destroyed thyself" is a form of agency attribution, where Israel is depicted as the active agent of its own ruin, emphasizing their accountability. Furthermore, the entire verse functions as a summary statement, encapsulating the core theological tension of the book of Hosea: human sin leading to ruin, met by God's enduring offer of redemptive grace.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Hosea 13:9 encapsulates a foundational biblical truth: humanity's inherent capacity for self-destruction when separated from God, coupled with God's exclusive and unfailing capacity to provide salvation and restoration. This verse speaks to the universal human condition of sin, which, by its very nature, leads to spiritual and often physical decay and ruin. Yet, it simultaneously proclaims the boundless grace and mercy of God, who, even in the face of profound rebellion, remains the sole source of true help. This theological tension—human culpability and divine provision—is a recurring motif throughout Scripture, underscoring both God's justice and His redemptive love. It teaches that while we are responsible for our choices and their consequences, God's power to save transcends even our deepest self-inflicted wounds, offering a hope that originates solely from His divine nature.
Reflection and Application
Hosea 13:9 serves as a timeless mirror for both individuals and communities. It compels us to honestly assess the sources of our struggles and the consequences of our choices. Are we, like ancient Israel, pursuing paths of self-reliance, idolatry (whether of wealth, power, or self), or seeking help from broken cisterns that can hold no water? This verse is a stark reminder that true and lasting help, healing, and restoration can only be found in God. It calls us to humility, repentance, and a radical reorientation of our lives toward the One who is truly able to save. Even when we recognize our own culpability in our distress, the profound grace offered in the second half of the verse assures us that God's outstretched hand of help is always available, inviting us to turn from our destructive ways and embrace His life-giving presence, finding in Him the strength and salvation we desperately need.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "thou hast destroyed thyself" mean God is not involved in judgment?
Not at all. While the phrase emphasizes Israel's direct culpability and the self-inflicted nature of their ruin, it does not absolve God of His role in divine justice. Rather, it highlights that God's judgment often comes in the form of allowing the natural, destructive consequences of sin to unfold. God, in His holiness, cannot condone sin, and His covenant with Israel included both blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, as outlined in Deuteronomy 28. The destruction is a result of Israel's persistent rebellion, which ultimately provokes God's righteous response. God's involvement is in upholding His moral order and allowing the consequences of their choices to manifest, even as He simultaneously offers the only path to help.
How can God be "help" if Israel is already destroyed?
This is the profound paradox and hope of the verse. The "destruction" refers to Israel's spiritual decay, moral corruption, and impending national ruin. However, "help" from God implies the possibility of restoration, healing, and ultimate salvation, even from the brink of utter desolation. It signifies that even when human efforts have led to complete failure, God's power is sufficient to redeem and rebuild. This divine help is not merely a temporary reprieve but an offer of fundamental transformation and renewed relationship, as promised in Hosea 14, where God declares He will "heal their backsliding." It points to God's ability to bring life out of death, a theme echoed throughout Scripture, demonstrating His capacity to reverse the effects of self-destruction.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Hosea 13:9 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The verse starkly portrays humanity's universal condition: "thou hast destroyed thyself." This reflects the biblical understanding of sin, which leads to spiritual death and separation from God, a state from which humanity cannot rescue itself, as Romans 3:23 and Ephesians 2:1 so clearly articulate. Yet, the glorious truth "but in me [is] thine help" points directly to Christ. He is the divine "help" (עֵזֶר, ʻêzer) sent by God, the only one capable of delivering humanity from its self-inflicted ruin. Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus bore the full weight of human sin and its destructive consequences, offering a path to reconciliation and new life that no human effort could achieve. As the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, He became our help, our salvation, and our hope. His resurrection demonstrates His power to overcome death and destruction, offering eternal life to all who believe. Thus, Hosea's ancient cry finds its resounding answer in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is our unique and sufficient help in every aspect of our brokenness.