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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 9:11–17. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
In the foregoing verses we saw the sin of Israel derived from their fathers; here we see the punishment of Israel derived to their children; for, as death entered by sin at first, so it is still entailed with it. We may observe, in these verses,
I.The sin of Ephraim. Some expressions are here which describe that.
1.They did not hearken to God (Hos 9:17); they did not give attention to the voice either of his word or of his rod; they did not believe what he said, nor would they be ruled by him. He told them their duty, their interest, their danger, but they regarded him not; all he said to them by his words and by his prophets was to them as a tale that is told; and then no wonder that we hear,
2.Of the wickedness of their doings (Hos 9:15), the downright malice that was in their sins; they were not infirmities, but daring presumptions. How can those but do wickedly who will not hearken to the word of God, that would teach and persuade them to do well? And no wonder that there were wicked doings among them when,
3.Their worship was corrupt (Hos 9:15): All their wickedness is in Gilgal, which was a place infamous for idolatry, as appears, Hos 4:15; Hos 12:11; Amo 4:4; Amo 5:5. It is probable that the idolaters chose that place for their head-quarters because it had been famous in other ages for solemn transactions between God and Israel, as Jos 5:2, Jos 5:10; Sa1 10:8; Sa1 11:15. There, where the source of idolatry was, whence it spread through the kingdom, there it might be said that all their wickedness was, for all other wickedness owed its origin to that. Corruptions in worship make way for corruptions in morals. The mother of harlots is the mother of all other abominations, Rev 17:5. The learned Grotius conjectures that there is a mystical sense here. Golgotha in Syriac is the same with Gilgal in Hebrew, and therefore he thinks this may have reference to the putting of Christ to death at Golgotha, which was the greatest sin of the Jewish nation, and of which it might truly be said, All their wickedness was summed up in that. And no wonder that the people did wickedly, both in worship and conversation, when 4. All their princes were revolters; the whole succession of the kings of the ten tribes did evil in the sight of the Lord, or all the set of judges and magistrates at this time were wicked; they turned aside to sinful ways and persisted in those ways.
II.The displeasure of God against Ephraim for sin.
This is variously expressed here, to show what a provocation sin is to the pure eyes of his glory, and how odious it makes the sinner to him.
1.He departs from them, Hos 9:12. When they revolt from him, and withdraw from their allegiance to him, how can they expect but that he should depart from them and withdraw both his protection and his bounty? And well may his threatening be enforced as it is, and made terrible: Woe also unto them when I depart from them! Note, Those are in a woeful condition indeed whom God has forsaken. Our weal or woe depends upon the gracious presence of God with us; and, if he goes, all weal goes with him and all woes come upon us. God has forsaken him; persecute and take him. Saul knew this when he laid such an emphasis upon this part of his complaint, The Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me. Nay, he does not only depart from them, but,
2.He hates them. In Gilgal, where all their wickedness is, there I hated them. There, where the abominations of sin are committed, there God abominates the sinners. In Gilgal he had bestowed many tokens of his favour upon their ancestors, but now that is the place where he hates them for their base ingratitude. Nay, he not only hates them, but,
3.He will love them no more, will never take them into his favour again; the breach between God and Israel is wide as the sea, which cannot be healed. This agrees with what he had said, (Hos 1:6, Hos 1:7), I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, the ten tribes.
4.He will discard them, and have no more to do with them: For the wickedness of their doings, I will drive them out of my house. He will no longer own them as his, or as belonging to his family in the world; he will turn them out of doors as unfaithful tenants that pay him no rent, as unprofitable servants that do him neither credit nor work. Note, Those that profane God's house can expect no other than to be expelled his house, and no longer suffered to be either lodgers in it or retainers to it. Nay, he will not only drive them out of his house, but,
5.He will drive them far enough (Hos 9:17): My God will cast them away, not only out of his house, but out of his sight; he will quite abandon and reject them; they shall be cast-aways. God said that he would drive them out of his house, and here the prophet seconds it, as one that knew his Master's mind very well: My God will cast them away. See with what comfort and pleasure he calls God his God. Note, When others disown God, and are disowned by him, it is a very great satisfaction to good people that they can call God their God, can cheerfully own him and see themselves owned by him - all revolters, all ruined, yet God is my God.
III.The fruit of this displeasure, in the cutting off and abandoning of their posterity, which is the judgment here threatened again and again. Observe here,
1.How numerous Ephraim seemed likely to be. The name Ephraim is derived from fruitfulness, Gen 41:51. Joseph is a fruitful bough, Gen 49:22. And Moses's blessing foretold the ten thousands of Ephraim, Deu 33:17. This was his glory, Hos 9:11. For this he seemed designed by him that appoints the bounds of men's habitation; for Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place, to encourage his increase, which one may expect as from a tree planted by the river's side. Ephraim is as strong and rich as ever Tyre was, and as proud and secure. The Chaldee paraphrase gives this sense of it, The congregation of Israel, while they observed the law, was like to Tyrus in prosperity and security.
2.How few Ephraim should be (Hos 9:11): Their glory shall fly away like a bird; their children shall be taken away and the hopes of their families cut off. All their glory shall fly as an eagle towards heaven, swiftly and irrecoverably. Note, Worldly glory is glory that will fly away; but those that have their God their glory have in him an unfading everlasting glory. Ephraim has been as a fruitful tree. But now Ephraim is smitten, is blasted; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit, Hos 9:16. If the root be dried, the branch must wither of course. Observe,
(1.)God's threatening this judgment of the destroying of their children.
[1.]They shall perish of themselves by the immediate hand of God (Hos 9:11): They shall fly away from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. Some of their children shall die as soon as they are born; the cradle shall be presently turned into a coffin. Others of them shall be still-born, or the womb shall be their grave, and their death there their mothers' death too. Of others their mothers shall miscarry almost as soon as they have conceived, and they shall be as untimely fruit. See how easily God can, and how justly we are sure he might, root out the whole race of mankind, that degenerate, guilty, obnoxious race, and blot out the name of it from under heaven; it is but doing as he does by Ephraim here, writing them all childless, making all their glory to fly away from the birth, the womb, and the conception, drying up their root, that they bear no fruit, and their business is done in a few years.
[2.]They shall perish by the hand of their enemies; they shall die violent deaths (Hos 9:12): "Though they bring up their children to some maturity, though they escape the diseases and deaths which the infant age is liable to, and are thought to be reared past danger, yet will I bereave them (Hos 9:12), by one judgment or other, so that there shall not be a man left to build up their families and bear up their name." Again (Hos 9:13), Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. The mothers shall travail with pain to bear their children, and a great deal of care, and pains, and cost shall be bestowed upon the nursing of them, and when a cruel enemy comes and puts all to the word, young and old, without mercy, then they seem but as lambs that were all this while fed for the slaughter. Note, It is a great alloy to the comfort parents have in their children that they know not what they have brought them forth and brought them up for, perhaps for the murderer, or, which is worse, to be themselves the plagues of their generation. It is threatened again (Hos 9:16), Though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb, those children that they are most fond of. Note, The parents' love is no security to the children's lives; nay, sometimes death is commissioned to take the darlings of the family and leave the burdens of it. When sentence was passed upon Israel in the wilderness, that they should all perish there, this mercy was mixed with the wrath, that their children should nevertheless enter into that rest which they through unbelief could not enter into. But this is a total and final rejection; even their children shall be cut off, and the land shall escheat to the crown, ob defectum sanguinis - shall be lost for want of heirs. The Chaldee-paraphrase, and many of the rabbin, by the murderers to whom the children were brought forth, understand those that sacrificed their children to Moloch, a sin which was its own punishment, which showed the parents void of bowels and justly left them void of blessings.
[3.]Those few that escape and remain shall be dispersed (Hos 9:17): They shall be wanderers among the nations; so the remains of the Jews are at this day, and there is no place in the world where they are a distinct nation.
(2.)The prophet's prayer relating to it (Hos 9:14): Give them, O Lord! what wilt thou give? What shall I ask for a people thus doomed to destruction? It is this; since the decree has gone forth, that they must either die from the womb or be brought forth for the murderer, of the two let them rather die from the womb. Rather let them have no children than have them to be made miserable; for the same reason, when a total ruin was coming on the Jewish nation, Christ said, Blessed is the womb that never bore and the paps that never gave suck, Luk 23:29. "Give therefore a miscarrying womb and dry breasts; for it is better to fall into the hands of the Lord, whose mercies are great, than into the hands of man." Note, Those that are childless may with this reconcile themselves to the will of God herein, that the time may come when, if they were not so, they would wish they had been so.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
"As I found grapes in the desert, I saw Israel, as the first figs of the fig tree in the top thereof: but they went in to Beelphegor, and alienated themselves to that confusion, and became abominable, as those things were which they loved." LXX: "As I found Israel in the desert like a grape, and as I saw their fathers like a fig tree's temporary figs, but they entered Baal Peor and became alienated in confusion and became abominable like their love." For in other examples, we read: "and they became beloved, as if abominable," which is more consistent with the truth. When the whole world was deserted and did not have knowledge of God, I found, he says, the people of Israel like a grape in the wilderness, and how he found them, he says: "As the first fruits of the fig tree, in the top of it I saw their fathers. Therefore, the people were found in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And note the property, the parents are seen, the people are found, and in both there is a vineyard and fig tree, under which those who trust in the Lord are said to rest. But they, having been led out of Egypt, fornicated with the Midianite women, and went into Beelphegor, the idol of the Moabites, which we can call Priapus. Finally, "Beelphegor" is interpreted as an idol of tentacles, having "skin" on its top, i.e., on its summit, to show the obscenity of the male member. And because they entered into Beelphegor, they thus alienated themselves from God, to their own confusion, that is, they worshipped idols. As it is written, "For by whom a man is overcome, for him he is become also the slave" (2 Peter 2:19), and as those who serve their appetites, calling their belly their god (Philippians 3), so those who serve their lust have Beelphegor as their god. "And they became," he says, "abominable, like those whom they loved," according to what is written in the Psalms: "Let those who make them become like them, and all who trust in them" (Ps. 134:18) so that not only are idolaters, but also the idols named. But the Lord said in his passion: "I trod the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me" (Isaiah 63:3). And in the Psalm: "Save me, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man" (Psalm 12:1). When the whole world was held in sin, and the nations knew not God, and Israel had cast away Him whom they had formerly known, first in the apostles, and the men of the apostles, did the Lord find the Christian people of Israel, and seeing with understanding God was satisfied with their sweet fruits of grapes and figs which, if found in the desert and before their proper season, would be of greater grace. They, however, that is, Israel, who assume the Christian name for themselves (for it is not to be understood of the parents), entered into the idol Beelphegor, which has the skin in its mouth. For whatever a heretic speaks, it is deadly, and is separated from the living Word of God. Whether they have entered into lust: for it is difficult to find a heretic who loves chastity, not because they do not cease to prefer it on their lips, but because they do not keep it in their conscience, speaking one thing and doing another; hence, they are alienated from God and have glory in their confusion, and have become abominable, who previously were loved among the fathers. But if we wish to read "they became abominable as those whom they loved," which still is not in the Hebrew, we shall say that the Gentiles have become abominable even as the heretics who formerly were beloved in the fathers, that is to say, so that both the former and the latter are alike vicious.
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Summary
Hosea 9:11 delivers a severe prophetic judgment against Ephraim, representing the Northern Kingdom of Israel, foretelling a complete and catastrophic loss of their "glory." This glory, encompassing their prosperity, honor, and most critically, their future generations, is depicted as vanishing swiftly and irreversibly "like a bird." The triple emphasis on "birth, womb, and conception" underscores the totality of this divine curse, signifying the eradication of their national continuity and hope, a direct consequence of their persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness.
Context
Literary Context
Hosea 9 stands as a stark declaration of God's impending judgment upon Israel, particularly Ephraim, for their pervasive unfaithfulness. Following chapters that detail Israel's spiritual adultery and political folly (e.g., Hosea 4 and Hosea 7), chapter 9 shifts from diagnosis to pronouncement of punishment. The preceding verses (Hosea 9:1-10) outline the cessation of their joyous festivals, the defilement of their land, and the inevitability of exile, setting the stage for the ultimate curse of barrenness and loss of progeny described in verse 11. This verse acts as a climactic statement of the complete reversal of God's covenant blessings, particularly the promise of abundant offspring.
Historical & Cultural Context
At the time of Hosea's prophecy (8th century BCE), the Northern Kingdom of Israel (often synonymous with Ephraim, its dominant tribe) was in a state of spiritual and political decline. They had abandoned the covenant with Yahweh for Baal worship, sought alliances with foreign powers like Assyria and Egypt instead of trusting God, and engaged in widespread social injustice. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a large family and numerous descendants were considered a primary blessing from God, a sign of divine favor, and the assurance of a future. Conversely, barrenness and the loss of progeny were seen as a profound curse and a sign of divine displeasure. The prophecy of Ephraim's "glory" flying away and the cessation of birth directly attacks the very foundation of their national identity and future hope, mirroring the warnings of covenant curses found in Deuteronomy 28.
Key Themes
Hosea 9:11 contributes significantly to several major themes throughout the book of Hosea and the broader prophetic literature. It powerfully illustrates the theme of Divine Judgment and Consequences, demonstrating that God's covenant loyalty demands faithfulness, and persistent sin inevitably leads to severe repercussions, including the removal of blessings. The verse foregrounds the theme of Loss of Posterity and Future, emphasizing that Israel's unfaithfulness would result in the termination of their lineage, a profound curse in their cultural context and a direct reversal of the Abrahamic promise of innumerable descendants (e.g., Genesis 12:2). Finally, it highlights the Transience of Worldly Glory, revealing that Ephraim's perceived strength, prosperity, and large population – their "glory" – were fleeting and entirely dependent on God's sustaining favor. When that favor was withdrawn due to their spiritual harlotry (as seen in Hosea 4:17), their "glory" would vanish as swiftly and irrevocably as a bird taking flight.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From the root meaning "to be heavy," kâbôwd primarily denotes weight, but figuratively it signifies splendor, honor, reputation, wealth, and abundance. In the context of Ephraim, their "glory" referred to their national prestige, their prosperity, their perceived strength, and crucially, their numerous population, which was seen as a sign of divine blessing and a source of national pride. The prophecy indicates that all these aspects, which they considered their "weight" or significance, would be stripped away.
A primitive root meaning "to cover (with wings or obscurity)" and hence "to fly." It also carries implications of dimness or fainting. Here, it vividly describes a swift, sudden, and irreversible departure. The image of something flying away suggests its fragility, its inability to be recaptured, and its complete disappearance from sight, emphasizing the finality and speed of Ephraim's loss.
This word specifically means "pregnancy" or "conception." It is part of a climactic tripartite phrase ("from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception") that signifies the absolute totality and cessation of all future generations. Starting from the earliest possible stage of human life, the prophecy declares that no new life will even begin, let alone be carried to term or born, sealing the fate of Ephraim's national continuity.
Verse Breakdown
"As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird,"
This opening clause establishes the subject of the prophecy, Ephraim (representing the Northern Kingdom), and the nature of the impending judgment. Their "glory"—their honor, prosperity, and especially their populousness—is not merely diminished but will "fly away," a vivid metaphor indicating a swift, complete, and irreversible departure. The simile "like a bird" emphasizes the speed, fragility, and unrecoverable nature of this loss. Just as a bird disappears into the sky, so too will Ephraim's former splendor vanish.
"from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception."
This powerful tricolon (a series of three parallel words or phrases) underscores the absolute totality of the judgment concerning progeny. It moves in reverse chronological order of human development, from birth (already existing life), to the womb (life being formed), to conception (life beginning). This rhetorical device emphasizes that no new life will be granted to Ephraim at any stage. There will be no children born, no pregnancies carried to term, and no new lives even conceived. This signifies the ultimate curse in ancient Israelite culture: the complete eradication of future generations and the cessation of national continuity, a direct reversal of God's covenant promises of fruitfulness.
Literary Devices
Hosea 9:11 is rich in literary devices that amplify its prophetic message. The most prominent is the Simile, "their glory shall fly away like a bird." This comparison vividly conveys the swiftness, fragility, and ultimate disappearance of Ephraim's honor, prosperity, and population. A bird's flight is quick and often leaves no trace, emphasizing the irreversible nature of the coming judgment. Furthermore, the verse employs Merism (or a form of Tricolon progressing to a climax) in the phrase "from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception." By listing three distinct stages of human development, from the latest to the earliest, the prophet signifies the absolute and comprehensive nature of the judgment: no new life will be granted to Ephraim at any point, from its very inception to its full term. This rhetorical emphasis underscores the complete and utter cessation of their national future.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Hosea 9:11 serves as a profound theological statement on the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness. It reveals God's justice in responding to Israel's persistent idolatry and spiritual harlotry. The loss of "glory" and, more acutely, the cessation of progeny, directly reverses the foundational Abrahamic blessing of fruitfulness and multiplication, highlighting that divine blessings are conditional upon covenant obedience. This verse underscores that true national strength and future hope are not found in worldly alliances or self-reliance, but solely in a right and faithful relationship with the Lord. It is a sobering reminder that God does not tolerate sustained rebellion and that His judgment, though severe, is a just response to a people who have forsaken their divine Husband.
Reflection and Application
Hosea 9:11 offers a timeless and sobering reflection for individuals and communities today. It powerfully illustrates that genuine prosperity, lasting honor, and a secure future are not rooted in material wealth, social status, or even numerical strength, but in a vibrant, faithful relationship with God. When we, like Ephraim, prioritize idols—whether they be career, possessions, pleasure, or self-sufficiency—over our devotion to the Lord, we risk losing our true "glory," which is found in His presence and favor. This verse challenges us to examine where our ultimate trust and allegiance lie. Are we building our lives and our communities on fleeting worldly foundations, or on the enduring principles of God's kingdom? The call is to repent from any form of spiritual idolatry, to return to the Lord with wholehearted devotion, and to seek His righteousness above all else, recognizing that true fruitfulness—spiritual and otherwise—comes only from Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "Ephraim" represent in this verse?
In Hosea, "Ephraim" is often used as a metonymy for the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel. Ephraim was the largest and most influential tribe within the Northern Kingdom, and its territory included Samaria, the capital. Therefore, when Hosea speaks of Ephraim, he is typically addressing the collective nation of Israel (excluding Judah), highlighting their specific sins and the judgment that would befall them due to their unfaithfulness to the covenant with Yahweh. This focus on Ephraim underscores the prophet's direct address to the dominant power and spiritual leader among the northern tribes.
What is the significance of "their glory shall fly away like a bird"?
This vivid simile emphasizes the swift, complete, and irreversible nature of the coming judgment. "Glory" (Hebrew kâbôwd) here refers to Ephraim's honor, prosperity, and particularly their large population, which was seen as a sign of God's blessing. The image of a bird flying away suggests that this glory will vanish quickly and without a trace, unable to be recaptured. It highlights the fragility of worldly blessings when they are not sustained by divine favor, demonstrating how quickly perceived strength and abundance can dissipate when a people abandon their covenant with God. This imagery contrasts sharply with the stability and permanence associated with God's own glory.
Does "from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception" mean no one will have children ever again?
This phrase is a powerful rhetorical device known as a tricolon or merism, emphasizing the totality and comprehensiveness of the judgment regarding progeny. It signifies a complete cessation of new life for Ephraim, moving from the latest stage of development (birth) to the earliest (conception). While it doesn't necessarily mean every single individual would become barren for all time, it prophesies a severe demographic catastrophe for the nation, leading to a drastic reduction or even the effective end of their national continuity and future generations. This was a profound curse in a culture where numerous offspring were a primary blessing and the assurance of a family line's continuation. It points to a national decimation, as seen in the subsequent Assyrian exile (e.g., 2 Kings 17:6), which severely curtailed Israel's population and national identity.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Hosea 9:11, with its stark prophecy of lost glory and barrenness, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment not in a literal, physical eradication of all descendants, but in the spiritual reality that true "glory" and "fruitfulness" are found exclusively in Christ. Israel's glory, their covenant relationship and the blessings flowing from it, indeed "flew away" because of their unfaithfulness, culminating in the judgment of exile and the eventual rejection of their Messiah. However, in Christ, a new and eternal "glory" is revealed, one that cannot fly away. Jesus himself is the "glory of God" (e.g., John 1:14 and Hebrews 1:3). Through His atoning sacrifice, He offers a spiritual "birth" and "conception" to all who believe, granting them a new life (e.g., John 3:3) and the ability to bear spiritual fruit (e.g., John 15:5). The barrenness prophesied for unfaithful Israel is overcome in the spiritual abundance of the Church, the true Israel, where believers are supernaturally "born of God" (e.g., 1 John 5:1) and become part of an innumerable spiritual offspring, fulfilling God's original promise to Abraham in a way far grander than physical lineage (e.g., Galatians 3:29). Thus, the judgment on Ephraim highlights the desperate need for the true source of life and glory, which is found only in Jesus Christ.