TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
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.
"Give them, Lord: what will you give them? Give them a womb without children" (Vulg. "sons"), and dry breasts" LXX similarly. If we abuse those things which God gave us for a blessing and they are turned to the opposite of why they were given, it is better for them to be taken away from us. Finally, the tongue was given to praise the Lord God and to speak good things: If anyone misuses it in blasphemy, the Psalmist prays to the Lord against him: "Let deceitful lips be made dumb, that speak against the just with pride and abuse" (Ps. XXX, 19). And in another place: "May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaks high things" (Psalm XI, 4). Therefore, since Ephraim boasted in the womb, and in conception, and in birth, and in the multitude of peoples, the Prophet prays to the Lord and says: "Give them, O Lord." And he himself answers: "What will you give them?" and immediately adds: "Give them a barren womb, and dry breasts," so that they would have no reason for pride and may be confounded in that which they used to glory. It is clear that even teachers with contrary doctrines can be understood, who boast in the multitude of people and in those children whom they have raised to destruction, that they might lead them out of the Church and into the midst of the slayer. For as many children as heretics have produced in error, the devil has killed. Of such a soul it is said: "Blessed is the chaste woman, who has not known the bed of sin." (Wisdom 3:12) For the Ecclesiastic man is blessed, who in comparison with a heretic, does not beget children in error. And in another place we read, 'It is better to not have children with virtue. For from an unlawful union, offspring will perish' (Wisdom 4 and 3, sec. 70): and when they have been long gone, they will be considered as nothing and ignoble in their final old age. For the fecund multitude of the impious is unto nothing; for we should not consider it, that he has prayed bodily for a sterile womb and drying breasts.
Continue studying Hosea 9:14 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Hosea 9:14 presents a stark and unsettling prophetic prayer from Hosea, interceding not for mercy but for a severe judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim). This judgment, expressed as a "miscarrying womb and dry breasts," targets the very source of national continuity and vitality, symbolizing the complete desolation and spiritual barrenness that awaits a people who have persistently abandoned their covenant God for idolatry and unfaithfulness. The verse underscores the gravity of divine justice and the dire consequences of apostasy.
Context
Literary Context
Hosea 9 is a chapter deeply entrenched in the themes of Israel's persistent sin and the impending divine judgment. Following the prophet's lament over Israel's spiritual harlotry and their rejection of God's law in previous chapters, Hosea 9 details specific judgments related to their idolatrous feasts, their inability to escape God's wrath, and the loss of their land and future. Verses 10-13 recall Israel's initial faithfulness at the wilderness but quickly pivot to their subsequent rebellion at Baal-peor, highlighting their spiritual decline. Verse 14, therefore, serves as a climactic, almost rhetorical, prayer for the ultimate expression of this judgment, immediately preceding further pronouncements of God's abandonment and the cutting off of Ephraim's roots in verses 15-17. It is a prayer that echoes the certainty and severity of God's decree, rather than a plea for mitigation.
Historical & Cultural Context
Hosea prophesied during the tumultuous 8th century BCE, a period of profound political instability and moral decay in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, culminating in its conquest by Assyria in 722 BCE. The nation had embraced pagan fertility cults, particularly the worship of Baal, who was believed to control rain, crops, and human fertility. This widespread idolatry was a direct affront to Yahweh, Israel's covenant God, who had promised fruitfulness and blessing as part of the Mosaic Covenant. In ancient Israelite society, children, especially sons, were considered an indispensable blessing from God, a sign of divine favor, and essential for the continuation of the family line and national identity. Conversely, barrenness was often perceived as a severe curse, a sign of divine displeasure, and a profound personal and communal tragedy. Hosea's prayer for "a miscarrying womb and dry breasts" thus invokes a judgment that strikes at the very heart of their cultural values and their perceived source of prosperity, directly countering the false promises of Baal.
Key Themes
Hosea 9:14 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Hosea and the broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it highlights the theme of Divine Judgment, emphasizing God's righteous anger and unwavering justice against persistent sin and covenant unfaithfulness. It reveals that God's patience has limits, and He will indeed bring devastating consequences upon those who continually rebel against Him. Secondly, the verse underscores the Consequences of Apostasy, illustrating the dire outcomes of abandoning the true God for idols. Israel's spiritual adultery, vividly portrayed throughout Hosea (e.g., Hosea 4:1-2), led to a judgment that would literally cut off their future. Thirdly, Barrenness as a Symbol is a crucial theme; beyond the physical curse, the inability to bear and nurture children symbolizes Israel's profound spiritual fruitlessness. They had failed to produce righteousness or worship God faithfully, and thus, their national identity and future were to be "dried up," mirroring their spiritual condition. Finally, the Prophetic Intensity of the prophet's plea, "Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give?", expresses the profound anguish and certainty of this divine decree, serving as a rhetorical question that emphasizes the inevitability and severity of God's chosen judgment.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root (H5414) is repeated three times in the verse, emphasizing the directness and certainty of the divine action. While "nâthan" has a wide semantic range, from "put" to "bestow," here it signifies a decisive act of divine imposition or assignment. The repetition underscores the prophet's earnestness and the inevitability of the judgment being "given" by the Lord.
Derived from a primitive root (H7921), "shâkôl" primarily means "to miscarry" or "suffer abortion." By extension, it signifies "to bereave" or "make childless." In this context, it refers to the tragic loss of offspring before birth, directly countering the blessing of fruitfulness and ensuring the cessation of future generations.
This noun (H7358) refers specifically to the uterus, the organ of gestation. Its mention alongside "miscarrying" directly points to the inability to carry a pregnancy to term, striking at the very core of procreation and the continuation of the family line.
This primitive root (H6784) means "to dry up." When applied to "breasts," it indicates an inability to produce milk. This signifies that even if a child were to be born, it would not be able to be nourished, leading to its demise and ensuring the complete eradication of the next generation.
This noun (H7699) refers to the female breast, specifically as a source of nourishment. The phrase "dry breasts" vividly portrays the complete inability to sustain life, completing the picture of utter desolation and the cutting off of the future.
Verse Breakdown
"Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give?"
This opening phrase is a profound and rhetorically charged prayer. The prophet Hosea, deeply burdened by Israel's unfaithfulness, addresses Yahweh (H3068, Yᵉhôvâh), the self-existent covenant God. The repetition of "give" and the rhetorical question "what wilt thou give?" are not expressions of uncertainty, but rather of intense anguish and a grim certainty. It signifies that the prophet, having witnessed Israel's incorrigible rebellion, knows that only a severe judgment remains, and he is, in a sense, asking God to unleash the inevitable, emphasizing its devastating nature.
"give them a miscarrying womb"
This clause pronounces a specific and devastating curse. A "miscarrying womb" (Hebrew, rechem shâkôl) directly attacks the ability of the nation to procreate and continue its lineage. In a society where large families and offspring were seen as the primary blessing and sign of divine favor, this judgment signifies the cutting off of the future, the end of hope for national continuity, and a direct reversal of the Abrahamic covenant's promise of numerous descendants.
"and dry breasts."
This final clause intensifies the curse, ensuring the complete annihilation of the next generation. "Dry breasts" (Hebrew, tsâmaq shad) means an inability to lactate or provide nourishment. Even if a child were miraculously born, it would be unable to survive due to lack of sustenance. Together with the miscarrying womb, this paints a picture of absolute desolation, sealing the fate of a nation whose spiritual fruitfulness had long since withered, and whose physical future would now mirror that spiritual barrenness.
Literary Devices
Hosea 9:14 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its stark message. The most prominent is Rhetorical Question, found in "what wilt thou give?" This is not a genuine inquiry but a forceful expression of the prophet's conviction regarding the certainty and severity of God's impending judgment. It heightens the dramatic tension and underscores the inevitability of the divine decree. Metonymy and Symbolism are profoundly at play with the phrases "miscarrying womb and dry breasts." These physical conditions are not merely literal curses but serve as powerful symbols for Israel's spiritual barrenness and the complete cessation of their national vitality and future. Just as they failed to produce spiritual fruit for God, they would be unable to produce physical offspring to continue their nation. Furthermore, there is a strong element of Irony: Israel had turned to Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility, for blessings of offspring and agricultural abundance, yet it is Yahweh, the true source of life and blessing, who pronounces a curse of profound barrenness, directly countering the very blessings they sought from false gods. This serves as a grim indictment of their misplaced faith.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Hosea 9:14 stands as a chilling testament to the gravity of God's justice and the severe consequences of persistent covenant unfaithfulness. It reveals a God who, despite His profound mercy and desire for reconciliation, will not tolerate ongoing spiritual adultery and idolatry. The judgment of barrenness directly counters the foundational biblical promise of fruitfulness given to Abraham and reiterated throughout Israel's history, symbolizing the complete reversal of divine blessing due to their rebellion. This verse underscores the principle that sin, especially the rejection of the one true God, leads to spiritual and existential desolation, cutting off the very source of life and future. It serves as a stark reminder that God's character encompasses both boundless love and unwavering righteousness, and His justice will ultimately prevail against those who spurn His grace.
Reflection and Application
Hosea 9:14, though a prophecy of severe judgment against ancient Israel, holds profound and sobering lessons for believers today. It serves as a stark reminder of the seriousness with which God views spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry. While we no longer face the physical curses of the Old Covenant, the principle remains: anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts—be it wealth, career, relationships, or even good works—becomes an idol that can lead to spiritual barrenness. This verse challenges us to examine our own lives for areas where we might be seeking "fertility" (blessing, satisfaction, security) from sources other than God. True spiritual fruitfulness, as described in the New Testament, flows from an intimate, obedient relationship with Christ. If our lives are not bearing the fruit of righteousness, love, joy, and peace, it may be a sign of a disconnect from the true Vine. This passage calls us to repentance, to return to the Lord with undivided hearts, recognizing that He is the sole source of life, blessing, and genuine fruitfulness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why would a prophet pray for such a harsh judgment, rather than for mercy?
The prophet Hosea's prayer in Hosea 9:14 is not a typical intercessory prayer for mercy, but rather a prophetic utterance that reflects the certainty and severity of God's impending judgment. By this point in Israel's history, their apostasy and idolatry had become so pervasive and entrenched that repentance seemed impossible. Hosea had consistently pleaded with Israel to return to the Lord (e.g., Hosea 6:1-3), but they had stubbornly refused. Therefore, the prophet's prayer here is not a personal wish for harm, but a solemn acknowledgment and articulation of what God's righteous justice demands. It's an expression of divine decree through the prophet's lips, emphasizing the inevitability of the consequences for persistent rebellion against the covenant God. It highlights the prophet's anguish and the depth of Israel's sin, which had reached a point where only such a devastating judgment could serve God's just purposes.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Hosea 9:14, with its stark imagery of barrenness and judgment, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a literal curse upon believers, but in the profound spiritual realities revealed through the Gospel. Israel's physical barrenness was a consequence of their spiritual unfaithfulness, a failure to bear the fruit of righteousness for God. In Christ, the curse of spiritual barrenness is decisively broken. Humanity, dead in sin and spiritually unfruitful (as described in Ephesians 2:1-3), was under the judgment of God. However, Jesus, the true Vine (as He declares in John 15:1-5), came to enable true spiritual fruitfulness. He bore the curse of the law and the judgment for sin on the cross, becoming a curse for us (as seen in Galatians 3:13). Through His sacrifice and resurrection, those who are united with Him are made spiritually alive and are empowered by the Holy Spirit to bear the fruit of righteousness, love, and obedience (as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23). Thus, the judgment of barrenness, which signified the cutting off of a rebellious people, gives way in Christ to the promise of abundant spiritual life and the continuation of God's family through spiritual rebirth, ensuring that His people are no longer fruitless but are eternally fruitful in Him.