The Meaning of Hosea 13:16 Explained

Hosea 13:16

KJV: 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.

YLT: Become desolate doth Samaria, Because she hath rebelled against her God, By sword they do fall, Their sucklings are dashed in pieces, And its pregnant ones are ripped up!

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Hosea 13:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This verse begins chapter14in the Hebrew Bible, but its connection is clearly with the preceding verse rather than with those that follow. Yahweh would hold Samaria, a metonymy for Israel, guilty for rebelling against Him, her covenant lord and God (cf. Hosea 7:13; Hosea 8:1). Israel"s soldiers would die in battle (cf. Leviticus 26:25), her children would suffer unmerciful executions (cf. Deuteronomy 28:52-57; Deuteronomy 32:25), and the Assyrians would even cut open her pregnant women with their swords (cf. 2 Kings 15:16; Amos 1:13). This gruesome form of execution killed both the mother and the unborn child making it impossible for the coming generation eventually to rise up and rebel against the conqueror. These were curses that the Lord warned would follow rebellion against the terms of His covenant (cf. Leviticus 26:25; Deuteronomy 28:21; Deuteronomy 32:24-25; Amos 4:10).

Context Summary

Hosea 13:15-16 - "i Will Heal Their Backsliding"
The prophet here ransacks the world of nature for phrases sufficiently expressive of his transports of joy. The whole world seems laid under contribution to set forth the love of God. The gentle dew, the rich raiment of the lily, the far-reaching spurs and roots of the Lebanon range, the spreading branches of the olive, the fragrant breath of the wind which is laden with the perfume of the land, the golden corn ripe for the sickle, the scent of the vines-these are the images with which the inspired imagination of the prophet teems.
But how deeply the chapter appeals to us! The very words that returning prodigals would adopt are set down. As we return, we hear the divine voice assuring us that our backslidings shall be healed, that there is no anger and only love, and that God Himself shall be the sap of our fruit-bearing life. Our Father wants it to be clearly understood that these promises do not belong to Israel only but to all who will accept them. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 13

1  Ephraim's glory vanishes
4  God's anger
9  God's mercy
15  The judgment of Samaria

What do the individual words in Hosea 13:16 mean?

Is held guilty Samaria for she has rebelled against her God By the sword they shall fall their infants shall be dashed in pieces and their women pregnant ripped open -
תֶּאְשַׁם֙ שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן כִּ֥י מָרְתָ֖ה בֵּֽאלֹהֶ֑יהָ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֔לוּ עֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם יְרֻטָּ֔שׁוּ וְהָרִיּוֹתָ֖יו יְבֻקָּֽעוּ פ

תֶּאְשַׁם֙  Is  held  guilty 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָשַׁם  
Sense: to offend, be guilty, trespass.
שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן  Samaria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֹׁמְרֹון  
Sense: the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 0 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam.
מָרְתָ֖ה  she  has  rebelled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מָרָה  
Sense: to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against.
בֵּֽאלֹהֶ֑יהָ  against  her  God 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בַּחֶ֣רֶב  By  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
יִפֹּ֔לוּ  they  shall  fall 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
עֹלְלֵיהֶ֣ם  their  infants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֹולֵל 
Sense: child, boy.
יְרֻטָּ֔שׁוּ  shall  be  dashed  in  pieces 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָטַשׁ  
Sense: to dash to pieces.
וְהָרִיּוֹתָ֖יו  and  their  women  pregnant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: הָרֶה 
Sense: pregnant.
יְבֻקָּֽעוּ  ripped  open 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּקַע  
Sense: to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation