The Meaning of Hosea 9:12 Explained

Hosea 9:12

KJV: Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

YLT: For though they nourish their sons, I have made them childless -- without man, Surely also, woe to them, when I turn aside from them.

Darby: For even should they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that not a man remain: for woe also to them when I shall have departed from them!

ASV: Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, so that not a man shall be left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Though they bring up  their children,  yet will I bereave  them, [that there shall] not [be] a man  [left]: yea, woe  also to them when I depart  from them! 

What does Hosea 9:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Most of the children born would die prematurely, and few of them would remain, probably because of the coming invasion (cf. Deuteronomy 32:25). When Yahweh withdrew His protection from His people their doom would be great. He would no longer multiply the nation.

Context Summary

Hosea 9:10-17 - "wanderers Among The Nations"
At the Exodus the love and thanks of Israel were as delightful to God as grapes in the desert or as the first ripe figs. But they gave themselves up to the idols of the heathen, and soon became as abominable as the impure gods which they chose.
The prophet does not hesitate to speak plainly of the effects of the awful license of that age. He says that a nation which sins as Israel had sinned must, in the very nature of things, cease to exist. The birth-rate declines and the family-life is stricken at its roots. So long as the home is reverenced, and there is a pure and holy love between man and woman, so long, and only so long, is the nation safe. All the battalions that tyrant ever mustered, break on that rock of chrysolyte in vain. But sin is like dry-rot, which eats out the vitality and virility of a people. It is an awful verdict when God says, They shall bear no fruit, Hosea 9:16. We all know the fate of the unfruitful bough. It is only as we yield fruit that we are worth sparing. Will the nations of today learn this lesson? And may we not all question whether the lack of spiritual children does not betoken some degeneracy of our secret life? [source]

Chapter Summary: Hosea 9

1  The distress and captivity of Israel for their sins

What do the individual words in Hosea 9:12 mean?

Yes Though they bring up - their children and yet I will bereave them to the last man Yes Yes woe to them when I depart from them
כִּ֤י אִם־ יְגַדְּלוּ֙ אֶת־ בְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וְשִׁכַּלְתִּ֖ים מֵֽאָדָ֑ם כִּֽי־ גַם־ א֥וֹי לָהֶ֖ם בְּשׂוּרִ֥י מֵהֶֽם

כִּ֤י  Yes 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אִם־  Though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
יְגַדְּלוּ֙  they  bring  up 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: גָּדַל  
Sense: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּנֵיהֶ֔ם  their  children 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְשִׁכַּלְתִּ֖ים  and  yet  I  will  bereave  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: מְשַׁכֶּלֶת 
Sense: to be bereaved, make childless, miscarry.
מֵֽאָדָ֑ם  to  the  last  man 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
כִּֽי־  Yes 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
גַם־  Yes 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
א֥וֹי  woe 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֹוי  
Sense: woe! alas! oh!.
לָהֶ֖ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
בְּשׂוּרִ֥י  when  I  depart 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מֵהֶֽם  from  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.