The Meaning of Hosea 9:16 Explained

Hosea 9:16

KJV: Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.

YLT: Ephraim hath been smitten, Their root hath dried up, fruit they yield not, Yea, though they bring forth, I have put to death the desired of their womb.

Darby: Ephraim is smitten: their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit; yea, though they should bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb.

ASV: Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb.

Discover Hosea 9:16

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Hosea 9:16?

MEANING: What does Hosea 9:16 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Hosea 9:16 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Hosea 9:16?

What is the context of Hosea 9:16?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay [even] the beloved [fruit] of their womb.

What does Hosea 9:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord had stricken the very roots of the nation so it would dry up and bear no fruit (cf. Malachi 4:1). This probably refers to human barrenness, agricultural unfruitfulness, and animal infertility. Even though the people bore children that were precious to them, the Lord would slay them.

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 9:16 mean?

Is stricken Ephraim their root is dried up fruit - No they shall bear Yes were they to bear children and I would kill the darlings of their womb -

הֻכָּ֣ה אֶפְרַ֔יִם שָׁרְשָׁ֥ם יָבֵ֖שׁ פְּרִ֣י [בלי־] (בַֽל־) יַעֲשׂ֑וּן גַּ֚ם כִּ֣י יֵֽלֵד֔וּן וְהֵמַתִּ֖י מַחֲמַדֵּ֥י בִטְנָֽם ס

הֻכָּ֣ה	Is stricken
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: נָכָה Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֶפְרַ֔יִם	Ephraim
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: אֶפְרַיִם Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
שָׁרְשָׁ֥ם	their root
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural Root: שֹׁרֶשׁ Sense: root.
יָבֵ֖שׁ	is dried up
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: יָבֵשׁ Sense: to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered.
פְּרִ֣י	fruit
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: פְּרִי Sense: fruit.
[בלי־]	-
Parse: Adverb
(בַֽל־)	No
Parse: Adverb Root: בְּלִי Sense: wearing out adv of negation.
יַעֲשׂ֑וּן	they shall bear
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun Root: בַּל Sense: not, hardly, else.
גַּ֚ם	Yes
Parse: Conjunction Root: גַּם Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
יֵֽלֵד֔וּן	they to bear children
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun Root: יָלַד Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
וְהֵמַתִּ֖י	and I would kill
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular Root: מוּת Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
מַחֲמַדֵּ֥י	the darlings
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct Root: מַחְמָד Sense: desire, desirable thing, pleasant thing.
בִטְנָֽם	of their womb
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural Root: בֶּטֶן Sense: belly, womb, body.
ס	-
Parse: Punctuation

What are the major concepts related to Hosea 9:16?

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Similar Scriptures for Hosea 9:16

		Hosea 9:11-13 [5]
		Ezekiel 24:21 [3]
		Malachi 4:1 [2]
		Job 18:16 [2]
		Isaiah 5:24 [2]
		Hosea 5:11 [2]
		Hosea 8:7 [2]
		Isaiah 40:24 [2]