Hosea 13:13 kjv
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.
Hosea 13:13 nkjv
The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, For he should not stay long where children are born.
Hosea 13:13 niv
Pains as of a woman in childbirth come to him, but he is a child without wisdom; when the time arrives, he doesn't have the sense to come out of the womb.
Hosea 13:13 esv
The pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son, for at the right time he does not present himself at the opening of the womb.
Hosea 13:13 nlt
Pain has come to the people
like the pain of childbirth,
but they are like a child
who resists being born.
The moment of birth has arrived,
but they stay in the womb!
Hosea 13 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 13:13 | “The pains of childbirth come to him, but he is a foolish son…” | Israel's coming destruction |
| Jeremiah 6:24 | “We have heard the report of it; our hands sag with terror…” | Sorrows of approaching judgment |
| Jeremiah 22:23 | “O inhabitant of Lebanon, who makes your nest in the cedars…” | Judgment on Jerusalem's pride |
| Jeremiah 49:24 | “Damascus has become a gathering point for rebellion, and its walls were dismantled.” | Similar imagery of devastation |
| Jeremiah 50:43 | “The kingdom of Babylon has been shattered; it has been crushed by my anger.” | Divine punishment |
| Jeremiah 51:25 | “See, I am against you, O destroying mountain… I will roll you down from your heights…” | God against oppressors |
| Isaiah 26:17 | “Like a pregnant woman about to give birth, writhes and cries out in her pangs…” | Distress preceding deliverance |
| Isaiah 37:3 | “You shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD…’” | Divine oracle delivery |
| Isaiah 54:1 | “Sing, O barren one, you who have not borne a child…” | Future restoration of Israel |
| Matthew 24:8 | “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” | Signs of the end times |
| Mark 13:8 | “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…” | Similar prophetic imagery |
| Luke 21:28 | “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift high your heads…” | Hope amid distress |
| John 16:21 | “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come…” | Jesus on suffering and joy |
| Revelation 12:2 | “She was pregnant and was crying out in pain as she was about to give birth.” | Symbolic woman and child |
| 1 Corinthians 4:20 | “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.” | True nature of God’s kingdom |
| Proverbs 1:32 | “For the simplicity of fools destroys them, and the complacency of fools kills them.” | Consequences of foolishness |
| Proverbs 10:23 | “Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasing to the intelligent.” | Foolish vs. Wise behavior |
| Romans 2:12 | “For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law…” | Universal accountability |
| Galatians 4:19 | “My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” | Apostle Paul’s spiritual labor |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:3 | “And when they say, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them…” | Unexpected judgment |
Hosea 13 verses
Hosea 13 13 Meaning
The verse signifies the impending destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel. The pain of childbirth (v. 13) represents the severe suffering and anguish that will accompany their judgment. They are described as a foolish son, unwilling to emerge from the womb, indicating their persistent sinfulness and rebellion against God. Their refusal to leave the protective place of birth shows their immaturity and inability to stand on their own, highlighting their dependence on God, a dependence they reject through their sin. This inability to emerge symbolizes their fatal flaw – their unresponsiveness to God's calls and their chosen path of destruction.
Hosea 13 13 Context
Hosea chapter 13 chronicles God's disappointment and judgment against the northern kingdom of Israel. Following their history of apostasy and reliance on false gods, particularly after their prosperous reign, they have turned further away from God. This verse arrives amidst pronouncements of swift and severe destruction. Israel, symbolized as a foolish son, is depicted as being unwilling or unable to complete the process of coming to fruition or salvation, leading to a calamitous end. The context emphasizes the consequences of persistent sin and rebellion against the covenant relationship with God.
Hosea 13 13 Word analysis
Hebrew:
eTzeb(עֶצֶב) - translated as "pain" or "pang." It denotes throes of birth, a sharp and intense suffering. This term vividly conveys the extreme distress that will befall Israel.Hebrew:
leh-i(לִי) - "to me" or "for me." This possessive particle personalizes the suffering, indicating it is God who declares the imminent arrival of this pain upon Israel.Hebrew:
vah-vaan(וְהוּא) - "and he" or "but he." Connects the coming pain to the state of Israel.Hebrew:
ve-lo(וְלֹא) - "and not." Introduces a negative condition or qualification.Hebrew:
ehth(אֶת) - "time." Refers to a specific moment or season.Hebrew:
bah(בָּהּ) - "in her" or "in it." Refers to the womb.Hebrew:
bo(בּוֹ) - "in it" or "within him." The womb is often metaphorically referred to in the masculine singular for Israel as a nation, or it can refer to the nation itself.Hebrew:
boon(בּוּן) - "to understand" or "to discern." Highlights the lack of insight and wisdom in Israel.Hebrew:
yah-vid(יָדַע) - "know." In this context, "did not know" signifies a deliberate ignorance and rejection of fundamental truths and relationships.Hebrew:
ki(כִּי) - "that" or "because." Introduces the reason for their being a foolish son.Hebrew:
leh-ed(לְעֵד) - "for support," "for help," or "to aid."Hebrew:
lo(לֹא) - "not."Idiomatic Group: "Pains of childbirth come to him" (
eTzeb lehi lî) - This is a common metaphor for intense suffering, agony, and the traumatic process of destruction. It parallels descriptions of severe birth pangs.Idiomatic Group: "a foolish son" (
bene-ee sekaal) - Emphasizes Israel's immaturity, lack of wisdom, and willful disobedience. A foolish son misbehaves and brings distress upon himself and his parent.Idiomatic Group: "unwilling to come out of the womb" (
vêlô bō eṯ bô bô) - This conveys an unnatural inability or refusal to emerge. It speaks to Israel’s congenital flaw – their unresponsiveness to God's life-giving call to repentance and salvation, their attachment to their sinful ways, clinging to the 'womb' of their spiritual unfaithfulness instead of coming into the light of God’s covenant.
Hosea 13 13 Bonus section
The metaphor of childbirth pains is frequently used in Scripture to depict times of intense crisis and national upheaval, often preceding a significant divine intervention or judgment. It highlights the natural and inevitable consequences of prolonged unfaithfulness. The refusal to emerge from the "womb" can be seen as a deep rejection of dependence on God's strength and guidance, a stubborn adherence to self-sufficiency built on false foundations. This image echoes themes of a dysfunctional covenant relationship, where the protected partner (Israel within the covenant's embrace) instead of developing toward maturity and responsibility, degenerates into willful immaturity, rejecting the very purpose for which they were brought into being by God.
Hosea 13 13 Commentary
This verse serves as a powerful prophetic declaration of doom upon Israel for their persistent rebellion. The imagery of labor pains emphasizes the severe, agonizing, and final nature of the judgment that awaits them. They are not merely passive victims but actively display foolishness, akin to a stillborn or aborted child, refusing to be born into God's covenant reality, clinging instead to the spiritual death within their present corrupt state. Their "foolishness" is a profound lack of discernment regarding God's will and their covenant responsibilities. Their inability to "come out of the womb" speaks to a deep-seated spiritual inertia and obstinacy, an unwillingness to break free from sin and embrace God’s restorative process, ultimately leading to their downfall. The destruction is not just external; it stems from an internal, fundamental defect of wisdom and responsiveness to God's call.