Hosea 7:13 kjv
Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
Hosea 7:13 nkjv
"Woe to them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction to them, Because they have transgressed against Me! Though I redeemed them, Yet they have spoken lies against Me.
Hosea 7:13 niv
Woe to them, because they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me! I long to redeem them but they speak about me falsely.
Hosea 7:13 esv
Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me.
Hosea 7:13 nlt
"What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me!
Let them die, for they have rebelled against me.
I wanted to redeem them,
but they have told lies about me.
Hosea 7 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hosea 7:11 | "Ephraim is like a foolish, senseless dove..." | O.T. Warning/Judgment |
| Isaiah 31:1 | "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help..." | O.T. Condemnation of Alliance |
| Jeremiah 2:36 | "Why do you stray and change your way so much? You will be put to shame by Egypt..." | O.T. Rejection of God's Aid |
| Psalm 106:13 | "But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel." | O.T. Israel's Forgetfulness |
| 2 Kings 17:4 | "When they found that Rezin king of Assyria had revolted, they sent messengers to them in Assyria..." | O.T. Historical Example |
| Romans 8:7 | "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." | N.T. Spiritual Mindset |
| Galatians 3:3 | "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" | N.T. Relying on Self |
| Jeremiah 46:26 | "The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: Behold, I will punish... Egypt..." | O.T. Judgment on Egypt |
| Psalm 20:7 | "Some boast in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." | O.T. True Trust |
| Proverbs 3:5 | "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." | O.T. Divine Trust |
| Isaiah 40:31 | "but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." | O.T. Waiting on God |
| Acts 1:8 | "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..." | N.T. Divine Empowerment |
| Romans 9:16 | "So then it depends not on the one who runs or on the one who wills, but on God who shows mercy." | N.T. Divine Sovereignty |
| Lamentations 4:17 | "Our eyes have failed, looking in vain for help to our rampart..." | O.T. Failed Human Reliance |
| Isaiah 30:1-2 | "“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, who walk down to Egypt without consulting me, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh, and to find shelter in the shadow of Egypt!”" | O.T. Detailed Condemnation |
| Jeremiah 4:30 | "And when you are devastated, what will you do? Though you dress yourself in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, you enlarge yourself in vain..." | O.T. Futility of Embellishment |
| Ezekiel 29:6 | "Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD. Because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel." | O.T. Egypt's Weakness |
| Psalm 118:8-9 | "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes." | O.T. Superiority of God's Help |
| Isaiah 8:19 | "And when they say to you, 'Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and whisper,' should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire on behalf of the living of the dead?" | O.T. False Seekings |
| Hosea 5:11 | "Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was willing to go after that which does not profit." | O.T. Similar Rebuke |
| Deuteronomy 32:31 | "For their rock is not like our Rock, even enemies themselves being judges." | O.T. God's Uniqueness |
Hosea 7 verses
Hosea 7 13 Meaning
This verse describes Israel's apostasy as a deliberate rejection of God, choosing self-reliance and turning to Egypt for help instead of the Lord. This action incurred God's displeasure and invited His judgment.
Hosea 7 13 Context
Hosea 7:13 speaks to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a period of significant spiritual and political turmoil. They were struggling to maintain their identity and sought alliances with foreign powers, particularly Egypt, for military and economic security. This verse highlights their persistent tendency to turn away from God, their covenant partner, and to trust in worldly strength and aid. The prophet Hosea is commissioned by God to denounce Israel's sin of idolatry and unfaithfulness, likening them to an adulterous wife. Chapter 7 describes the pervasive wickedness within Israel, characterized by deceit, plotting, and a lack of reverence for the Lord. Specifically, verse 13 points to their misguided foreign policy as a manifestation of their deeper spiritual rebellion. They are turning to Egypt for refuge, a clear violation of their covenant obligations which commanded reliance on Yahweh alone. This reliance on Egypt is seen as a foolish choice, as Egypt itself is often depicted in scripture as weak or unreliable, a "broken reed" that would pierce the hand that leaned upon it. The historical backdrop involves periods where Israel attempted to gain independence from Assyria by forging alliances with Egypt, a practice that consistently led to their downfall.
Hosea 7 13 Word Analysis
"Woe": An expression of grief, distress, or calamity. It serves as an interjection indicating God's displeasure and impending judgment upon those who continue in sin.
"to them": Refers directly to the people of Israel, specifically Ephraim, as identified in the preceding verses.
"that they have turned": This indicates a voluntary and willful deviation from the right path. The Hebrew word 'shuv' (שוב) carries the sense of turning or returning, but here it is used in the negative context of turning away from God.
"away from me": The Lord God, the object of their covenant allegiance. This signifies spiritual infidelity and rejection of their covenant obligations.
"yet they have made them an alien alliance" / "and rebelled against me":
- "made them": Implies an active construction or establishment of this alliance.
- "alien alliance" (Hebrew: mesbāh zār / מֵסִבָּה זָר): 'Mesbah' signifies a turning or revolving; here it speaks of a departure from the true covenant relationship with God. 'Zar' means foreign or strange, thus referring to an alliance with a foreign nation, which is estranged from God and therefore unwelcome.
- "rebelled against me": Reinforces the act of turning away as active rebellion. The Hebrew word is 'mārad' (מָרַד), a strong term for rebellion, insurrection, or defection.
"to me": The Lord God.
"they have stored up iniquity": This phrase describes the accumulation of sin. 'Zādū' (זָדּוּ) can mean to devise or purpose. It speaks to a planned and deliberate continuation in their sinful ways. 'Āven' (עָוֹן) refers to guilt, iniquity, or punishment.
"with goods" / "in houses":
- "goods" / "wealth" (Hebrew: shālev / שֶׁלֶו): Implies that their prosperity and the comforts of their homes were being misused.
- "houses" (Hebrew: bāttîm / בָּתִּים): Can refer to actual dwellings but also, metaphorically, to their households or their national establishment. Their reliance was placed on material possessions and the security these things represented.
Words-Group Analysis
The verse describes a progressive state of sin:
- Voluntary Departure: "turned away from me" - The initial act of abandoning God.
- Strategic Alliance: "made them an alien alliance" - A conscious decision to seek help from a foreign power, seen as a betrayal of their relationship with God.
- Active Rebellion: "and rebelled against me" - The deepening of their apostasy, characterizing their continued course as defiance.
- Accumulation of Sin: "they have stored up iniquity" - This points to sins being added to sins, not just isolated acts but a systemic corruption leading to increasing guilt and deserved judgment.
- Misplaced Trust: "with goods" / "in houses" - Their misplaced trust was in material wealth and earthly security rather than divine provision and protection.
Hosea 7 13 Bonus Section
The Hebrew word for "alien alliance" (mesbah zar) suggests a revolving, or a cyclical turning away towards something foreign and illegitimate. This highlights the continuous and patterned nature of their rebellion. The phrase "stored up iniquity" speaks to sin not being forgotten or forgiven, but being set aside, as it were, for a future reckoning, much like treasures stored up. This underscores God's righteous judgment, where persistent sin leads to accumulated guilt and the inevitable consequence of His displeasure. The reliance on "goods" and "houses" can be interpreted as a focus on earthly comforts and security over spiritual realities, a common theme throughout Scripture warning believers against idolatry of possessions.
Hosea 7 13 Commentary
Israel's turning to Egypt for help, described here, was not a minor deviation but a profound betrayal of their covenant with Yahweh. They sought strength in Egypt, a nation God had previously judged and that was symbolized as a fragile reed—unreliable and ultimately harmful to those who leaned on it. This action illustrated their lack of faith and their preference for human power and strategy over divine guidance and protection. Their "goods" and "houses"—their material wealth and secure dwellings—became the basis of their confidence, revealing a deep-seated materialistic spirituality that supplanted genuine trust in the Lord. They were actively compounding their sins by substituting their covenant relationship with God for an alliance with an idolatrous nation, storing up wrath through their persistent disobedience and misplaced hope.