Hosea 9 2

Hosea 9:2 kjv

The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.

Hosea 9:2 nkjv

The threshing floor and the winepress Shall not feed them, And the new wine shall fail in her.

Hosea 9:2 niv

Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people; the new wine will fail them.

Hosea 9:2 esv

Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them.

Hosea 9:2 nlt

So now your harvests will be too small to feed you.
There will be no grapes for making new wine.

Hosea 9 verses

Hosea 9 2 meaning

Hosea 9:2 foretells a severe agricultural failure and famine upon Israel (Ephraim) as a divine judgment for their widespread idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. Their essential sources of food and joy – the grain from the threshing floor and the wine from the winepress – will no longer sustain them, signifying a complete withdrawal of God's blessings and an inability for the land to provide its yield, directly impacting their very existence and traditional way of life.

Hosea 9 2 Context

Hosea 9 details the judgment Israel (Ephraim) faces due to its deep-seated idolatry and spiritual harlotry. The previous chapter established their rebellion against God's covenant through broken promises, alliances with foreign powers (Egypt and Assyria), and the worship of pagan gods like Baal, who they wrongly believed controlled agricultural fertility.

This specific verse, Hosea 9:2, directly confronts their reliance on the land's produce. They were accustomed to festivals of harvest and joy, celebrating the grain and wine, often attributing these blessings to Baal rather than YHWH. The prophecy declares that the very means of their sustenance and celebration—the threshing floor and the winepress—will fail them. This pronouncement shatters their false sense of security and demonstrates that YHWH, the true God of Israel, controls the land's fruitfulness. The historical context reflects Israel's decline, moving towards Assyrian captivity (722 BCE), where they would indeed experience extreme deprivation and displacement from their fertile land.

Hosea 9 2 Word analysis

• The threshing floor (Heb. גֹּ֖רֶן, gōren):

  • This term refers to the flat, open area where harvested grain (wheat, barley) was separated from the chaff. It was a place of labor, but also represented the culmination of the harvest and essential sustenance for life.
  • Significance: Symbolizes fundamental provision and livelihood. The failure of the threshing floor means the absence of grain, the staple food.

• and the winepress (Heb. וְיֶ֥קֶב, wəyeqev):

  • This refers to the pit or vat where grapes were trodden to extract their juice for wine. Wine was a sign of prosperity, joy, and often used in celebratory festivals and offerings.
  • Significance: Represents secondary provisions, luxury, joy, and the celebratory aspects of life. Its failure signifies the loss of happiness and celebration.

• will not feed them (Heb. לֹֽא־יִתְמְכוּם֙, lō-yitməkūm):

  • From the verb תָּמַךְ (tāmak), meaning "to grasp, hold, support, sustain." The negative particle לֹֽא (lō) negates this, indicating an active failure to provide support.
  • Significance: The active nature of "will not feed" (rather than merely "will not yield") highlights a deliberate act of divine withholding. It's not just a natural failure but a lack of support from these traditional sources.

• and the new wine (Heb. וְתִיר֣וֹשׁ, wətîrōš):

  • Refers to fresh, unfermented grape juice, representing a fresh harvest and pure blessing.
  • Significance: It emphasizes the purity and newness of the product being withheld, signifying a complete loss from the beginning of the process.

• will fail them (Heb. יַחֵ֖שׁ לָֽהּ, yaḥēš lāh):

  • From the verb חָשַׁף (ḥāšaḥ, not חָשַׁב as first thought) - more precisely, this verb is Hifil form of חָשַׁל (hashal) meaning "to deceive, betray, fail" (J. Olsh., Strong's H2647). A less common verb root meaning 'fail'. The meaning of 'deceive' suggests it will raise expectations but deliver nothing.
  • Significance: This emphasizes not just an absence, but a profound disappointment, a betrayal of expectation. The very thing they hoped would bring joy and blessing will turn out to be a source of frustration and emptiness. It could be understood as "deal falsely with them," meaning it will give no return despite their effort.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "The threshing floor and the winepress": This pair comprehensively covers the essential agricultural produce of Israel—grain and grapes. Their combined failure signifies total economic and nutritional collapse, attacking both sustenance and cultural joy. These were also often sites of idolatrous rituals, further enhancing the judgment's direct hit.
  • "will not feed them, and the new wine will fail them": This dual declaration powerfully underscores the complete cessation of blessings. The structure emphasizes cause and effect—unfaithfulness leads to a lack of both basic provision ("feed") and expected pleasure/blessing ("new wine will fail"). The personal pronoun "them" highlights the direct impact on the people, cutting off their means of life and revelry.

Hosea 9 2 Bonus section

• The direct link between agricultural productivity and spiritual obedience was a cornerstone of the Mosaic covenant (Lev 26, Deut 28). This verse demonstrates YHWH enforcing that covenant curse due to Israel's covenant unfaithfulness.
• Baal, a primary competitor god in ancient Israel, was venerated as the god of storms, rain, and thus, fertility. The judgment described in Hosea 9:2 is a direct polemic against Baal, proving his impotence and YHWH's sovereignty over the elements and the land's produce. Israel's trust in Baal was misguided, and God would reveal this through the very areas Baal was supposed to control.
• The withholding of food and wine also carried ritual implications. These agricultural products were essential for various offerings and celebrations in Israel's worship (e.g., Passover, Tabernacles). The absence of these provisions would effectively paralyze their traditional religious practices, both legitimate and illegitimate.
• The prophecy of famine can also be seen as a preparation for their physical displacement. Without the means to sustain themselves on the land, their removal to Assyria becomes an inevitable outcome of divine justice.

Hosea 9 2 Commentary

Hosea 9:2 is a stark prophetic declaration of impending judgment upon Israel, directly linking their apostasy to economic collapse. Israel, particularly Ephraim, had deeply entangled itself in Baal worship, erroneously crediting the Canaanite fertility deity for their agricultural prosperity. This verse shatters that illusion, asserting YHWH's absolute control over creation. The "threshing floor" (grain) and "winepress" (grapes) represent the twin pillars of their agricultural economy and sustenance, also symbolic of their feasts and joy. Their failure signals not merely a famine, but a withdrawal of divine favor, ensuring the land they profaned would no longer provide for them. The nuanced phrase "new wine will fail them" goes beyond simple absence; it suggests a deep disappointment or even betrayal, as what they had hoped for will utterly collapse, leading to profound spiritual and physical emptiness. This judgment would precede their exile, stripping them of their land-based identity and security, making it impossible for them to continue their idolatrous festivals on sacred ground.