Hosea 5:13
in Hosea 5When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither will he cure you of your wound.
KJV
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
⋯
This verse in Hosea 5
Commentary
10 notes on this verse"And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his band: and Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent to the avenging king: and he shall not be able to heal you, neither shall he be able to take off the band from you." LXX: "And Ephraim saw his weakness, and Judah his pain, and Ephraim went to the Assyrians, and sent ambassadors to king Jareb, and he will not be able to free you, nor will he make an end of your pain." Embassies are not held in Hebrew.
This site's exposition
Ephraim is oppressed
on Hosea 5:11-13
Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandment, a phrase the bench reads as walking after a human command, most likely Jeroboam's calf worship instituted at Dan and Bethel, chosen willingly rather than forced upon the people. The Lord himself will be as a moth to Ephraim, a slow and hidden decay, and as rottenness to Judah, the same corruption working more visibly in the south, judgment described as an internal wasting rather than a single blow. When Ephraim saw his sickness he ran to Assyria and to king Jareb for a cure, the historical alliances Hoshea and earlier kings struck with Assyria named as the fact behind the figure, and the verdict is blunt: he could not heal or cure the wound, since the remedy for covenant unfaithfulness was never a foreign treaty.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Those who repent not that they have offended God by their sins are loth to be beholden to him in their afflictions, but would rather seek relief any where than with him. And what is the consequence?
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound,....
Note, The judgments of God are sometimes to a sinful people as a moth, and as rottenness, or as a worm. The former signifies the little animals that breed in clothes, the latter those that breed in wood; as these consume the clothes and the wood, so shall the judgments of God consume them.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
When Ephraim saw his sickness - Literally, “And Ephraim saw,” i. e., perceived it. God proceeds to tell them, how they acted when they felt those lighter afflictions, the decline and wasting of their power. The “sickness” may further mean the gradual inward decay; the “wound,” blows received from without. And sent to king Jareb - Or, as in the English margin “a king who should plead, or, an avenging king.” The “hostile king” is, probably, the same Assyrian Monarch, whom both Israel and Judah courted, who was the destruction of Israel and who weakened Judah.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
2Ch 28:16-21); the Assyrian "distressed him, but strengthened him not," fulfiling the prophecy here, "he could not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2819: “A Caution for Sin-sick Souls” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THERE is a tendency, in the heart of man, to want something to look at rather than something to trust to. The children of Israel had God for their King and a glorious King He was. Where else was there found such impartial justice, such tender compassion for the poor, or such perfect righteousness in every statute that was ordained and every sentence that was enforced? But they said, "No, let us have a king whom we can see—a king whose pomp and magnificence shall dazzle our eyes, even though he will take our sons to be his bond slaves and our daughters to be his confectionaries. Let us have a king that we may see the gaudy glitter of his crown with our eyes and hear the sovereign mandate from his throne with our ears." God granted them that request. Their sole allegiance was due to that almighty King whose superlative Glory admitted of no natural similitude. The Lord Jehovah was the God of Israel, a God always ready to forgive their sins, to hear their prayers and to seek their welfare. But the children of Israel said, "Not so! Let us make a king to judge us like all the nations—and let us set up gods after the fashion of the Gentiles, that our hands can handle and that our eyes can behold! Let us have blocks of wood and stone. Let us have the carved images of the heathen." Neither would they rest till they had set up for themselves in every high place, gods that were not gods. For this the Lord chastised them—He gave up their lands to famine and their habitations to the spoiler. He brought enemies from far countries to lay them waste, so that the State became sick and the whole nation impoverished. Then the people of Ephraim opened their eyes and looked to their condition. But when Judah saw himself to be wounded, what course did he pursue? There was God waiting to help him when he returned to his allegiance.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2819: “A Caution for Sin-sick Souls” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THERE is a tendency, in the heart of man, to want something to look at rather than something to trust to. The children of Israel had God for their King and a glorious King He was. Where else was there found such impartial justice, such tender compassion for the poor, or such perfect righteousness in every statute that was ordained and every sentence that was enforced?
When Ephraim saw his sickness - When both Israel and Judah felt their own weakness to resist their enemies, instead of calling upon and trusting in me, they sought sinful alliances, and trusted in their idols. King Jareb - This name occurs nowhere in Scripture but here and in Hos 10:6. The Vulgate and Targum render ירב yareb, an avenger, a person whom they thought able to save them from their enemies. It is well known that Menahem, king of Israel, sought alliance with Pul and Tiglath-pileser, kings of Assyria, and Ahaz, king of Judah. These were the protectors that Ephraim sought after. See 2 Kings 15 and 16. But far from healing them by making them tributary, the Assyrians made their wound more dangerous.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and like decay A worm which eats the wood and pulverizes it.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
I will carry off and no one will rescue I will carry off the prey.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֨רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶפְרַ֜יִם | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חָלְי֗וֹ | chalyo | sickness his | H2483 → | |
| וִֽיהוּדָה֙ | vihudah | and Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מְזֹר֔וֹ | mezoro | wound his | H4205 → | |
| וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ | ʾefrayim | Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַשּׁ֔וּר | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יָרֵ֑ב | yarev | Jareb | H3377 → | |
| וְה֗וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יוּכַל֙ | yukhal | he is able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| לִרְפֹּ֣א | lirpo' | to heal | H7495 → | 67 times |
| לָכֶ֔ם | lakhem | <to> you | ||
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִגְהֶ֥ה | yigheh | it will depart | H1455 → | |
| מִכֶּ֖ם | mikem | from you | ||
| מָזֽוֹר׃ | mazor | [the] wound | H4205 → |
וַיַּ֨רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
אֶפְרַ֜יִםEphraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חָלְי֗וֹsickness his
chalyoH2483 →
וִֽיהוּדָה֙and Judah
vihudahH3063 →819 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מְזֹר֔וֹwound his
mezoroH4205 →
וַיֵּ֤לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙Ephraim
ʾefrayimH669 →180 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַשּׁ֔וּרAssyria
ʾashurH804 →151 times
וַיִּשְׁלַ֖חand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מֶ֣לֶךְking
melekhH4428 →2525 times
יָרֵ֑בJareb
yarevH3377 →
וְה֗וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יוּכַל֙he is able
yukhalH3201 →194 times
לִרְפֹּ֣אto heal
lirpo'H7495 →67 times
לָכֶ֔ם<to> you
lakhem
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִגְהֶ֥הit will depart
yighehH1455 →
מִכֶּ֖םfrom you
mikem
מָזֽוֹר׃[the] wound
mazorH4205 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hosea 10:6Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.
it leads to
- Isaiah 30:3
But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame, and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace.
- Jeremiah 7:24
Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
- Daniel 11:8
He will take even their gods captive to Egypt, with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold. For some years he will stay away from the king of the North,
- Isaiah 30:3
Through
Hosea 7:11So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.
it leads to
- Hosea 12:1
Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; he multiplies lies and violence; he makes a covenant with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.
- Jeremiah 2:18
Now what will you gain on your way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?
- Hosea 12:1
Through
Hosea 12:1Ephraim chases the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; he multiplies lies and violence; he makes a covenant with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.
it leads to
- Hosea 11:12
Ephraim surrounds Me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One.
- Hosea 11:12
Through
Jeremiah 30:12For this is what the LORD says: “Your injury is incurable; your wound is grievous.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 15:18
Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me—water that is not there.
- Jeremiah 30:15
Why do you cry out over your wound? Your pain has no cure! Because of your great iniquity and your numerous sins I have done these things to you.
- Jeremiah 15:18
About Hosea
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceUpper MesopotamiaAssyriaMesopotamian empire whose capital Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching and fell to Nahum's burden in 612 BC; the rod of God's ang…
- PlaceJudeaEphraimThe town near the wilderness where Jesus withdrew with His disciples before the last Passover (John 11:54).
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2819: “A Caution for Sin-sick Souls” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Hosea 5:13; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.