Hosea 5:14
in Hosea 5For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them to pieces and then go away. I will carry them off where no one can rescue them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver.
KJV
For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.
⋯
This verse in Hosea 5
Commentary
7 notes on this verse"For I am like a lioness of Ephraim, and like a lion's cub to the house of Judah." LXX: "For I am like a panther to Ephraim, and like a lion in the house of Judah." When they go to Assyria and send to the avenging or the revenger king, who will not be able to heal them; nor to undo the bound chain, I will show that with me opposing, all human help is vain: for I will be like a lioness to Ephraim, and like a lion's whelp to the house of Judah.
This site's exposition
as a lion
on Hosea 5:14-15
The image turns from slow decay to sudden seizure, the Lord himself as a lion to Ephraim and a young lion to Judah, tearing and carrying away what he tears with none able to rescue, the same God who was Israel's shepherd now cast as the predator judgment makes him. I will go and return to my place is read by the bench as the Lord withdrawing his presence until the nation acknowledges its offence and seeks his face, and the closing line, in their affliction they will seek me early, both explains why the exile must come and anticipates the plea of 6:1, come, and let us return unto the Lord, the two chapters reading as one continuous movement from judgment to hoped-for repentance.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Note, If less judgments prevail not to do their work, it may be expected that God will send greater. Christ is sometimes a lion of the tribe of Judah, here he is a lion against that tribe. See what God will do to a people that are secure in sin: Even I will tear.
For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion - He who would thus strengthen himself by Outward help against God’s chastisements, challenges, as it were, the Almighty to a trial of strength. So then God, unwilling to abandon him to himself, changes His dealings, and , “He who had heretofore, in His judgments, seemed but as a tender moth or a weak worm,” now shows forth His resistless power, imaged by His creatures in whom the quality of power is most seen.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
lion--The black lion and the young lion are emblems of strength and ferocity (Ps 91:13). I, even I--emphatic; when I, even I, the irresistible God, tear in pieces (Ps 50:22), no Assyrian power can rescue. go away--as a lion stalks leisurely back with his prey to his lair.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
I will be - as a lion - כשחל cashshachel, as a panther or lioness.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
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
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָנֹכִ֤י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| כַשַּׁ֙חַל֙ | khashachal | [will be] like <the> lion | H7826 → | |
| לְאֶפְרַ֔יִם | leefrayim | to Ephraim | H669 → | 180 times |
| וְכַכְּפִ֖יר | vekhakefir | and like <the> young lion | H3715 → | |
| לְבֵ֣ית | leveit | to [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוּדָ֑ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| אֲנִ֨י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֲנִ֤י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֶטְרֹף֙ | ʾetrof | I will tear to pieces | H2963 → | |
| וְאֵלֵ֔ךְ | veelekh | and I may go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֶשָּׂ֖א | ʾesa' | I will carry off | H5375 → | 656 times |
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מַצִּֽיל׃ | matzil | [will be] a deliverer | H5337 → | 212 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אָנֹכִ֤יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
כַשַּׁ֙חַל֙[will be] like <the> lion
khashachalH7826 →
לְאֶפְרַ֔יִםto Ephraim
leefrayimH669 →180 times
וְכַכְּפִ֖ירand like <the> young lion
vekhakefirH3715 →
לְבֵ֣יתto [the] house of
leveitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוּדָ֑הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
אֲנִ֨יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אֲנִ֤יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אֶטְרֹף֙I will tear to pieces
ʾetrofH2963 →
וְאֵלֵ֔ךְand I may go
veelekhH1980 →1546 times
אֶשָּׂ֖אI will carry off
ʾesa'H5375 →656 times
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
מַצִּֽיל׃[will be] a deliverer
matzilH5337 →212 times
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
Psalms 50:22Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
it leads to
- Job 8:13
Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish.
- Psalms 9:17
The wicked will return to Sheol— all the nations who forget God.
- Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget…
- Psalms 7:2
or they will shred my soul like a lion and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
- Deuteronomy 32:18
You ignored the Rock who brought you forth; you forgot the God who gave you birth.
- Job 8:13
Through
Psalms 7:2or they will shred my soul like a lion and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
it leads to
- Psalms 50:22
Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
- Isaiah 38:13
I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.
- 2 Timothy 4:17
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of…
- Psalms 50:22
About Hosea
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Hosea 5:14; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.