Hosea 13:13
in Hosea 13Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for it is time he should not tarry in the place of the breaking forth of children.
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.
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This verse in Hosea 13
Commentary
9 notes on this verse"The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his hidden sin is enfolded. Pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son, for now he does not present himself at the opening of the womb." LXX: "The congregation of iniquity of Ephraim; his sin is concealed. Labor pains shall come upon him as of a woman giving birth. This is your wise son, for he will not now be able to stand the test of the sons' contrition."
This site's exposition
his sin is stored up
on Hosea 13:12-13
"The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is stored up" pictures guilt kept like a sealed document. Verse 13 turns to birth: "Labor pains come upon him", since "he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb". The labor stalls at the point of delivery.
This site's exposition
he is an unwise son
Wesley pictures Ephraim as an unwise son at the opening of the womb, now willing and now unwilling, until he dies in the delay. Barnes compares the labor pains to God's chastisements. Pains that bring no birth end in death for mother and son, and so does chastisement without repentance.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The sorrows - The punishment of his sins will overtake him suddenly, with great anguish. An unwise son - A foolish son, who endangers himself and his mother. He should not stay - As a child that sticks in the birth, so is Ephraim, one while will, another while will not return to God; and thus dies under the delay.
Those are in danger of miscarrying in conversion who delay it, and will not put forth themselves to speed the work and bring it to an issue. Therefore they are destroyed because they have done that which will be their certain ruin and neglected that which would have been their only relief. Here is a sad description of the desolation they are doomed to,
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him,.... Upon Ephraim, or the ten tribes; that is, afflictions, distresses, and calamities, which are often in Scripture compared to the pains and sorrows of a woman in childbirth; and may denote the suddenness and inevitableness of them; see Isa 13:
Those among them that yet retain a respect for their God are here encouraged to hope that he will yet appear for their relief, though their kings and princes, and all their other supports and succours, fail them,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The sorrows of a travailing woman are come upon him - The travail-pangs are violent, sudden, irresistible. A moment before they come, all is seemingly perfect health; they come, increase in vehemence, and, if they accomplish not that for which they are sent, end in death, both to the mother and the child. Such are God’s chastisements. If they end not in the repentance of the sinner, they continue on in his destruction.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The sorrows of a travailing woman - These judgments shall come suddenly and unavoidably. The place of the breaking forth of children - As there is a critical time in parturition in which the mother in hard labor may by skillful assistants be eased of her burden, which, if neglected, may endanger the life both of parent and child, so there was a time in which Ephraim might have returned to God, but they would not; therefore they are now in danger of being finally destroyed. And, speaking after the manner of men, he must be deemed an unwise son, who if he had power and consideration, would prolong his stay in the porch of life, where he must necessarily be suffocated; so is Ephraim, who, though warned of his danger, having yet power to escape, continued in his sin, and is now come to destruction. I could illustrate the allusion in the text farther, and show the accurate propriety of the original; but the subject forbids it.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
for [it is] a time For a time of trouble has come upon him, from which he will not be able to stand and endure.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up I did not overlook it; it is laid up with Me.
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. 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חֶבְלֵ֥י | chevlei | [the] pains of | H2256 → | |
| יֽוֹלֵדָ֖ה | yoledah | [one who] gives birth | H3205 → | 496 times |
| יָבֹ֣אוּ | yavou | they will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| ל֑וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| הוּא־ | hu'- | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בֵן֙ | ven | [is] a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| חָכָ֔ם | chakham | wise | H2450 → | |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עֵ֥ת | ʾet | a time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעֲמֹ֖ד | yaamod | he will present himself | H5975 → | |
| בְּמִשְׁבַּ֥ר | bemishbar | at birth of | H4866 → | |
| בָּנִֽים׃ | banim | children | H1121 → | 4930 times |
חֶבְלֵ֥י[the] pains of
chevleiH2256 →
יֽוֹלֵדָ֖ה[one who] gives birth
yoledahH3205 →496 times
יָבֹ֣אוּthey will come
yavouH935 →2568 times
ל֑וֹto him
lo
הוּא־he
hu'-H1931 →1879 times
בֵן֙[is] a son
venH1121 →4930 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
חָכָ֔םwise
chakhamH2450 →
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עֵ֥תa time
ʾetH6256 →296 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַעֲמֹ֖דhe will present himself
yaamodH5975 →
בְּמִשְׁבַּ֥רat birth of
bemishbarH4866 →
בָּנִֽים׃children
banimH1121 →4930 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
Isaiah 37:3to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.
it leads to
- Isaiah 66:9
Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the LORD. “Or will I who deliver close the womb?” says your God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 26:17–18
As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- 2 Kings 19:3
to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.
- Isaiah 33:2
O LORD, be gracious to us! We wait for You. Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble.
- Isaiah 66:9
Through
Isaiah 13:8Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 26:17
As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:3
Through
Isaiah 26:17As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.
it leads to
- Isaiah 21:3
Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see.
- Isaiah 21:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Hosea
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Hosea 13:12-13; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.