Hosea 9:14Give them--Yahweh what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
The setting
Northern Israel, ~740 BC. Hosea interrupts his own prophecy with a desperate prayer, asking God to make the coming judgment merciful. Modern-day Samaria region, West Bank...
The emotion here: desperate prophet choosing lesser grief over greater
The original word
shakol (שַׁכּוֹל) — to miscarry, be bereaved of children, specifically losing children through death
Why it matters
Ancient Near Eastern cultures saw barrenness as the worst possible curse
Read with care
What most readers miss in Hosea 9:14
This is Hosea's prayer, not God's decree - the prophet is asking for mercy through barrenness rather than watching children be murdered
Common misconceptionPeople read this as God cursing women with infertility. Actually, it's Hosea begging God: 'If they won't have children, at least they won't watch them die in war.'
The thread continues
Verses that echo Hosea 9:14
Bible Genome reading
Hosea 9:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Hosea 9:14 comes from the book of Hosea, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Hosea. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include prophetic intercession, barrenness. Notable phrases: what will you give; miscarrying womb; dry breasts. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Hosea 9:14 mean to you, today?
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