Hosea 9:16Ephraim is struck. Their root has dried up. They will bear no fruit. Even though they bring forth, yet I will kill the beloved ones of their womb."
The setting
Northern Israel, ~750 BC. The prophet Hosea speaks as his own marriage crumbles, mirroring Israel's unfaithfulness. Modern-day northern West Bank and Galilee region.
The emotion here: heartbroken but obedient to deliver devastating news
The original word
נָכָה (nakah) — to strike down, wound fatally, as in warfare
Why it matters
Ephraim was the largest tribe in northern Israel, so their name became synonymous with the entire northern kingdom
Read with care
What most readers miss in Hosea 9:16
Hosea's own wife Gomer was likely pregnant with another man's child when he spoke these words
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about individual families, but Ephraim refers to the entire northern kingdom of Israel. God is announcing national destruction through infertility and infant mortality.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Hosea 9:16
Bible Genome reading
Hosea 9:16 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Hosea 9:16 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 10% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include total destruction, barrenness, death. Notable phrases: Ephraim is struck; root has dried up; kill the beloved ones. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains prophecy.
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 9:16 mean to you, today?
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