Hosea 13: I Will Ransom From Death
Israel's pride and idolatry have brought ruin, yet even amid severe judgment God speaks a stunning promise to ransom his people from death.
Hosea 13 (WEB)
1 When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, but when he became guilty in Baal, he died.
2 Now they sin more and more, and have made themselves molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen. They say of them, ‘They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves.’
3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist, and like the dew that passes away early, like the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing floor, and like the smoke out of the chimney.
4 “Yet I am Yahweh your God from the land of Egypt; and you shall acknowledge no god but me, and besides me there is no savior.
5 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me.
7 Therefore I am like a lion to them. Like a leopard, I will lurk by the path.
8 I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs, and will tear the covering of their heart. There I will devour them like a lioness. The wild animal will tear them.
9 You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your help.
10 Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes?’
11 I have given you a king in my anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.
12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up. His sin is stored up.
13 The sorrows of a travailing woman will come on him. He is an unwise son; for when it is time, he doesn’t come to the opening of the womb.
14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death! Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? “Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.
15 Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come, the breath of Yahweh coming up from the wilderness; and his spring will become dry, and his fountain will be dried up. He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.
16 Samaria will bear her guilt; for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open.”
Hosea 13 (KJV)
1 When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
2 And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
3 Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
4 Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
5 I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.
7 Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.
10 I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid.
13 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.
14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
15 Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
16 Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
Hosea 13 (ASV)
1 When Ephraim spake, there was trembling; he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
2 And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
3 Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the dew that passeth early away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
4 Yet I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt; and thou shalt know no god but me, and besides me there is no saviour.
5 I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted: therefore have they forgotten me.
7 Therefore am I unto them as a lion; as a leopard will I watch by the way;
8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart; and there will I devour them like a lioness; the wild beast shall tear them.
9 It is thy destruction, O Israel, that thou art against me, against thy help.
10 Where now is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges, of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
11 I have given thee a king in mine anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is laid up in store.
13 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.
14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from death: O death, where are thy plagues? O Sheol, where is thy destruction? repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
15 Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the breath of Jehovah coming up from the wilderness; and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall make spoil of the treasure of all goodly vessels.
16 Samaria shall bear her guilt; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword; their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
Summary
God traces Ephraim's descent: once the tribe's word brought trembling and honor, but when they became guilty through Baal worship, they died spiritually. Now they sin more and more, crafting silver idols and offering human sacrifice, so they will vanish like morning mist, dew, chaff, and smoke. God reminds them that he alone is their God since Egypt, and besides him there is no savior; he knew them and cared for them in the wilderness. But once they were full and satisfied, their hearts grew proud and they forgot him. So God will turn against them like a lion, a leopard, and a bereaved bear—fierce images of judgment for a people destroyed by setting themselves against their only help. He exposes the emptiness of the kings they demanded, given in anger and taken away in wrath. Then, in the midst of doom, comes a flash of breathtaking grace: “I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death!” God taunts death and the grave, words the apostle Paul would later echo in celebrating Christ's resurrection victory. Yet judgment still presses near, for Samaria's rebellion will bring devastating consequences. The chapter holds judgment and the promise of redemption in tension, pointing beyond itself to a Savior who would truly conquer death.
Key Figures
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The only true God and Savior since Egypt, who turns in fierce judgment against proud, idolatrous Israel yet speaks a stunning promise to ransom his people from death.
- Israel / Ephraim — The northern kingdom, once honored but now spiritually dead through idolatry, brought low by pride after prosperity and facing severe judgment.
- Israel's kings — The rulers the people demanded, given by God in anger and taken away in wrath, unable to save the nation in its day of need.
Key Verse
Hosea 13:14 (WEB)
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death! Death, where are your plagues? Sheol, where is your destruction? “Compassion will be hidden from my eyes.
Lessons Learned
- Prosperity can breed the pride that forgets God.
- There is no savior besides the Lord; all other helps will fail.
- Idolatry leads to spiritual death and ruin.
- Even in judgment, God holds out the hope of ransom and redemption from death.
- Fullness can lead to forgetting God. “They were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me” (Hosea 13:6, WEB). Satisfaction without gratitude breeds pride and forgetfulness.
- There is no savior but the Lord. “Besides me there is no savior” (Hosea 13:4, WEB). Every other rescuer we turn to will ultimately fail us.
- Setting ourselves against God is self-destruction. “You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your help” (Hosea 13:9, WEB). To oppose God is to oppose our only hope.
- God promises to conquer death. “I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death!” (Hosea 13:14, WEB). Even amid judgment, God's redeeming purpose reaches beyond the grave.
- How did prosperity contribute to Israel's downfall (verses 5-6)?
- What does God mean when he says, “besides me there is no savior” (verse 4)?
- How does verse 9 summarize the tragedy of Israel's sin?
- How does Paul use the words of verse 14 in 1 Corinthians 15:55, and what does that reveal about its ultimate meaning?
- Where are you tempted to look for a 'savior' other than God, and how does the promise to ransom from death give you hope?
- When Israel was filled and satisfied, their hearts grew proud and they forgot the God who provided for them (13:6). Comfort dulled their dependence and gratitude. The passage warns that blessing, received without humility, can become the very thing that leads us away from God.
- God declares that he alone rescues; no idol, alliance, or king can save (13:4). Their false saviors were powerless. The statement points us to trust in God alone for salvation, and ultimately to Christ, in whom “there is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12).
- Verse 9 captures the heart of the tragedy: Israel is destroyed because they turned against the very One who was their help. Their ruin was self-inflicted, the result of opposing their only hope. It is a sober reminder that fighting God means fighting our own good.
- Paul echoes Hosea 13:14 in his triumphant celebration of resurrection: “Death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). What Hosea spoke into Israel's darkness finds its fullest meaning in Christ's victory over death, the ransom God himself accomplished at the cross and empty tomb.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name the false saviors they lean on—money, status, relationships, control—and to turn instead to the God who ransoms from death. As leader, anchor the group's hope in Christ's resurrection victory over the grave.