“Ephraim’s Sins Provoke the Lord—There Is No Savior beside the Lord—He Ransoms from the Grave and Redeems from Death”
Hosea 13:1–16
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.
Dr. Ellis T. Rasmussen wrote:
“These statements [in Hosea 13:1, 4] point up the two major themes of the prophet Hosea: Israel, with Ephraim as her leader, began humbly and righteously, but her flagrant sins were causing the nation to go into bondage. Yet all was not lost forever; in the end they would know no other God and their Savior would triumph. The prophet summed up their sins and again stated the desires of the Lord to save them. The Lord threatened punishment, using powerful symbols of predatory beasts that consume and destroy. He lamented the deterioration of the kingdom of Israel and renewed His promise to be their ultimate King. Finally, in one of the few Old Testament prophecies of the literal resurrection of the dead, Hosea promised ransom and redemption from the grave by the Lord (Hosea 13:14a–c).
“The phrase ‘repentance shall be hid from mine eyes’ [v. 14] should be part of the next verse [v. 15]. (Remember that versification is a modern modification of the ancient text.) Thus the final statement would be another lament that Israel’s sins had been so prevalent that it was too late for repentance. Though once fruitful, Israel would be blasted by that ‘east wind’ (Assyria) and would be desolated, ‘for she hath rebelled against her God’ (Hosea 13:15–16 and [footnotes]).”
(A Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament [1993], 636–37.)
