Hosea 12:14 Meaning and Explanation
“Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his LORD return unto him.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Ephraim has bitterly provoked God, and so the guilt of its bloodshed and its shame will fall back upon it.
What Does Hosea 12:14 Mean?
The chapter closes on a solemn note of judgment. Ephraim has provoked God to anger most bitterly, and the consequence is just: the bloodguilt the nation has incurred will be left upon it, and the reproach it has heaped on God will be returned upon its own head. Sin recoils on the sinner.
Yet even here the word LORD stands, naming the One who judges as the covenant God, not a stranger. The same God who pleaded and recalled and promised now lets the weight of unrepented sin fall where it belongs. This is no arbitrary wrath but the sorrowful end of a long appeal refused. The verse leaves the reader with the seriousness of provoking God, and with the unspoken urgency of the chapter's earlier plea still standing: turn to your God, keep mercy and justice, and wait on him.
Hosea 12:14 in the Original Language
tamrurim (תַּמְרוּרִים), 'most bitterly' -- with extreme bitterness, intensifying how grievously God was provoked.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 12:14
What does Hosea 12:14 mean?
Ephraim has bitterly provoked God, and so the guilt of its bloodshed and its shame will fall back upon it.