Hosea 13:14

Hosea 13:14 Meaning and Explanation

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.

King James Version (KJV)

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God promises to ransom His people from death and the grave, declaring His victory over both.

What Does Hosea 13:14 Mean?

Into the dark current of judgment breaks one of the most luminous promises in all the prophets. The LORD declares that He will ransom them from the power of the grave and redeem them from death itself. He turns and addresses death and the grave directly, announcing Himself as their plague and their destruction. The God who must discipline is also the God who will conquer the very last enemy that holds His people.

Christians cherish this verse because the apostle Paul takes it up to proclaim the triumph of the resurrection, when death is swallowed up in victory. The grave that seems to have the final word does not; God ransoms and redeems. This is the hope that runs beneath the whole book, that the love of God reaches even into death to bring His people out. The verse lifts the reader's eyes past every present sorrow to the day when death itself is undone by the redeeming hand of God.

Hosea 13:14 in the Original Language

padah (פָּדָה), 'ransom' -- to buy back or set free, often by paying a price.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 13:14

What does Hosea 13:14 mean?

God promises to ransom His people from death and the grave, declaring His victory over both.

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