Hosea 13:15 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Even Ephraim's apparent fruitfulness will wither when the scorching east wind of judgment comes.
What Does Hosea 13:15 Mean?
The prophecy returns to warning, playing on Ephraim's name, which suggests fruitfulness. However flourishing the tribe may appear among its brothers, an east wind is coming, here named the wind of the LORD, rising from the wilderness. In that land the east wind was a scorching desert blast that withered everything in its path. It will dry up Ephraim's springs and fountains and plunder every treasured vessel, leaving abundance shriveled and bare.
The image teaches that prosperity apart from God has no defense against the day He sends. What looks fruitful can be hollow if its roots are not in the LORD. Scripture uses this drying wind to show that no human wealth can stand when God withdraws His sustaining hand. The verse turns the reader's hope away from outward flourishing and toward the only fountain that never fails. True and lasting fruitfulness, it quietly insists, comes from abiding in God rather than from springs that the east wind can dry.
Hosea 13:15 in the Original Language
qadim (קָדִים), 'east wind' -- the hot, withering desert wind that scorches everything in its path.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 13:15
What does Hosea 13:15 mean?
Even Ephraim's apparent fruitfulness will wither when the scorching east wind of judgment comes.