Hosea 13:4 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God reminds Israel that He alone has been their God since the Exodus, and that there is no other savior.
What Does Hosea 13:4 Mean?
After the bleak imagery of judgment, the LORD speaks in the first person and reaches back to the founding moment of the nation. He is the God who brought them out of Egypt, the same God who has held them since their beginning as a people. The command is simple and total: know no god but me. And the reason given is the heart of the whole book, there is no saviour beside me.
This single line gathers up the entire argument against idolatry. The calves and molten images cannot rescue anyone; salvation belongs to the LORD alone. The deliverance from Egypt was meant to teach Israel forever who their Savior was. Christians read this declaration as pointing forward to its fullest expression, for salvation has always come from God and no other. The verse calls every reader away from manufactured gods and back to the only One whose hand can actually save.
Hosea 13:4 in the Original Language
yasha (יָשַׁע), 'save' -- the root behind 'saviour,' meaning to deliver or rescue.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 13:4
What does Hosea 13:4 mean?
God reminds Israel that He alone has been their God since the Exodus, and that there is no other savior.