Hosea 9:16 Meaning and Explanation
“Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Ephraim is struck like a plant whose root has withered, unable to bear fruit, its cherished offspring lost.
What Does Hosea 9:16 Mean?
Hosea returns to the image of a plant, now stricken at the root. When the root dries up, the tree can bear no fruit, however green it once looked. So it is with Ephraim: the source of its life is failing, and even the children it does produce, the beloved fruit of the womb, will be taken away. The picture is of life cut off at its very spring.
A people separated from God are like a branch cut from the vine, however vigorous they appear. Fruitfulness flows from the root, and there is no lasting life apart from the source of life. The verse drives the reader to abide in the One who keeps the root alive. Joined to Christ, the true vine, the soul draws sap that no drought can dry, and bears fruit that remains.
Hosea 9:16 in the Original Language
shoresh (שֹׁרֶשׁ), 'root' -- the hidden source that draws life and feeds the whole plant.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosea 9:16
What does Hosea 9:16 mean?
Ephraim is struck like a plant whose root has withered, unable to bear fruit, its cherished offspring lost.