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Thursday, July 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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THE MESSAGE

Hosea 13:15

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Drought;   Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena;   Wind;   Thompson Chain Reference - Meteorology;   Wind, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fountains and Springs;   Wind, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - East Wind;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Holy Spirit;   Hosea;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Wind;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Heat ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - East;   Fountain;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Dry dried drieth;   Fountain;   Vessel;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Ass;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fountain;   Treasure;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Winds;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Although he flourishes among his brothers,an east wind will come,a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert.His water source will fail,and his spring will run dry.The wind will plunder the treasuryof every precious item.
Hebrew Names Version
Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come, The breath of the LORD coming up from the wilderness; And his spring will become dry, And his fountain will be dried up. He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
Though he may flourish among his brothers, the east wind, the wind of the Lord , shall come, rising from the wilderness, and his fountain shall dry up; his spring shall be parched; it shall strip his treasury of every precious thing.
New American Standard Bible
Though he flourishes among the reeds, An east wind will come, The wind of the LORD coming up from the wilderness; And his fountain will become dry And his spring will dry up; It will plunder his treasury of every precious article.
New Century Version
Israel is doing well among the nations, but the Lord will send a wind from the east, coming from the desert, that will dry up his springs and wells of water. He will destroy from their treasure houses everything of value.
Amplified Bible
For though he flourishes among the reeds (his fellow tribes), An east wind (Assyria) will come, The breath of the LORD rising from the desert; And Ephraim's spring will become dry And his fountain will be dried up. Assyria will plunder his treasury of every precious object.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Though he grewe vp among his brethren, an East winde shall come, euen the winde of the Lord shal come vp from the wildernesse, and drie vp his veine, and his fountaine shalbe dryed vp: he shal spoyle the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Though he flourishes among the reeds, An east wind will come, The wind of the LORD coming up from the wilderness; And his fountain will become dry And his spring will be dried up; It will plunder his treasury of every precious article.
Legacy Standard Bible
Though he is fruitful among the reeds,An east wind will come,The wind of Yahweh coming up from the wilderness;And his fountain will become dry,And his spring will be dried up;It will plunder his treasury of every desirable article.
Berean Standard Bible
Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come-a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert. His fountain will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder his treasury of every precious article.
Contemporary English Version
No matter how much you prosper more than the other tribes, I, the Lord , will wipe you out, just as a scorching desert wind dries up streams of water. I will take away your precious treasures.
Complete Jewish Bible
For though he flourishes among the reeds, an east wind will come, a wind from Adonai , blowing up from the desert. Then his water source will dry up, then his spring will fail — it will plunder his treasury, removing every precious thing."
Darby Translation
Though he be fruitful among [his] brethren, an east wind shall come, a wind of Jehovah [that] cometh 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.
Easy-to-Read Version
Israel grows among his brothers, but a powerful east wind will come—the Lord 's wind will blow from the desert. Then his well will dry up. His spring of water will be dry. The wind will take away anything of value.
George Lamsa Translation
Because he shall be separated from his brothers, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall blow from the wilderness and dry up his fountains, and his springs shall be dried up; it shall spoil the treasure of all valuable vessels.
Good News Translation
Even though Israel flourishes like weeds, I will send a hot east wind from the desert, and it will dry up their springs and wells. It will take away everything of value.
Lexham English Bible
Although he may flourish among reeds, the east wind will come, a wind of Yahweh rising from the desert; his fountain will dry up, his spring will be parched. It will plunder his treasury, every object of desire.
Literal Translation
Though he is fruitful among brothers, an east wind shall come. The wind of Jehovah shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall be ashamed, and his fountain shall be dried up. He shall plunder the treasure of all desirable vessels.
American Standard Version
Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the breath of Jehovah coming up from the wilderness; and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall make spoil of the treasure of all goodly vessels.
Bible in Basic English
Though he gives fruit among his brothers, an east wind will come, the wind of the Lord coming up from the waste land, and his spring will become dry, his fountain will be without water: it will make waste the store of all the vessels of his desire.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For though he be fruitful among the reed-plants, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD coming up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up; he shall spoil the treasure of all precious vessels.
King James Version (1611)
Though he be fruitfull among his brethren, an East winde shall come, the winde of the Lord shall come vp from the wildernesse, and his spring shall become drie, and his fountaine shalbe dried vp: he shall spoile the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Though he grewe among his brethren, the east wynde [euen] the wynde of the Lorde shall come vp from the wildernesse, and drye vp his veyne, and his fountaynes shalbe dryed vp: he shall spoyle the treasure of all pleasaunt vessels.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Forasmuch as he will cause a division among his brethren, the Lord shall bring upon him an east wind from the desert, and shall dry up his veins and quite drain his fountains: he shall dry up his land, and spoil all his precious vessels.
English Revised Version
Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the breath of the LORD coming 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.
World English Bible
Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come, The breath of Yahweh coming up from the wilderness; And his spring will become dry, And his fountain will be dried up. He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Coumfort is hid fro myn iyen, for he schal departe bitwixe britheren. The Lord schal brynge a brennynge wynd, stiynge fro desert; and it schal make drie the veynes therof, and it schal make desolat the welle therof; and he schal rauysche the tresour of ech desirable vessel.
Update Bible Version
Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind shall come, the breath of Yahweh coming up from the wilderness; and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall make spoil of the treasure of all goodly vessels.
Webster's Bible Translation
Though he is 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 pillage the treasure of all pleasant vessels.
New English Translation
Even though he flourishes like a reed plant, a scorching east wind will come, a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert. As a result, his spring will dry up; his well will become dry. That wind will spoil all his delightful foods in the containers in his storehouse.
New King James Version
Though he is fruitful among his brethren, An east wind shall come; The wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness. Then his spring shall become dry, And his fountain shall be dried up. He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.
New Living Translation
Ephraim was the most fruitful of all his brothers, but the east wind—a blast from the Lord — will arise in the desert. All their flowing springs will run dry, and all their wells will disappear. Every precious thing they own will be plundered and carried away.
New Life Bible
"Even if he grows among his brothers, an east wind will come. The wind of the Lord will come from the desert. And his well will dry up. His water will be gone. It will take away everything of much worth.
New Revised Standard
Although he may flourish among rushes, the east wind shall come, a blast from the Lord , rising from the wilderness; and his fountain shall dry up, his spring shall be parched. It shall strip his treasury of every precious thing.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Though, he, among brethren, be fruitful, there shall come in an east wind, the blast of Yahweh out of the desert coming up, that his spring, may dry up, and his fountain, be exhausted, he, will rob the treasure-house of all the vessels of delight.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Because he shall make a separation between brothers: the Lord will bring a burning wind that shall rise from the desert, and it shall dry up his springs, and shall make his fountain desolate, and he shall carry off the treasure of every desirable vessel.
Revised Standard Version
Though he may flourish as the reed plant, the east wind, the wind of the LORD, shall come, rising from the wilderness; and his fountain shall dry up, his spring shall be parched; it shall strip his treasury of every precious thing.
Young's Literal Translation
Though he among brethren produceth fruit, Come in doth an east wind, a wind of Jehovah, From a wilderness it is coming up, And it drieth up his fountain, And become dry doth his spring, It -- it spoileth a treasure -- every desirable vessel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yet can I se no comforth, for when he is now the goodliest amonge the brethren, the east wynde (euen the wynde of the LORDE) shal come downe from the wildernesse, and drye vp his condytes, and drynke vp his welles: he shal spoyle the treasure of all pleasaunt vessels.

Contextual Overview

13"When birth pangs signaled it was time to be born, Ephraim was too stupid to come out of the womb. When the passage into life opened up, he didn't show. Shall I intervene and pull them into life? Shall I snatch them from a certain death? Who is afraid of you, Death? Who cares about your threats, Tomb? In the end I'm abolishing regret, banishing sorrow, Even though Ephraim ran wild, the black sheep of the family. " God 's tornado is on its way, roaring out of the desert. It will devastate the country, leaving a trail of ruin and wreckage. The cities will be gutted, dear possessions gone for good. Now Samaria has to face the charges because she has rebelled against her God: Her people will be killed, babies smashed on the rocks, pregnant women ripped open." 16Religion Customized to Taste God once let loose against Ephraim a terrifying sentence against Israel: Caught and convicted in the lewd sex-worship of Baal—they died! And now they're back in the sin business again, manufacturing god-images they can use, Religion customized to taste. Professionals see to it: Anything you want in a god you can get. Can you believe it? They sacrifice live babies to these dead gods— kill living babies and kiss golden calves! And now there's nothing left to these people: hollow men, desiccated women, Like scraps of paper blown down the street, like smoke in a gusty wind. "I'm still your God , the God who saved you out of Egypt. I'm the only real God you've ever known. I'm the one and only God who delivers. I took care of you during the wilderness hard times, those years when you had nothing. I took care of you, took care of all your needs, gave you everything you needed. You were spoiled. You thought you didn't need me. You forgot me. "I'll charge them like a lion, like a leopard stalking in the brush. I'll jump them like a sow grizzly robbed of her cubs. I'll rip out their guts. Coyotes will make a meal of them. Crows will clean their bones. I'm going to destroy you, Israel. Who is going to stop me? Where is your trusty king you thought would save you? Where are all the local leaders you wanted so badly? All these rulers you insisted on having, demanding, ‘Give me a king! Give me leaders!'? Well, long ago I gave you a king, but I wasn't happy about it. Now, fed up, I've gotten rid of him. I have a detailed record of your infidelities— Ephraim's sin documented and stored in a safe-deposit box. "When birth pangs signaled it was time to be born, Ephraim was too stupid to come out of the womb. When the passage into life opened up, he didn't show. Shall I intervene and pull them into life? Shall I snatch them from a certain death? Who is afraid of you, Death? Who cares about your threats, Tomb? In the end I'm abolishing regret, banishing sorrow, Even though Ephraim ran wild, the black sheep of the family. " God 's tornado is on its way, roaring out of the desert. It will devastate the country, leaving a trail of ruin and wreckage. The cities will be gutted, dear possessions gone for good. Now Samaria has to face the charges because she has rebelled against her God: Her people will be killed, babies smashed on the rocks, pregnant women ripped open."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he be: Genesis 41:52, Genesis 48:19, Genesis 49:22, Deuteronomy 33:17

an east: Hosea 4:19, Psalms 1:4, Isaiah 17:13, Isaiah 41:16, Jeremiah 4:11, Ezekiel 17:10, Ezekiel 19:12

his spring: Hosea 9:11, Job 18:16, Psalms 109:13, Isaiah 14:21

pleasant vessels: Heb. vessels of desire, Daniel 11:8, Nahum 2:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:6 - blasted Genesis 41:23 - thin 1 Kings 20:6 - pleasant Job 27:21 - east wind Isaiah 10:13 - robbed Isaiah 17:3 - fortress Isaiah 17:9 - General Isaiah 27:8 - his rough Isaiah 28:4 - shall be Isaiah 40:24 - and the Jeremiah 18:17 - scatter Jeremiah 22:22 - wind Jeremiah 22:28 - a despised Jeremiah 51:1 - a destroying wind Ezekiel 26:12 - thy pleasant houses Hosea 5:9 - Ephraim Amos 9:8 - and I Habakkuk 1:9 - their faces shall sup up as the east Revelation 8:10 - the fountains Revelation 16:4 - and they

Cross-References

Genesis 12:7
God appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your children." Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him.
Genesis 13:1
So Abram left Egypt and went back to the Negev, he and his wife and everything he owned, and Lot still with him. By now Abram was very rich, loaded with cattle and silver and gold.
Genesis 13:3
He moved on from the Negev, camping along the way, to Bethel, the place he had first set up his tent between Bethel and Ai and built his first altar. Abram prayed there to God .
Genesis 13:8
Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have fighting between us, between your shepherds and my shepherds. After all, we're family. Look around. Isn't there plenty of land out there? Let's separate. If you go left, I'll go right; if you go right, I'll go left."
Genesis 13:12
So Abram left Egypt and went back to the Negev, he and his wife and everything he owned, and Lot still with him. By now Abram was very rich, loaded with cattle and silver and gold. He moved on from the Negev, camping along the way, to Bethel, the place he had first set up his tent between Bethel and Ai and built his first altar. Abram prayed there to God . Lot, who was traveling with Abram, was also rich in sheep and cattle and tents. But the land couldn't support both of them; they had too many possessions. They couldn't both live there—quarrels broke out between Abram's shepherds and Lot's shepherds. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living on the land at the time. Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have fighting between us, between your shepherds and my shepherds. After all, we're family. Look around. Isn't there plenty of land out there? Let's separate. If you go left, I'll go right; if you go right, I'll go left." Lot looked. He saw the whole plain of the Jordan spread out, well watered (this was before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah), like God 's garden, like Egypt, and stretching all the way to Zoar. Lot took the whole plain of the Jordan. Lot set out to the east. That's how they came to part company, uncle and nephew. Abram settled in Canaan; Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent near Sodom.
Genesis 28:13
Then God was right before him, saying, "I am God , the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I'm giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they'll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I'll stay with you, I'll protect you wherever you go, and I'll bring you back to this very ground. I'll stick with you until I've done everything I promised you."
Exodus 33:1
God said to Moses: "Now go. Get on your way from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Head for the land which I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying ‘I will give it to your descendants.' I will send an angel ahead of you and I'll drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It's a land flowing with milk and honey. But I won't be with you in person—you're such a stubborn, hard-headed people!—lest I destroy you on the journey."
Deuteronomy 34:4
Then and there God said to him, "This is the land I promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the words ‘I will give it to your descendants.' I've let you see it with your own eyes. There it is. But you're not going to go in."
Psalms 37:29
class="psalm-title"> A David Psalm Don't bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked. In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings and wilt like cut flowers in the sun. Get insurance with God and do a good deed, settle down and stick to your last. Keep company with God , get in on the best. Open up before God , keep nothing back; he'll do whatever needs to be done: He'll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon. Quiet down before God , be prayerful before him. Don't bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top. Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes—it only makes things worse. Before long the crooks will be bankrupt; God -investors will soon own the store. Before you know it, the wicked will have had it; you'll stare at his once famous place and—nothing! Down-to-earth people will move in and take over, relishing a huge bonanza. Bad guys have it in for the good guys, obsessed with doing them in. But God isn't losing any sleep; to him they're a joke with no punch line. Bullies brandish their swords, pull back on their bows with a flourish. They're out to beat up on the harmless, or mug that nice man out walking his dog. A banana peel lands them flat on their faces— slapstick figures in a moral circus. Less is more and more is less. One righteous will outclass fifty wicked, For the wicked are moral weaklings but the righteous are God -strong. God keeps track of the decent folk; what they do won't soon be forgotten. In hard times, they'll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they'll be full. God-despisers have had it; God 's enemies are finished— Stripped bare like vineyards at harvest time, vanished like smoke in thin air. Wicked borrows and never returns; Righteous gives and gives. Generous gets it all in the end; Stingy is cut off at the pass. Stalwart walks in step with God ; his path blazed by God , he's happy. If he stumbles, he's not down for long; God has a grip on his hand. I once was young, now I'm a graybeard— not once have I seen an abandoned believer, or his kids out roaming the streets. Every day he's out giving and lending, his children making him proud. Turn your back on evil, work for the good and don't quit. God loves this kind of thing, never turns away from his friends. Live this way and you've got it made, but bad eggs will be tossed out. The good get planted on good land and put down healthy roots.
Isaiah 63:18
Who Goes There? The watchmen call out, "Who goes there, marching out of Edom, out of Bozrah in clothes dyed red? Name yourself, so splendidly dressed, advancing, bristling with power!" "It is I: I speak what is right, I, mighty to save!" "And why are your robes so red, your clothes dyed red like those who tread grapes?" "I've been treading the winepress alone. No one was there to help me. Angrily, I stomped the grapes; raging, I trampled the people. Their blood spurted all over me— all my clothes were soaked with blood. I was set on vengeance. The time for redemption had arrived. I looked around for someone to help —no one. I couldn't believe it —not one volunteer. So I went ahead and did it myself, fed and fueled by my rage. I trampled the people in my anger, crushed them under foot in my wrath, soaked the earth with their lifeblood." I'll make a list of God 's gracious dealings, all the things God has done that need praising, All the generous bounties of God , his great goodness to the family of Israel— Compassion lavished, love extravagant. He said, "Without question these are my people, children who would never betray me." So he became their Savior. In all their troubles, he was troubled, too. He didn't send someone else to help them. He did it himself, in person. Out of his own love and pity he redeemed them. He rescued them and carried them along for a long, long time. But they turned on him; they grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned on them, became their enemy and fought them. Then they remembered the old days, the days of Moses, God's servant: "Where is he who brought the shepherds of his flock up and out of the sea? And what happened to the One who set his Holy Spirit within them? Who linked his arm with Moses' right arm, divided the waters before them, Making him famous ever after, and led them through the muddy abyss as surefooted as horses on hard, level ground? Like a herd of cattle led to pasture, the Spirit of God gave them rest." That's how you led your people! That's how you became so famous! Look down from heaven, look at us! Look out the window of your holy and magnificent house! Whatever happened to your passion, your famous mighty acts, Your heartfelt pity, your compassion? Why are you holding back? You are our Father. Abraham and Israel are long dead. They wouldn't know us from Adam. But you're our living Father, our Redeemer, famous from eternity! Why, God , did you make us wander from your ways? Why did you make us cold and stubborn so that we no longer worshiped you in awe? Turn back for the sake of your servants. You own us! We belong to you! For a while your holy people had it good, but now our enemies have wrecked your holy place. For a long time now, you've paid no attention to us. It's like you never knew us.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Though he be fruitful among [his] brethren,.... This is not spoken of Christ, as some think, who take the words to be a continuation of the prophecy concerning the Redeemer, who should increase his brethren, and bring many to him; and be as noxious to hell and death as the east wind is to persons and things, and dry up the fountains and springs of hell and death; the sins of men he should abolish, and be victorious over all his enemies, and divide their spoils: but they are rather the words of Christ himself concerning Ephraim, in connection with Hosea 13:13; expressing his character and state, and explaining the sorrows and calamities that should come upon him for his folly, in not staying the time of the breaking forth children; and to be understood either of his spiritual fruitfulness in the last days; when Israel shall return to the Lord by repentance, and believe in the true Messiah, and bring forth the fruit of good works, as an evidence of it, along with their brethren, those of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and so all Israel should be saved; which yet should not hinder the distresses and destruction that should come upon the ten tribes by the Assyrians, afterwards declared: or rather of his political fruitfulness, in allusion to his name; increasing in numbers, abounding in power and authority, in wealth and riches; either before the sin of the calves, as Kimchi, before he fell into idolatry; or afterwards, particularly in the times of Jeroboam the second, who enlarged the border of Israel; and in later times, when the kings of Israel entered into alliance with the Assyrians, and enjoyed peace and prosperity, and thought themselves secure of the continuance of it. Some render it, "because he is fierce" s; or "like a wild ass's colt"; not only foolish and unwise, but fierce and unruly among his brethren, and would not stay the time of the breaking forth of children: therefore

an east wind shall come: which is very vehement, cold, blasting, and exceeding noxious and pernicious to fruit; meaning Shalmaneser king of Assyria, who came from the east; his kingdom, the land of Assyria, lying, as Kimchi observes, eastward to the land of Israel. So the Targum,

"now will I bring against him a king strong as a burning wind;''

so the king of Babylon and his army are compared to a strong and violent wind, Jeremiah 4:11;

the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness; the same is called the "wind of the Lord", partly to denote the strength and vehemency of it, as mountains of the Lord, and cedars of the Lord, signify great and mighty ones; and partly to show that this enemy would come at the call of the Lord, by his direction and appointment. So the Targum,

"by the word of the Lord, through the way of the wilderness shall he come up;''

this circumstance, "from the wilderness", is mentioned, not only because winds from thence usually blow more strongly and violently, but because the way from Assyria to the land of Israel lay through a wilderness;

and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up; his land wasted and destroyed; his fields, vineyards, and oliveyards, trodden down and ruined, which yielded a large increase; trade and commerce stopped, and so all the springs and fountains of wealth and riches dried up; as well as their wives and children destroyed, as often mentioned, which were the source and spring of their continuance as a people in ages to come;

he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels; not Christ, nor Ephraim, but the Assyrian; who, entering into their cities, would plunder them of all their "vessels of desire" t, or desirable ones; their vessels of gold and silver; all their rich household goods and furniture of value; all their wealth and riches treasured up by them, their gold, silver, precious stones, rich garments, c. So the Targum,

"he shall destroy the house of his treasures, and shall lay waste the city of his kingdom he shall spoil the treasuries, all vessels of desire.''

s יפריא "ille fero modo aget", Cocceius; "ferox eat, notat ferum, [vel] ferocem esse sicut onagrum", Schmidt, Burkius. So R. Jonah in Ben Melech. t כל כלי חמדה "omnium vasorum desiderii", Montanus; "omnis vasis desiderii", Schmidt.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Though - (literally, “when”) he (shall) be fruitful among his brethren Fruitfulness was God’s promise to Ephraim, and was expressed in his name. It was fulfilled, abused, and, in the height of its fulfillment, was taken away. Ephraim is pictured as a fair and fruitful tree. An “East wind,” so desolating in the East, and that, no chance wind, but “the wind of the Lord,” a wind, sent by God and endued by God with the power to destroy, “shall come up from the wilderness,” parching, scorching, fiery, from the burning sands of “Arabia the desert,” from which it came, “and shall dry up the fountain” of his being. Deep were the roots of this fair and flourishing tree, great its vigor, ample and perpetual the fountain of its waters, over which it grew and by which it was sustained. He calls it “‘his’ spring, ‘his’ fountain,” as though this source of its life were made over to it, and made its own. It “was planted by the water side;” but it was not of God’s planting. “The East wind from the Lord” should dry up the deepest well-spring of its waters, and the tree should wither. Such are ungodly greatness and prosperity. While they are fairest in show, their life-fountains are drying up.

He shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels - He, emphatically, the enemy whom the prophet had ever in his mind, as the instrument of God’s chastisement on His people, and who was represented by the East wind; the Assyrian, who came from the East, to whom, as to the East Wind, the whole country between lay open, for the whirlwinds of his armies to sweep over in one straight course from the seat of his dominion.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hosea 13:15. Though he be fruitful — יפריא yaphri; a paronomasia on the word אפרים ephrayim, which comes from the same root פרה parah, to be fruitful, to sprout, to bud.

An east wind shall come — As the east wind parches and blasts all vegetation, so shall Shalmaneser blast and destroy the Israelitish state.


 
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