1 When Ephraim spoke, i there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel. j
But he incurred guilt through Baal k and died.
2 Now they continue to sin
and make themselves a cast image, l
idols skillfully made from their silver, m
all of them the work of craftsmen. n
People say about them,
“Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves.” o
3 Therefore, they will be like the morning mist, p
like the early dew that vanishes,
like chaff blown from a threshing floor, q
or like smoke from a window. r
Death and Resurrection
4 I have been the LORD your God s
ever since the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me, t
and no Savior exists besides me. u
5 I knew you in the wilderness, v
in the land of drought.
6 When they had pasture,
they became satisfied; w
they were satisfied,
and their hearts became proud. x
Therefore they forgot me. y
7 So I will be like a lion z to them;
I will lurk like a leopard a on the path.
8 I will attack them
like a bear robbed of her cubs
and tear open the rib cage over their hearts.
I will devour them there like a lioness, b
like a wild beast that would rip them open.
9 I will destroy you, Israel;
you have no help but me. ,c
10 Where now is your king, ,d
that he may save you in all your cities,
and the rulers ,e you demanded, saying,
“Give me a king and leaders”?
11 I give you a king in my anger f
and take away a king in my wrath. g
12 Ephraim’s guilt is preserved;
his sin is stored up. h
13 Labor pains come on him. i
He is not a wise son; j
when the time comes,
he will not be born. ,k
14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol.
I will redeem them from death. l
Death, where are your barbs?
Sheol, where is your sting? m
Compassion is hidden from my eyes. n
The Coming Judgment
15 Although he flourishes among his brothers, ,o
an east wind will come, p
a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert.
His water source will fail,
and his spring will run dry. q
The wind will plunder the treasury r
of every precious item.
16 Samaria s will bear her guilt t
because she has rebelled against her God. u
They will fall by the sword; v
their children will be dashed to pieces, w
and their pregnant women ripped open. x
13:1–3. The final accusation against Israel is a brief condemnation of their deceptive worship. Earlier, in a time of strength and prosperity (probably since the era of Jeroboam I and later), the people confused the worship of Yahweh and the god Baal. This may have happened because the people thought that the golden calf idol of Yahweh and the bull calf idol of Baal referred to the same divine being (13:1; cf. 2:16). This confusion has led to the present political and economic decline of the nation after the death of Jeroboam II. But instead of turning back to Yahweh, the nation has fallen into greater devotion to Baal, kissing the calf-idol made of gold (13:2).
B. Punishment of destruction (13:4–16). 13:4–9. This punishment is tragic because the God who will destroy the nation of Israel is the Almighty God, who years ago redeemed his helpless people from Egyptian slavery (Ex 14–15) and chose them as his special holy people (13:4). There was no one who could save them from their terrible situation in Egypt, so God acted on their behalf. At Sinai, God asked for their exclusive devotion to him within the covenant relationship and instructed them to worship no other gods because he alone was their Savior.
13:10–11. The people who are primarily responsible for the sins of the nation are the wicked political and religious leaders of the nation. God was their helper and Savior from the beginning, not their human kings or princes (13:10). After the disastrous years of the judges, the nation asked to have a king like the other nations (1 Sm 8) because they rejected God as their king. God allowed the nation a king, but God set limits on the behavior of their king (Dt 17:14–20; 1 Sm 12:12–15). When king after king did not act within these divine parameters, God eventually removed these kings from power. In the future God will send another king (the Assyrian king), who will come and take Israel away into captivity (13:11).
13:12–16. The focus on punishment in the closing verses recognizes that death and destruction are coming soon, but this will not be the end of God’s plans for his people Israel. God has a complete record of all the sins of Israel, so there is no question about their guilt or exactly what they have done (13:12). As a consequence, great inescapable pain (like the pain of childbirth) will fall on the nation (13:13). Israel has no wisdom and will be like a child who refuses to be born, God says, implying they will die.