Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!

HOSEA 9:12KJV
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Hosea 9:12 (KJV)

What does Hosea 9:12 mean?

Hosea 9:12 warns that even if the people of Israel raise children, God will take them away so that none remain, and great trouble will come to them when God withdraws His presence. The verse expresses a coming judgment where loss and sorrow will follow because God is no longer with them.

In this verse, the prophet Hosea is speaking God’s message to the people of Israel during a time when they have turned away from Him. The situation is one of warning: despite their hopes for future generations, their disobedience will lead to devastating loss. The verse emphasizes the seriousness of God’s departure, showing that His absence brings deep woe and emptiness.

The Hebrew behind Hosea 9:12

  • "Bereave" (שָׁכַל, shakol): This word means to lose children or to be deprived of them. Here, it highlights the painful consequence that Israel will face—losing the very children they hoped would secure their future.
  • "Woe" (אוֹי, oy): This is a strong expression of grief or disaster. Its use here underlines the depth of sorrow and distress that will come when God leaves.
  • "Depart" (סוּר, sur): This word means to turn aside or remove oneself. In this context, it stresses that God’s withdrawal is not accidental but a deliberate act in response to Israel’s actions.

Why Hosea 9:12 matters

  • Hosea 9:12 clears up the misunderstanding that having children or future generations guarantees security or blessing; without God’s presence, even these hopes can be lost.
  • The verse emphasizes that the greatest tragedy is not just physical loss, but God’s departure, which brings about all other troubles.
  • Hosea 9:12 connects to the wider message of Hosea, where God’s relationship with Israel is central, and the consequences of turning away from Him are made painfully clear.

Where else these words appear

“bereave” Hebrew H7921 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 27:45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
  • 1 Samuel 15:33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
  • Lamentations 1:20 Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

“woe” Hebrew H188 · used in 23 verses

  • Numbers 21:29 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
  • Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
  • Jeremiah 15:10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

“up” Hebrew H1431 · used in 112 verses

  • Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
  • 1 Chronicles 17:24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.
  • Isaiah 10:15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.