Lexical Summary nocham: compassion Original Word: נֹחַם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance repentance From nacham; ruefulness, i.e. Desistance -- repentance. see HEBREW nacham NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nacham Definition sorrow, repentance NASB Translation compassion (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs נֹ֫חַם noun masculine sorrow, repentance, Hosea 13:14. Topical Lexicon Scriptural Setting Hosea 13:14 places נֹחַם within a solemn oracle against the Northern Kingdom: “I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight” (Berean Standard Bible). The noun designates the very “compassion” that the Lord withholds as the nation persists in covenant-breaking idolatry. Historical Context Hosea prophesied in the eighth century before Christ, during the final decades preceding Israel’s fall to Assyria in 722 BC. Political intrigue, social injustice, and syncretistic worship characterized the era (Hosea 4:1-2; 10:13-15). The prophet’s marriage to Gomer dramatized Israel’s unfaithfulness, while the repeated calls to return (Hosea 6:1-3; 14:1-2) underscored the hope that genuine repentance might still draw forth divine mercy. Against this backdrop נֹחַם appears as a stark announcement that the window of compassion is closing. Theological Significance 1. Divine Compassion in Tension with Justice נֹחַם belongs to the semantic family of “comfort” and “relenting.” By declaring that compassion is withheld, the verse affirms a balanced portrait of God: He is “abounding in loving devotion” (Exodus 34:6) yet “by no means leaves the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:7). Hosea’s audience is reminded that grace is never sentimental license; it is always tethered to covenant fidelity. 2. Ransom and Redemption The opening lines of Hosea 13:14—“I will ransom… I will redeem”—display the Lord’s sovereign power over Sheol and Death. The subsequent denial of נֹחַם shows that redemption is not automatic; it remains contingent on the covenant partner’s response. In the larger canonical sweep, the tension is ultimately resolved at the cross, where divine justice and compassion meet (Romans 3:25-26). 3. Motivation for Repentance The removal of compassion intensifies the prophetic call: “Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity” (Hosea 14:1). Knowing that God may hide נֹחַם provokes holy fear, leading to heartfelt contrition rather than perfunctory ritual. Prophetic Echoes and New Testament Fulfillment Paul cites Hosea 13:14 in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “O Death, where is your sting?” but omits the clause about hidden compassion. In resurrection context the Holy Spirit re-voices Hosea’s taunt to proclaim Christ’s decisive victory over death. What was once a threat becomes a triumph because the withheld נֹחַם of Hosea finds its overflowing counterpart in the cross and empty tomb (Colossians 2:13-15). Pastoral and Devotional Implications • Preaching: Hosea 13:14 warns against presuming upon grace and highlights the urgency of repentance (Hebrews 3:12-15). Summary נֹחַם occurs only once, yet its solitary appearance is strategic. It underscores the gravity of unrepentant sin, magnifies the righteousness of God, and, by the paradox of divine withholding, heightens the wonder of the compassion finally unveiled in the gospel. Forms and Transliterations נֹ֖חַם נחם nō·ḥam Nocham nōḥamLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Hosea 13:14 HEB: קָֽטָבְךָ֙ שְׁא֔וֹל נֹ֖חַם יִסָּתֵ֥ר מֵעֵינָֽי׃ NAS: is your sting? Compassion will be hidden KJV: be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid INT: destruction grave repentance will be hidden my sight |
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