Hosea 9:11
New International Version
Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.

New Living Translation
The glory of Israel will fly away like a bird, for your children will not be born or grow in the womb or even be conceived.

English Standard Version
Ephraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!

Berean Standard Bible
Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird, with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.

King James Bible
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

New King James Version
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird— No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!

New American Standard Bible
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird— No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!

NASB 1995
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird— No birth, no pregnancy and no conception!

NASB 1977
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird— No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!

Legacy Standard Bible
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird— No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception!

Amplified Bible
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird; No birth, no pregnancy, and [because of their impurity] no conception.

Christian Standard Bible
Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird: no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird: no birth, no gestation, no conception.

American Standard Version
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.

Contemporary English Version
And so, Israel, your glory will fly away like birds--your women will no longer be able to give birth.

English Revised Version
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird: there shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Ephraim's glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no more pregnancies, births, or babies.

Good News Translation
Israel's greatness will fly away like a bird, and there will be no more children born to them, no more women pregnant, no more children conceived.

International Standard Version
The glory of Ephraim will fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, not even a conception.

Majority Standard Bible
Ephraim?s glory will fly away like a bird, with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.

NET Bible
Ephraim will be like a bird; what they value will fly away. They will not bear children--they will not enjoy pregnancy--they will not even conceive!

New Heart English Bible
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, none with child, and no conception.

Webster's Bible Translation
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

World English Bible
As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird. There will be no birth, no one with child, and no conception.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Ephraim [is] as a bird, their glory flies away, without birth, and without womb, and without conception.

Young's Literal Translation
Ephraim is as a fowl, Fly away doth their honour, without birth, And without womb, and without conception.

Smith's Literal Translation
Ephraim shall fly away as a bird, their glory of birth and of the womb and of conception.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
As for Ephraim, their glory hath flown away like a bird from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Ephraim has chased away their glory like a bird: from birth, and from the womb, and from conception.

New American Bible
Ephraim is like a bird: their glory flies away— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.

New Revised Standard Version
Ephraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
As for Ephraim, their glory has flown away like a bird, they are cut off from the birth, from the womb, and from the conception.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Aphreim like a bird has flown away, their glory from birth, and from the womb and from conception
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird; There shall be no birth, and none with child, and no conception.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ephraim has flown away as a bird; their glories from the birth, and the travail, and the conception.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hosea Announces Israel's Punishment
10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved. 11Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird, with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception. 12Even if they raise their children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe be to them when I turn away from them!…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:18
The fruit of your womb will be cursed, as well as the produce of your land, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.

Isaiah 17:3
The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the sovereignty from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

Isaiah 28:1-4
Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower of his glorious splendor, set on the summit above the fertile valley, the pride of those overcome by wine. / Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground. / The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot. ...

Jeremiah 7:34
I will remove from the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem the sounds of joy and gladness and the voices of the bride and bridegroom, for the land will become a wasteland.”

Jeremiah 16:9
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to remove from this place, before your very eyes and in your days, the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom.

Jeremiah 48:33
Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard and from the fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; their shouts are not for joy.

Lamentations 5:15
Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.

Ezekiel 26:13
So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the music of your lyres will no longer be heard.

Amos 4:6-10
“I afflicted all your cities with cleanness of teeth and all your towns with lack of bread, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. / “I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered. / People staggered from city to city for water to drink, but they were not satisfied; yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. ...

Amos 8:10
I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day.

Matthew 24:19
How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!

Mark 13:17
How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!

Luke 21:23
How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.

Luke 23:29
Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’


Treasury of Scripture

As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.

their.

Genesis 41:52
And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Genesis 48:16-20
The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth…

Genesis 49:22
Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

from the birth.

Psalm 58:8
As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

Ecclesiastes 6:3
If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

Amos 1:13
Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:

from the womb.

Hosea 9:14
Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

Deuteronomy 28:18,57
Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep…

Luke 23:29
For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

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Hosea 9
1. The distress and captivity of Israel for their sins.














Ephraim’s glory
The term "Ephraim" refers to one of the tribes of Israel, often used to represent the Northern Kingdom as a whole. "Glory" in Hebrew is "kavod," which signifies honor, abundance, and splendor. Historically, Ephraim was a leading tribe, known for its strength and prominence. The use of "glory" here indicates the tribe's former status and blessings, which are now at risk of being lost due to their disobedience and idolatry.

will fly away like a bird
The imagery of "flying away like a bird" suggests a swift and irreversible departure. In Hebrew culture, birds often symbolize freedom and transience. This phrase indicates the sudden loss of Ephraim's prosperity and blessings. The metaphor underscores the fragility of human achievements when they are not grounded in faithfulness to God.

with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception
This triplet of terms—"birth," "pregnancy," and "conception"—emphasizes a complete cessation of growth and future generations. In the Hebrew context, children were seen as a blessing and a sign of God's favor. The absence of these stages of life signifies a curse and a profound judgment on Ephraim. It reflects the consequences of turning away from God, resulting in barrenness and the end of lineage, which was a devastating prospect for any tribe in ancient Israel.

(11) From the birth . . .--Or rather, so that there shall be no childbirth, nor pregnancy, nor conception--an ascending climax. Progeny was the glory of ancient Israel (Genesis 22:17; Deuteronomy 7:13-14; Psalm 127:5; Proverbs 17:6).

Verses 11-14. - Having referred to the most flagrant instances of Israel's transgressions in the past - Gibeah in the time of the judges, Baal-peor at a still earlier period even in the days of Moses, and having merely indicated the parallel between their present sin and previous enormities, the prophet proceeds to denounce the punishments deserved and ready to descend upon them. As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. The greatest glory, perhaps, of Ephraim was their fruitfulness - "double fruitfulness" being the very meaning of the name and the multiplication of their numbers; now that glory of populousness was to vanish speedily and entirely, like birds winging their way swiftly and out of sight. After the figure comes the fact, and it is expressed in anti-climactic form - no child-bearing, no pregnancy, no conception. The course of barrenness takes the place of the blessing of fruitfulness. Though they bring up their children, yet will I believe them, that there shall not be a man left. Even if their sons should grow up to manhood and attain maturity, yet they would be cut off by the sword and swept away by death, so that their progeny would perish. This accords with the threatened punishment of unfaithfulness recorded in Deuteronomy 32:25, "The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of grey hairs." The negative sense of rain, equivalent to "so that not," is common before verbs, also before nouns the min being put for the fuller מֵהְיות. Yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! This accounts for the coming calamity; it is the departure of Jehovah from Israel, and the withdrawal of his favor. The word שׂוּר

(1) stands for סוּר, sin and samech being interchanged; or

(2) it may be for שׁוּר, sin put for shin by a clerical error. The meaning is a little different: "when I look away from them." Rashi mentions the fact that this word belongs to those words written with sin but read with samech. His comment on the verse is correct: "For what benefit have they when they bring up their children? Because, if they do bring them up, then I bereave them so that they do not become men;" similarly Kimchi: "If there be some among them who escape these mishaps and reach the birth, and they (the parents) bring them up yet shall they die in youth, and never reach the season when they shall be called men."

(3) The misreading of בְּשָׂרִי instead of בְּשׂוּרִי by the LXX. led to the strange misrendering, "Wherefore also there is a woe to them (though) my flesh is of them (διότι καὶ οὐαὶ αὐτοῖς ἐστι σάρξ μον ἐξ αὐτῶν,) of which Cyril connects the first member with the preceding words, and, detaching the remainder, interpreted, "Let my flesh be far for exemption from the punishment threatened. Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. The first member of this verse has called forth great diversity of translation and interpretation. It were tedious, and not conducive to the right understanding of the verse, to enumerate the various expositions given of it. A very few of the most important may be briefly noticed. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Ephraim’s
אֶפְרַ֕יִם (’ep̄·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 669: Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory

glory
כְּבוֹדָ֑ם (kə·ḇō·w·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3519: Weight, splendor, copiousness

will fly away
יִתְעוֹפֵ֣ף (yiṯ·‘ō·w·p̄êp̄)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5774: To fly, to faint

like a bird,
כָּע֖וֹף (kā·‘ō·wp̄)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5775: Flying creatures

with no birth,
מִלֵּדָ֥ה (mil·lê·ḏāh)
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

no pregnancy,
וּמִבֶּ֖טֶן (ū·mib·be·ṭen)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 990: The belly, the womb, the bosom, body of anything

and no conception.
וּמֵהֵרָיֽוֹן׃ (ū·mê·hê·rā·yō·wn)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2032: Conception, pregnancy


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OT Prophets: Hosea 9:11 As for Ephraim their glory will fly (Ho Hs Hos.)
Hosea 9:10
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