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Answer
Comparing various translations of the Bible, readers may observe a difference in Hosea 13:14. Some Bible versions, like the NIV, state that God will rescue Israel from death:
“I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
Where, O grave, is your destruction?”
Other translations, such as the NET, mention that God will not save Israel:
“Will I deliver them from the power of Sheol? No, I will not!
Will I redeem them from death? No, I will not!
O Death, bring on your plagues!
O Sheol, bring on your destruction!
My eyes will not show any compassion!”
Are the initial two sentences declarative (“I will”) or interrogative (“Will I?”)? As declarative sentences, the text suggests a promise that God will rescue the people; as interrogative sentences, God is affirming He will not. Adding to the complexity is Paul’s use, in 1 Corinthians 15:55, of a portion of the Hosea passage. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” is commonly recited as a Christian triumphal cry.
The primary reason for the ambiguity lies in the structure of ancient languages. In Ancient Hebrew, which lacks punctuation, questions are indicated in different ways. Some employ explicit question words, translated as “who” or “why,” as seen in the first part of Genesis 4:9. Other questions introduce the Hebrew letter he (ה) before the statement, as in the latter part of Genesis 4:9. In some instances, the question is discerned solely through context: when a statement appears incongruous, it might have been intended as a rhetorical question, particularly if that aligns better with the message of the surrounding text. Hosea 13:14 appears to be one of those cases. This approach may seem unnatural to most English speakers but was intuitive for native Hebrew readers.
Close scrutiny suggests…
It’s the rhetorical “will I?” interpretation that is more accurate. A promise of deliverance doesn’t align with the rest of the text. Everything in the passage pertains to God’s judgment against Ephraim. In fact, the threat escalates throughout the chapter. In Hosea 13:14, God rhetorically inquires about sparing Ephraim, and then He answers His own question by calling for the plagues of death and the sting of Sheol, declaring His eyes will not show compassion. This would be akin to a judge saying, “Should I let this prisoner go? Executioner, where is your axe? I will not have pity.”
This raises the question of Paul’s reference to this verse, found in 1 Corinthians 15:55. Paul starts in verse 54 by quoting Isaiah 25:8, proclaiming the defeat of death. His subsequent quotation is from Hosea 13:14—referring to the powers of death. In the original Old Testament text, God is summoning those forces to bring judgment against Ephraim. Paul, in referencing the same text, is using the words as a taunt against death—declaring how law and sin lead us to doom, but Christ brings us salvation (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). Employing the same analogy as before, a person saved from execution might rejoice by echoing the judge’s question “Executioner, where is your axe?” to emphasize their triumph.
So, why do some translations opt to phrase Hosea 13:14 as a promise rather than a threat? Each translation team will have their own rationale. It could be that the link to 1 Corinthians 15:55 and tradition heavily influence their decision. Others may argue that the context does not imply a question, pointing out that Hosea has a tendency to abruptly shift in tone and subject.
It’s also crucial to acknowledge that the two options—promise or threat—do not introduce any doctrinal conflict. In other words, the disparity between the two choices is essentially inconsequential. Hosea chapter 13 unequivocally indicates that Ephraim will face judgment. The only query is whether
Verse 14 is a continuous segment of that prophecy or one of several Old Testament allusions to the future Messiah (see Daniel 9:25-26; Psalm 132:11; Isaiah 35:5-6).
