Book of Hosea Chapter 12 Vs. 14

 The Lord's Indictment of Israel and Judah

Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him. Hos. 12:14

Ephraim provoked him... The 18th prophecy in Hosea (Hos. 12:14, fulfilled). Next, Hos. 13:3. Ephraim will be punished according to what he has sown. Literally, with anger and disappointments, i. e. with most heinous sins, such as are most grievously displeasing to God, and were a most bitter requital of all His goodness. Wherefore shall he leave (or, cast) his blood (literally, bloods), upon him. The plural bloods expresses the manifoldness of the bloodshed. It is not used in Holy Scripture of mere guilt. Ephraim had shed blood profusely, so that it ran like water in the land (see Hosea 4:2; 5:2) we have studied.

leave his blood... Not take away the guilt and penalty of the innocent blood shed by Ephraim in general and to Molech in particular.

and his reproach... Ephraim's dishonor to God in worshipping idols, God will repay to him. That God is his Lord by right redemption and special revelation to Ephraim only aggravates his guilt, instead of giving him hope of escape. God does not give up His claim to them as His, however they set aside His dominion.

Instead of Ephraim being extremely grateful for what God had done for him, he rebelled against God over and over. God forgave him over and over and gave him another chance. Whatever happens to Ephraim, he has no one to blame but himself. His blood and punishment are brought on himself. His idolatry has gone too far. God has brought punishment.

One does not see the connection of these verses with the preceding. But now the discourse oscillates once more to the national father, and the parallel between his own and his people’s experience.

And Jacob fled to the land of Aram, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he herded sheep. And by a prophet Jehovah brought Israel up from Egypt, and by a prophet he was shepherded. And Ephraim hath given bitter provocation; but his blood-guiltiness shall be upon him, and his Lord shall return it to him.

However, Israel had provoked the Lord to anger with her sin. Hosea probably was alluding here to idolatry because kā‛as, the verb rendered provoked to anger, is frequently used in reference to idols (cf., e.g., Deut. 4:25; 9:18; 31:29; 32:16, 32:21; Jdg. 2:12; 1Kgs. 14:9, 14:15). In response to this the Lord would not extend forgiveness He would leave upon the nation its guilt; cf. Hos. 10:2; 13:12, 13:16); He would repay her for her evil.