Book of Hosea Chapter 13 Vs. 15

 The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel

Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels. Hos. 13:15

Though he be... Ephraim speaks of double fruit and is thought of as being fruitful.

כִּי

kı̂y

kee

A primitive particle the full form of the prepositional prefix indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; by implication very widely used as a relative conjugation or adverb; often largely modified by other particles annexed: - and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured [-ly], + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, who, yea, yet,

הִיא הוּא

hû' hı̂y'

hoo, he

The second form is the feminine beyond the Pentateuch; a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are: - he, as for her, him (-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (. . . it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.

an east wind... Refers to Assyria.

קָדִם קָדִים

qâdı̂ym qâdim

kaw-deem', kaw-deem'

From H6923; the fore or front part; hence by orientation the East often adverbially eastward, for brevity the East wind: - east (-ward, wind).

wind of the...The coming storm would not completely do away with them. The wind of an angry God can change that. The wind shows up in the Assyrians that take the land, but comes from God.

רוּחַ

rûach

roo'-akh

From H7306; wind; by resemblance breath, that is, a sensible or even violent exhalation; figuratively life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being including its expression and functions: - air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, X vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).

he shall spoil... The Assyrians do take the vessels for spoil.

he: see above.

שָׁשָׂה שָׁסָה

shâsâh shâśâh

shaw-saw', shaw-saw'

The second form being used in Isa. 10:13); a primitive root; to plunder: - destroyer, rob, spoil (-er).

With the Lord’s compassion removed (Hos. 13:14; cf. 1:6), Israel’s prosperity he thrives would come to an end. The Lord would come like a hot east wind which dries up everything in its path. The reality behind the figure is the Assyrian invasion, as the references to plundering and military atrocities make clear. Thus Hos. 13:15-16 correspond to the plagues and destruction of death mentioned in Hos. 13:14.

Although he among his brethren is the fruit-bearer -yaphri’, he Ephraim- there shall come an east wind, a wind of Jehovah rising from the wilderness, so that his fountain dry up and his spring be parched. He - himself, not the Assyrian, but Menahem, who had to send gold to the Assyrian- shall strip the treasury of all its precious jewels.

With the Lord’s compassion removed (Hos. 13:14; cf. Hos. 1:6), Israel’s prosperity he thrives would come to an end. The Lord would come like a hot east wind which dries up everything in its path.