Hosea 9:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This will sever their accompanying pride, which is intertwined with their false hopes of numerous warriors, leading them to turn towards Your mercy and recognize You as their Savior and Deliverer. The prophet speaks this from a place of piety, endeavoring both for the honor of his Master and the redemption of Israel, which may only occur if their goodwill has already declined. In a spiritual interpretation, ‘the womb is barren and the breasts are dry’ can pertain to wrongdoers, those who tempt and lead astray from the path of righteousness learned by those who walk in faith and integrity. Truly, as their thoughts yield only falsehoods and twisted ideas, may they not lead their children into error, particularly through misguided teachings, and may the churches of deceitful practices, with their ‘dry breasts,’ not nourish the deceived.

Ephraim took pride in its womb, conception, childbirth, and the multitude of its people, prompting the prophet to beseech the Lord, saying, ‘Grant them, O Lord.’ When asked, ‘What will You grant them?’ he responds immediately, declaring, ‘Grant them a barren womb and dry breasts, that they may have no reason to boast, and that they may feel shame for what they used to glorify.’ It is clear that all this can also pertain to those who teach false doctrines, who vainly take pride in the number of their followers and the souls they have led astray, leading them away from the Church to their destruction. For the devil destroys all those souls who are begotten through error. It is written about such a soul, ‘Blessed is the undefiled one who has not learned the bed of sin’ (Prem. 3:13). Truly blessed is that member of the Church who has not borne children through error, unlike the heretics. Another passage states, ‘Better is impurity with virtue’ (Prem. 4:1), for from an immoral union, the seed will vanish. But if they endure, they will ultimately amount to nothing, and their old age will end in disgrace (ibid. 3:16-17). The fruitfulness and multitude of the wicked will yield no benefit.

We should certainly not assume that the prophet requested the Lord to grant Ephraim a barren womb and dry breasts in a literal sense.