Paragraph 13:12–16

In this paragraph, the LORD expresses his anger against Israel and describes his coming judgment. He compares Israel’s situation to a painful childbirth and to a child who resists being born (13:13). He describes his coming judgment figuratively as a taunt to the grave (Sheol) and death to come and destroy (13:14) and as a desert wind that dries up springs and fountains (13:15). He also describes it nonfiguratively by citing horrible acts of war (13:16).

13:12a–b

Notice the parallel lines that are similar in meaning:

12a The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;

12b
his sin is stored up.

These lines indicate that the LORD remembers the sins of the people of Israel. It is as if he has written a list of them on a document and stored it in a safe place. At a future time, he will punish the people for those sins. Some versions make explicit that the purpose of the storing is for future punishment. For example:

The sins of Israel are on record, stored away, waiting for punishment. (New Century Version)

iniquity…sin: The meanings of these words are similar. The Hebrew word for iniquity may refer to wickedness or evil deeds, as in 12:8c or 12:11a. It may also refer to the “guilt” that is caused by that wickedness. Here the Hebrew word for sin means to miss the way, to incur guilt.

bound up…stored up: The meanings of these words are similar. The first word means to wrap something. The second word means to hide or preserve something. Here the words describe a record of Ephraim’s sin as if written on a parchment that is stored and perhaps sealed to preserve it.

General Comment on 13:12a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine these parallel statements into one line. For example:

Israel, your terrible sins are written down and stored away. (Contemporary English Version)

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