Hoseas Oracle Recalling Shalmans Massacre at Beth-arbel — Bible Events

Hosea 10:13-15 closes one of the prophet's grim oracles of judgment against the northern kingdom with a chilling historical recollection: "Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children. So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off." The reference is to some otherwise unrecorded military atrocity by "Shalman" — possibly Shalmaneser III of Assyria or the Moabite king Salmanu — that left a permanent scar of horror in the regional memory.

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HoseaThe Vine That Forgot Who Planted It

Israel's prosperity became their downfall — the more they had, the more they drifted. God calls them out through Hosea, but even in the middle of judgment, he leaves the door open with an invitation that stops the judgment mid-sentence: break up the hard ground, plant something different, and watch for rain.

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Beth-arbel Bethel