7:13 Woe to them! For they have fled from me!
Destruction to them! For they have rebelled against me!
I want to deliver 1 them,
but they have lied to me.
9:6 Look! 2 Even if 3 they flee from the destruction,
Egypt will take hold 4 of them,
and Memphis will bury them.
The weeds will inherit the silver they treasure 5 –
thorn bushes will occupy their homes. 6
13:9 I will destroy you, 7 O Israel!
Who 8 is there to help you?
13:14 Will I deliver them from the power of Sheol? No, I will not! 9
Will I redeem them from death? No, I will not!
O Death, bring on your plagues! 10
O Sheol, bring on your destruction! 11
My eyes will not show any compassion! 12
8:4 They enthroned kings without my consent! 13
They appointed princes without my approval! 14
They made idols out of their silver and gold,
but they will be destroyed! 15
13:12 The punishment 16 of Ephraim has been decreed; 17
his punishment is being stored up for the future.
4:5 You stumble day and night,
and the false prophets stumble with you;
You have destroyed your own people! 18
5:12 I will be like a moth to Ephraim,
like wood rot 19 to the house of Judah.
8:8 Israel will be swallowed up among the nations;
they will be like a worthless piece of pottery.
11:6 A sword will flash in their cities,
it will destroy the bars of their city gates,
and will devour them in their fortresses.
12:10 I spoke to the prophets;
I myself revealed many visions; 20
I spoke in parables 21 through 22 the prophets.”
13:1 When Ephraim 23 spoke, 24 there was terror; 25
he was exalted 26 in Israel,
but he became guilty by worshiping Baal and died.
10:2 Their heart is slipping;
soon they will be punished for their guilt.
The Lord 27 will break their altars;
he will completely destroy their fertility pillars.
12:1 Ephraim continually feeds on the wind;
he chases the east wind all day;
he multiplies lies and violence.
They make treaties 28 with Assyria,
and send olive oil as tribute 29 to Egypt.
4:6 You have destroyed 30 my people
by failing to acknowledge me!
Because you refuse to acknowledge me, 31
I will reject you as my priests.
Because you reject 32 the law of your God,
I will reject 33 your descendants.
7:16 They turn to Baal; 34
they are like an unreliable bow.
Their leaders will fall by the sword
because their prayers to Baal 35 have made me angry.
So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt. 36
10:8 The high places of the “House 37 of Wickedness” 38 will be destroyed;
it is the place where Israel sins.
Thorns and thistles will grow up over its altars.
Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!”
and to the hills, “Fall on us!”
11:9 I cannot carry out 39 my fierce anger!
I cannot totally destroy Ephraim!
Because I am God, and not man – the Holy One among you –
I will not come in wrath!
1 tn Heb “redeem” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV, TEV “save”; CEV “I would have rescued them.”
2 tn The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “Behold!”) is used frequently in prophetic announcements, introducing a solemn or important declaration, particularly in threats of judgment (BDB 244 s.v. הִנֵּה b.β). Many modern English versions leave this particle untranslated here.
3 tn The conjunction כִּי (ki) introduces a concessive clause: “Although, when, if, even if” (BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.c.β). It has a force approximating “even if” (so NIV, NCV, NRSV, CEV, NLT), but it represents a situation as more likely to occur than אִם (‘im, “if”). The concessive use of כִּי is normally followed by an imperfect, but occasionally a perfect is used, as is the case here (e.g., Mic 7:8; Nah 1:10; Pss 21:12; 119:83).
4 tn The verb קָבַץ (qavats, “to gather together”) should be nuanced “grab hold” in this context (HALOT 1063 s.v. קבץ). This pictures a personified Egypt taking the fugitives prisoner.
5 tn Heb “the treasured things of their silver”; NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT “treasures of silver.”
6 tn Heb “their tents” (so NIV, NRSV); CEV “your tents.”
3 tc The MT reads שִׁחֶתְךָ (shikhetkha, “he destroyed you”; Piel perfect 3rd person masculine singular from שָׁחַת, shakhat, “to destroy” + 2nd person masculine singular suffix). The BHS editors suggest שׁחתיךָ (“I will destroy you”; Piel perfect 1st person common singular + 2nd person masculine singular suffix). Contextually, this fits: If the
4 tc The MT reads כִּי־בִי בְעֶזְרֶךָ (ki-vi ve’ezrekha, “but in me is your help”); cf. KJV, NIV, NLT. The LXX and Syriac reflect an underlying Hebrew text of כִּי־מִי בְעֶזְרֶךָ (ki-mi ve’ezrekha, “For who will help you?”). The interrogative מִי (“Who?”) harmonizes well with the interrogatives in 13:9-10 and should be adopted, as the BHS editors suggest; the reading is also followed by NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV.
4 tn The translation of the first two lines of this verse reflects the interpretation adopted. There are three interpretive options to v. 14: (1) In spite of Israel’s sins, the
5 tn Heb “Where, O Death, are your plagues?” (so NIV).
6 tn Heb “Where, O Sheol, is your destruction?” (NRSV similar).
7 tn Heb “Compassion will be hidden from my eyes” (NRSV similar; NASB “from my sight”).
5 tn Heb “but without me”; NCV “without asking my permission”; CEV “without consulting me.”
6 tn Heb “but I did not know”; NRSV “but without my knowledge.”
7 tn Heb “in order to be cut off.” The text gives the impression that they made the idols for this purpose, but the language is ironic and sarcastic, bringing out the futility of their efforts. One could paraphrase, “they made idols…but only so that they might be destroyed.” Though they had other plans for the idols, God’s judgment would bring their intentions to naught.
6 tn The noun עָוֹן (’avon) has a three-fold range of meanings: (1) “iniquity,” so KJV, NASB, NRSV; (2) “guilt,” so NAB, NIV; and (3) “punishment” (BDB 730 s.v. עָוֹן). The oracle of 13:12-13 announces that Israel’s punishment, though momentarily withheld, will suddenly come upon her like labor pains that will kill her.
7 tn Heb “has been bound.” צָרַר (tsarar, “to bind”) refers elsewhere to the action of scribes binding a document into a sealed scroll of safekeeping (Isa 8:16; HALOT 1058 s.v. I צרר 1; BDB 864 s.v. צָרַר 1). Here it figuratively depicts the record of Israel’s sins being written down and permanently bound in a sealed scroll for safekeeping (cf. NCV, TEV “are on record”). The guilt of Israel’s sin will be retained.
7 tc The MT reads וְדָמִיתִי אִמֶּךָ (vÿdamiti ’immekha, “and I will destroy your mother”), and is followed by most English versions; however, the text should probably be emended to וְדָמִית עַמֶּךָ (vÿdamit ’ammekha, “and you have destroyed your own people”). The 2nd person masculine singular form וְדָמִית (vÿdamit, “and you have destroyed”) is preserved in several medieval Hebrew
8 tn The noun רָקָב (raqav, “rottenness, decay”) refers to wood rot caused by the ravages of worms (BDB 955 s.v. רָקָב); cf. NLT “dry rot.” The related noun רִקָּבוֹן (riqqavon) refers to “rotten wood” (Job 41:27).
9 tn Heb “I myself multiplied vision[s]”; cf. NASB “I gave numerous visions.”
10 tn There is debate whether אֲדַמֶּה (’adammeh, Piel imperfect 1st person common singular) is derived from I דָמָה (damah, “similitude, parable”) or II דָמָה (“oracle of doom”). The lexicons favor the former (BDB 198 s.v. I דָּמָה 1; HALOT 225-26 s.v. I דמה). Most translators favor “parables” (cf. KJV, RSV, NASB, NIV, NJPS), but a few opt for “oracles of doom” (cf. NRSV, TEV, CEV).
11 tn Heb “by the hand of”; KJV, ASV “by the ministry of.”
10 sn In Hosea the name “Ephraim” does not refer to the tribe, but to the region of Mount Ephraim where the royal residence of Samaria was located. It functions as a synecdoche of location (Mount Ephraim) for its inhabitants (the king of Samaria; e.g., 5:13; 8:8, 10).
11 tn The rulers of Ephraim (i.e., Samaria) issued many political decisions in the 8th century
12 tn The noun רְתֵת (rÿtet, “terror, trembling”) appears only here in OT (BDB 958 s.v. רְתֵת; HALOT 1300-1301 s.v. רְתֵת). However, it is attested in 1QH 4:33 where it means “trembling” and is used as a synonym with רַעַד (ra’ad, “quaking”). It also appears in Mishnaic Hebrew, meaning “trembling” (G. Dalman, Aramäisch-neuhebräisches Handwörterbuch, 406, s.v. רעד). This is the meaning reflected in the Greek recensions of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, as well as Jerome’s Latin Vulgate.
13 tc The MT vocalizes the consonantal text as נָשָׂא (nasa’, “he exalted”; Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular) which is syntactically awkward. The LXX and Syriac reflect a vocalization tradition of נִשָּׂא (nisa’, “he was exalted”; Niphal perfect 3rd person masculine singular). The BHS editors suggest that this revocalization should be adopted, and it has been followed by NAB, NIV, NRSV.
11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
12 tn Heb “a treaty” (so NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “a covenant”; NAB “comes to terms.”
13 tn The phrase “as tribute” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Cf. NCV “send a gift of olive oil.”
13 tn Heb “they have destroyed” or “my people are destroyed” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
14 tn Heb “Because you reject knowledge”; NLT “because they don’t know me.”
15 tn Heb “have forgotten”; NAB, NIV “have ignored.”
16 tn Heb “forget” (so KJV, NRSV); NLT “forget to bless.”
14 tc The MT reads the enigmatic יָשׁוּבוּ לֹא עָל (yashuvu lo’ ’al) which is taken variously: “they turn, but not upward” (NASB); “they do not turn to the Most High” (NIV); “they return, but not to the most High” (KJV). The BHS editors suggest יָשׁוּבוּ לַבַּעַל (yashuvu labba’al, “they turn to Baal”; so RSV) or יָשׁוּבוּ לַבְּלִיַּעַל (yashuvu labbÿliyya’al, “they turn to Belial”) which is reflected by the LXX.
15 tn Heb “because their tongue.” The term “tongue” is used figuratively, as a metonymy of cause (tongue) for the effect (prayers to Baal).
16 tn Heb “this [will] be for scorn in the land of Egypt”; NIV “they will be ridiculed (NAB shall be mocked) in the land of Egypt.”
15 tn Alternately, “Aven” (KJV, NAB, NRSV, NLT) for the city name “Beth Aven.” The term “Beth” (house) does not appear in the Hebrew text here, but is implied (e.g., Hos 4:15). It is supplied in the translation for clarity.
16 tc The MT reads בָּמוֹת אָוֶן (bamot ’aven, “high places of Aven”); however, several Hebrew
16 tn The three imperfect verbs function as imperfects of capability, similar to the imperfects of capability in 11:8. See IBHS 564 §34.1a.