Discovery BoxHosea 2:2
Context2:2 Plead earnestly 1 with your 2 mother
(for 3 she is not my wife, and I am not her husband),
so that 4 she might put an end to her adulterous lifestyle, 5
and turn away from her sexually immoral behavior. 6
Hosea 2:8-9
Context2:8 Yet 7 until now 8 she has refused to acknowledge 9 that I 10 was the one
who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil;
and that it was I who 11 lavished on her the silver and gold –
which they 12 used in worshiping Baal! 13
2:9 Therefore, I will take back 14 my grain during the harvest time 15
and my new wine when it ripens; 16
I will take away my wool and my flax
which I had provided 17 in order to clothe her. 18
Hosea 4:6
Context4:6 You have destroyed 19 my people
by failing to acknowledge me!
Because you refuse to acknowledge me, 20
I will reject you as my priests.
Because you reject 21 the law of your God,
I will reject 22 your descendants.
Hosea 10:8
Context10:8 The high places of the “House 23 of Wickedness” 24 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!”
Hosea 10:12
Context10:12 Sow righteousness for yourselves,
reap unfailing love.
Break up the unplowed ground for yourselves,
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes and showers deliverance 25 on you.
Hosea 10:14
Context10:14 The roar of battle will rise against your people;
all your fortresses will be devastated,
just as Shalman devastated 26 Beth Arbel on the day of battle,
when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.
Hosea 12:8
Context12:8 Ephraim boasts, 27 “I am very rich!
I have become wealthy! 28
In all that I have done to gain my wealth, 29
no one can accuse me of any offense 30 that is actually sinful.” 31
[2:2] 1 tn Heb “Plead with your mother, plead!” The imperative רִיבוּ (rivu, “plead!”) is repeated twice in this line for emphasis. This rhetorical expression is handled in a woodenly literal sense by most English translations: NASB “Contend…contend”; NAB “Protest…protest!”; NIV “Rebuke…rebuke”; NRSV “Plead…plead”; CEV “Accuse! Accuse your mother!”
[2:2] 2 sn The suffix on the noun אִמְּכֶם (’immékhem, “your mother”) is a plural form (2nd person masculine). The children of Gomer represent the “children” (i.e., people) of Israel; Gomer represents the nation as a whole.
[2:2] 3 tn The particle כִּי (ki) introduces a parenthetical explanatory clause (however, cf. NCV “because”).
[2:2] 4 tn The dependent volitive sequence of imperative followed by vav + jussive (רִיבוּ, rivu followed by וְתָסֵר, vétaser) creates a purpose clause: “so that she might turn away from” (= “put an end to”); cf. NRSV “that she put away”; KJV “let her therefore put away.” Many English translations begin a new sentence here, presumably to improve the English style (so NAB, NIV, TEV, NLT), but this obscures the connection with the preceding clause.
[2:2] 5 tn Heb “put away her adulteries from her face.” The plural noun זְנוּנֶיהָ (zénuneha, “adulteries”) is an example of the plural of repeated (or habitual) action: she has had multiple adulterous affairs.
[2:2] 6 tn Heb “[put away] her immoral behavior from between her breasts.” Cf. KJV “her adulteries”; NIV “the unfaithfulness.”
[2:8] 7 tn Or “For” (so KJV, NASB); or “But” (so NCV).
[2:8] 8 tn The phrase “until now” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
[2:8] 9 tn Heb “she does not know” (so NASB, NCV); or “she does not acknowledge.”
[2:8] 10 tn The 1st person common singular independent personal pronoun אָנֹכִי (’anokhi, “I”) is emphatic, since the subject of this verbal clause is already explicit in the verb נָתַתִּי (natatti, Qal perfect 1st person common singular: “I gave”).
[2:8] 11 tn The phrase “that it was I who” does not appear in the Hebrew text here, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[2:8] 12 sn The third person plural here is an obvious reference to the Israelites who had been unfaithful to the
[2:8] 13 tn Heb “for Baal” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); cf. TEV “in the worship of Baal.”
[2:9] 13 tn Heb “I will return and I will take.” The two verbs joined with vav conjunction form a verbal hendiadys in which the first verb functions adverbially and the second retains its full verbal sense (GKC 386-87 §120.d, h): אָשׁוּב וְלָקַחְתִּי (’ashuv vÿlaqakhti) means “I will take back.”
[2:9] 14 tn Heb “in its time” (so NAB, NRSV).
[2:9] 15 tn Heb “in its season” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).
[2:9] 16 tn The words “which I had provided” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; cf. NIV “intended to cover.”
[2:9] 17 tn Heb “to cover her nakedness” (so KJV and many other English versions); TEV “for clothing.”
[4:6] 19 tn Heb “they have destroyed” or “my people are destroyed” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[4:6] 20 tn Heb “Because you reject knowledge”; NLT “because they don’t know me.”
[4:6] 21 tn Heb “have forgotten”; NAB, NIV “have ignored.”
[4:6] 22 tn Heb “forget” (so KJV, NRSV); NLT “forget to bless.”
[10:8] 25 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.
[10:8] 26 tc The MT reads בָּמוֹת אָוֶן (bamot ’aven, “high places of Aven”); however, several Hebrew
[10:12] 31 tn Or “righteousness” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “justice.”
[10:14] 37 tn Heb “as the devastation of Shalman.” The genitive noun שַׁלְמַן (shalman, “Shalman”) functions as a subjective genitive: “as Shalman devastated [Beth Arbel].”
[12:8] 43 tn Heb “says” (so NAB).
[12:8] 44 tn Heb “I have found wealth for myself.” The verb מָצַא (matsa’, “to find”) is repeated in 12:8 to create a wordplay that is difficult to reproduce in translation. The Israelites have “found” (מָצַא) wealth for themselves (i.e., become wealthy; v. 8a) through dishonest business practices (v. 7). Nevertheless, they claim that no guilt can be “found” (מָצַא) in anything they have done in gaining their wealth (v. 8b).
[12:8] 45 tc The MT reads the 1st person common singular suffix on the noun יְגִיעַי (yÿgi’ay, “my labors/gains”; masculine plural noun + 1st person common singular suffix). The LXX’s οἱ πόνοι αὐτοῦ ({oi ponoi autou, “his labors”) assumes a 3rd person masculine singular suffix on the noun יְגִיעַיו (yÿgi’av, “his labors/gains”; masculine plural noun + 3rd person masculine singular suffix). The BHS editors suggest adopting the LXX reading. The textual decision is based upon whether or not this line continues the speech of Ephraim (1st person common singular suffix) or whether these are the words of the prophet (3rd person masculine singular suffix). See the following translator’s note for the two rival lexical meanings which in turn lead to the textual options for the line as a whole.
[12:8] 46 tn The phrase מָצָאתִי אוֹן לִי (matsa’ti ’on li, “I have found wealth for myself” = I have become wealthy) forms a wordplay with לֹא יִמְצְאוּ לִי עָוֹן (lo’ yimtsÿ’u li ’avon, “they will not find guilt in me”). The repetition of מָצָא לִי (matsa’ li) is enhanced by the paronomasia between the similar sounding nouns עוֹן (’on, “guilt”) and אוֹן (’on, “wealth”). The wordplay emphasizes that Israel’s acquisition of wealth cannot be divorced from his guilt in dishonest business practices. Israel has difficulty in protesting his innocence that he is not guilty (עוֹן) of the dishonest acquisition of wealth (אוֹן).
[12:8] 47 tc The MT reads “[in] all my gains, they will not find guilt in me which would be sin.” The LXX reflects a Hebrew Vorlage which would be translated “in all his labors, he cannot offset his guilt which is sin.” Some translations follow the LXX: “but all his riches can never offset the guilt he has incurred” (RSV); “None of his gains shall atone for the guilt of his sins” (NEB); “All his gain shall not suffice him for the guilt of his sin” (NAB). Most follow the MT: “In all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin” (KJV); “In all my labors they will find in me no iniquity, which would be sin” (NASB); “With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin” (NIV); “All my gains do not amount to an offense which is real guilt” (NJPS); “No one can accuse us [sic] of getting rich dishonestly” (TEV); “I earned it all on my own, without committing a sin” (CEV). See D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:262-63.
