Discovery BoxHosea 7:8-15
Context7:8 Ephraim has mixed itself like flour 1 among the nations;
Ephraim is like a ruined cake of bread that is scorched on one side. 2
7:9 Foreigners are consuming what his strenuous labor produced, 3
but he does not recognize it!
His head is filled with gray hair,
but he does not realize it!
7:10 The arrogance of Israel testifies against him,
yet they refuse to return to the Lord their God!
In spite of all this they refuse to seek him!
7:11 Ephraim has been like a dove,
easily deceived and lacking discernment.
They called to Egypt for help;
they turned to Assyria for protection.
7:12 I will throw my bird net over them while they are flying,
I will bring them down like birds in the sky;
I will discipline them when I hear them flocking together.
7:13 Woe to them! For they have fled from me!
Destruction to them! For they have rebelled against me!
I want to deliver 4 them,
but they have lied to me.
7:14 They do not pray to me, 5
but howl in distress on their beds;
They slash themselves 6 for grain and new wine,
but turn away from me.
7:15 Although I trained and strengthened them, 7
they plot evil against me!
[7:8] 1 tn The words “like flour” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied by the imagery.
[7:8] 2 tn Heb “a cake of bread not turned.” This metaphor compares Ephraim to a ruined cake of bread that was not turned over in time to avoid being scorched and burned (see BDB 728 s.v. עֻגָה). Cf. NLT “as worthless as a half-baked cake.”
[7:9] 3 tn Heb “foreigners consume his strength”; NRSV “devour (sap NIV) his strength.”
[7:13] 5 tn Heb “redeem” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV, TEV “save”; CEV “I would have rescued them.”
[7:14] 7 tn Heb “they do not cry out to me in their heart”; NLT “with sincere hearts.”
[7:14] 8 tc The MT reads יִתְגּוֹרָרוּ (yitgoraru) which is either (1) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they assemble themselves”; so KJV, NASB) from I גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn”; BDB 157 s.v. I גּוּר) or (2) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they excite themselves”) from II גּוּר (gur, “to stir up”; BDB 158 s.v. II גּוּר). However, the Hebrew lexicographers suggest that both of these options are unlikely. Several other Hebrew
