Logos Bible Study

Hosea 11:5–11

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11:5They will return to Egypt!12

Assyria will rule over them13

because they refuse to repent!14

11:6A sword will flash in their cities,

it will destroy the bars of their city gates,

and will devour them in their fortresses.

11:7My people are obsessed15 with turning away from me;16

they call to Baal,17 but he will never exalt them!

The Divine Dilemma: Judgment or Mercy?

11:8How can I give you up,18 O Ephraim?

How can I surrender you, O Israel?

How can I treat you like Admah?

How can I make you like Zeboiim?

I have had a change of heart!19

All my tender compassions are aroused!20

11:9I cannot carry out21 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!

God Will Restore the Exiles to Israel

11:10He will roar like a lion,

and they will follow the Lord;

when he roars,

his children will come trembling22 from the west.

11:11They will return in fear and trembling23

like birds from Egypt,

like doves from Assyria,

and I will settle them in their homes,” declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 12 Or “Will they not return to Egypt?” (so ). Following the and , the לֹא (lo’, “not”) should probably be read as לוֹ (lo, “to him”) and connected to the end of 11:4 rather than the beginning of 11:5. The textual confusion between לֹא and לוֹ probably reflects an unintentional scribal error due to a mistake in hearing (cf., e.g., Kethib/Qere in Ps 100:3).
  2. 13 Heb “Assyria, he will be his [Israel’s] king” ( similar).
  3. 14 Heb “return” (so , , , ). The root שׁוּב (shuv, “to turn, return”) appears at the beginning and ending of this verse, creating an inclusio. This repetition produces an ironic wordplay: because Israel refuses to “return” to God or “turn” from its sin, it will “return” to Egypt. The punishment fits the crime.
  4. 15 The term תְלוּאִים (télu’im, Qal passive participle masculine plural from תָּלָא, tala’, “to hang”) literally means “[My people] are hung up” ( 1067 תָּלָא). The verb תָּלָא//תָּלָה (“to hang”) is often used in a concrete sense to describe hanging an item on a peg (Ps 137:2; Song 4:4; Isa 22:24; Ezek 15:3; 27:10) or the impaling of the body of an executed criminal (Gen 40:19, 22; 41:13; Deut 21:22, 23; Josh 8:29; 10:26; 2 Sam 21:12; Esth 2:23; 5:14; 6:4; 7:9, 10; 8:7; 9:13, 14, 25). It is used figuratively here to describe Israel’s moral inability to detach itself from apostasy. Several English versions capture the sense well: “My people are bent on turning away from me” (, ), “My people are determined to turn from me” (), “My people are determined to reject me” (; “desert me”), “My people persist in its defection from me” (), and “they insist on turning away from me” ().
  5. 16 The 1st person common singular suffix on the noun מְשׁוּבָתִי (méshuvati; literally, “turning of me”) functions as an objective genitive: “turning away from me.”
  6. 17 The meaning and syntax of the is enigmatic: וְאֶל־עַל יִקְרָאֻהוּ (vé’el-’al yiqra’uhu, “they call upwards to him”). Many English versions including , , , take the referent of “him” as the “most High.” The editors suggest reading וְאֶל־בַּעַל יִקְרָא וְהוּא (vé’el-ba’al yiqra’ vehu’, “they call to Baal, but he …”), connecting the 3rd person masculine singular independent personal pronoun וְהוּא (véhu’, “but he …”) with the following clause. The early Greek recensions (Aquila and Symmachus), as well as the Aramaic and the , vocalized עֹל (’ol) as “yoke” (as in 11:4): “they cry out because of [their] yoke” (a reading followed by ).
  7. 18 The imperfect verbs in 11:8 function as imperfects of capability. See §34.1a.
  8. 19 The phrase נֶהְפַּךְ עָלַי לִבִּי (nehpakh ’alay libbi) is an idiom that can be taken in two ways: (1) emotional sense: to describe a tumult of emotions, not just a clash of ideas, that are afflicting a person (Lam 1:20; הפך 1.c) and (2) volitional sense: to describe a decisive change of policy, that is, a reversal of sentiment from amity to hatred (Exod 14:5; Ps 105:25; 245 הָפַךְ 1; 3). The English versions alternate between these two: (1) emotional discomfort and tension over the prospect of destroying Israel: “mine heart is turned within me” (), “my heart recoils within me” (, ), “My heart is turned over within Me” (), “My heart is torn within me” (); and (2) volitional reversal of previous decision to totally destroy Israel: “I have had a change of heart” (), “my heart is changed within me” (), and “my heart will not let me do it!” (). Both 245 1.b and 3 suggest that the idiom describes a decisive change of heart (reversal of decision to totally destroy Israel once and for all) rather than emotional turbulence of God shifting back and forth between whether to destroy or spare Israel. This volitional nuance is supported by the modal function of the 1st person common singular imperfects in 11:8 (“I will not carry out my fierce anger … I will not destroy Ephraim … I will not come in wrath”) and by the prophetic announcement of future restoration in 11:10–11. Clearly, a dramatic reversal both in tone and in divine intention occurs between 11:5–11.
  9. 20 The Niphal of כָּמַר (kamar) means “to grow warm, tender” ( 485 כָּמַר), as its use in a simile with the oven demonstrates (Lam 5:10). It is used several times to describe the arousal of the most tender affection (Gen 43:30; 1 Kgs 3:26; Hos 11:8; 485 1; כמר 1). Cf. “my compassion grows warm and tender.”
  10. 21 The three imperfect verbs function as imperfects of capability, similar to the imperfects of capability in 11:8. See §34.1a.
  11. 22 When the verb חָרַד (kharad, “to tremble”) is used with prepositions of direction, it denotes “to go or come trembling” ( 353 חָרַד 4; e.g., Gen 42:28; 1 Sam 13:7; 16:4; 21:2; Hos 11:10, 11). Thus, the phrase מִיָּם … וְיֶחֶרְדוּ (véyekherdu … miyyam) means “to come trembling from the west.” Cf. “shall come frightened from the west.”
  12. 23 For the meaning of חָרַד (harad, “to tremble”) with prepositions of direction, see 11:10 above.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

They shall not return to the land of Egypt,

but Assyria shall be their king,

because they have refused to return to me.

The sword shall rage against their cities,

consume the bars of their gates,

and devour them because of their own counsels.

My people are bent on turning away from me,

and though they call out to the Most High,

he shall not raise them up at all.

How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, O Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

My heart recoils within me;

my compassion grows warm and tender.

I will not execute my burning anger;

I will not again destroy Ephraim;

for I am God and not a man,

the Holy One in your midst,

and I will not come in wrath.

They shall go after the Lord;

he will roar like a lion;

when he roars,

his children shall come trembling from the west;

they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,

and like doves from the land of Assyria,

and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Will they not return to Egypt

and will not Assyria rule over them

because they refuse to repent?

A sword will flash in their cities;

it will devour their false prophets

and put an end to their plans.

My people are determined to turn from me.

Even though they call me God Most High,

I will by no means exalt them.

“How can I give you up, Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, Israel?

How can I treat you like Admah?

How can I make you like Zeboyim?

My heart is changed within me;

all my compassion is aroused.

I will not carry out my fierce anger,

nor will I devastate Ephraim again.

For I am God, and not a man—

the Holy One among you.

I will not come against their cities.

They will follow the Lord;

he will roar like a lion.

When he roars,

his children will come trembling from the west.

They will come from Egypt,

trembling like sparrows,

from Assyria, fluttering like doves.

I will settle them in their homes,”

declares the Lord.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Israel will not return to the land of Egypt

and Assyria will be his king,

because they refused to repent.

A sword will whirl through his cities;

it will destroy and devour the bars of his gates,

because of their schemes.

My people are bent on turning from me.

Though they call to him on high,

he will not exalt them at all.

How can I give you up, Ephraim?

How can I surrender you, Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

I have had a change of heart;

my compassion is stirred!

I will not vent the full fury of my anger;

I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim.

For I am God and not man,

the Holy One among you;

I will not come in rage.

They will follow the Lord;

he will roar like a lion.

When he roars,

his children will come trembling from the west.

They will be roused like birds from Egypt

and like doves from the land of Assyria.

Then I will settle them in their homes.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

“But since my people refuse to return to me,

they will return to Egypt

and will be forced to serve Assyria.

War will swirl through their cities;

their enemies will crash through their gates.

They will destroy them,

trapping them in their own evil plans.

For my people are determined to desert me.

They call me the Most High,

but they don’t truly honor me.

“Oh, how can I give you up, Israel?

How can I let you go?

How can I destroy you like Admah

or demolish you like Zeboiim?

My heart is torn within me,

and my compassion overflows.

No, I will not unleash my fierce anger.

I will not completely destroy Israel,

for I am God and not a mere mortal.

I am the Holy One living among you,

and I will not come to destroy.

For someday the people will follow me.

I, the Lord, will roar like a lion.

And when I roar,

my people will return trembling from the west.

Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt.

Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria.

And I will bring them home again,”

says the Lord.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

He will return to the land of Egypt,

and Assyria will be his king,

because they refused to return.

The sword rages in his cities;

it consumes his false prophets

and devours because of their plans.

My people are bent on backsliding from me.

To the Most High they call,

he does not raise them at all.

How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, O Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

My heart is disturbed within me;

all my compassions are aroused.

I will not execute my fierce anger,

I will not again destroy Ephraim;

because I am God

and not a mortal,

the Holy One in your midst;

and I will not come in wrath.

They will go after Yahweh;

he roars like a lion.

When he roars,

his children will come trembling

from the sea.

They will tremble like birds from Egypt,

and like doves from the land of Assyria;

and I will let them return to their homes—

a declaration of Yahweh.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

He shall not return into the land of Egypt,

But the Assyrian shall be his king,

Because they refused to return.

And the sword shall abide on his cities,

And shall consume his branches, and devour them,

Because of their own counsels.

And my people are bent to backsliding from me:

Though they called them to the most High,

None at all would exalt him.

How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?

How shall I deliver thee, Israel?

How shall I make thee as Admah?

How shall I set thee as Zeboim?

Mine heart is turned within me,

My repentings are kindled together.

I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger,

I will not return to destroy Ephraim:

For I am God, and not man;

The Holy One in the midst of thee:

And I will not enter into the city.

They shall walk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion:

When he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.

They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt,

And as a dove out of the land of Assyria:

And I will place them in their houses, saith the Lord.

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