Hosea 2:21–22

Footnotes

1. 70 Heb “And in that day”; , “On that day.”
2. 71 The verb עָנָה, (’anah) which is used throughout 2:23–24, is related to the root I עָנָה (’anah), “to answer, listen attentively, react willingly” ( 772 1.b; ענה 3.b).
3. 72 Heb “and they.” In the Hebrew text the plural pronoun is used because it refers back to the term translated “sky,” which is a dual form in Hebrew. Many English versions (e.g., , , ) use the plural term “heavens” here, which agrees with a plural pronoun (cf. also , “skies”).
4. 73 Heb “Jezreel.” The use of the name יִזְרְעֶאל (yizré’e’l, “Jezreel”) creates a powerful three-fold wordplay: (1) The proper name יִזְרְעֶאל (“Jezreel”) is a phonetic wordplay on the similar sounding name יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra’el, “Israel”): God will answer Israel, that is, Jezreel. (2) The name יִזְרְעֶאל (“Jezreel”) plays on the verb זָרַע (zara’, “to sow, plant”), the immediately following word: וּזְרַעְתִּיהָ (uzéra’tiha, vav + Qal perfect 1st person common singular + 3rd person feminine singular suffix: “I will sow/plant her”). This wordplay creates a popular etymology for יִזְרְעֶאל meaning, “God sows/plants,” which fits well into the agricultural fertility imagery in 2:21–23 [2:23–25]. (3) This positive connotation of יִזְרְעֶאל (“Jezreel”) in 2:21–23[23–25] reverses the negative connotation of יִזְרְעֶאל (“Jezreel”) in 1:4–5 (bloodshed of Jehu in the Jezreel Valley).