Hosea 6:2–5

Footnotes

1. 2 The Piel of חָיָה (khayah) may mean: (1) to keep/preserve persons alive from the threat of premature death (1 Kgs 20:31; Ezek 13:18; 18:27); (2) to restore the dead to physical life (Deut 32:39; 1 Sam 2:6; cf. “will put new life in us”); or (3) to restore the dying back to life from the threat of death (Ps 71:20; 311 חָיָה).
2. 3 Heb “after two days” (so , , ). The expression “after two days” is an idiom meaning “after a short time” (see, e.g., Judg 11:4; 399 יוֹם 5.a).
3. 4 Heb “on the third day” (so , , ), which parallels “after two days” and means “in a little while.” The “2–3” sequence is an example of graded numerical parallelism (Prov 30:15–16, 18–19, 21–23, 24–28, 29–31). This expresses the unrepentant overconfidence of Israel that the Lord’s discipline of Israel would be relatively short and that he would restore them quickly.
4. 5 The object (“him”) is omitted in the Hebrew text, but supplied in the translation for clarity.
5. 6 Heb “let us pursue in order to know.” The Hebrew term רָדַף (radaf, “to pursue”) is used figuratively: “to aim to secure” ( 923 רָדַף 2). It describes the pursuit of a moral goal: “Do not pervert justice … nor accept a bribe … pursue [רָדַף] justice” (Deut 16:20); “those who pursue [רָדַף] righteousness and who seek [בָּקַשׁ, baqash] the Lord” (Isa 51:1); “He who pursues [רָדַף] righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor” (Prov 21:20); “Seek [בָּקַשׁ] peace and pursue [רָדַף] it” (Ps 34:15); “they slander me when I pursue [רָדַף] good” (Ps 38:21).
6. 7 The Hebrew infinitive construct with לְ (lamed) denotes purpose: “to know” (לָדַעַת, lada’at).
7. 8 The vav prefixed to וְחַסְדְּכֶם (vékhasdékhem, “your faithfulness”) functions in an explanatory sense (“For”).
8. 9 Heb “your faithfulness [so ; “your loyalty”; , , “your love”] is like a morning cloud” (וְחַסְדְּכֶם כַּעֲנַן־בֹּקֶר, vékhasdékhem ka’anan-boqer). The Hebrew poets and prophets frequently refer to the morning clouds as a simile for transitoriness (e.g., Job 7:9; Isa 44:22; Hos 6:4; 13:3; 778 עָנָן 1.c). For discussion of this phenomena in Palestine, see Chaplin, (1883): 19.
9. 10 Heb “the dew departing early” ( 1014 שָׁכַם); cf. “the dew that goes away early.” The Hiphil participle מַשְׁכִּים (mashkim) means “to depart early” (Gen 19:27; Josh 8:14; Judg 19:9). The idiom means “early morning” (1 Sam 17:16).
10. 11 The two suffix conjugation verbs חָצַבְתִּי (khatsavti, Qal perfect 1st person common singular from חָצַב, khatsav, “to cut into pieces”) and הֲרַגְתִּים (haragtim, Qal perfect 1st person common singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix from הָרַג, harag, “to kill”) are used in reference to future-time events. These are examples of the so-called “prophetic perfect” which emphasizes the certainty of the future event (e.g., Num 24:17; Josh 10:19; Isa 8:23; 9:1). For this function of the perfect, see §30.1d. Most English versions, however, render these as past tenses.
11. 12 Heb “by the prophets” (so , ). The prophets are pictured as the executioners of Israel and Judah because they announced their imminent destruction. The prophetic word was endowed with the power of fulfillment.
12. 13 Heb “them.” The shift from the 2nd person masculine singular referents (“your” and “you”) in 6:4–5 to the 3rd person masculine plural referent (“them”) is an example of enallage, a poetic device used for emphasis.
13. 14 Heb “with the words of my mouth” (so ); “with my message of judgment and destruction.”
14. 15 The disjunctive vav prefixed to the noun (וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, umishpatekha) has an explanatory function.
15. 16 The reads וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ אוֹר יֵצֵא (umishpatekha ’or yetse’, “and your judgments [are] a light [which] goes forth”) which is enigmatic and syntactically awkward (cf. , ). The reads καὶ τὸ κρίμα μου ὡς φώς (kai to krima mou hōs phos, “my judgment goes forth like light”) which reflects וּמִשְׁפָּטִי כָאוֹר יֵצֵא (umishpati kha’or yetse’, “my judgment goes forth like the light”) and posits only a simple misdivision of words. This is reflected in the and Aramaic and is followed by the present translation (so also , ). See D. Barthélemy, e.d., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:238.
16. 17 The noun אוֹר (’or, “light”) is used here in reference to the morning light or dawn (e.g., Judg 16:2; 19:26; 1 Sam 14:36; 25:34, 36; 2 Sam 17:22; 23:4; 2 Kgs 7:9; Neh 8:3; Job 24:14; Prov 4:18; Mic 2:1; cf. , ) rather than lightning (cf. ). This continues the early morning imagery used throughout 6:2–5. In 6:3 unrepentant Israel uttered an over-confident boast that the Lord would rescue the nation from calamity as certainly as the “light of the dawn” (שַׁחַר, shakhar) “comes forth” (יֵצֵא, yetse’) every morning. Playing upon the early morning imagery, the Lord responded in 6:4 that Israel’s prerequisite repentance was as fleeting as the early morning dew. Now in 6:5, the Lord announces that he will indeed appear as certainly as the morning; however, it will not be to rescue but to punish Israel: punishment will “come forth” (יֵצֵא) like the “light of the dawn” (אוֹר).