Hosea 7

Footnotes

1. 1 Heb “and they do not say in their heart”; “It never enters their heads.”
2. 2 Heb “they [the sinful deeds] are before my face” (so , , ); “they are right in front of me.”
3. 3 The reads מְנָאֲפִים (ména’afim, “adulterers”; Piel participle masculine plural from נָאַף, na’af, “to commit adultery”), which does not seem to fit the context. The original reading was probably אוֹפִים (’ofim, “bakers”; Qal participle masculine plural from אָפַה, ’afah, “to bake”), which harmonizes well with the baker/oven/fire motif in 7:4–7. The textual deviation was caused by: (1) confusion of ן (nun) and ו (vav), (2) metathesis of ן/ו (nun/vav) and א (alef), and (3) dittography of ם (mem) from the preceding word. Original כֻּלָּם אוֹפִים (kullam ’ofim, “all of them are bakers”) was confused for כֻּלָּם מְנָאֲפִים (“all of them are adulterers”). In spite of this most English versions follow the reading of the here.
4. 4 The preserves the enigmatic כְּמוֹ תַנּוּר בֹּעֵרָה םֵ (kémo tannur bo’erah me, “Like a burning oven, from …?”). The adjectival participle בֹּעֵרָה (“burning”) is feminine while the noun תַנּוּר (tannur, “oven”) that it modifies is masculine. The editors solve this problem by simply redividing the words: כְּמוֹ תַנּוּר בֹּעֵר הֵם (cémo tannur bo’er hem, “they are like a burning oven”). This solution is followed by many English versions (e.g., , , ).
5. 5 Heb “the day of” (so , , , ); “On the day of the festival of our king”; “On royal holidays.”
6. 6 The preserves the awkward 1st person common plural suffix reading מַלְכֵּנוּ (malakenu, “our king”). The editors suggest reading the 3rd person masculine plural suffix מַלְכָּם (malkam, “their king”; so ), as reflected in the Aramaic .
7. 7 The vocalizes the consonants החלו as הֶחֱלוּ a Hiphil perfect 3rd person common plural from I חָלָה (“to become sick”). However, this is syntactically awkward. The editors suggest revocalizing it as Hiphil infinitive construct + 3rd person masculine singular suffix from חָלַל (khalal, “to begin”) or Hiphil perfect 3rd person common plural from חָלַל. For a discussion of this textual problem, see D. Barthélemy, e.d., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:240. Heb “when their king began [to reign].”
8. 8 Heb “he joined hands”; “make agreements.”
9. 9 The words “like flour” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied by the imagery.
10. 10 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 728 עֻגָה). Cf. “as worthless as a half-baked cake.”
11. 11 Heb “foreigners consume his strength”; “devour (sap ) his strength.”
12. 12 Heb “redeem” (so , , , , ); , “save”; “I would have rescued them.”
13. 13 Heb “they do not cry out to me in their heart”; “with sincere hearts.”
14. 14 The reads יִתְגּוֹרָרוּ (yitgoraru) which is either (1) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they assemble themselves”; so , ) from I גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn”; 157 I גּוּר) or (2) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they excite themselves”) from II גּוּר (gur, “to stir up”; 158 II גּוּר). However, the Hebrew lexicographers suggest that both of these options are unlikely. Several other Hebrew preserve an alternate textual tradition of יִתְגּוֹדָדוּ (yitgodadu) which is a Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person common plural (“they slash themselves”) from גָּדַד (gadad, “to cut”; 151 גָּדַד), as also reflected in the (cf. “they lacerated themselves”; , “gash themselves”; “cut themselves.” This reflects the pagan Canaanite cultic practice of priests cutting themselves and draining their blood on the ground to elicit agricultural fertility by resurrecting the slain fertility god Baal from the underworld (Deut 14:1; 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5). Cf. which adds “in the hope that Baal will bless their crops.”
15. 15 Heb “their arms” (so , ).
16. 16 The reads the enigmatic יָשׁוּבוּ לֹא עָל (yashuvu lo’ ’al) which is taken variously: “they turn, but not upward” (); “they do not turn to the Most High” (); “they return, but not to the most High” (). The editors suggest יָשׁוּבוּ לַבַּעַל (yashuvu labba’al, “they turn to Baal”; so ) or יָשׁוּבוּ לַבְּלִיַּעַל (yashuvu labbéliyya’al, “they turn to Belial”) which is reflected by the .
17. 17 Heb “because their tongue.” The term “tongue” is used figuratively, as a metonymy of cause (tongue) for the effect (prayers to Baal).
18. 18 Heb “this [will] be for scorn in the land of Egypt”; “they will be ridiculed ( shall be mocked) in the land of Egypt.”