Hosea 7:4

Footnotes

1. 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.
2. 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., , , ).