Hosea 9

Footnotes

1. 1 Heb “do not rejoice unto jubilation”; “Rejoice not … for joy”; “Do not rejoice … with exultation.”
2. 2 Heb “you have committed adultery”; “you have played the whore.”
3. 3 Heb “you love the wages of the prostitute” ( similar); “loving a harlot’s hire.”
4. 4 Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5. 5 Heb “her” (so , ). This is taken as a collective singular (so also most modern English versions).
6. 6 The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “Behold!”) is used frequently in prophetic announcements, introducing a solemn or important declaration, particularly in threats of judgment ( 244 הִנֵּה b.β). Many modern English versions leave this particle untranslated here.
7. 7 The conjunction כִּי (ki) introduces a concessive clause: “Although, when, if, even if” ( 473 כִּי 2.c.β). It has a force approximating “even if” (so , , , , ), but it represents a situation as more likely to occur than אִם (̑im, “if”). The concessive use of כִּי is normally followed by an imperfect, but occasionally a perfect is used, as is the case here (e.g., Mic 7:8; Nah 1:10; Pss 21:12; 119:83).
8. 8 The verb קָבַץ (qavats, “to gather together”) should be nuanced “grab hold” in this context ( קבץ). This pictures a personified Egypt taking the fugitives prisoner.
9. 9 Heb “the treasured things of their silver”; , , , “treasures of silver.”
10. 10 Heb “their tents” (so , ); “your tents.”
11. 11 Heb “the days of the visitation”; , , , “the days of punishment.”
12. 12 Heb “has come” (בָּאוּ, ba’u). The two perfect tense (suffix-conjugation) verbs בָּאוּ (Qal perfect 3rd person common plural from בּוֹא, bo’, “to come”) repeated in this verse are both examples of the so-called “prophetic perfect”: the perfect, which connotes completed or factual action, is used in reference to future events to emphasize the certainty of the announced event taking place.
13. 13 Heb “the days of the retribution”; “of reckoning”; “of recompense.”
14. 14 Heb “has come”; “are at hand”; “is almost here.”
15. 15 The Aleppo Codex and Leningrad Codex (the employed for ) both place the atnach (colon-divider) after יֵדְעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל (yedé’u yisra’el, “Let Israel know!”), indicating that this line belongs with 9:7a (cf. , , ). However, the reads κακωθήσεται (kakōthēsetai) which reflects an underlying of יָרֵעוּ (yare’u, Qal imperfect 3rd person common plural from יָרַע, yara’, “to cry”), as opposed to the יֵדְעוּ (yedé’u, Qal jussive 3rd common plural from יָדַע, yada’, “to know”). The Old Greek connects יֵדְעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל (“Israel cries out”) with the following lines (cf. ), which appear to be quotations of Israel mocking Hosea. Aquila (ἔγνω, egnō) and Symmachus (γνώσεται, gnōsetai) both reflect the proto- tradition. For a discussion of this textual and syntactical problem, see H. W. Wolff, Hosea (Hermeneia), .
16. 16 Or “is distraught”; cf. , “are crazy.”
17. 17 Heb “the man of the Spirit”; , “spirit.”
18. 18 Or “is driven to despair.” The term מְשֻׁגָּע (méshugga’, Pual participle masculine singular from שָׁגַע, shaga’, “to be mad”) may be understood in two senses: (1) It could be a predicate adjective which is a figure of speech: “to be maddened,” to be driven to despair (Deut 28:34); or (2) it could be a substantive: “a madman,” referring to prophets who attempted to enter into a prophetic state through whipping themselves into a frenzy (1 Sam 21:16; 2 Kgs 9:11; Jer 29:26; see 993 שָׁגַע). The prophetic context of 9:7 favors the latter option (which is followed by most English versions). Apparently, the general populace viewed these mantics with suspicion and questioned the legitimacy of their claim to be true prophets (e.g., 2 Kgs 9:11; Jer 29:26).
19. 19 Heb “great.”
20. 20 The Leningrad Codex (the used for ) and Aleppo Codex both place the atnach (colon divider) after אלהי (“my God”) and connect נָבִיא (navi’, “prophet”) with the following colon. On the other hand, suggests that נָבִיא (navi’, “prophet”) belongs with the first colon. For discussion of this syntactical problem, see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea (), .
21. 21 The syntax of this line is difficult, and the text is questionable. The major options include: (1) Adopt the vocalization and line division: צֹפֶה אֶפְרַיִם עִם־אֱלֹהָי נָבִיא (tsofeh ’efrayim ’im-elohay navi’, “The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim with my God [= on behalf of God]”). There are two problems with this: (a) Although places נָבִיא (“prophet”) with this colon, the Aleppo Codex and Leningrad Codex both connect נָבִיא with the next colon (as do , ). (b) The phrase עִם־אֱלֹהָי (“with my God”) is difficult to explain. (2) Adopt the vocalization and the line division: עִם־אֱלֹהָי צֹפֶה אֶפְרַיִם (“Ephraim is a watchman with my God,” cf. ). The problem with this, of course, is that Ephraim hardly fits the description of a prophetic watchman. (3) Revocalize the and adopt line division: צֹפֶה אֶפְרַיִם עַם אֱלֹהָי נָבִיא (“Ephraim—the people of my God!—lies in ambush for the prophet”) This involves: (a) revocalization of the preposition עִם (’im, “with”) to the noun עַם (’am, “people”), (b) taking עַם־אֱלֹהָי (“people of my God”) in apposition to אֶפְרַיִם (“Ephraim”), and (c) nuancing צֹפֶה as “to lie in wait (=set ambush)” (e.g., Ps 37:32). This is contextually attractive and harmonizes well with the following line: “traps are laid along all of his paths.” However, it has two problems: (a) there is no textual evidence supporting the revocalization of עם as “people” and (b) the unusual nuance “to lie in wait” for צֹפֶה occurs only in Ps 37:32, where it takes the preposition לְ (lamed, i.e., “to lie in wait for the righteous”; צפה 4). (4) Emend אֱלֹהָי (“my God”) to אֹהֶל (’ohel, “tent”), as suggested in the textual apparatus: אֶפְרַיִם עַם־אֹהֶל נָבִיא צֹפֶה (“Ephraim spies on the prophet’s tent”). The verb צָפָה may mean “to spy” ( 859 צָפָה; צפה 3); however, the preposition עִם (’im) does not normally mean “upon” and צָפָה is not used with עִם elsewhere.
22. 22 Or “Ephraim is a watchman with my God”; cf. , .
23. 23 Heb “with my God” (so , ).
24. 24 Heb “bird trap of a bird catcher” or “snare of a fowler” (so ).
25. 25 Or “The prophet is like a trap along all of his paths.” The Aleppo Codex and Leningrad Codex ( used in ) both connect נָבִיא (navi’, “prophet”) with this colon. On the other hand, places נָבִיא (“prophet”) at the end of the preceding colon.
26. 26 Heb “house.” The term בַּיִת (bayit, “house”) is used as a figure of speech, referring to either (1) the temple or official sanctuaries (so , ) or (2) the land of Israel (e.g., Hos 9:15).
27. 27 Or more literally, “they are deeply corrupted.” The two verbs הֶעְמִיקוּ־שִׁחֵתוּ (he’miqu-shikhetu; literally, “they have made deep, they act corruptly”) are coordinated without a conjunction vav to form a verbal hendiadys: the second verb represents the main idea, while the first functions adverbially ( §120.g). Here Gesenius suggests “they are deeply/radically corrupted.” Several translations mirror the syntax of this hendiadys: “They have deeply corrupted themselves” (, , ), “They have been grievously corrupt” (), and “They are hopelessly evil” (). Others reverse the syntax for the sake of a more graphic English idiom: “They have gone deep in depravity” () and “They have sunk deep into corruption” (). Some translations fail to represent the hendiadys at all: “You are brutal and corrupt” (). The translation “They are deeply corrupted” mirrors the Hebrew syntax, but “They have sunk deep into corruption” is a more graphic English idiom and is preferred here (cf. “They have sunk to the depths of corruption”).
28. 28 Heb “fathers”; a number of more recent English versions use the more general “ancestors” here.
29. 29 Heb “their glory” (so ); “Israel’s greateness.”
30. 30 Heb “no childbearing, no pregnancy, no conception.” The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to the three parallel nouns functions in a privative sense, indicating deprivation ( 583 מִן 7).
31. 31 Heb “I will bereave them from a man”; “I will bereave them until no one is left.”
32. 32 The is corrupt in 9:13. The editors suggest emending the text to follow the reading. See D. Barthélemy, e.d., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:250–51.
33. 33 Heb “breasts that shrivel up dry”; cf. , , , “dry breasts.”
34. 34 Heb “out of my house” (so , , , ); , , “my land.”
35. 35 Or perhaps, following the plant metaphor, “will be blighted” ( similar).