Hosea 7:8--8:3
Konteks7:8 Ephraim has mixed itself like flour 1 among the nations;
Ephraim is like a ruined cake of bread that is scorched on one side. 2
7:9 Foreigners are consuming what his strenuous labor produced, 3
but he does not recognize it!
His head is filled with gray hair,
but he does not realize it!
7:10 The arrogance of Israel testifies against him,
yet they refuse to return to the Lord their God!
In spite of all this they refuse to seek him!
7:11 Ephraim has been like a dove,
easily deceived and lacking discernment.
They called to Egypt for help;
they turned to Assyria for protection.
7:12 I will throw my bird net over them while they are flying,
I will bring them down like birds in the sky;
I will discipline them when I hear them flocking together.
7:13 Woe to them! For they have fled from me!
Destruction to them! For they have rebelled against me!
I want to deliver 4 them,
but they have lied to me.
7:14 They do not pray to me, 5
but howl in distress on their beds;
They slash themselves 6 for grain and new wine,
but turn away from me.
7:15 Although I trained and strengthened them, 7
they plot evil against me!
they are like an unreliable bow.
Their leaders will fall by the sword
because their prayers to Baal 9 have made me angry.
So people will disdain them in the land of Egypt. 10
An eagle 12 looms over the temple of the Lord!
For they have broken their covenant with me, 13
and have rebelled against my law.
8:2 Israel cries out to me,
“My God, we acknowledge you!”
8:3 But Israel has rejected what is morally good;
so an enemy will pursue him.
[7:8] 1 tn The words “like flour” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied by the imagery.
[7:8] 2 tn 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 BDB 728 s.v. עֻגָה). Cf. NLT “as worthless as a half-baked cake.”
[7:9] 3 tn Heb “foreigners consume his strength”; NRSV “devour (sap NIV) his strength.”
[7:13] 4 tn Heb “redeem” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV, TEV “save”; CEV “I would have rescued them.”
[7:14] 5 tn Heb “they do not cry out to me in their heart”; NLT “with sincere hearts.”
[7:14] 6 tc The MT reads יִתְגּוֹרָרוּ (yitgoraru) which is either (1) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they assemble themselves”; so KJV, NASB) from I גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn”; BDB 157 s.v. I גּוּר) or (2) Hitpolel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural (“they excite themselves”) from II גּוּר (gur, “to stir up”; BDB 158 s.v. II גּוּר). However, the Hebrew lexicographers suggest that both of these options are unlikely. Several other Hebrew
[7:15] 7 tn Heb “their arms” (so NAB, NRSV).
[7:16] 8 tc The MT reads the enigmatic יָשׁוּבוּ לֹא עָל (yashuvu lo’ ’al) which is taken variously: “they turn, but not upward” (NASB); “they do not turn to the Most High” (NIV); “they return, but not to the most High” (KJV). The BHS editors suggest יָשׁוּבוּ לַבַּעַל (yashuvu labba’al, “they turn to Baal”; so RSV) or יָשׁוּבוּ לַבְּלִיַּעַל (yashuvu labbÿliyya’al, “they turn to Belial”) which is reflected by the LXX.
[7:16] 9 tn Heb “because their tongue.” The term “tongue” is used figuratively, as a metonymy of cause (tongue) for the effect (prayers to Baal).
[7:16] 10 tn Heb “this [will] be for scorn in the land of Egypt”; NIV “they will be ridiculed (NAB shall be mocked) in the land of Egypt.”
[8:1] 11 tn Heb “A horn unto your gums!”; NAB “A trumpet to your lips!”
[8:1] 12 tn Or perhaps “A vulture.” Some identify the species indicated by the Hebrew term נֶשֶׁר (nesher) as the griffon vulture (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[8:1] 13 tn Heb “my covenant” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “the covenant I made with them.”
