MISB Hosea

Translated by Daniel Gregg

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Hosea 5


14 14 Because I am like the lion to E̕phrayim, and like a young lion to the house of Yehūdah. I, I, I will tear, and I will go away. I will bear off, and none is making a rescue. 15 I will go away; I will return unto my place until when they feel guilty, and they will have made to be sought my face. In their distress they will seek me early.

Hosea 6


1 1 Come, and let us return unto Yăhwēh, because he has torn, and he will heal us. He has smitten and he will bind us up. 2 He will make us to be revived after two days. On the third day he will make us raised, and we will live before his face. 3 And let us know; let us pursue on to recognize Yăhwēh. As the early dawn is prepared is his going out.† And he will come as the rain to us, according to the latter rain that showers the earth.

Hosea 12


1 1 E’phrayim has surrounded me with lying, and the house of Yisra’ēl with treachery, and yet Yehūdah still has roamed with Gŏd; and with the Most Holy One is faithful. 2  E’phrayim is pasturing on wind, and is pursuing the east wind all the day long. They make falsehood and violence multiply. And a covenant with A’shūr they cut, and oil to Mitsrayim is carried.
3 3 Yăhwēh has a dispute with Yehūdah, and will be attending upon Ya‘aqōv̱ according to his ways. According to his deeds he will make returned to him. 4 In the womb, he had heeled his brother, and in his strength he had been boss with the Almĭghty. 5 Therefore, he was boss with the Mĕssenger. So he was able. He had wept, and made himself to be favored to him. At Bēi̱t-Ē’l he found him, and there he made to be spoken with us, even Yăhwēh, Almĭghty of the Hosts. Yăhwēh is his memorial.‡
6 6 And you, in your Almĭghty return to loving-kindness. And keep judgment, and make to be awaited unto your Almĭghty continually.


Commentary Notes


6:3† ^Or, “As the early dawn is being prepared is his going out.” The verb נָכוֹן naḳōn is a Niphal participle, is fixed, is being prepared, is established. The sense is temporal in light of the preceding context, after two days, on the third day, and 5:15, they will seek me early. Mĕssiah came out of the grave as the dawn was in preparation (or as it was being established.) Then at the early dawn they sought him at the tomb in their distress of mourning.

The ESV translators (and others) seek to entirely deprive the text of temporal sense, choosing to translate, “his going out is sure as the dawn” (ESV), and make it purely a comparison. Young’s Literal translation (YLT) reads the correct order, “As the dawn prepared is His going forth.” However, Young’s past tense on the participle without the passive is incorrect. The sense is “is prepared” or “is being prepared.” Even a present reflexive could be used, “as the dawn prepares itself, [is] his going forth.”

The more poetic, and prophetic language is, the more able to express double sense. This passage has wheels within wheels. A double sense can be expressed in English, “As the dawn is fixed, is his going forth.” This may then express both a temporal sense and a second one of assurance.

12:5‡ ^In the womb, he had heeled his brother, and in his strength he had been boss with the Almĭghty. 5 Therefore, he was boss with the Mĕssenger. So he was able. He had wept, and made himself to be favored to him. At Bēi̱t-Ē’l he found him, and there he made to be spoken with us, even Yăhwēh, Almĭghty of the Hosts. Yăhwēh is his memorial.‡ The Mĕssenger in vs. 5 is the same person called the Almĭghty in vs. 4. The equation is also made in Gen. 48:15-16, “The Almĭghty before whose face my fathers A̓v̱raham and Yitsḥaq have walked, the Almĭghty shepherding me from my youth† onward to this day, 16 the Messenger† redeeming me from all evil, let him bless the lads.”

The Mĕssenger also was found by Ya‘aqōv̱ at Bēi̱t-Ē’l (Gen. 28:13; 31:13), and later by the nation of Yisra’ēl at Bēi̱t-Ē’l (Judges 20:18) inquired of Yăhwēh, and he spoke there to us. Finally, at the end of Hos. 12:5, the Mĕssenger is identified: even Yăhwēh, Almĭghty of the Hosts. Yăhwēh is his memorial