Oséias 10
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Oséias 10:1-2
10:1 NASB, NRSV, NJB "Israel is a luxuriant vine" "Israel empties his vine" "The people of Israel were like a grapevine that was full of grapes" "Israel is a ravaged vine" "Israel is a vine full of branches" "Israel is a vine with goodly branches" "Luxuriant" (BDB 132 I, k 150, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) is found only here. The Septuagint has "a vine with beautiful branches." This may be an allusion to Hosea 9:10 (cf. Ps. 80:8-13). God made Israel fruitful (this is one possible meaning). However, the more YHWH blessed them, the more they went after the Ba'als (cf. Hosea 11:1). What irony! The vine was often a symbol for Israel (e.g. Deut. 32:32; Ps. 80:8-19; Isa. 5:1-7; Jer. 2:21; Ezek. 15:1-8). It is possible to take the VERB as "empty" (BDB 132 II) and thereby Israel as a vine that does not produce God's desired fruit (cf. Hosea 9:10-17, JPSOA). ▣ "He produces fruit for himself" The rest of this verse is an allusion to Hosea 8:11 (cf. BDB 915) or 12:11 (cf. Jer. 2:28; 11:13). ▣ "The better he made the sacred pillars" "They have embellished his sacred pillars" "He improved his pillars" "The more beautiful they made the sacred pillars they worship "The richer he made the sacred pillars" "They adorned the fertility pillars" "cult pillars abounded" "he has increased the altars" "she has multiplied her altars" Prosperity did not turn their hearts back to YHWH (as it was intended, cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-29), but magnified their worship and thanksgiving to Ba'al. They improved his worship sites and neglected YHWH's temple! See full notes on "sacred pillars" at v. 2 and Hosea 3:4. 10:2 "heart" In Hebrew thought the heart was the center of the will and the intellect. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEART ▣ "faithless" NKJV, NJB, LXX "divided" NRSV, REB "false" "deceitful" "wavering" The Hebrew term (BDB 325 II, KB 322, Qal PERFECT) is "smooth." It is imagery for insecure footing, therefore, interpreted as treacherous or unreliable (cf. New Berkeley version "Their heart was slippery"). This is the only place in the OT where this VERB is used of a "heart." Usually it refers to a tongue. This faithlessness can refer to Ba'al vs. YHWH trust in the God of Israel vs. political alliances with Egypt and/or Assyria The opposite imagery for sure footedness is the source of the OT term for faith (cf. BDB 52-54; see SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH AND FAITHFULNESS). It is possible to take the VERB as "divided" (BDB 324) meaning their devotion (i.e. heart) was split between YHWH and Ba'al. However, this VERB is used mostly in Chronicles and not the prophets. ▣ "they must bear their guilt" There are consequences to human choices, both in time and eternity (cf. Hosea 4:15; 5:15; 13:1,16; Micah 5:10-15). ▣ "their altars. . .their sacred pillars" These objects of worship originally approved places of worship, cf. Exod. 24:4-5 are often associated with the idolatrous fertility practices of Ba'al (uplifted stone pillar, i.e. phallic symbol, cf. Hosea 3:4; 1 Kgs. 14:23-24) and Asherah (a carved stake or live tree, cf. Exod. 23:24; 34:13; Lev. 26:1; Deut. 7:5; 12:3; 2 Kgs. 3:2). SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL'S MANDATED RESPONSE TO CANAANITE FERTILITY WORSHIP
Oséias 10:3-10
10:3 "We have no king" This may reflect 1 Sam. 8:4-9. Hosea often speaks against the northern monarchy (cf. Hosea 7:3-7; 8:4, 10, 13; 13:9-11). The original dynasty (Jeroboam I) did not last (i.e. 922-722 B.C.). There were numerous changes in leadership (i.e. king). SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM 10:4 "They speak mere words, With worthless oaths they make covenants" This is a COGNATE ACCUSATIVE, emphasizing that they speak (BDB 180, KB 210, Piel PERFECT) human words with no meaning (cf. Isa. 58:13). This contrasted their oaths/covenant to YHWH (cf. Exod. 19-20) with their oaths/covenants to foreign powers. Israel's oaths cannot be trusted. They are based solely on self interest. The second line of poetry has two INFINITIVE ABSOLUTES. This construction draws attention to this second line and not the VERB of line one. For "worthless" see SPECIAL TOPIC: EMPTY, VAIN, FALSE, NOTHINGNESS SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT ▣ "judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds" This bitter and poisonous weed (BDB 912 II) is used of idolatry ‒ Deut. 29:18; 32:32; Jer. 9:15; 23:15 siege trauma ‒ Jer. 8:14; Lam. 3:5,19 legal injustice ‒ here, Amos 6:12 See UBS, Fauna and Flora of the Bible, pp. 168-169. 10:5 "Samaria" Samaria, the mountain ridge fortress, was built by King Omri (cf. 1 Kgs. 16:24) and became Israel's capital. After 922 B.C., when the kingdom split, the Northern Ten Tribes under Jeroboam I were known as Israel, Ephraim, or Samaria, and the Southern two tribes, under Rehoboam, Solomon's son, were known as Judah. ▣ "will fear" NKJV, JPSOA "fear" NRSV, NJB, REB "tremble" "will be afraid" "will lament" "dwell near" "sojourn" The Hebrew VERB (BDB 158 III, KB 185, Qal IMPERFECT) means "to dread." This VERB can mean "reverential respect" (i.e. worship) or "fear" (i.e. it being taken away, cf. Hosea 10:5-6). Many scholars suppose an emendation based on the parallelism with the next line, "to lament" (BDB 626, Qal, #2,a). MT, BDB 158 III ‒ בור NET, BDB 626 ‒ נוד ▣ "the calf of Beth-aven" This refers to the golden calf that Jeroboam I set up at Bethel (cf. Hosea 4:15; 5:8; 1 Kgs. 16:28-29). The golden calves (Bethel and Dan) were not meant to be idols, but representatives of YHWH (cf. Exod. 32:4-5). The term Beth-aven (BDB 110), which is translated "house of vanity," is a word play on Bethel ("house of God"). This is an example of Jews corrupting a name (god or place) because of its association with idolatry. ▣ NASB, NRSV "idolatrous priests" NKJV, REB, Peshitta "its priests" "the priests who serve the idol" "its idol-priests" "priestlings" "his people" This root (כמר) designates the priests at the royal sites of Bethel and Dan as Ba'al's priests (cf. 2 Kgs. 23:5; Zeph. 1:4). This Hebrew root (BDB 455) has several meanings. to be warm (or blackened) BDB I to be black (from Syriac) BDB II to lay prostrate, (from Assyrian for priest) BDB III a snare or net (i.e. related to root BDB 485) These CONSONANTS are the regular term for "priests" in Canaanite and Akkadian languages. These priests of the north were seen by Hosea as foreign priests! ▣ "cry out over it" "shriek for it" "wail over it" NRSV footnote "exult" (Hebrew) "will weep over it" "they exult in its glory" "lament" "rejoice" "mourn over it" The MT has "will rejoice" (גיל, BDB 162, KB 189, Qal IMPERFECT), but it may be used as sarcasm it needs to be altered to "wail" (ילל, BDB 410, NET, p. 1571, #6, cf. Hosea 7:14) ▣ "its glory" This term (BDB 458 II) is usually used of YHWH (cf. 1 Sam. 4:21-22), but here it is used in a sarcastic sense of a calf-idol that originally was meant to represent YHWH, but had long since come to represent Ba'al. SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY (kabod) 10:6 NASB, NRSV "the thing itself" NKJV, TEV, Peshitta "The idol" NJB, REB, JPSOA "it" "him" The ANTECEDENT is probably the golden calf worshiped at Beth-aven. It will be carried off as booty to Assyria. ▣ "King Jareb" This is a reference to Tiglath-pileser III. It is imagery for "the Great King" (Peshitta), literally "a king that contends" (BDB 937, cf. Hosea 5:13). ▣ "Israel will be ashamed of its own counsel" The VERB (BDB 101, KB 116, Qal IMPERFECT) is used also in Hosea 2:5 and 4:19. Their idolatry (JPSOA) made them "ashamed." Their faulty counsel (BDB 420 I, KB 866) was mentioned earlier in Hosea 7:12 (cf. Jer. 7:24). There have been several other suggested options for "counsel." its disobedience (KB 867 II) its wooden idol (KB 867, "wood" III, cf. Hosea 4:12; 10:5; JPSOA footnote "f"; KB III suggestion) The NASB, NKJV, NRSV, TEV, NJB, and NET have "wooden idol." 10:7 "Samaria will be cut off with her king" The VERB (BDB 198, KB 225, Niphal PARTICIPLE) means to remove, to destroy (cf. Hosea 10:8). YHWH allowed a northern king because of the arrogance of Rehoboam, Solomon's son. YHWH will cut off the current king because Jereboam I he did evil in His sight by setting up the golden calves. Now He will remove the nation in His wrath (cf. Hosea 13:11). There is a tension in the prophets between a positive view of kingship and a negative view. negative ‒ Deut. 17:14-17; 1 Sam. 8:5,11-18; 10:18-25; Hosea 7:3-7; 8:4,10; 10:15; 13:9-11 favorable ‒ 1 Sam. 9:1-10:16; 11:1-11,15; 2 Sam 7:8-16; Royal Psalms (e.g. 2; 18; 20; 21, etc.); Messianic, Isa. 7:14; 9:5-6; 11:1-5; Jer. 23:5; Micah 5:1-5 Much depended on the godliness and covenant obedience of the king as YHWH's undershepherd. ▣ "Like a stick on the surface of the water" "Like a twig on the water" NRSV, TEV, Peshitta "Like a chip on the face of the waters" "Like a straw drifting on the water" "Like flotsam on water" "Like foam upon water" "Like fire wood upon the face of the water" The Hebrew here is very difficult; the term occurs only here in the OT. It can refer to a piece (twig or splinter) of wood (BDB 893 II, cf. Joel 1:7 for a similar root) "foam" (Vulgate, KJV, REB, JPSOA). 10:8 "the high places of Aven" Aven means "vanity" or "nothingness" (BDB 19). This term is often applied by the Jews as a word play to corrupt place names and the names of people who were involved in idolatry. The "high places" (BDB 119) can refer to the top of hills (i.e. threshing floors) the raised, cut stone altars of local Ba'al shrines (cf. Hosea 4:13; Jer. 7:31; Amos 7:9; Micah 1:5) ▣ "Thorn and thistle will grow on their altars" This may be a reference to a curse (cf. Gen. 3:18) or a sign of non-use (cf. Hosea 9:6). ▣ "say to the mountains, 'Cover us!' And to the hills 'Fall on us'" The first VERB (BDB 491, KB 487) is a Piel IMPERATIVE. The second VERB (BDB 656, KB 709) is a Qal IMPERATIVE. This is used in Luke 23:30 and Rev. 6:16 as an expression of the horror at God's judgment. Here there may be a theologicl connection between "mountains" and "hills" and Ba'al worship. 10:9 "From the days of Gibeah you have sinned" This could be another anti-monarchial statement because this was Saul's hometown and the site of his first sin against God (cf. 1 Sam. 13:8-14). It could also be a reference to the sins recorded in Judges 19-21. 10:10 NASB, NKJV "When it is My Desire" "I will come" "I have come" "I will attack" "I am coming" "when I chose [them]" "In My rebuke" "when I please" The MT is reflected in the NASB and NKJV. UBS Text Project, p. 253, gives three options. "in my desire" ‒ באותי "I have come" ‒ באתי "and I will come" ‒ ובאתי It gives a "B" rating to the MT (option #1). This phrase (BDB 16) has no VERB. It seems to be a way to express God's will (i.e. judgment). Hosea, the second writing prophet, depicts YHWH in very emotional (anthropomorphic) imagery. wild beast, Hosea 5:14; 13:7,8 hate, Hosea 9:15 strong desire to judge, Hosea 10:10 anger, Hosea 11:9; 13:11 Human language describing God is always metaphorical and analogical. Humans are sinful, temporal, and restricted to this planet. Our vocabulary and mental ability cannot fathom an eternal, holy, personal being! SPECIAL TOPIC: PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE ▣ "I will chastise them" The VERB (BDB 415, KB 418, Qal IMPERFECT) generally means "educate" or "inform" (morally) by discipline (cf. Ps. 94:10). Here, it refers to discipline (i.e. judgment) because of covenant violations. ▣ "the peoples will be gathered" YHWH will gather (BDB 62, KB 74, Pual PERFECT with waw) the nations (BDB 766) to judge His people. ▣ "they are bound" This binding (BDB 63, KB 75, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) was historically done by both Assyria and later Neo-Babylon as they tied the exiles together to deport them to a foreign land. Notice the sound play between gather ‒ BDB 62, KB 74 bind ‒ BDB 63, KB 75 ▣ "double guilt" Literally this is "two of their iniquities" (Qere). The phrase "double guilt" comes from the Septuagint, Peshitta, and Vulgate. It could refer to a play on the name Ephraim ("double fruitful") the two sins of following Ba'al and forsaking YHWH (cf. Jer. 2:13) the two golden calves set up at Bethel and Dan by Jereboam I
Oséias 10:11-15
10:11 "Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh" This poetic line refers to the easier task of threshing out the grain. The following lines prophesy that she will be made to do the difficult work of plowing (i.e. yoke on her neck). 10:11b "But I will come over her fair neck with a yoke" "But I harnessed her fair neck" "and I spared her fair neck" "But I decided to put a yoke on her beautiful neck" NJB, REB "But I have laid a yoke on her fine neck" "I place a yoke upon her sleek neck" "So I shall come against the fairest part of her neck" "but I bent her neck under the yoke" The MT has the VERB "passed over" (BDB 716, KB 778, Qal PERFECT). The UBS Text Project, p. 254, gives it an "A" rating. The NJB, REB, JPSOA, follow the LXX. The MT has "fair thing" (BDB 375) but this should be emended by revocalization to "a fine yoke" (BDB 760, cf. Hosea 11:4). MT, "fair thing" ‒ על טוב "a fine yoke" ‒ על טוב 10:11c,d There are three separate VERBS in these lines of poetry for preparing the soil for seed. YHWH's people had sown wickedness (cf. v. 13) but He hopes they will plow righteousness and kindness (v. 12a,b). harness, v. 11c ‒ BDB 938, KB 1230, Hiphil IMPERFECT (in this sense, only here; VERB lit. "to mount" or "to ride") plow, v. 11d ‒ BDB 360 I, KB 367, Qal IMPERFECT harrow, v. 11d ‒ BDB 961, KB 1306, Piel IMPERFECT The JPSOA asserts that #1 refers to Ephraim doing the advanced plowing, from Arabic VERB #2 refers to Judah doing the main plowing #3 refers to Jacob/Israel as a whole doing the final plowing ▣ "Judah will plow" This refers to positive ‒ YHWH's covenant blessing (v. 12) negative ‒ a future series of Babylonian exiles (vv. 13-14, i.e. 605, 597, 586, 582 B.C.). 10:12 "Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness" What a surprising verse in this judgment context. There are three Qal IMPERATIVES (sow, reap, till [break]). These VERBS seem to be an appeal by the prophet (or YHWH Himself) for the people to return to their covenant God (cf. Prov. 11:18). These first three poetic lines state a universal truth, "whatsoever we sow, that shall we reap" (cf. Hosea 8:7; 12:2; Job 4:8; Ps. 126:6; Prov. 11:18; 22:8; Jer. 4:3; 2 Cor. 9:6; see full list of texts at Gal. 6:7-10). The term "kindness" (BDB 338) is the Hebrew term hesed, which means "covenant loyalty," both toward God and one's covenant partners (cf. Hosea 4:1; 6:4-6; 12:7; Micah 6:8). SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (hesed) ▣ "in accordance with kindness" "in mercy" "steadfast love" "the blessings" "a harvest of faithful love" "loyalty" "the fruits of goodness" "unto the fruit of life" "a harvest of mercy" The MT has "according to Hesed" (see SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS). The LXX, JPSOA follow an emendation (cf. v. 13b). לפי ‒ חסד according to the love לפרי ‒ חסד for the fruit of love The UBS Text Project, p. 254, gives the MT (#1) a "B" rating (some doubt). ▣ "Break up your fallow ground" This is imagery for repentance (cf. Jer. 4:3). SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCVE (OT) ▣ "For it is time to seek the Lord" The VERB (BDB 205, KB 233) is a Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT. It has a covenant connotation (e.g. Deut. 4:29). YHWH can be found if people truly seek Him (e.g. Jer. 29:13). Seeking YHWH is sinful Israel's only hope of avoiding destruction (cf. Hosea 10:12; Isa. 55:6-7; Amos 5:4,6). The proper time to seek the Lord is now! SPECIAL TOPIC: Seek the Lord ▣ "Until He comes to rain righteousness on you" This is surprising agricultural imagery (i.e. annual and regular rainfall) for spiritual reality (i.e. righteousness). This is a recurrent theme in the prophets (e.g. Hosea 2:19-20; 6:3; 14:5; Ps. 72:6-7; Isa. 44:3-4; 45:8; Joel 2:23; 3:18). The JPSOA translation has "so that you may obtain a teacher of righteousness." This is a title in the DSS of the coming Messiah. No other English translation follows this emendation. 10:13 "You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice" YHWH's desire for a "righteous" and "loyal" people (Hosea 10:12), using agricultural imagery ("break up fallow ground"), has unfortunately resulted in exactly the opposite fruit—wickedness and injustice. They have "trusted" (BDB 105, KB 120, Qal PERFECT) in their own power instead of YHWH's. the result (Hosea 10:14-15) is violent destruction! ▣ "Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors" The historical setting (see Introduction to Hosea, VI) was a time of great prosperity and military victory. Israel (like Judah, 8:14) was trusting in her military power (cf. Jer. 9:23-24). The phrase "your way" (BDB 202, Peshitta) is translated "chariots" (cf. Hosea 14:3), which makes for good parallelism, but requires an emendation (i.e. dropping of one CONSONANT). It may be possible to read the consonantal form from a Ugaritic root for "power" (i.e. their military) "in your way" ‒ בדרכף "in your chariots" ‒ ברכבף The UBS Text Project, p. 254, gives the MT (option #1) a "B" rating. 10:14 "As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel" This is possibly a reference to Shalmaneser III who reigned from 858-824 B.C. He is referred to in the Bible in 2 Kgs. 17:3 and 18:9. Shalmaneser V, who besieged Samaria in 724 B.C. (Jewish Study Bible, p. 1160) SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF ASSYRIA, # 13 and 20 Salmanu, King of Moab, who was a contemporary with Tiglath-pileser III. Beth-arbel is an unknown site and the exact historical reference is uncertain. See 2 Kgs. 13:20 for Moabite aggression. Shallum, son of Jabesh who killed Zechariah, King of Israel, 2 Kgs. 15:8-16 (JPSOA footnote) ▣ "Beth-arbel" This has been located The IVP Bible Background Commentary (OT), p. 758, suggests that this city has been identified with the city of Irbil, near Pella and just to the east across the Jordan from Beth-Shean. The Macmillan Bible Atlas, maps #10, 171, has Pella in Gilead close to the Jordan River. ▣ "mothers were dashed in pieces with their children" This was a gruesome aspect of ANE warfare (cf. 2 Kgs. 8:12; 13:16,18; 15:16; Ps. 137:8-9; Isa. 13:16,18; Nahum 3:10). The army killed all of the very old and very young who could not travel into exile. This, of course, included pregnant women. This was done to shock and traumatize the population (cf. Hosea 13:16). 10:15 NASB, NRSV, NJB, JPSOA "at dawn" NKJV, Peshitta "in a morning" "as the battle begins" "in the storm" "early in the morning" The MT has "at dawn" (BDB 1007), which the UBS Text Project, p. 255, gives a "B" rating. The RSV translation requires an emendation. בשׁחר ‒ at dawn (NRSV) בשׁער ‒ in the storm (RSV)