The Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”) at the beginning of this verse may be omitted (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation).

Although I trained and strengthened their arms: The Hebrew verbs for trained and strengthened are marked for first person. In spite of this, the Hebrew also includes an independent pronoun for I. So the pronoun is not just independent, but also emphatic. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh uses italics for this pronoun: “I braced, I strengthened their arms.” Good News Translation‘s “I was the one who” captures the emphasis. In languages that use pronominal prefixes and independent pronouns (for example, Swahili) the same effect may be reached when both are used here.

There is a textual problem in this line. The Septuagint has only the verb “strengthened.” Did the original Hebrew have only one verb rather than the two that we see in the Masoretic Text. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project keeps both verbs (a {B} decision). But what does the first verb mean? There is evidence that in the dialect of northern Israel, it meant “strengthened” rather than trained. Thus there are two verbs meaning the same thing in one line of Hebrew, and this is something that often occurs in Hebrew poetry. In normal Hebrew the verb for trained refers to discipline or corrective action (see 7.12, where it is rendered “chastise”). Good News Translation‘s “brought them up” gives the wrong impression that parental care in the home is implied. However, “strengthened” is the preferred meaning, as explained above.

Good News Translation uses nonfigurative language for the idiom strengthened their arms: “made them strong.” In the receptor language arms or “hands” may be the correct figure to use here.

Yet they devise evil against me (Good News Translation “they plotted against me”) means Israel’s idolatry amounted to plotting against Yahweh, as did their seeking help from foreign powers (7.11-12). The Hebrew term for evil comes from the same root as the word for “wicked deeds” in 7.1, and it will be good if translators can use the same or a similar expression in both places.

A translation model for this verse is:

• As for me, I braced them and gave them strength,
but they devise evil plans against me.

Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .