2:5a–b
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
5a For their mother has played the whore; (New Revised Standard Version)
5b
she who conceived them has acted shamefully. (New Revised Standard Version)
Both lines mean that the mother of the children has acted like a prostitute. The New Revised Standard Version has been used as the source line, because it shows the parallel parts more clearly.
2:5a
(New Revised Standard Version) For their mother has played the whore: The Hebrew word that the New Revised Standard Version translates as For indicates here that the parallel statements in 2:5 are an explanation. They explain the way in which the mother’s children are the children of adultery.
Here are some other ways to introduce this explanation in 2:5a:
Yes, their mother… (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
What I mean is that their mother…
Some English versions leave this Hebrew conjunction implied. Use a natural way in your language to introduce an explanation.
their mother: See the note on “on her children” in 2:4a. Here there is a similar change of pronoun from “your” to their. As in 2:4a, the husband (symbolizing the LORD) is still speaking to the children. So in some languages, it may be clearer to use the same pronoun as in 2:2a. For example:
your mother
has played the whore: The Hebrew expression that the New Revised Standard Version translates as has played the whore is literally “she has committed fornication.” The word “fornication” can refer to adultery or prostitution. The latter part of the verse indicates that she received pay for her acts of adultery. So prostitution is the meaning in this context. For example:
acted like a prostitute (God’s Word)
Some versions use a more general expression. For example:
has been unfaithful (New International Version)
Use an expression in your language that fits the context.
2:5b
(New Revised Standard Version) she who conceived them: This phrase is a more specific way to refer to the parallel part “their mother” in 2:5a. Both expressions refer to the same person.
Here are some other ways to translate this expression:
The woman who became pregnant with them (God’s Word)
-or-
the one who gave birth to them
(New Revised Standard Version) has acted shamefully: This phrase describes the mother’s behavior as a prostitute in 2:5a. It was considered shameful or disgraceful for a married woman to engage in prostitution.
Here is another way to translate this expression:
did shameful things (God’s Word)
General Comment on 2:5a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine the parallel parts. For example:
Yes, your mother, the one who gave birth to you, has behaved like a shameless prostitute.
-or-
For your very own mother has been acting shamefully, selling her body to other men.
2:5c
For: In Hebrew, this verse part begins with a word that the Berean Standard Bible and many versions translate as For. It indicates that the statements that follow give an explanation. They explain the way in which the mother has acted like a shameless prostitute. Other versions leave this connection implied. Use a natural way in your language to introduce an explanation.
she thought, ‘I will go after my lovers: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as thought is literally “said” In this statement, the husband used a direct quote to tell his children what their mother had said, thought or decided. In some languages, it may be more natural to use indirect speech for the statement. For example:
she said/decided that she would go after her lovers…
I will go after my lovers: This clause means that the woman will go and look for men who will pay her to have sex with them. It emphasizes her deliberate intention to be unfaithful to her husband. Symbolically, it refers to Israel’s deliberate worship of the gods of other nations, such as Baal, rather than her own God.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
I shall chase after my lovers (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
I will seek out my lovers (NET Bible)
-or-
I will search for men who are willing to have sex with me
2:5d
who give me bread and water, wool and linen, oil and drink: This verse part describes her “lovers” in terms of the payments a prostitute expected them to offer in exchange for sexual relations.
Here is another way to translate this verse part:
She herself said, “I will go to my lovers—they give me food and water, wool and linen, olive oil and wine.” (Good News Translation)
give: The word give refers here to payment. It does not refer to gifts. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this clear. For example:
I’ll…sell myself to them for food and water… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
they pay me with food and water…
bread and water: This expression refers to the basic requirements of life. In Hebrew, the word bread is often a figure of speech that represents food.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
what I eat and drink
-or-
the food and water that I need
wool and linen: wool is the hair of sheep. linen is thread made from a plant called flax. Some versions translate this as “flax” (New Revised Standard Version). These were the basic materials that the Israelites used to make their clothing. Some versions make this purpose explicit. For example:
for clothing of wool and linen (New Living Translation (2004))
If your language does not have specific terms for wool and linen, you may use a more general word or phrase. For example:
my clothing
-or-
the clothes that I wear
oil: The word oil is a general term that refers to oil from plants or from animal fat. Here it probably refers to olive oil. It was used mainly for cooking, but also for perfume and incense. For example:
olive oil (Good News Translation)
In areas where olive oil is not known, you may use a more general term that refers to cooking oil.
drink: In Hebrew, the word drink can refer in general to any drink, but it probably refers here to alcoholic drinks. Some versions, including the Good News Translation, have:
wine (Good News Translation)
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