Section 6:4–7:16

The people persisted in their sins

In this section, the LORD again spoke to the people of Israel and Judah. In contrast to the people’s future repentance (6:1–3), he gave examples of their current disloyalty and corruption, including their reliance on other nations instead of him. They continued to commit sins, and they refused to seek him. He announced that he would judge them, and he illustrated his coming judgment in various ways.

In this section, the Hebrew text sometimes uses second person pronouns (“you”) and sometimes third person pronouns (“they” or “he”) to refer to the people of Israel. The Berean Standard Bible follows the Hebrew pronoun usage. It uses “they” in 6:5–10, “you” in 6:4 & 11, and “they” or “he” in 7:1–16. Throughout these verses the LORD is the speaker, and he either addresses the people directly or speaks about them.

English versions all use “you” in 6:11 and “they” in chapter 7, but they differ in the way they use the pronouns in 6:5–10. You should use the most natural and least confusing way in your language to handle the pronouns in 6:5–10. In 6:7–10, the Display will follow the Berean Standard Bible pronoun choice in the first meaning line and give another pronoun choice in the second meaning line. See the note on “you” in 2:16b–c, where the pronoun changes are similar.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Transitory Faithfulness and Imminent Judgment (NET Bible)
-or-
Impenitence of Israel and Judah (New Revised Standard Version)

Paragraph 6:4–6

This paragraph contrasts with the previous one (6:1–3). That paragraph described a time when the people would truly repent. Here in 6:4–6, the LORD told the people of Israel and Judah how unreliable their love was. He expressed his despair over the way that the people truly behaved. He also told them what he desired from them.

In some languages, it may be helpful to make explicit the contrast between this paragraph and 6:1–3. For example:

But you, Ephraim, What am I to do with you?
-or-

Yet you people of Ephraim do not seek to know me. What can I do with you?

6:4a–b

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

4a
What shall I do with you, O Ephraim ?

4b
What shall I do with you, O Judah ?

In many languages, it will be necessary to specify that the LORD is now the speaker. For example:

“O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord . (New Living Translation (1996))

What shall I do with you…What shall I do with you: These two clauses are rhetorical questions. Their function is to express the LORD’s frustration and hopelessness with the people of Israel and Judah. They are not requests for information.

Here are some ways to translate these rhetorical questions:

• As rhetorical questions. You may use slightly different questions if that is more natural in your language. For example:

4a How shall I deal with you, Ephraim? (Revised English Bible)

4b What should I do with you, Judah? (God’s Word)

• As statements. For example:

4a Ephraim, how frustrating you are!

4b Judah, I don’t know what I should do with you!

O Ephraim…O Judah: The name Ephraim is a figure of speech (synecdoche) that represents the people of the northern kingdom of Israel. Judah refers to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah. Some versions translate Ephraim as Israel here. For example:

The Lord says, “Israel, what should I do with you? Judah, what should I do with you? (New Century Version)

General Comment on 6:4a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine these parallel lines into one. For example:

People of Israel and Judah, what can I do with you? (Contemporary English Version)

6:4c–d

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

4c For your loyalty is like a morning mist,

4d
like the early dew that vanishes.

There is an ellipsis (deliberate omission) of the first three words in 6:4d. In many languages, these words will need to be supplied from 6:4c. For example:

4d
⌊ your loyalty is⌋like the early dew that vanishes.

These lines explain the source of the LORD’s frustration with the people of Israel and Judah. They contain figures of speech (similes) in which he compared their love to morning mist and dew. The love that the people had for him and others was not dependable. It was similar to morning mist and dew because it quickly disappeared. It did not last long.

6:4c

For your loyalty: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as loyalty refers to faithful love within a covenant relationship. Here it refers mainly to the people’s love and loyalty to the LORD, but it also includes their kindness to one another.

a morning mist: This phrase probably refers to low-lying clouds or fog that disappears by the time the morning is over.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

a morning cloud (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
like fog in the morning (God’s Word)

6:4d

the early dew that vanishes: In some languages, it may be redundant to make the word early explicit.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the dew that quickly disappears (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
disappears like dew in the sunlight (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 6:4c–d

Some versions make explicit the point of comparison in both similes. For example:

For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight. (New Living Translation (2004))

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