Section 10:1–8
Why Israel should be punished
In this section, Hosea gives examples of the sins of Israel. The examples show why it is fair for the LORD to judge them. This section has a similar pattern to section 9:10–17. Both sections give examples from agriculture to illustrate the joyful beginning of the relationship between the LORD and the people of Israel and their shocking response of betrayal against him. In this section, Hosea is the speaker.
Here are some other examples of section headings:
Retribution for Israel’s Sin (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
The Lord ’s judgment against Israel (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Hosea warns Israel that it will be punished
Paragraph 10:1–2
In this paragraph, Hosea describes the changes that have occurred in Israel. In the past, Israel was prosperous and productive. But the people turned away from the LORD to worship false gods. As a result of their sin, the LORD will cause their places of worship to be destroyed.
10:1a
Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself: This verse part is a metaphor that compares the nation of Israel to a grape vine that produced fruit. The meaning of the metaphor is that Israel was prosperous.
Some versions use present tense to translate this verse part. However, it makes better sense to translate it as a description of a prosperous time in Israel’s past.
Another way to translate this metaphor is to change it to a simile. For example:
The people of Israel are like vines that used to produce fruit. (God’s Word)
luxuriant: In this verse, the word refers to a healthy plant that is growing well.
yielding fruit: The precise meaning of the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as yielding is debated. Here the meaning is probably “to produce” or “to make.”
Here are some ways to translate it:
• Use words that focus on producing or making fruit. For example:
Israel is like a large vine that produced plenty of fruit.
-or-
Israel was a fertile vine that yielded fruit. (English Standard Version)
• Use words that focus on the amount of fruit. For example:
How prosperous Israel is—a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The people of Israel were like a grapevine that was full of grapes. (Good News Translation)
for himself: The phrase for himself indicates that Israel benefitted from the fruit. Some versions leave this phrase implicit.
10:1b–c
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
1b
The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars.
1c
The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.
In these lines, the metaphor of Israel as a vine with fruit is replaced by a more literal description of Israel’s past. Both lines describe how Israel used their wealth to honor idols instead of the LORD.
Some versions indicate an explicit contrast between these lines and the previous one. These lines (1b–c) imply that the LORD made Israel prosperous, yet Israel gave credit for their prosperity to idols. Some versions express this contrast with the word “but.” For example:
But the richer the people get, the more pagan altars they build. (New Living Translation (2004))
Indicate this contrast in a natural way in your language.
10:1b
The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars: In Hebrew, the first clause is more literally “according to [the] abundance of his fruit.” It introduces a comparison. In this comparison, an increase in fruit results in an increase in the number of altars.
Here are some other ways to translate this comparison:
The more fruit they produced, the more altars they built. (God’s Word)
-or-
Since/Because his supply of fruit increased, he was able to increase the number of his altars.
-or-
He used his wealth to build more altars.
altars: This word refers here to altars that were built for the worship of idols. Some versions make this information explicit. For example:
As the people became richer, they built more altars for idols. (New Century Version)
10:1c
The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars: This verse part is more literally “according to [the] prosperity of his land they made good sacred pillars. The first clause introduces a comparison. In this comparison, an increase in prosperity results in improvement in the sacred pillars.
Here are some other ways to translate this comparison:
Since/Because their land became more prosperous, they put up better sacred pillars.
-or-
They used the wealth from their bountiful harvests to make their stone pillars even more attractive.
the better he made the sacred pillars: In Hebrew, the term sacred pillars is literally “stone pillars.” It refers here to stone pillars that were set up for the worship of idols. Some versions make this information explicit. For example:
stone markers they set up ⌊to honor other gods ⌋ (God’s Word)
See how you translated this term in 3:4b.
In Hebrew, the word translated better he made means “to do something well.” Here it describes pillars that the people built well or that they made attractive in some way.
Here are other ways to translate this word:
he improved his pillars (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
the more beautiful they made the sacred stone pillars they worship (Good News Translation)
-or-
put up better stone pillars to honor gods (New Century Version)
General Comment on 10:1a–c
Some cultures may not use figures of speech from agriculture in this way. If that is true in your language, it may be preferable to translate the meanings directly. For example:
The people of Israel were prosperous and increased in number. As their wealth increased, they built more altars. As their land prospered, they improved their sacred stone pillars.
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