Paragraph 10:11
In this paragraph, the LORD continues to speak. He describes Israel by using an extended animal metaphor.
10:11a
Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh: This clause is a metaphor that compares Ephraim to a heifer. Ephraim in its early years was similar to a well-trained heifer. Both of them were willing to obey and both had easy lives with only light work to do.
Here are some ways to translate this figure of speech:
• Use a metaphor. Make one or more similarities explicit if it will be helpful. For example:
Ephraim was a well-trained heifer that loved to thresh grain (NET Bible)
-or-
Israel was a young heifer that loved the easy work of threshing grain.
• Use a simile. Make one or more similarities explicit if it will be helpful. For example:
Israel was like an obedient heifer. She was well-trained and enjoyed the easy work of treading out the grain.
In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “and Ephraim a trained heifer lover of to thresh.” The clause could refer to past, present or future.
Here are the two main interpretations:
(1) It refers to a time in the past. For example:
“Israel was once like a well-trained young cow, ready and willing to thresh grain. (Good News Translation)
(2) It refers to the present. For example:
Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to tread the grain. (New Jerusalem Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It matches the pattern of other metaphors in the chapters and verses surrounding this one. Those metaphors depict Israel in her early years, when the LORD chose her to be his people. The metaphors contrast this with Israel in her later years, when the people rebelled against the LORD.
Ephraim: The tribe of Ephraim is probably a figure of speech (synecdoche) that represents all the people of the nation of Israel. Some versions make “Israel” explicit here. For example:
Israel was once like a well-trained young cow (Good News Translation)
well-trained heifer: The word heifer refers to a young (female) cow that has not yet given birth. A well-trained heifer is gentle, follows commands, and is easy to control.
loves to thresh: Probably the heifer separated stalks from grain by walking on them. It enjoyed threshing, because the work was easy and it was able to eat while it threshed.
10:11b
but I will place a yoke on her fair neck: This clause continues the metaphor of the heifer. There is a textual issue here:
(1) Some scholars think that the original text was “and I put a yoke on its fair neck.” For example:
But I decided to put a yoke on her beautiful neck (Good News Translation)
(2) The Masoretic Text has “and I passed over the fairness of its neck.” This clause refers to the time before a yoke was placed on the heifer’s neck. For example:
and I spared her fair neck (New Revised Standard Version)
Some versions are ambiguous. For example, the King James Version may or may not imply that a yoke was placed upon the heifer’s neck:
but I passed over upon her fair neck (King James Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with the most versions. This clause indicates that the easy life of the heifer is finished. It introduces the time for heavy work to begin.
but I: In this context, there are two main ways to interpret the function of the word that begins this clause:
(1) The word indicates contrast. For example:
But I will put a heavy yoke on her tender neck. (New Living Translation (2004))
(2) The word indicates result. For example:
so I will put a yoke on her fair neck (New International Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions. Several versions leave the connection implied. These versions have not been listed.
yoke: A yoke is a bar or frame that is attached to the necks of (normally) two work animals. In the context of 11c–e, the yoke is attached by a harness so that they can pull a plow or harrow.
fair neck: This phrase is literally “goodness of its neck.” It refers to the neck of an animal that has not yet been yoked to do hard work, but is well suited for it. Versions translate “goodness” in a variety of ways:
• Most versions use a term that refers mainly to appearance. For example:
fair (English Standard Version)
-or-
beautiful (Good News Translation)
-or-
sleek (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
• The New Jerusalem Bible has “fine.” This term could refer to appearance or strength.
• The Contemporary English Version has “powerful.”
Try to use a term or combination of terms that can refer to both appearance and strength.
10:11c–e
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
11c
I will harness Ephraim,
11d
Judah will plow,
11e and Jacob will break the hard ground.
I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground: This part of the metaphor compares Ephraim, Judah and Jacob implicitly to farm animals that do heavy work. The similarity is that their lives will soon become more difficult.
Here are some ways to translate this figure of speech:
• Use a metaphor. Make the implicit similarity explicit if it will be helpful. For example:
I will harness her for harder work. I will make Judah pull the plow and Israel pull the harrow.
• Use a simile. Make one or more similarities explicit if it will be helpful. For example:
Like hard-working farm animals I will make Ephraim break up the hard ground. Judah must plow, and Jacob must harrow.
Ephraim, Judah…Jacob: These three names represent all the people of Israel. Ephraim represents those in the northern kingdom. Judah represents those in the southern kingdom. Jacob may represent the entire kingdom, both north and south.
10:11c
I will harness Ephraim: This clause is literally “I will cause to draw/harness Ephraim.” It means to attach the yoke and harness to the plow and then make the animal pull it. It implies that a farmer drives or directs the animal.
Here are some other ways to translate this line:
I will make Ephraim break the ground (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
I shall put Ephraim into harness (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
…make her work hard in the field (New Century Version)
10:11d
Judah will plow: To plow is to drag a farm implement that digs into the hard soil and breaks it into bigger chunks that can then be harrowed.
10:11e
Jacob will break the hard ground: The Hebrew phrase is more literally, “Jacob will harrow for itself.” To harrow is to break up the clods after plowing and to level the soil to prepare it for planting.
In the Masoretic Text, this clause ends with the Hebrew phrase “for/by himself.” This phrase may mean for his own benefit or that he is alone. You may translate it either way. You may follow versions that leave implicit the Hebrew phrase “for/by himself.” Or you may follow versions that translate it literally. For example:
Jacob must harrow for himself. (New Revised Standard Version)
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