Section 10:9–15

The LORD will punish Israel

In this section, the LORD (10:9–11) and Hosea (10:12–15) warn the people of Israel that the LORD will punish them because of their past and current sin. This section includes figures of speech from agriculture that the Israelites in Hosea’s time would clearly understand. Some examples are comparisons of the people to farm animals (10:11) and to farmers (10:12–13).

Here are some other examples of section headings:

The Lord Pronounces Judgment on Israel (Good News Translation)
-or-
The Lord Promises to Punish Israel (Contemporary English Version)

Paragraph 10:9–10

In this paragraph, the LORD is the speaker. He traces the sin of the people of Israel back to their ancestors in the city of Gibeah. Verse 10:10 is a warning that punishment will come as a result of their past and present sin.

10:9a–b

Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel, and there you have remained: This verse describes how long the people of Israel have continued to sin.

10:9a

Since the days of Gibeah: the days of Gibeah refers back to a tragic incident in Israel’s past. Gibeah is a city in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. Some residents there committed extreme sexual perversion and murder. The people of Gibeah were defiant against the LORD and against the rest of Israel. See Judges 19–20 and Hosea 9:9. The phrase Since the days of Gibeah refers to the time period from that sinful act to the time of Hosea.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

Israel, you have sinned since the time of Gibeah (New Century Version)
-or-
Israel, you have sinned ever since the incident at Gibeah (God’s Word)

you have sinned, O Israel: In this context, these words imply that the people of Israel sinned in a way that was similar to the sins of the people of Gibeah.

O Israel: Here, the LORD, speaking through Hosea, addresses the people of Israel directly.

Here are other ways to translate this expression:

Israel (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
You Israelites

Use a vocative that is natural in your language when a person speaks to a group of people.

The Good News Translation translates this accusation as indirect speech:

The LORD says, “The people of Israel have not stopped sinning against me since the time of their sin at Gibeah. (Good News Translation)

However, indirect speech is not recommended here. Direct address is preferable, since in this situation the LORD is confronting the people, not just speaking about them.

10:9b

and there you have remained: This statement indicates that Israel continued to follow same kind of sinful behavior as the terrible sin committed at Gibeah.

Here are some other ways to translate this statement:

You never change (God’s Word)
-or-
You have made no progress whatsoever (New Living Translation (2004))

10:9c

Did not the battle in Gibeah overtake the sons of iniquity?: This clause is more literally “not will war overtake them in the gibeah on the sons of injustice.” There are three main interpretations of this clause:

(1) A future war will overtake evildoers in Gibeah. For example:

Shall not war overtake them in Gibeah? (New Revised Standard Version)

(2) A past war overtook evildoers in Gibeah. For example:

Did not war overtake the evildoers in Gibeah? (NET Bible)

(3) A war did not overtake evildoers in Gibeah. For example:

the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them. (King James Version)

(King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions and a slight majority of commentaries. It is the most accepted way to understand the difficult Hebrew text.

Here are some ways to translate this clause:

• As a rhetorical question. The expected answer is “yes.” For example:

Will not war overtake them in Gibeah? (Revised English Bible)

• As a statement. For example:

War will overtake the wicked people in Gibeah. (God’s Word)
-or-
But war will surely overwhelm them in Gibeah, because of the evil they have done there. (New Century Version)

overtake: The Hebrew word here means to “catch up to” or to “take hold upon” something or someone. Here are other ways to translate this word:

overwhelm them (New Century Version)
-or-
catch up with them (Good News Translation)
-or-
will soon experience

the sons of iniquity: The Hebrew phrase is literally, “sons of injustice.” The Hebrew word for “injustice” means to act contrary to what is right. Here the expression refers to people that are as evil as those at Gibeah.

in Gibeah: The word “gibeah” literally means “hills.” Here the word Gibeah is probably a word play. It refers both to the city of Gibeah and also to the hills that Hosea calls “high places” in 10:8a, where the Israelites worshiped idols.

It is recommended that you add a footnote to explain the meaning. For example:

Gibeah means “hills.” See Hosea 10:8.

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