Paragraph 11:5–7
In this paragraph, the LORD warns that Assyria will take the people of Israel into exile, because they continue to turn away from him.
11:5a–b
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
5a
Will they not return to the land Egypt
5b and be ruled by Assyria
In Hebrew, these lines are more literally “not he will return to the land of Egypt and Assyria it [will be] his king.” The interpretation of these lines depends on the function of the Hebrew word “not.” This word has two main functions here:
(1) The word “not” introduces either a rhetorical question that implies a “yes” answer or a positive statement. The Berean Standard Bible above translates it as a rhetorical question. An example of a positive statement is the NET Bible:
“They will return to Egypt! Assyria will rule over them because they refuse to repent! (NET Bible)
(2) The word “not” introduces a negative statement. For example:
“They will not return to Egypt. Instead, Assyria will rule them because they have refused to return to me. (God’s Word)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with a majority of versions. It is similar to statements about the people returning to Egypt in 8:13 and 9:3.
11:5a
Will they not return to the land of Egypt: This clause is the first line of the rhetorical question. The expected answer to this question is “Yes, they will return to Egypt.” This line is a figure of speech in which Egypt represents slavery. It means that the people will return to slavery. This slavery will be similar to their slavery in Egypt in Israel’s past. Also see the note “They will return to Egypt” under 8:13e.
Most versions translate this rhetorical question as a statement. For example:
They shall return to the land of Egypt (New Revised Standard Version)
Translate this clause in a natural way in your language.
11:5b
and be ruled by Assyria: This clause is literally “and Assyria it [will be] his king.” It means that the people of Israel will become slaves in the nation of Assyria. They will no longer rule themselves.
In Hebrew, the word Assyria is emphasized here. For example:
and it is Assyria, no one else, that will be his king
If possible, indicate this emphasis in a natural way in your language.
A king is normally a person, not a nation. For that reason, it may not be natural in some languages to say that Assyria will be their king.
Here are some other ways to say this:
and will not those from Assyria be the ones to rule over them
-or-
and it will be the Assyrians whom they must serve
11:5c
because they refused to repent?: There are two interpretations of the relationship of this line to those that come before and after it:
(1) This line relates to the two lines that precede it. It gives the reason that the people will become slaves in Assyria. It is because they refuse to repent. For example:
The Israelites will become captives again, as they were in Egypt, and Assyria will become their king, because they refuse to turn back to God. (New Century Version)
(2) This line relates to the lines that follow it in 11:6. It gives the reason that the sword will flash in their cities and cause destruction. It is because they refuse to repent. For example:
They return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria is their king. Because they refuse to repent, 6 a sword shall descend upon their towns… (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with a majority of versions and commentaries. It is supported by both the Masoretic Text and the early versions.
repent: In Hebrew, this word is literally to “turn” or “return.” The same Hebrew word is used in 11:5a, where it refers to the people’s return to Egypt. Hosea probably used the same word here as a wordplay. The wordplay draws attention to the reason that the people will return to slavery. It is because they refuse to return to the LORD.
In some languages, it is possible to translate the wordplay directly by using the same word in 5a and 5c, as in Hebrew. For example:
They shall return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. (New Revised Standard Version)
In some languages, it may not be possible to use the same word in both places. Translate this line in a natural way in your language.
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