2:22a
And the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine and oil: This figurative statement implies that the earth will respond to a request from its produce (grain, wine, and oil) that it provide the moisture or fertile soil that the plants need.
Here are some other ways to translate this figurative statement:
• Make some of the implied information explicit. For example:
Then the earth will answer ⌊the thirsty cries of ⌋ the grain, the grapes, and the olive trees ⌊for moisture ⌋. (New Living Translation (1996))
• If the figure of the earth answering a request from its crops is not meaningful in your language, translate the meaning directly. For example:
and the earth will produce grain and grapes and olives. (Good News Translation)
The first option forms a better parallel with 2:21b. For the terms grain, new wine, and oil, see the notes in 2:8b.
the new wine: Here the term new wine is probably a figure of speech that represents the grapevines or grapes that were the source of the wine. For example:
grapevines (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
grapes (Good News Translation)
Translate this term in a way that makes good sense in this context.
2:22b
and they will respond to Jezreel: This figurative statement implies that the crops mentioned in 2:22a will respond to the request from Jezreel for a plentiful harvest. Here the name Jezreel represents the nation or people of Israel.
Here are some other ways to translate this figurative statement:
• Make some of the implied information explicit. For example:
They will answer ⌊the request of my people, ⌋ Jezreel, ⌊for a plentiful harvest ⌋.
• If the figure of crops answering a nation is not meaningful in your language, translate the meaning directly. For example:
These ⌊crops ⌋ will supply ⌊the desire of my people, ⌋ Jezreel, ⌊for a good harvest ⌋.
Jezreel: Hosea’s audience understood three things from the term Jezreel :
(a) The Hebrew word sounds like the word for “Israel” and refers to it.
(b) The Hebrew word in the context of the following verse means “God plants.”
(c) This is the name of Hosea’s first son. His name referred to the bloodshed of Jehu in the Jezreel Valley. Here the positive use of the word Jezreel changes the negative use of the same word in 1:4–5.
You may want to include this information in a footnote. Following is an example based on the NET Bible footnote:
The Hebrew word “Jezreel” implies three things here: (1) The name “Jezreel” sounds similar to the name “Israel.” So to respond to Jezreel means to respond to Israel. (2) The name “Jezreel” here means “God plants.” (3) This good meaning of “Jezreel” changes the bad meaning of “Jezreel” in 1:4–5 (bloodshed of Jehu in the Jezreel Valley).
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