7:1a
When I heal Israel: For the phrase When I, see the note on the parallel phrase in 6:11b. The phrase I heal Israel is a metaphor. It refers to the LORD’s desire to restore Israel’s relationship with him and restore their prosperity as a nation. It is implied from 7:1b–c that the LORD is unable to fulfill this desire due to the wickedness of the people.
Here are some ways to make explicit the idea of unfulfilled desire:
whenever I want to heal Israel… (NET Bible)
-or-
at the same time as I desire to heal Israel…
General Comment on 6:11b–7:1a
In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine the parallel parts. For example:
Whenever I want to heal my people Israel and make them prosperous again, (Good News Translation)
-or-
I, the Lord, would like to make my nation prosperous again and to heal its wounds. (Contemporary English Version)
See the following notes on 7:1b–c for more details on how these two versions express the connection with the following verse parts.
7:1b–c
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
1b
the iniquity of Ephraim will be exposed
1c as well as the crimes of Samaria.
There is an ellipsis in 7:1c. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing verb from 7:1b. For example:
1c
the crimes of Samaria ⌊will also be exposed ⌋.
Following the recommended interpretation, these lines conclude the sentence that starts in 6:11b. They express the reason that God’s desire to bless and heal Israel is not fulfilled. It is because the sins of the people are clearly seen.
the iniquity…the crimes: In Hebrew, the word iniquity is a general word for sin and guilt. The word crimes is literally “evils.” It refers to actions that are against God’s will, such as dishonest or immoral behavior. In this context, these parallel words are used for poetic effect. These words draw attention to the people’s disobedience of God’s laws and the harm the people cause.
Here are some other ways to translate these words:
the corruption…the wicked deeds (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
the guilt…the wickedness (Revised English Bible)
-or-
their wickedness…the evil they do (Good News Translation)
Ephraim…Samaria: Ephraim, the main tribe of Israel, is used as a figure of speech to represent the entire nation of Israel. Samaria, the capital of Israel, is also a figure of speech that represents all the people of the nation. Since both names refer to Israel, some versions make only the name “Israel” explicit. For example:
Whenever I want to heal my people Israel and make them prosperous again, all I can see is their wickedness and the evil they do. (Good News Translation)
7:1b
will be exposed: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as exposed is a form of the same word that describes exposing the lewdness of Gomer in 2:10a. It means to be uncovered or exposed.
This is a passive clause. In some languages, it may be necessary to use an active verb and to make the agent explicit. Probably the agent here is the sins themselves. Sinful actions show themselves through their own harmful results. For example:
When I would heal Israel,
The guilt of Ephraim reveals itself (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
Another way to translate this idea using active verbs is to express who sees the sins instead of expressing what agent exposed them. For example:
Whenever I want to heal Israel, all I can see is Ephraim’s sin and Samaria’s wickedness. (God’s Word)
General Comment on 7:1b–c
In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine the parallel parts. For example, the Contemporary English Version combines “sins” with “crimes”:
but then I see the crimes in Israel and Samaria. (Contemporary English Version)
General Comment on 6:11b–7:1c
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder some of the parts in these clauses. It may also be more natural to express the relationships between the parts in a different way. For example:
Although I long to heal my people and make them prosperous again, I cannot. That is because their sins and evil deeds are so obvious.
-or-
I want to restore the prosperity of my people. I want to heal Israel. But then I see before me the corruption of Ephraim and the wickedness of Samaria. It is too much !
7:1d–f
These verse parts further explain the statements in 7:1b–c by giving examples of the sins that are clearly seen. In Hebrew and in some English versions, these examples are introduced with a conjunction as in the Berean Standard Bible.
Many versions do not have a conjunction here. Instead they let the context imply the relationship of these verse parts to the previous clauses. For example:
People cheat each other. (God’s Word)
Use a natural way in your language to introduce explanatory examples.
7:1d
they practice deceit: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “they do [a] falsehood/lie.” It refers to words and actions that are false. It includes telling lies, giving false testimony in court, and cheating, or deceiving others.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they deceive one another
-or-
People cheat each other. (God’s Word)
7:1e–f
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
1e and thieves break in;
1f
bandits raid in the streets.
The contrasting locations, inside and outside, are probably a figure of speech (merism). This figure of speech uses the contrast of inside and outside to mean “everywhere.” It means that people commit these crimes everywhere in the nation of Israel. Some versions make the contrast more explicit. For example:
Thieves are on the inside and bandits on the outside ! (New Living Translation (2004))
thieves…bandits: In Hebrew, the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as bandits describes a group of robbers who steal from people and often murder them. It is a different form of the same word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “raiders” in 6:9a.
Here are some other ways to translate these words:
Thieves…robbers (New Century Version)
break in…raid in the streets: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as break in is literally “enters.” The idea of breaking into houses to steal from people is implied in the context.
The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as raid in the streets is literally “attacks…outside.” The word “attacks” means to assault or even murder someone and take their clothing and possessions.
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