8:13a–b
The first two lines contrast the sacrifices that the people offered to the LORD with the LORD’s refusal to accept them.
13a Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat,
13b and the LORD does not accept them.
8:13a
Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me: There is a textual issue with the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gifts to Me :
(1) This word in the Masoretic Text comes from a verb that means “give.” The whole phrase is literally “the sacrifices of my gifts.” This phrase means that the sacrifices that the people offered to the LORD are their gifts to him. For example:
They offer up sacrificial gifts to me (NET Bible)
(2) Some scholars think that this word comes from a verb that means “love.” They propose that the original Hebrew phrase meant that the people love to offer sacrifices. For example:
They love sacrifice (Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It provides the most straightforward understanding of the Masoretic Text and does not require changes to the words.
In the Hebrew clause “they sacrifice the sacrifices of my gifts,” the phrase “sacrifices of my gifts” is the topic of the sentence.
Here are some ways to focus the reader’s attention on this topic:
As for My sacrificial gifts (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Concerning the gifts that the people offer to me
Some versions leave it implicit that the sacrifices were gifts to the LORD. For example, the New Jerusalem Bible does not use the word gifts explicitly. It has:
They offer sacrifices to me
and though they eat the meat: This whole statement (8:13a) probably implies that the people were not sincere when they offered these sacrifices to the LORD. They cared only about eating the meat of the animals that they offered. Some versions make explicit this implied information. For example:
When they present sacrifices to Me, It is but flesh for them to eat (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
8:13b
the LORD does not accept them: There are two ways to interpret the referent of the pronoun them :
(1) The word them refers to the sacrifices. The LORD was not pleased with the sacrifices that the people offered. For example:
but I, the Lord, do not accept these sacrifices. (God’s Word)
(Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004))
(2) The word them refers to the people. The LORD was not pleased with the people who were making the sacrifices. For example:
They offer sacrifices to me and eat the meat, they do not win Yahweh’s favour. (New Jerusalem Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Many versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, leave the pronoun referent implicit. In these versions, either interpretation is possible.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
but I, the Lord, refuse your offerings (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
but to me their sacrifices are all meaningless. (New Living Translation (2004))
8:13c–d
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
13c Now He will remember their iniquity
13d and punish their sins :
Now: This word indicates here that it is time for the LORD to judge.
He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: In this context, these words mean that he will respond to their disobedience in an appropriate way. His response will be to punish them for their sins.
8:13e
They will return to Egypt: This clause tells how the LORD will punish the people. It should probably be understood figuratively as a return to slavery. It means that the people will become slaves again. It does not mean here that the people will literally return to Egypt.
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