Paragraph 9:15–16 and 9:17
In the Berean Standard Bible and some other versions, 9:15–17 are one paragraph. TN will divide these verses into two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, the LORD is the speaker. He describes his punishment against Israel. In the second paragraph, Hosea is the speaker. He prophesies about Israel’s future situation.
9:15a–b
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
15a
All their evil appears at Gilgal, for there I hated them.
15b
I will drive them from My house for the wickedness of their deeds.
9:15a
All their evil appears at Gilgal, for there I hated them: In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “all their wickedness at Gilgal for/indeed there I hated them on the wickedness of their deeds.” There are two main ways to interpret this clause:
(1) Because of all the wickedness of the people at Gilgal, God hated the people there. For example:
All their wickedness at Gilgal aroused my hatred. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Because of all their evil in Gilgal, I hate them there. (NET Bible)
(2) All the wickedness of the people was at Gilgal. That is where their wickedness began and/or that is where the LORD began to hate them. For example:
Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. (English Standard Version)
-or-
All their evildoing began in Gilgal. It was there that I began to hate them. (Good News Translation)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The city of Gilgal was well known as a place where people worshiped idols, but it was not the only center for idol worship.
Gilgal: The city of Gilgal was a major center of idol worship among the Israelites. See the note for 4:15b.
I hated them: This phrase means that the LORD opposed, detested, and rejected them. Hate separates people and keeps them distant. Here the hatred is intense. The word indicates that the LORD broke off his relationship with the people of Israel.
9:15b
I will drive them from My house for the wickedness of their deeds: This line probably refers to the people of the entire nation of Israel. The people of Israel are very wicked like those in Gilgal. As a consequence, the LORD will drive them out of his house.
I will drive them from My house: This clause probably means that the LORD will expel the people from his family. They will no longer enjoy the LORD’s blessings that he provided as part of his covenant relationship with them. This clause is similar to the statement “you are not my people, and I am not your God” in Hosea 1:9.
One aspect of this broken relationship will be physical separation. The LORD will expel the people from the land of Israel (The Good News Translation has: “out of my land.”). However, this translation unnecessarily limits the intended meaning. The land is only one privilege of the covenant that they will lose.
Most versions use the literal word house to translate this clause. But in Hosea, the LORD’s house usually refers to the temple. It is recommended that you use a different word or phrase here to avoid this wrong meaning. For example:
I will expel them from my household/family.
-or-
I will disown them.
wickedness of their deeds: Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
evil (Good News Translation)
-or-
evil actions (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
wickedness of their deeds (New Revised Standard Version)
9:15c
I will no longer love them: The LORD’s love for the people of Israel is another privilege of the covenant they will lose. This statement expresses the same idea as “I hated them” in 9:15a. See the note there for more information on the meaning and implications of this statement. This statement is very similar to “I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel” in 1:6.
all their leaders are rebellious: The leaders of Israel repeatedly refused to follow the demands of the LORD. Their stubborn attitude was probably a major cause of the nation’s rebellion against the LORD. But the focus here is on the leaders themselves.
The word leaders refers to those who rule the kingdom of Israel. It includes the king, his officials, and military leaders. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
all their princes are rebels (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
all their rulers are in revolt (Revised English Bible)
-or-
all their officials are disloyal (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
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