9:8a
The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman, along with my God: There is a textual issue with the division of clause parts that affects the identity of the watchman:
(1) The watchman is the prophet. The Hebrew clause is literally “a watchman Ephraim with my God a prophet.” For example:
The prophet is a watchman over Israel for my God (New Living Translation (2004))
(2) The watchman is Ephraim. The Hebrew clause is literally “a watchman Ephraim with my God.” The next clause begins with “A prophet….” For example:
Ephraim watches for my God. As for the prophet… (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
(New American Standard Bible, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions and scholars.
prophet: Here the prophet is probably Hosea. In some languages, it may be confusing for Hosea to refer to himself as the prophet.
If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate this verse part:
God has sent me as a prophet to warn his people Israel. (Good News Translation)
-or-
My LORD sent me, his prophet, to watch over you.
along with my God: There is a textual issue with the Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as along with my God :
(1) The original phrase was with my God. It indicates that the prophet was associated with God, and that God and the prophet watched over Ephraim. For example:
The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim on behalf of God (NET Bible)
-or-
Israel, the Lord sent me to look after you. (Contemporary English Version)
(2) Some scholars suggest that the original phrase was “the people of my God.” For example:
The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim, the people of my God (Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions and scholars.
my God: Hosea says my God rather than “your God” or “our God.” Hosea may intend to imply that his God is no longer their God.
watchman: In the time of the Old Testament, a watchman was a person who was stationed on the large wall that surrounded a town. His job was to keep watch and inform people of any danger that he saw. In this context, this term is used as a metaphor to describe God’s prophet.
9:8b–c
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
8b
yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths.
8c
Hostility is in the house of his God !
These lines indicate that the people of Israel responded to Hosea’s warnings with hostility.
yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths. Hostility is in the house of his God!: These verse parts are literally “a trap of a fowler on all his ways animosity in the house of his God.” There are two main ways to interpret the identity of the trapper:
(1) The trapper is the people of Israel. For example:
yet traps are laid in front of him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God. (New Living Translation (2004))
(2) The trapper is the prophet. For example:
but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God (King James Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions and scholars.
9:8b
yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths: This line is a metaphor that compares the people of Israel to people who trap birds. A bird trapper catches birds. Similarly, the people want to trap Hosea to cause him harm. Hosea uses a similar metaphor in 5:1.
In some versions, such as the Berean Standard Bible above, the identity of the bird trapper is left implied. Some versions make explicit that Israel is the trapper. For example:
Israel, the Lord sent me to look after you. But you trap his prophets. (Contemporary English Version)
his paths: This phrase refers to Hosea’s regular activities as a prophet.
9:8c
Hostility is in the house of his God!: This clause repeats the word Hostility from 9:7g. The repetition here may reinforce how intense their hatred was of Hosea and his warnings. They expressed their hatred even in the temple, the house of God.
Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:
He faces hostility even in the house of God. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Even in God’s Temple the people are the prophet’s enemies. (Good News Translation)
-or-
There is enmity in the very temple of God. (Revised English Bible)
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