This verse clearly refers to Yahweh in the first person, using the pronoun I. A literal translation of the Hebrew is:

And I, I taught to walk to Ephraim,
he took them up in his arms,
and not they realized that I [had] healed them.

Yet renders the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”). Here it introduces something unexpected in connection with the previous verse. The Israelites worshiped Baal, even though it was Yahweh himself who taught them to walk when they were just a child. This conjunction may also be rendered “However.”

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk: It was I who (Good News Translation “I was the one who”) renders an emphatic Hebrew pronominal construction. It is an independent pronoun and the regular pronominal affix on the verb. Most languages will have a way to show the emphasis on the pronoun I. It was not someone else who acted as a parent and taught Israel to walk, as one teaches a small child, but it was Yahweh. In African languages belonging to the Bantu family, the use of an independent pronoun to add emphasis is common.

According to most commentators, taught … to walk renders a rare causative form of the Hebrew verb meaning “to walk.” Some suggest this form of the verb means “to guide” or “to lead,” so this line may be rendered “Yet it was I who led Ephraim” ( NET Bible) or “But it was I who was a guide for Ephraim.” The fact that the Hebrew text uses a preposition meaning “to” or “for” with Ephraim supports this interpretation.

Ephraim refers to the northern kingdom of Israel (see comments on 4.17). Once again Good News Translation uses “Israel” for clarity.

I took them up in my arms: As noted above, the Hebrew for this line is literally “he took them up in his arms.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Hebrew text, but with a somewhat weak {C} decision. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project assumes this line in Hebrew is a “parenthetical expression.” However, it is difficult to see how it can function as a parenthetical expression in this context. The switch from first person in the previous line (I) to third person for Yahweh here (“he” and “his”) is strange. It causes many scholars to wonder if the standard Hebrew text (Masoretic Text) is no longer the original here. Revised Standard Version follows some Hebrew manuscripts and several ancient versions by translating I took them up in my arms, which seems to make good sense. However, the order of this line and the previous one does not make very good sense: first teaching the Israelites how to walk, and then taking them up in his arms. In view of this, our preferred reading here is “I took them by their arms,” and this is the manner in which the child is taught to walk. Contemporary English Version provides a helpful model for the first two lines: “I took Israel by the arm and taught them to walk.” This model uses the English common expression of “arm” in the singular, while the Hebrew uses the plural. And it also reverses the order of the two lines according to the normal order in English for describing the order of taking the arm first, then teaching to walk. If this reading is chosen, changing the order of the lines is not necessary.

But they did not know that I healed them: But renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “and”). Here it introduces another unexpected event. The prophets often reminded the Israelites of God’s care for them, so they should have known about it. But it was not in their minds at this time, whether they forgot, or did not remember, or simply paid no attention. Wolff suggests “But they did not perceive that I cared for them.”

I healed them expresses the normal meaning of the Hebrew verb here, but it sometimes includes more than just healing from illness. It can include restored favor and forgiveness. Or it can refer to restored comfort, prosperity, or well-being, because the difficulties of the past have been like a sickness or a disease. The Israelites’ time of bondage in Egypt was like a sickness or disease from which they needed healing. Good News Translation translates “I took care of them,” which is also possible in this context, especially as we look at the next verse. But something that includes the idea of healing and restoration is preferable. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “But they have ignored My healing care.”

A translation model for this verse is:

• However, I was the one who was a guide for Ephraim,
I took him by his arm.
But the people did not realize
that I had cared for them.

Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .