In the womb he took his brother by the heel: This line recalls the birth of Jacob and Esau (Gen 25.22, 26). Good News Translation expands In the womb (literally “In the belly”), saying “while the two of them were still in their mother’s womb.” Rather than rendering any of these versions literally, we advise translators to choose an appropriate expression in the receptor language.

For he took his brother by the heel, Good News Translation has “Their ancestor Jacob struggled with his twin brother Esau.” The name “Jacob” has to be made explicit if in the previous verse the name “Israel” has been used. The name “Jacob” comes from the same Hebrew root as the verb rendered took … by the heel. There is evidence that this verb means “deceive” in the Hebrew dialect of northern Israel. However, since this is a clear reference to the Genesis story, we should use the meaning found there.

In this first line Revised Standard Version renders the Hebrew literally. Translators will need to decide if their readers know the Genesis story and will understand this literal rendering. They may need to expand in a way similar to Good News Translation, although a less verbose (wordy) translation is preferable.

And in his manhood he strove with God: This line recalls the time Jacob wrestled with the angel of God (Gen 32.24-30). In his manhood (Good News Translation “when Jacob grew up”) contrasts with In the womb. Good News Translation renders he strove with God as “he fought against God,” which emphasizes the idea of the two fighting against each other. Revised Standard Version‘s rendering expresses the idea of Jacob and God being in a struggle with each other, as in a contest. This description fits the story in Genesis better. Another possible model is “he struggled with God.” In the Genesis story Jacob is given the new name “Israel,” which sounds like the Hebrew for he strove with God.

In the Genesis story Jacob struggled with a “man” (Gen 32.24), but afterward he recognized that somehow it was a struggle with “God” (Gen 32.30). Many assume that it was the angel of God, who somehow fully represented God himself. Here in Hosea New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “he strove with a divine being.” But this verse simply refers to God, which translators should express.

A translation model for this verse is:

• In the womb Jacob grabbed his brother’s heel,
in his prime he struggled with God.

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 .