Translation commentary on Hosea 14:9

Whoever is wise is literally “Who is wise?” This rhetorical question serves as a kind of challenge to the reader. The word for wise in Hebrew includes such things as being skillful at a trade, being a good administrator, being shrewd or cunning, being a learned person, being prudent and careful, and doing the right thing ethically and religiously. Translators should use a term for someone who can take these words of Hosea and apply them in a good and wholesome manner.

Let him understand these things: The Hebrew verb rendered understand comes from a root meaning “to know” or “to perceive” something. By using the words wise and understand, Hosea is telling his audience that they should see clearly what his words are saying and then put them to use in a wise manner.

The Hebrew text uses the masculine pronoun him, but the intention is obviously wider. This is clearly not an attempt to exclude women. Many languages only have one third person singular pronoun (for example, Kiswahili and related languages), so there is no problem of gender inclusiveness. Otherwise, an option to avoid the problem could be to use a plural pronoun, if it does not require a distinction between masculine and feminine (for example, “them” in English).

Whoever is discerning is literally “[Who is] discerning?” The Hebrew word for discerning comes from the same root as understand, so this rhetorical question can be taken as introducing the next logical step to take, once someone “understands” what is written.

Let him know them refers to gathering information in one’s memory. In other words, once a person truly understands what is good and right, he needs to keep this in his mind so that he can apply it whenever needed.

There are several ways in which leading translations have expressed these first two lines of the verse, which each begin with a rhetorical question that gives a challenge:

King James Version says “Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them?” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Zürcher Bibel). This rendering seems to imply that it is difficult to be wise enough and prudent enough to understand the things of this book. Or else, these questions may be a challenge to be wise enough and prudent enough to do this.
New International Version translates “Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them.” New International Version asks who is wise and discerning, and then states that they will understand and know these things.
Good News Translation expresses these lines as pious wishes, not as questions: “May those who are wise understand what is written here, and may they take it to heart” (similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy).
Revised English Bible‘s translation may be understood as giving advice, almost a command: “Let the wise consider these things and let the prudent acknowledge them.” Jerusalem Bible is similar with “Let the wise man understand these words. Let the intelligent man grasp their meaning.”
Bible en français courant takes these lines as two conditions with results: “If anyone is intelligent, he will understand the words of Hosea; if there is someone wise, he will understand its meaning.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh is similar with “He who is wise will consider these words, he who is prudent will take note of them” (similarly Revised Standard Version).

For the ways of the LORD are right: For renders the Hebrew word ki, which is most likely an emphatic particle in this context, so it is better translated “surely” or “indeed” (Bible en français courant).

In this context the ways of the LORD are right means that all the things Yahweh does are honest, good, and correct. Even if he has to bring judgment against people, he is right and fair to do so. The Hebrew word for right is literally “straight.”

And the upright walk in them: Yahweh’s ways are also paths that his people follow. He has set the path, and both he and those who follow him stay on that path. The Hebrew word for upright carries the idea of being straight, right, in all that one does. It is a close synonym to the word for right.

But transgressors stumble in them. When sinful people walk along Yahweh’s paths, they cannot remain straight and upright, but they stumble and fall. The Hebrew word for transgressors refers to people who rebel. Here they intentionally go against God. For the verb stumble, see the comments on 5.5.

If the figurative language in the last two lines of this verse is not understood in the receptor language, it may be necessary to drop the figures, as in Bijbel in Gewone Taal, which says “Live therefore according to his will. If you do not, it will be bad for you.” However, this translation loses the typical flavor of Old Testament wisdom literature.

A translation model for this verse is:

• Who is wise?
Let them understand these things.
Who is clever?
Let them consider these words.
The ways of the LORD are surely right,
so the righteous will walk in them,
but the rebellious will stumble in 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 .

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