Now is literally “And now.” This expression interrupts the normal flow of events and adds emphasis. It indicates that what follows is the climax of Yahweh’s punishment on Israel (2.10-13), which contrasts with what he had done previously for her. Now does not mean “present time” in this context. Many languages do not have an equivalent for this connector and may have to allow the context to imply that the climax is in view here (so Good News Translation). Possible English equivalents for it are “So then,” “Now then,” and “So now” (New International Version).

I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers is a third way of referring to stripping the woman naked (see 2.3, 9). This Hebrew expression will not be clear in most languages if translated literally. In fact, it is not clear whether the general idea of lewdness is the meaning of the Hebrew, or whether it refers to the woman’s sexual organ as being uncovered. Here the emphasis is on exposing her so that people will know she has been lewd, immodest, and shameless. New Revised Standard Version renders uncover her lewdness as “uncover her shame,” which is somewhat helpful. New English Bible has “show her up for the lewd thing she is,” which makes her lewdness explicit but depends on the previous verse to supply the idea of nakedness. The receptor language may have a proper euphemism available to express the embarrassing situation of stripping someone naked.

In the sight of her lovers does not mean that the lovers will find out she is immodest. Instead, Yahweh shows he is bold enough to strip her naked in their presence, because he knows that no one can stop him from doing it. He is more powerful than her lovers, which are the helpless pagan idols Israel has been worshiping.

And no one shall rescue her out of my hand: The Hebrew verb for rescue is the same one rendered “take away” in 2.9 (see comments there). My hand refers to Yahweh’s power. Good News Translation makes this clear by rendering this clause as “and no one will be able to save her from my power” (similarly Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982)), and so does New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh with “And none shall save her from Me” (similarly Bible en français courant).

A translation model for this verse is:

• So then, I will fully expose her in disgrace
in the presence of her lovers.
No one will snatch her out of my hand.

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 .