And in that day, says the LORD: See the comments on 2.16. The phrase in that day marks this section as the third in the series of three promises. Here Yahweh promises that he will restore agricultural blessings to Israel, and that Israel will be his people again. So verses 21-23 should be formatted as a separate paragraph or as a separate stanza (so Revised Standard Version). In that day should be translated in a way that relates it with the same phrase in 2.16 and 2.18.

Says the LORD frequently occurs at the beginning of a promise to help. Good News Translation omits this phrase because it is clear in English that Yahweh is continuing to speak. However, translators should keep it if possible.

I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel: The Hebrew verb for answer often implies that someone has asked for help, or that someone has prayed. Therefore a number of translations have made “prayers” explicit (so Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). However, the assumption that prayers are implicit in this text is questionable. In general the verb that is used implies a response to needs. Whether these needs have been expressed or not is not relevant. This verb is also used in liturgical contexts.

In the Hebrew text the phrase I will answer also occurs in the first line of verse 21. New Revised Standard Version therefore begins verse 21 with “On that day I will answer, says the LORD, I will answer the heavens….” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have left the first occurrence implied, since it would be redundant in English. Moreover, it is missing in two ancient versions: the Septuagint and the Peshitta (the ancient Syriac translation). However, for artistic reasons it may be helpful to retain this phrase. In many languages repetition reinforces the poetic nature of the passage. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) keeps it by beginning these verses with “ ‘At that time,’ says the Lord, ‘I will hearken to the prayers that ascend to me,’ ” and so does Bible en français courant with “On that day, says the Lord, I will be a God who responds.” In Hebrew the repetition serves to introduce and emphasize I will answer as a key expression. The verb answer is then used three more times, corresponding to the threefold “I will betroth you to me” in 2.19-20. Such a threefold use of a term in Hebrew is a sign of completeness and finality.

Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew order of answers: Yahweh answers the heavens (that is, the sky) by giving rain, the heavens answer the earth by letting rain fall, the earth answers the grain, the wine, and the oil by nourishing the plants that produce these foods, and the foods answer the prayers of Jezreel (that is, Israel). Bible en français courant follows this order also, but with a more appropriate set of terms as follows: “I will respond to the needs of the sky, which will respond to the needs of the earth, which will respond to the needs of the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil; and all these will respond to the needs of Jezreel.” Since the chain of need begins with Israel, Good News Translation puts the answer to Israel’s prayer first. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) retains the Hebrew order but omits some of the repetition for stylistic purposes, saying “The heavens will not pray to me in vain, and the earth not [pray] in vain to the heavens; the threshing floor and [wine] press will not pray in vain to the earth, and Jezreel not [pray] in vain to the threshing floor and press.” Bijbel in Gewone Taal makes it explicit that the first prayer is “for rain.” The rest of its rendering for verses 21-22 follows the Hebrew literally, thereby preserving the repetitive poetic nature of the verses.

It is implied that the heavens will be the source of rain that will give nurture to the earth, and the earth in turn will give nurture to the various plants, which in turn will nurture Jezreel. For the Hebrew words rendered grain, wine and oil, see 2.8. Since the list of foods produced by the earth begins with unprocessed grain, Good News Translation continues with unprocessed “grapes” and “olives” rather than with the juices that are produced by squeezing them. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) follows Wolff’s suggestion that the grain, wine, and oil are evidently meager on the threshing floors and in the presses, and that one can therefore translate freely that the cry for help comes from the threshing floors and the presses.

Jezreel is used here in a beautiful but complicated poetic image. It recalls the name of Hosea’s first son, which means “God sows [seed]” and carries the promise that God will bless his people (see 1.11). It is also the name of the valley that had been taken over by the Assyrians (see comments on 1.5). The people of Israel depended heavily upon the Valley of Jezreel as an agricultural area, and so what occurred there affected all Israel. It is also significant that the Hebrew names “Israel” and “Jezreel” have a similar sound. Good News Translation renders Jezreel as “Israel,” which is immediately understood, and explains in a footnote that “The Hebrew text here refers to Israel as Jezreel.” If the translator uses “Jezreel” in the text, there should be a footnote explaining that the name refers to Israel and that it means “God sows [seed],” especially since the Hebrew verb for “sow” is the first word in the next verse.

The sky, the earth, and the plants in this verse are spoken of as if they are persons. This figure of speech is called “personification.” Since in some languages it is hard to follow the chain of answers by the personified sky, earth and plants, Good News Translation drops the personification and states directly that God will answer Israel’s prayer by sending rain and causing the earth to grow the plants necessary for food. If the personification can be kept, the text generates more impact. Hosea makes it clear that Yahweh, not Baal, is behind the rain, earth, and plants that produce food.

A translation model for this verse is:

• 21 When that happens
I will answer.
-The LORD speaks-
I will answer the sky,
the sky will answer the earth,
22 the earth will answer the grain, the wine and the olive oil,
and they will answer Jezreel.

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 .