A band of drunkards, they give themselves to harlotry: This verse contains many textual uncertainties. According to Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, the Hebrew text of the first line can be understood in the following two ways: “Their drunken orgy has ceased, (they have indulged enough in prostitution)” and “The drunken orgy of those who have indulged in prostitution has ceased.”
The phrase a band of drunkards is based on several emendations of the Hebrew and is not closely related to the context. Good News Translation says “After drinking much wine” (similarly New International Version, New American Bible), which expresses the Hebrew and makes sense. Bible en français courant is similar, but understands the beginning of this verse as continuing from the end of 4.17, saying “Let them 18 complete their orgies.” However, it seems equally possible to follow the interpretation of Good News Translation, that after ending their drinking they go on to prostitution. This is Hebrew Old Testament Text Project‘s preferred understanding of the Hebrew (a {B} decision).
They give themselves to harlotry renders an emphatic verbal expression in the Hebrew, which is literally “to commit prostitution they commit prostitution.” It means they engage in harlotry completely, with utter abandon. Here their “prostitution” is probably not cultic sex but the nonreligious sexual immorality that is often associated with drunkenness. For this whole line New American Bible has “When their carousing is over, they give themselves to harlotry.”
They love shame more than their glory: This line in Hebrew also has textual problems. Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation follow the Septuagint, assuming that its translators had a more accurate Hebrew text before them. However, research has indicated that this may not be true. Here some of the Hebrew can make sense, and our comments will follow the preference of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (a {B} decision). The Hebrew is literally “they have loved they love the shame of her shields.” The verb for “love” is used twice. It seems best to assume that this is another intensive verbal expression, which means “they utterly love.” Instead of glory, the Hebrew text has “shields.” One interpretation is that the “shield” was a recognized metaphor for a leader or a prince, so it is possible to think of the Hebrew for this line as saying “they loved utterly the shame of their princes [or, leaders].” In other words, just as the priests have led the people astray, so their chiefs have given them an evil example, and they love to follow them into such wickedness.
However, a better interpretation is that, instead of “shields,” this is an example of northern Hebrew, where the word meant “gifts.” Thus the Hebrew can be understood as “they love very much the shame of her gifts.” Instead of speaking in a general way about how the Israelites love to engage in prostitution, the text calls attention to their gifts to the prostitutes, as a poetic symbol for the entire sinful act.
If possible, translators should match the word for shame here with that used in 4.7, and the expression for harlotry should reflect that used in 4.10. This will help the reader see the connection between sections B-c (4.7-11) and B-c′ (4.15-19).
This entire verse can be seen as a continuation of the words of the LORD addressing the people of Israel, so the third person plural pronouns can be replaced with second person pronouns in agreement with the preceding verses (see the model below).
A translation model for this verse is:
• Barely recovered from your hangover,
you rush to the harlots.
You are fond of the disgrace of their gifts.
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 .