This verse begins with the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And” [King James Version]), which Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and most other versions omit. Here it may be left untranslated.

The pride of Israel witnesses against him: In Hebrew this line is identical to the first line of 5.5 (see comments there). However, there Revised Standard Version translates “The pride of Israel testifies to his face,” but the meaning is the same. Translators should use the same words in both places. The imagery here is from a law court, where pride (Good News Translation “arrogance”) is a witness testifying against Israel. Israel showed pride by trying to manage things by her own strength and by joining with other nations instead of by seeking God’s guidance and help. The Hebrew verb translated witnesses can also be rendered “has been humbled” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), but the word translated against him favors the meaning witnesses. New Jerusalem Bible says “Israel’s arrogance is his own accuser.”

Yet they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him, for all this: Yet renders the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “and”). Here it may introduce how the Israelites are proud: by refusing to return to Yahweh. Revised Standard Version understands this conjunction as contrastive here, which is also possible. The Israelites’ arrogance works against them, but in spite of this they do not want to return to the LORD. Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible use the connector “but” to express the contrast.

In the first line the Israelites are referred to in the singular as a nation (Israel and him), but here there is a switch to the plural to refer to the people (they). Good News Translation consistently uses plural forms for them throughout 7.8-10, and that may be the best way to translate in many languages.

For return to the LORD their God and seek him, see the comments on 3.5. Do not return to the LORD their God includes a refusal to repent. Nor seek him includes a refusal to come and worship him. Bible en français courant includes the idea of not seeking counsel from Yahweh, which was a part of Israelite activity at holy places: “no one has consulted me.” Both returning and seeking were necessary. Good News Translation combines the two clauses and perhaps loses some of the meaning: “they have not returned to me.”

The LORD their God emphasizes that Yahweh has a special relation to Israel out of all the nations because he is their God. Since Yahweh himself is speaking, Good News Translation adds the pronoun “me.”

For all this refers to Israel’s problems described in 7.8-9. For English the logic of the last two lines requires that this phrase be mentioned first. Thus Good News Translation begins these lines with “In spite of everything that has happened.” This phrase can also be translated “In spite of all these disorders.”

A translation model for this verse is:

• Although the pride of the Israelites testifies against them,
they do not return to the LORD their God,
nor do they look for him in all these troubles.

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 .