The Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And” [King James Version]) may be omitted (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation).

They do not cry to me from the heart: Cry to me refers to prayer. From the heart involves one’s innermost being, with nothing hidden, so Good News Translation says “They have not prayed to me sincerely.” The Hebrew preposition for from can also be translated “with,” so another possible model is “They do not pray to me in full allegiance.” Mays contends that the heart represents the mind here, and that Israel showed its stupidity by engaging in pagan forms of worship. Good News Translation‘s interpretation of this line is commendable in the context of the “lies” of the previous verse.

But they wail upon their beds: The context shows that the verb wail is used in the sense of religious worship, and it contrasts with proper prayer of the first line. It is not clear which beds are in focus here. Given the context, it is most likely a type of couch used for pagan rituals (compare Isa 57.7). Upon their beds may therefore imply that they are engaging in pagan fertility rites, forms of religious prostitution, in order to encourage their crops to grow (see comments on 1.2). Good News Translation‘s “they throw themselves down and wail as the heathen do” shows that this was a heathen custom but misses the implied meaning of engaging in religious prostitution. Some think it is possible that a regular form of praying while on one’s bed at home is implied (see Psa 4.4; 149.5), but the context of the third line makes this highly unlikely.

For grain and wine they gash themselves: This line is a difficult one to handle. There are two valid interpretations:

1. Revised Standard Version understands it to continue with the subject of pagan worship by emending the Hebrew verb to read gash. Baal worshipers apparently gashed themselves to reinforce important petitions (see 1 Kgs 18.28). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “and they make gashes on themselves so that I will hear their prayers for grain and wine,” and Bible en français courant has “they gash their bodies in the hope of obtaining better crops and better grape harvests.” Good News Translation follows this interpretation quite clearly: “When they pray for grain and wine, they gash themselves like pagans.” Contemporary English Version is even more explicit: “and slashed themselves in the hope that Baal will bless their crops.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project favors this interpretation, but as a {C} decision, which means that there is some serious doubt.

2. Instead of gash, the Hebrew text has a verb meaning “dwell” or “sojourn.” More recent studies show that the northern Israelite use of this verb often implies dwelling with a woman and including the idea of religious prostitution. So here the prophet is talking about the Israelites committing prostitution in order to encourage the false gods to give them crops of grain and wine. A possible model that follows this interpretation is “for grain and wine they commit [religious] adultery.” This fits with the statement about beds in the previous line.

Grain crops were mostly wheat and barley, and wine came from their grape vines (see comments on 2.8).

They rebel against me repeats the idea expressed in 7.13. To worship another god or to worship Yahweh in a pagan fashion was rebellion. Good News Translation‘s “What rebels they are!” fails to indicate whom they are rebelling against, although this may be understood from the context.

Translation models for this verse are:

• They do not pray to me with full commitment,
but are howling as pagans on their couches.
They cut themselves to beg their gods for grain and wine,
and they turn against me.

• They do not call on me sincerely,
but they wail on their beds,
prostituting themselves for grain and wine,
thus turning against me.

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 .