I have spurned your calf, O Samaria: Spurned renders the same Hebrew verb used in 8.3. Yahweh responds to Israel spurning what is good by himself spurning their calf-idol. Instead of I have spurned, the Hebrew text reads “He has spurned” (see Revised Standard Version footnote). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh follows the Hebrew with “He rejects” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). However, the Hebrew form of this verb is debated. Two ancient versions understood it as passive: “Your calf, O Samaria, is spurned.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives this reading a {B} rating, so there is some doubt about it. Wolff suggests the imperative: “Throw away your calf, O Samaria!” (similarly New International Version, New American Bible, Bible en français courant). This reading is supported by the way the Septuagint understood the Hebrew text. New English Bible uses the verb “stink,” which does not fit the context well. It seems best to think of this Hebrew verb either as passive, or as active as in the Revised Standard Version footnote, assuming that the prophet has again switched between first and third person when referring to God as speaker. In either case, it then is legitimate to translate with a functional equivalent, as in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, clearly indicating Yahweh as the agent. In any case, the term used here should show that this action relates to 8.3, where Israel “spurned the good.”
De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling offers a totally different solution, which is very defendable on the basis of the Hebrew text. It takes the calf as the subject of the verb, saying “Your calf rejects you, Samaria.” This translation also contrasts well with 8.3.
The Hebrew term for calf refers to a young bull in the prime of its youth, but still dependent upon its mother. In Canaanite myth and idol worship, such a calf was a prominent symbol for certain gods, especially Baal. This verse refers to a “calf-idol” (New International Version) for Yahweh. The Israelites had two such idols, one at Bethel and the other at Dan (see 1 Kgs 12.28-30; 2 Kgs 10.29). Here the one in Bethel is in view (10.5). They probably were made of wood, thinly covered with gold or with gold leaf. Some scholars think that each calf-idol was thought of as a throne or pedestal upon which the true and invisible God sat or stood, much as the Covenant Box in Jerusalem, with its “mercy seat” formed by two golden cherubim. While that may have been the original intention when the calf-idols were placed in position, this context and references elsewhere indicate that the people worshiped them as the deity (see 1 Kgs 12.28).
Good News Translation renders Samaria as “the city of Samaria” and assumes that the calf-idol was in that city. But 10.5 indicates that it was worshiped by the people of Samaria in Bethel. Therefore it is better to take Samaria as meaning “the country of Samaria” or “you people of Samaria” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch; similarly Bible en français courant). For Samaria as another name for the northern kingdom of Israel, see 7.1.
My anger burns against them: The Hebrew term for God’s anger is used for the first time in this book but occurs again (11.9; 13.11; 14.4). God’s burning anger regularly occurs in the context of Israel’s idolatry, and in Hosea it always occurs with the first person pronoun my. The figure of burning anger may be culture specific. If “burning anger” does not communicate the intended meaning in the receptor language, it may have to be translated with a different figure or with a nonfigurative expression, such as “I am very angry with them” or “I am furious with them” (Good News Translation). In some cultures the color “red” represents fierce anger. The pronoun them refers to the people of Samaria, that is, the Israelites. In the previous line God addresses them directly, but here he uses the third person for them. In some languages it may be better to use second person throughout this section for the Israelites (so Contemporary English Version) or third person (so Good News Translation).
How long will it be till they are pure…?: The Hebrew expression for How long is often used in laments (see, for example, Psa 6.3; 74.10), so a common lament form used by humans is now used by God himself. This is a rhetorical question, and the expected answer is “Never!” This question may also be rendered “Will they never be…?” There are places in the Old Testament where the Hebrew expression for How long can mean “forever” instead of introducing a question, and in this case, it could be connected with the previous line: “My anger burns against them forever.” However, because of the poetic structure of this verse, How long seems to be the better way to understand the Hebrew. Rhetorical questions, like other figures of speech, are specific to the receptor language. In some languages an emphatic statement is better here, for example, “They will always remain unclean!” Or a different kind of rhetorical question may be appropriate, for example, “Will they remain unclean forever?”
The Hebrew term for pure refers to innocence in the sense of freedom from guilt. This word also suggests ritual purity. In this context God views the Israelites as ritually unclean because of their idolatry, so Good News Translation has “How long will it be before they give up their idolatry?” Another possible model is “… before they are cleansed from the impurity of idol worship?” In this model both the impurity and the idolatry are made explicit. Bible en français courant (1982) has “How long will you be unable to remain without reproach?” New Jerusalem Bible says “How long will it be before they recover their innocence?” Another possible model is “Will they never become pure?” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) uses expressive language: “Get busy, at last, to sweep out this rubbish!” However, this rendering seems to depart unnecessarily from the Hebrew text. New English Bible uses a strong statement, saying “Long will it be before they prove innocent,” but this lacks the desperation expressed by the use of the rhetorical question.
Revised Standard Version includes “in Israel” at the beginning of the next verse as part of this question, but it is better not to do so (see comments on 8.6).
A translation model for this verse is:
• People of Samaria, your calf-idol is rejected!
My anger is burning against them.
Will they ever reclaim their purity?
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 .