This verse introduces a major shift in perspective. The LORD is again the speaker. Good News Translation‘s quote frame “The LORD says” is implied in the context, identifying the speaker of 9.15-16.

Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal: Since this line is the start of a new section, it may be helpful to specify the northern kingdom of Israel as the referent for the pronoun theirs. God’s Word says “Ephraim’s,” and Contemporary English Version has “Israel” (similarly Bijbel in Gewone Taal). For the Hebrew word rendered evil, see 7.1, where it is translated “wicked deeds.”

Although this line is in the present tense in Revised Standard Version, the context shows that Hosea refers to history that affects the present. Elsewhere he warns against worship conducted at Gilgal, where a sanctuary must have been located (see 4.15; 12.11; Amos 4.4), and this may be related to the line I will drive them out of my house. Gilgal was an important town in Israel’s history for several reasons. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to enter Canaan, their first encampment was at Gilgal (Josh 4.19), and so this was, in a sense, the place of Israel’s very beginning in the Promised Land, and this may be the reason why a worship center, or cultic center, was located there. This is perhaps one reason why we find Gilgal to be at the center of the chiastic outline for this major section B′. However, Gilgal is also the place where Saul was anointed king (1 Sam 11.14-15), and Hosea speaks strongly against the monarchy (3.4; 7.3-7; 8.4; 10.3, 7, 15). This may be related to the line all their princes are rebels. Thus it is possible that both the monarchy and cultic worship are attacked in the first line of this verse. Good News Translation says “All their evildoing began in Gilgal.” New Living Translation is similar with “All their wickedness began at Gilgal.”

There I began to hate them is literally “for [or, indeed] there I hated them.” Like the previous line, this one also speaks of history influencing the present, so Good News Translation says “It was there that I began to hate them.” This line begins with the Hebrew word ki, which most likely is an emphatic marker here, so it may be rendered “indeed” or “truly.” The verb hate may imply being an enemy, so Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “there I started to become your enemy.” However, it may also refer to a broken covenant relationship. It is important to maintain the contrast between hate and love in this verse.

Because of the wickedness of their deeds is parallel to Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal. This line contains the grounds for the punishment that is announced in the next line. In some languages it may be necessary to reverse the order: first the description of the punishment and then the grounds for it. For example, Revised English Bible says “I shall drive them from my house because of their evil deeds.”

I will drive them out of my house: There are several possible interpretations for this line, depending on the interpretation of my house. It may refer to the broken covenant relationship between God and the Israelites. Like a husband divorcing and driving his unsatisfactory wife from his house (Deut 24.3), Yahweh will reject unfaithful Israel. A model that follows this interpretation is “I will drive them away from me.” My house may refer to the Temple, which God’s Word makes clear by saying “I will force them out of my temple” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). However, this phrase most likely refers to “my land” (Good News Translation), as in 8.1, so this line speaks about God forcing the people into exile. New Living Translation has “I will drive them from my land.” Bible en français courant uses a French idiom, saying “I will drive them from my place [or, home],” referring to either the Temple or the land.

I will love them no more refers to the broken covenant relationship between God and Israel. Compare the second line.

All their princes are rebels: In Hebrew there is a play on the word for princes (sarehem) and the one for rebels (sorrim). Some commentators try to reflect this wordplay in translation; for example, Wolff says “All their leaders are false leaders,” and Mays has “All their leaders are misleaders!” However, these translations change the meaning of the original text, and only rarely will a similar wordplay be possible in another language. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch comes close: “for their leaders [Führer] are all alike disturbers [Aufrührer]” (similarly Einheitsübersetzung, Zürcher Bibel). For the Hebrew word rendered princes, see 3.4 and 7.3. The Hebrew word for rebels can also be translated “stubborn,” as in 4.16.

A translation model for this verse is:

• The LORD says to Ephraim,
“All your evil began in Gilgal,
yes, there I started hating you.
I will drive you out of my land [or, house]
because of your evil deeds.
I no longer love you,
[because] all your leaders are stubborn.

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 .