They have deeply corrupted themselves: This line in Hebrew is an unusual combination of two verbs, which are literally “They have caused to be deep, they have corrupted.” Andersen and Freedman say “they have deeply defiled themselves,” New International Version has “They have sunk deep into corruption,” and New American Bible translates “They have sunk to the depths of corruption.”

As in the days of Gibe-ah: Hosea compares the deep sin of Israel to a sin of the past in Gibe-ah, which was a town about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of Jerusalem, in the territory of Benjamin. As GNT’s footnote points out, Hosea is referring to the rape and killing of a Levite’s concubine by some men of Gibeah (Jdg 19.22-30). This sin at Gibeah was terribly evil and disgusting. It led to a civil war and near-extinction of the tribe of Benjamin. The expression used for deeply corrupted themselves should be fitting for describing that kind of sin.

He will remember their iniquity, he will punish their sins: At the time of the crime in Gibeah it was the tribes of Israel that punished the Benjaminites severely, but now it is God who will remember (that is, take note of) and punish Israel. The pronoun he refers to God, which Good News Translation makes clear by saying “God will remember their sin and punish them for it.” This is the same warning as in 8.13 (see comments there), and the translation should be identical.

A translation model for this verse is:

• You have sunk terribly low into corruption,
as they once did in Gibeah.
He keeps your iniquities in mind,
and he will punish you for your sins.

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 .