SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 2021

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 2:13

2:13a–b

Notice the parallelism in this verse:

13a I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she burned incense to them,

13b
when she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers. But Me she forgot,”

Both lines describe the sins for which the LORD will punish Israel. Verse 2:13a describes Israel’s attempts to please Baal by offering incense to him. Verse 2:13b describes this spiritual adultery in terms of a woman’s attempts to attract her lovers by wearing jewelry.

2:13a

the days of the Baals when she burned incense to them: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “the days of the Baals when she made smoke to them.” There are two main ways that English versions translate this phrase. Either way is acceptable:

• As specific festival days for Baal. For example:

the festival days of the Baals, when she offered incense to them. (New Revised Standard Version)

• As unspecific times, whenever people worshiped Baal. These times included the feast days for Baal, but may have included other times also. The Berean Standard Bible above is one example. Another example is the Good News Translation:

the times that she forgot me, when she burned incense to Baal. (Good News Translation)

the Baals: Baal was the name of the main Canaanite god. The Hebrew word here is plural. The plural form may indicate multiple Baal shrines dedicated to different local Baal gods. However, it is also possible that the plural form refers to just one Baal. So English versions translate this term in two ways. Either way is acceptable:

• As plural Baals. This is how the Berean Standard Bible and most English versions have translated it.

• As singular “Baal.” This is how the Good News Translation has translated it.

2:13b

she decked herself with rings and jewelry: The verb decked indicates here that the woman put on rings and jewelry in order to make herself look attractive.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

she put on her rings and jewelry (New Century Version)

rings: In Hebrew, this word can refer to either rings, “earrings,” or “nose-ring.” Any of these terms is acceptable.

and went after her lovers: See how you translated her lovers in 2:12a.

But Me she forgot: The Berean Standard Bible translates the Hebrew conjunction used here as But. In this context, there is a contrast between Israel pursuing lovers but forgetting the LORD. So “but” is an appropriate translation. Some versions leave this conjunction implied. Use a natural way in your language to express this contrast.

In Hebrew, the word order of the pronoun Me within this clause gives it strong emphasis. The Berean Standard Bible shows this emphasis by using the word order Me she forgot instead of the more common English word order “she forgot me.” Another way that English versions show this emphasis is by using an exclamation mark. For example:

but she forgot me! (NET Bible)

Use a natural way in your language to express this emphasis.

2:13c

declares the LORD: This phrase is literally “the utterance/oracle of the LORD.” This phrase emphasizes that the prophet’s message was directly from the LORD.

Here are some other ways to translate it:

The Lord has spoken (Good News Translation)
-or-
I, the Lord, have spoken (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
This is the word of the Lord (Revised English Bible)

You should determine the best way to say this in your language.

General Comment on 2:13a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder some of these verse parts. For example:

13a I will punish her for all the times 13b she deserted me, 13a when she burned incense to her images of Baal, 13b put on her earrings and jewels, and went out looking for her lovers,” 13c says the Lord. (New Living Translation (2004))

© 2021 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 4:17

4:17a

Ephraim: Ephraim was one of the largest tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel. Here the name Ephraim is a figure of speech (synecdoche) that represents all the people of Israel. In some languages, it may be clearer to translate only the meaning and not keep the figure of speech. For example:

The Israelites have chosen to worship idols (New Century Version)

is joined to idols: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as joined to means to be allied with something or someone. Here it indicates that the people of Israel were allied with idols instead of the LORD.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Ephraim has made a pact with idols (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
The people of Ephraim have chosen to worship idols (God’s Word)

In some contexts, this verb can mean “to be charmed” or “to be put under a spell.” Some versions translate this idea. For example:

The people of Israel are under the spell of idols (Good News Translation)

However, this is probably not the meaning here.

4:17b

leave him alone: This clause means to allow the people of Israel to continue their worship of idols. The purpose of the clause is not to command a specific person to leave the people of Israel alone. Rather, it indicates that Israel’s situation is hopeless. Nothing can be done to stop the people of Israel from worshiping idols.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 7:4

7:4a

They are all adulterers: The pronoun They refers to all the people of Israel. It includes the king and his officials.

Here the term adulterers probably refers to marital unfaithfulness and also unfaithfulness to God. If possible, translate the phrase in such a way that both literal and spiritual adultery can be understood.

One way to do that is to describe the characteristics of an adulterer. For example:

They are all treacherous and disloyal. (Good News Translation)

7:4b

like an oven heated by a baker: This phrase is a simile that compares the people of Israel to a hot oven. In this simile, the heat of the oven represents the people’s strong desire for doing evil. Their desire burns hot within them just as fire burns hot in an oven.

oven: In Hebrew, this word refers to a small oven used for baking bread. It was made from clay. It had openings for air near the bottom, and it had a large door on top. It usually had a stone floor.

A baker placed wood, dried grass, or dung inside the oven and lit it on fire. It burned until the interior of the oven was glowing hot and the fuel had burned down to hot coals or ash. The baker then pressed the dough onto the inside surface of the oven walls or laid it among the coals. The baker then sealed the door at the top of the oven and waited for the bread to bake.

In some cultures, people may not be familiar with ovens. If that is true in your area, an option is to substitute a different comparison that has the same meaning and impact. For example:

cooking pot

7:4c

who needs not stoke the fire from the kneading to the rising of the dough: This sentence part describes the intense heat in the oven. The fire in the oven is so hot that the baker does not need to stir the coals (stoke) to keep it going or to make the oven any hotter. In this simile, the intensity of heat represents the intensity of the people’s desire for evil. Some versions make it explicit that the extreme heat is the reason that the fire does not need to be stirred. For example:

They are like a heated oven, an oven so hot that a baker doesn’t have to fan its flames when he makes bread. (God’s Word)

If this simile is not clear in your language, see the General Comment on 7:4b–c for some translation options.

from the kneading to the rising of the dough: This phrase describes a period of time during which a baker prepares dough in order to bake bread. The time starts when the baker kneads the bread dough and ends after the dough rises from the effect of yeast. At that point, the bread is ready to place in the oven. Normally a baker needed to stir the fire at that time to make it hot enough to bake the bread. However, this oven is already hot enough, so there is no need for the baker to stir the fire.

The processes of kneading dough and using yeast to make the dough rise may not be known in some cultures. If that is true in your language group, here are some other ways to describe this period of time:

until the dough is ready to bake (Good News Translation)
-or-
when he makes bread (God’s Word)

the kneading of the dough: To knead dough means to fold, press, and stretch the bread dough. This process mixes all the ingredients well and makes the dough smooth.

the rising of the dough: To make dough rise, a baker adds yeast to the dough. He then places it undisturbed in a warm place for a while. The yeast causes the bread to expand in size in preparation for baking.

General Comment on 7:4b–c

If the simile of the oven is not clear in your language, here are some other translation options:

• Make explicit the way in which the people are like an oven. For example:

Their desire to do evil burns like an oven whose fire is so hot the baker does not need to stir the coals from the time when he kneads the dough until it rises.

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

Their desire for evil is so intense that it never diminishes.

• Use similar figures of speech that convey the right meaning in your language. For example:

They have a strong desire to do evil. Their desire is like a cooking pot that is red-hot. It is already so hot that a cook doesn’t need to stir-up the fire when the food is ready to cook.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 9:6

9:6a

For even if they flee destruction: In Hebrew, this phrase is more literally “for look/behold they have gone from devastation.” Hosea uses the past tense “have gone” here to indicate that fulfillment of this prophecy is absolutely certain. Some versions use past tense. For example:

What a scene of devastation they have left! (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
For look, the people have fled from a scene of devastation (Revised English Bible)

In most languages, it will be clearer to use non-past or future verbs as Hebrew does in 9:6b–e. The meaning lines in the Display will do the same.

This verse part means that when their enemy destroys their cities and land, the people of Israel who are still alive will try to escape. But if they do escape, the event(s) in 6:b-c will still happen.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

Even if they escape without being destroyed (God’s Word)
-or-
When the disaster comes and the people are scattered (Good News Translation)

In Hebrew, the first two words of this clause are literally “For look,” as in the Revised English Bible quoted above.

The word For introduces the reason the people will not be able to celebrate their feasts (see 9:5). It is because Israel will be destroyed, and the people who escape the destruction will never live there again. For example:

For even if they escape destruction (New Revised Standard Version)

The word “look” draws attention to the statement that follows it. Some versions translate the word literally here. For example:

Look ! Even if they flee from the destruction (NET Bible)

Some English versions leave the words For and “look” implied.

9:6b–c

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

6b
Egypt will gather them

6c and Memphis will bury them.

These lines indicate that the people of Israel will die in a land that is foreign to them. Egypt and Memphis probably refer indirectly here to Israel’s past, when the people died in the foreign land of Egypt. Hosea compares their future exile and death in Assyria to their slavery and death in Egypt in the past. This is similar to 9:3b.

9:6b

Egypt will gather them: There are two ways to interpret the word gather here:

(1) It refers here to gathering people together to be punished. They will be captured and sent/guided to their destination in exile. The captives will later die in exile and be buried. For example:

Egypt will capture them (New Century Version)
-or-
Egypt will round them up (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It refers here to gathering up dead bodies. The bodies will then be buried. For example:

Egypt will gather them up (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
The Egyptians will gather them up—gather them for burial… (Good News Translation)

The Display will follow interpretation (1) along with most versions. It fits better with the preceding context in chapter 8 and with 9:6a. However, interpretation (2) fits better with the parallel phrase “will bury them.” Whichever interpretation you follow, it is suggested that you put the other interpretation in a footnote.

9:6c

and Memphis will bury them: Memphis was an important city in the country of Egypt. It was well known for its large burial grounds and pyramid tombs.

Hosea describes Memphis as if it is a person who buries dead bodies. This is a figure of speech (personification). In some languages, it may not be clear or natural to say that a country or a city buries people.

Here are some other ways to express the meaning:

Memphis will be their grave (Revised English Bible)
-or-
they will be buried in ⌊the city/graveyards of ⌋ Memphis
-or-

⌊ the people of⌋Memphis will bury them

9:6d–e

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

6d
Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles,

6e and thorns will overrun their tents.

These lines describe what will happen to the former possessions and property of the people of Israel after the Assyrians take the people into exile. It will be abandoned and weeds will grow there.

9:6d

Their precious silver will be taken over by thistles: In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “nettles will take possession of their treasure of silver.” Normally it is people who take possession of things. However, in this clause, it is thorny weeds that figuratively take possession of the treasures of the people.

Their precious silver: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as precious refers to something that is pleasant or desirable. The Hebrew word for silver can refer to literal silver or money. Here the phrase precious silver may be a figure of speech that refers to wealth. Either way, it refers to treasures that are precious to the people.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

the silver they treasure (NET Bible)

thistles: In Hebrew, this word means “thistle” or “nettle.” These are thorny weeds.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver (English Standard Version)
-or-
Weeds will grow over their silver treasures. (God’s Word)

9:6e

and thorns will overrun their tents: In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “thorn[s] [will be] in their tents.” The Hebrew word for tents can also mean “dwellings.” It probably refers to the former homes of the people of Israel. Thorns will grow where their homes were once located.

thorns: In Hebrew, this word means “brier” or “bramble.” It is a thorny weed similar to “nettle” in the previous clause.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Thorns will grow over their tents. (God’s Word)
-or-
and thorn-bushes ⌊will ⌋ invade their homesteads (New Jerusalem Bible)

General Comment on 9:6d–e

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts in these two lines. See 9:6d–e (combined/reordered) in the Display for an example.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 11:6

11:6a–c

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

6a
A sword will flash through their cities;

6b
it will destroy the bars of their gates

6c and consume them in their own plans.

There is an ellipsis in the second and third lines. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing words from the first line. For example:

6b
⌊ swords⌋will destroy the bars of their gates

6c and ⌊swords will ⌋ consume them in their own plans.

These three lines warn that an enemy will make war against the Israelites and will defeat them.

11:6a

A sword will flash through their cities: This line is more literally “and a sword will whirl in his cities.” The word sword is a figure of speech (metonymy) that represents “war.” This line says in a poetic way that an enemy will go to war against Israel.

The word flash means “whirl” or “twist.” The word describes the movement of a sword when used in an attack. Here are some other ways to translate this line:

the sword will rage through his cities (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
War will sweep through their cities (Good News Translation)

11:6b

it will destroy the bars of their gates: This line continues to describe the enemy attack on the cities of Israel.

destroy: In Hebrew, this word means “destroy” or “exterminate.” It can mean to destroy an object or a person. This line may refer to both actions. See the note below.

the bars of their gates: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the bars of their gates has various meanings. In this context, there are two main interpretations:

(1) The word means bars. This word refers to metal bars that kept large city gates locked. This interpretation implies that the enemy will also break through the gates of each city to enter it and kill the inhabitants. For example:

It will destroy the bars of their city gates (NET Bible)

(2) The word means “false prophets/priests.” These influential people claimed to represent the LORD, but they spoke lies to the king and his officials. For example:

and it will make an end of their priests (Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions.

11:6c

and consume them in their own plans: This clause is literally “and it will devour from their schemes.” There are two main interpretations of this clause:

(1) The clause means that their schemes/plans are the reason that the sword will devour them. For example:

and devour them because of their scheming (Revised English Bible)

(2) The clause means that the sword will devour their schemes. For example:

and put an end to their plans (God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions.

Notice that in the Masoretic Text, this clause does not indicate what the sword devours. It says “and it will devour from their schemes.” Interpretation (1) assumes that one of the following options is true:

• The object of the verb “devour” is “the people.” This was understood implicitly by Hebrew readers. For example:

It will destroy my people because they do what they themselves think best. (Good News Translation)
-or-
devouring them because of their plots (New Jerusalem Bible)

• The verb “devour” is intransitive here, so it has no object. Hosea is giving attention to the reason for the devouring rather than to what is being devoured. For example:

and devours because of their schemes. (New Revised Standard Version)

Either option is acceptable. The Hebrew can be understood either way. Also the meaning difference is not significant. Choose the option that is the most natural in your language.

consume: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as consume is literally “devour.” Here it is used figuratively to mean “slay” or “destroy.” For example:

destroy my people (Good News Translation)
-or-
kill them (New Century Version)

them in their own plans: There is a textual issue with the Hebrew word for them in their own plans :

(1) The Masoretic Text has “plans/schemes.” For example:

And devours because of their schemes (New Revised Standard Version)

(2) Some scholars think that the original text had the word “fortresses.” For example:

And will devour them in their fortresses (NET Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions. Ancient versions also support this option.

The Hebrew word for their own plans means “their advice,” “their counsel,” or “their plan.” Here it may refer especially to choices that the people of Israel made without seeking guidance from the LORD. These choices may include seeking help from idols or from Egypt.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

their own evil plans (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
their plots (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
their scheming (Revised English Bible)
-or-
they do what they themselves think best (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 13:12

Paragraph 13:12–16

In this paragraph, the LORD expresses his anger against Israel and describes his coming judgment. He compares Israel’s situation to a painful childbirth and to a child who resists being born (13:13). He describes his coming judgment figuratively as a taunt to the grave (Sheol) and death to come and destroy (13:14) and as a desert wind that dries up springs and fountains (13:15). He also describes it nonfiguratively by citing horrible acts of war (13:16).

13:12a–b

Notice the parallel lines that are similar in meaning:

12a The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;

12b
his sin is stored up.

These lines indicate that the LORD remembers the sins of the people of Israel. It is as if he has written a list of them on a document and stored it in a safe place. At a future time, he will punish the people for those sins. Some versions make explicit that the purpose of the storing is for future punishment. For example:

The sins of Israel are on record, stored away, waiting for punishment. (New Century Version)

iniquity…sin: The meanings of these words are similar. The Hebrew word for iniquity may refer to wickedness or evil deeds, as in 12:8c or 12:11a. It may also refer to the “guilt” that is caused by that wickedness. Here the Hebrew word for sin means to miss the way, to incur guilt.

bound up…stored up: The meanings of these words are similar. The first word means to wrap something. The second word means to hide or preserve something. Here the words describe a record of Ephraim’s sin as if written on a parchment that is stored and perhaps sealed to preserve it.

General Comment on 13:12a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine these parallel statements into one line. For example:

Israel, your terrible sins are written down and stored away. (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:3

Paragraph 1:3

1:3a

So: Verses 1:2 and 1:3 are connected by a Hebrew word that English versions translate as So. In this context, this word expresses result. Hosea married Gomer as a result of the LORD’s command to him in 1:2b. Use a natural way in your language to introduce a result.

Hosea went and married: The Hebrew verbs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Hosea went and married are literally “he went and he took.” These repeat the verbs of the LORD’s command to Hosea in 1:2b, “Go, take.” Many English versions follow the Hebrew pattern of repeating the same verbs in both places. For example, the Revised Standard Version has “Go and take” for the command in 1:2b and “he went and took” in 1:3. Other versions have “marry” in both places. You may wish to repeat the same verbs here that you used in 1:2b in order to highlight Hosea’s complete obedience to the LORD’s command.

Gomer daughter of Diblaim: This is the first time that Gomer is mentioned in this book. In some languages, it may be more natural to introduce her in a slightly different way. For example:

a woman named Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim (Good News Translation)

Use a natural way in your language to introduce a new participant in the story.

1:3b

and she conceived and bore him a son: This clause implies that Hosea was the child’s father. There are different ways to make this clear and at the same time to express the idea of conceiving a child. For example:

she became pregnant and gave birth to Hosea’s son (New Century Version)
-or-
After the birth of their first child, a son (Good News Translation)

In languages that do not use a gender-specific word such as son, you may need to use a phrase such as “male child.”

If you referred to Hosea in 1:1–2 with “I” or “me,” you may be able to translate this verse as the Contemporary English Version has done:

So I married Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and we had a son. (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 3:1

Section 3:1–5

Hosea redeemed Gomer as the LORD will redeem Israel

In this section, the LORD commanded Hosea to take Gomer back as his wife. This probably occurred later in their marriage after Gomer had left Hosea and became an adulteress. Once more Hosea communicated the LORD’s message by his action as well as his words. His action was an illustration of the LORD’s unfailing love for the nation of Israel. Israel had been unfaithful to the LORD and had been worshiping other gods. In the same way, Gomer had been unfaithful to Hosea and had left him for other lovers. And just as Hosea was commanded to take Gomer back as his wife, so the LORD planned to restore Israel to himself.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

An Illustration of God’s Love for Idolatrous Israel (NET Bible)
-or-
Hosea Redeems His Wife (English Standard Version)
-or-
Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife (New International Version)

Paragraph 3:1

3:1a

Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again: In this sentence, the Hebrew word order is “said the LORD to me again go show…” There are two ways to interpret the connection of the word again :

(1) Go again. The word again modifies the verb Go or the phrase Go show…. For example:

The Lord said to me, “Go again and show your love…” (Good News Translation)

(2) said again. The word again modifies the verb said. This interpretation may indicate that the LORD is continuing the series of speeches described in 1:2–9. For example:

The Lord said to me again, “Go, love… (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most English versions. This command probably refers back to 1:2b, where the LORD told Hosea, “Go, take a prostitue as your wife…” Here the meaning is that Hosea should go and take back his wife so that he can once again show his love to her as her husband.

show love: The Hebrew word translated as love has a broad range of meaning. In this context, it probably means for Hosea to use words and acts of love to reaffirm his marriage. It probably does not mean to “court,” that is, to try to persuade the woman to respond, as in 2:16.

your wife: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your wife is literally “a woman.” For example:

Go again, love a woman (English Standard Version)

Most scholars think that this phrase refers to Hosea’s wife, Gomer. The “woman” is further described as an adulteress. This accurately describes Gomer. It is unlikely that the LORD would command Hosea to commit adultery by marrying a different woman who was also an adulteress. A specific reference to Gomer also fits the symbolism of the LORD again showing his love to Israel, the nation that he first chose as his own.

In some languages, a literal translation of the Hebrew phrase may imply that God commanded Hosea to show his love to a different woman. You should translate this phrase so that it refers clearly to Hosea’s wife.

Here are some other ways to translate the whole clause:

Go and love your wife again (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Go and take back your wife so that you can show her again that you love her.

3:1b

though she is loved by another: There is a textual issue here:

(1) The Masoretic Text uses a passive form. It has “woman who is loved by… ” In other words, another person is the one who loves, and the woman receives the love. For example:

loved by someone else (New Century Version)

(2) The LXX uses an active form. It has “woman who loves… ” In other words, the woman is the one who loves, and another person receives the love. For example:

loves another man (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions.

If it is not natural to use a passive form in your language, here are two other ways to translate this clause:

• Use an active form that has the same meaning. For example:

love your wife although another man loves her

• Use a different expression that does not focus on who loves whom. For example:

love your wife even though she is having an affair

adulteress: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as adulteress is literally “[who] commits adultery.” It is more specific than a general term such as “immoral.” It refers to a married person who is unfaithful to his or her spouse.

3:1c

Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites: In Hebrew, the words Love her are only implied. The Berean Standard Bible and some other versions supply these words to make explicit that this statement is part of the command “love” in 3:1a. You may want to do the same in your translation.

the Israelites: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Israelites is literally “sons of Israel.” It refers here to the entire nation.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Israel (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the people of Israel (Good News Translation)

3:1d

though they turn to other gods and offer raisin cakes to idols: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as offer is literally “love.” This verse part indicates that loving raisin cakes is in some way connected to the worship of other gods. Worshipers may have eaten the cakes as a part of their worship of these false gods, or they may have given the cakes as offerings as the Berean Standard Bible indicates.

The repetition of the word love (in Hebrew) in this verse effectively contrasts the selfless love the LORD has toward the people of Israel and the self-centered, idolatrous love of the people.

In Hebrew and also in many English versions, a single word for “love” is used in four places in this verse: “show love to your wife,” “loved by another,” “as the LORD loves the Israelites,” and (New International Version🙂 “love the sacred raisin cakes.” In some languages, a single word can be used in all these contexts. If that is true in your language, consider using it in all four places to show the contrasts. Otherwise, you may need to use more than one word.

offer…to idols: In Hebrew, the words offer…to idols do not occur here. The Berean Standard Bible supplies them to make explicit that these raisin cakes were used in idol worship. Some versions also make explicit how the cakes were used. For example:

take offerings of raisins to idols (Good News Translation)
-or-
enjoy the offering cakes made with fruit (Contemporary English Version)

raisin cakes: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “cakes of grapes.” Raisin cakes were made of dried grapes pressed into a solid mass.

If you have no expression for raisin cakes in your language, here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Use a more general term. For example:

dried grapes
-or-
cakes made with fruit (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
choice gifts (New Living Translation (1996))

• Omit the reference to a fruit or a gift and use an expression that refers more generally to worshiping other gods. For example:

love to worship them (New Living Translation (2004))

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 2021

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 2:13

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 4:17

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 7:4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 9:6

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 11:6

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 13:12

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 3:1

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