נִדְמֶ֥ה שֹׁמְר֖וֹן מַלְכָּ֑הּ כְּקֶ֖צֶף עַל־פְּנֵי־מָֽיִם׃
7Samaria’s king shall perish
like a chip on the face of the waters.
In Gbaya, the notion of something not being resistant or falling into destruction in the referenced verses is emphasized with mbulɛɛ, an ideophone used to designate something that is not resistant, that is falling into ruin, or someone who lives in poverty.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
See also complete verse (Wisdom 1:11).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 10:7:
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Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )
See also king (Japanese honorifics).
This verse provides further description of the shame and disgrace mentioned in the previous verse and continues announcing the disasters that Israel will suffer.
Samaria’s king shall perish: As in 10.5, Samaria refers to the northern kingdom of Israel, not just its capital city. To interpret king as the person ruling Israel seems more natural and direct than to interpret it as a veiled reference to the bull-idol. Samaria’s king is literally “Samaria its king.” New International Version and New English Bible emend the text to read “Samaria and her king.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Hebrew text with an {A} rating.
The Hebrew verb for perish can mean “cease to exist,” “be cut off,” or “be destroyed.” Since the next line compares the event to the way a chip of wood is carried away by water, we may assume that Israel’s king was not killed, but that his effective reign was ended. In 2 Kgs 17.1-6 we read that King Hoshea, the last king of Israel, rebelled against Assyria and was put in prison during the last three years of his reign, during which time the Assyrians besieged the city of Samaria. The Israelites were then taken into captivity, but there is no further word about King Hoshea. Translators may find an expression that fits the picture of a king being no longer effective, without making clear just how that happened. Contemporary English Version says “the king of Samaria will be swept away,” which fits the imagery of the chip of wood carried away by water. Good News Translation has “Their king will be carried off,” but this translation seems to suggest that he was taken captive and exiled, which may be too explicit.
Like a chip on the face of the waters: The Hebrew word for chip occurs only here in the Old Testament. The word seems remotely related to the Hebrew verb meaning “cut off.” Most commentators and translators understand it to mean “chip of wood” (Good News Translation) or “twig” (New International Version, NET Bible). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “foam,” which also fits the context.
A translation model for this verse is:
• Samaria’s king will disappear,
like a twig floating on the waters.
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 .
10:7
Samaria will be carried off with her king like a twig on the surface of the water: This clause is a simile. It compares the king of Samaria to a piece of wood or floating debris that a river or ocean current carries away. The simile is probably a figurative way to describe the king of Israel when the Assyrians defeat him and take him into exile. He is helpless and unable to escape.
The clause is literally “[will] be destroyed Samaria its king like a twig on [the] surface of [the] waters.” There are three main interpretations of this clause:
(1) Samaria’s king will be destroyed. The Hebrew phrase “Samaria her king” means the “king of Samaria.” For example:
The king of Samaria will be carried away, like a piece of wood on water. (God’s Word)
(2) Samaria will be destroyed. The Hebrew text should be understood as two clauses. The first clause says, “Samaria will be destroyed.” The second clause says, “Its king [will be] like a twig on the surface of the waters.” For example:
Israel will be destroyed; its king will be like a chip of wood floating on the water. (New Century Version)
(3) Both Samaria and Samaria’s king will be destroyed. The Hebrew text should be understood to say, “Samaria [and] her king.” For example:
Samaria and its king will be carried off like a twig on the surface of the waters. (NET Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with a majority of versions and commentaries.
will be carried off: The Hebrew word is literally “will be destroyed.” It is a passive form of the word that means “destroy” or “perish.” It refers to a violent end.
Here the word may refer to the death of a specific king. Or the word may refer to the end of the monarchy in Israel. There would be no future kings of Israel.
Here are some ways to translate this phrase:
Samaria’s king shall perish (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Their king will be carried off (Good News Translation)
-or-
The king of Samaria shall disappear (New American Bible)
twig: The Hebrew word for twig has two main interpretations:
(1) The word means a piece of wood. The same word is in Joel 1:7, where it describes a fig tree. For example:
The king of Samaria will be carried away like a piece of wood on water. (God’s Word)
(2) The word means foam/froth. The word is related to a verb that means, “to be angry.” Here it refers to the churning of water that produces foam/froth. For example:
As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water. (King James Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with the majority of versions. It has good support from Joel 1:7 and other related Hebrew words.
Here are some other ways to translate this simile:
Like a stick on the surface of the water (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
like a chip of wood floating on the water. (New Century Version)
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