complete verse (Hosea 1:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 1:16:

  • Kankanaey: “God continued to say, ‘On that day, spouse is what- they -will-use-to-speak-about me, not Baal.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

complete verse (Hosea 1:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 11:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “A battle will sound in their cities
    and it will overthrow/destroy the false prophets.
    Those people will be finished because of their bad plans.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “There will be war in their city,
    their main gates will be broken down,
    and their plans will be destroyed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The enemies will-attack their towns and destroy the bars of its gates. The enemies will-destroy their plans.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There-will-be war in their cities and their enemies will destroy the entrances of their cities and kill them. This will happen because what they believed was bad advice.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Their enemies will use their swords to attack the cities in Israel
    and will destroy the bars in the gates of the city walls.
    As a result, the people of Israeli will not be able to accomplish the things that they planned to do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Hosea 11:6

Verses 6 and 7 contain various poetic expressions, and translators will have to determine whether these can be translated literally, or whether they will need to express the meaning of the poetry in nonfigurative language.

This verse begins with the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And” [King James Version]), which Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and most other versions leave untranslated. Here it introduces another way in which the Israelites will suffer, that is, through war.

The sword shall rage against their cities …: Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew with the sword pictured acting as a person. All the things done in this verse are done by it. If this personification is possible in the receptor language, we recommend using it, since it makes the translation more vivid. The sword is a figure of speech for “War” (Good News Translation), which some languages may have to use. If another term in the receptor language will have the same meaning and effect as sword, perhaps it can be used. Israel suffered from war, beginning with the Assyrian invasion in 733 B.C. and ending with the capture of Samaria by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

Rage renders a Hebrew verb that means “to go round,” but in a powerful way, like a whirlwind, a devastating tempest. Good News Translation says “War will sweep through their cities,” which is an English idiom that keeps some of the original imagery. New Living Translation is similar: “War will swirl through their cities.” Contemporary English Version says “War will visit their cities.” We do not recommend this model since it loses the impact of the original text. Each of these translations still contain a personification, one that may be more difficult to maintain in translation.

Instead of cities, New English Bible has “blood-spattered altars,” which we do not recommend. There is no textual or contextual support to justify this translation.

Consume the bars of their gates: Bars of … gates (Good News Translation “city gates”) is one possible meaning of the Hebrew word here (also followed by New International Version, English Standard Version, and New Jerusalem Bible). When city gates were shut, thick wooden poles were attached across the gates so no one could open them from outside. If enemies wished to enter and attack the people of a city, they first had to destroy the bars of the gates. However, according to k The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testamentk*, the Hebrew word means “oracle priests” (New Revised Standard Version, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling). New English Bible has “prattling priests,” and Revised English Bible just says “priests.” Wolff suggests “braggarts” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This expression may be a play on words. While the basic meaning seems to be “bars of city gates,” the same word can refer to idle talk or boasting, which makes good sense in this context. The next line takes up the subject of human plans, which can be boastful and idle talk. Again, it is usually impossible in most languages to reproduce such a wordplay, and it seems best to choose one of the two given options.

And devour them in their fortresses: Good News Translation‘s “destroy” expresses the meaning behind the figurative verb devour. Fortresses (also NET Bible and Jerusalem Bible) is based on an unnecessary emendation of the Hebrew text, which reads “counsels” (Revised Standard Version footnote). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends the Hebrew with an {A} rating. A literal translation of this line in Hebrew is “and it [the sword] will eat from their plans [or, schemes].” A possible way to translate it is “and will destroy their planning.” However, the Hebrew noun for “plans” is preceded by a preposition. The preposition usually means “from,” but it can also be used to mark the grounds for an event, as in this case. The Israelites will die in war “because of their scheming.” Good News Translation‘s “because they do what they themselves think best” and New English Bible‘s “in return for all their schemings” follow the Hebrew and make sense.

Translation models for this verse are:

• The sword will rampage through their cities,
it will consume their oracle priests,
and finish them because of their ploys.

• War will storm through their cities,
it will demolish their city gates,
and consume them because of their schemes.

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 .

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)

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