כְּמַרְעִיתָם֙ וַיִּשְׂבָּ֔עוּ שָׂבְע֖וּ וַיָּ֣רָם לִבָּ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֖ן שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃
6When I fed them, they were satisfied;
they were satisfied, and their heart was proud;
therefore they forgot me.
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “haughty,” “proud,” “heart exalted,” “exalt oneself above” or similar in English is translated in the Catholic Mandarin Chinese Sigao version with a historical Chinese idiom: xīngāo qìào (心高氣傲 / 心高气傲), lit. “heart high and air prideful.” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)
See also pride.
The Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “pride” in English is translated as
See also proud / arrogant and haughty / proud / heart exalted / exalt oneself above.
The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “forget” in English is translated in Noongar as dwangka-anbangbat, lit. “ear-lose.” (Source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).
See also remember and forget (Japanese honorifics).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 13:6:
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
See also pronoun for “God”.
This verse refers to three successive events that show some degree of decline (they were filled, their heart was lifted up, they forgot me). The Israelites progressively moved away from God. Similar patterns also occur in Deut 8.12-14 and 31.20.
In this verse Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew closely by speaking of the Israelites in the third person (they, their). Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, and other meaning-based translations use second person references for them, here and in the following verses, since they are referred to in the second person in verses 4-5. Normally translators follow the form of the Hebrew unless there is a good reason for this kind of adjustment. In this case, if in the receptor language a pronominal switch would suggest that other people are in focus, it is recommended to follow the meaning-based models.
But when they had fed to the full: As the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, but when they had fed is a conjecture. Following the Hebrew text with a {B} decision, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers “as they were pastured” or “as I pastured them.” A possible model for this whole line that follows the Hebrew is “When I pastured you, you were full.” However, the meaning of the Hebrew text and the Revised Standard Version reading is the same. Good News Translation says “But when you entered the good land, you became full,” which assumes the Israelites were well fed after they entered the land of Canaan. This is not impossible, since Canaan is elsewhere called “a land flowing with milk and honey” (see, for example, Exo 3.8), which means it produced abundant crops. However, there were times when many of the Israelites were unfaithful already in the desert, as when they worshiped the golden calf. So it seems safer to leave it unspecified when they were well fed by God.
To the full, they were filled is literally “they were satisfied they were satisfied,” which uses the same Hebrew verb in two different forms to express emphasis. Good News Translation says “you became full and satisfied,” using two different expressions. Translators may follow either example according to what is best in their language.
And their heart was lifted up is a literal translation of a Hebrew idiom for becoming proud. Good News Translation uses the nonfigurative expression “and then you grew proud.” The receptor language may have a different idiom that expresses the idea of becoming proud.
Therefore they forgot me may be rendered “as a result [or, thus], you forgot me.” Compare 2.13.
A translation model for this verse is:
• When I pastured you, you were satisfied,
when you were satisfied, you became proud.
Therefore you forgot me.
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 .
13:6–8
In 13:4–5, the LORD speaks to the people of Israel using 2nd person pronouns such as “you” and “your.” In 13:6–8, he speaks about the people of Israel using 3rd person pronouns such as “they” and “them.”
Some versions, such as the Good News Translation, translate these verses with 2nd person pronouns instead of 3rd person. Translate these pronouns in a natural way in your language.
13:6a–c
Notice the three poetic lines:
6a When they had pasture, they became satisfied;
6b when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud,
6c and as a result they forgot Me.
These lines describe three stages of Israel’s changing attitude toward the LORD. In Deut 8:11–14 the same three stages are described. Both passages have the same Hebrew words for “satisfied,” “proud,” and “forget.” It is recommended that you translate these Hebrew words in a similar way in both places.
13:6a
When they had pasture, they became satisfied: There are two main textual options in the first part of this clause (a single word in Hebrew):
(1) The Masoretic Text is more literally “according to their pasturage.” With this option, the clause focuses on the relationship between eating/grazing and being satisfied. The source of the food is left implied. For example:
As they had their pasture, they became satisfied (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
but when they had grazed, they became full (English Standard Version)
(2) Some scholars think that the original text was “as/when I pastured them.” With this option, the relationship between eating/grazing and being satisfied is similar. “I” (the LORD) is explicitly stated as the source of the food. For example:
I gave them food, and they became full and satisfied. (New Century Version)
The Display will follow option (1). However, option (2) is also well supported by versions and commentaries. With both options, the result of available pasturage (food) is that the people are satisfied. Even with option (1), the historical context of Israel’s time in the wilderness along with the context of 13:3 strongly implies that it was the LORD who supplied them with their food.
had pasture: The Hebrew word for had pasture is more literally “pasturage.” It usually refers to the grass or other vegetation that domestic animals eat. Here the word is probably figurative. It may refer particularly to manna that the LORD provided for his people in the desert of Sinai. Or it may refer to all the food and other provisions that the people of Israel needed to thrive.
satisfied: In Hebrew, this word means “to eat one’s fill.”
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
became full and satisfied (New Century Version)
-or-
They became full (English Standard Version)
13:6b
when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud: The LORD met the people’s needs. But instead of being thankful to him, they became proud.
In some languages, it may not be natural to include the phrase when they were satisfied in both 6a and 6b. Some versions leave this phrase implied. For example:
and then you grew proud (Good News Translation)
hearts became proud: In Hebrew, the phrase hearts became proud is more literally “and their heart was lifted up.” This expression means they were proud/arrogant. Here it indicates that the people did not acknowledge the LORD. They thought they did not need him.
13:6c
as a result they forgot Me: In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “therefore they forgot me.” The word “therefore” introduces the result or consequence of their prideful response to God’s provision.
Here are some ways to indicate result or consequence:
therefore they forgot me (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
And so they forgot Me (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
That is why you forgot me (God’s Word)
forgot Me: Here the Hebrew word means to stop thinking/caring about the LORD. It probably implies at least these four things:
• They ignored their commitment to the LORD and to their covenant obligations.
• They followed other gods.
• They stopped temple worship.
• They trusted in the things they had instead of trusting in the LORD.
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