When I would restore the fortunes of my people (literally “when I return the returning of my people”) is translated “when I returned the captivity of my people” in King James Version, but the Hebrew expression here applies to any situation where God restores his people from an experience of evil to a favorable condition. It refers to a general reversal of adverse circumstances (see also Jer 29.14; 30.3; Joel 3.1). Bible de Jérusalem says “when I restore my people,” and New American Bible has “When I would bring about the restoration of my people.”

When I would heal Israel: This line is parallel to the previous one. It uses the metaphor of restoring the sick nation of Israel to health. Good News Translation combines and reverses the order of these two lines: “Whenever I want to heal my people Israel and make them prosperous again.” In this translation the parallelism in the grammatical structures of the two lines is hard to recognize, so it is not recommended for a translation that wants to show the poetic structure of the Hebrew text.

If the imagery heal Israel cannot be used in this context in the receptor language, the translator may use nonfigurative language, such as “liberate Israel from its trouble” or “remove Israel’s difficulties from her.”

The Hebrew verbs in these two lines may refer to something the LORD wants to do for his people, but does not do it (so Good News Translation), or they may refer to something he has done for them (so Wolff, who has “Whenever I restored the fortunes of my people, Whenever I healed Israel,” with the following two lines in the past tense). Translators are free to select either understanding of the text, because the Hebrew form of the verbs can be understood either way.

In 6.11b–7.1 Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew and uses four terms for the Israelites: my people, Israel, Ephraim, and Samaria. For Israel and Ephraim as synonymous terms, see the comments on 4.17. Samaria was the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, but here it refers to the whole nation. Since these terms all refer to the same people, Good News Translation begins with “my people Israel” and then refers to them with third person plural pronouns (“them,” “their,” and “they”) to make it clear that the same people are involved in the successive clauses. In the lament expressed here, the pronoun my shows God’s personal relationship with the people. It is important to retain this possessive pronoun. The use of these four terms reflects the Hebrew style of mentioning all possible terms in parallel lines, and at the same time it implies a feeling of anguish and frustration on God’s part for his beloved people. If this variation in terminology is well understood in the receptor language, we suggest keeping it.

The corruption of Ephraim is revealed, and the wicked deeds of Samaria: These two parallel lines begin with the Hebrew waw conjunction, which may be rendered “then” (King James Version). Corruption and wicked deeds render general Hebrew terms used in parallel to introduce the specific evils mentioned later in the verse. The word translated corruption carries the idea of deliberately twisting or bending away from what is right to what is wrong. It is frequently used to emphasize the burden of guilt that results from wrong deeds (see 5.5, where it is rendered “guilt”). Here the deeds themselves are in focus. The predominant connotations in the English word corruption relate to fraudulent financial behavior. This is not the meaning of the Hebrew word in this context. It refers to an intentional breach of the rules. It is traditionally translated “iniquity” (English Standard Version) or “guilt” (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The latter sense is not recommended here, because of the parallel expression wicked deeds in the next line.

The Hebrew word for wicked deeds appears to be a plural noun, but in the dialect of northern Israel it would be considered singular, a collective noun. The difference is not great, just as in English there is little practical difference between wicked deeds and “wickedness” (Good News Translation). Translators should feel free to follow whatever form is normal in their language and fits well in this context.

The verb is revealed is implied in the line and the wicked deeds of Samaria. This verb has the same Hebrew root as the one for “uncover” in 2.10. In the wider context of the book of Hosea the use of this verb matches well with the theme of unfaithfulness that runs throughout the book. This verb raises the question “To whom?” The context of 7.2 (“their deeds … are before my face”) shows that Israel’s sin is revealed to Yahweh. So Good News Translation has “all I can see is their wickedness and the evil they do,” and Jerusalem Bible says “I am confronted by the guilt of Ephraim and the wickedness of Samaria.” New American Bible is more impersonal with “The guilt of Ephraim stands out, the wickedness of Samaria.” Good News Translation‘s rendering is a functional way of expressing total disappointment with all their deeds, among which no good deed is regarded as a reason for helping them. An alternative interpretation is that their sins are no longer hidden, but come out in the open and are seen by everyone (so New International Version, NET Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling).

The conjunction for (ki in Hebrew) introduces the specific sins being referred to by the more general terms just mentioned.

They deal falsely (literally “they make deception”) is still somewhat generic, although this English expression usually refers to deceitful business practices. In line with the main theme of the book: they act unfaithfully. People cannot depend upon one another’s honesty or faithfulness. Good News Translation says “They cheat one another,” and Jerusalem Bible has “deceit is their principle of behaviour.”

The thief breaks in, and the bandits raid without: These next two crimes are, first, within the home, and second, outside, showing that no place is secure. The thief breaks in is made more specific in Good News Translation‘s “they break into houses and steal,” since this contrasts better with what goes on outdoors. The Hebrew word for bandits is rendered “robbers” in 6.9 (see comments there). Bandits are a band of people who raid, that is, rob travelers of their possessions. The Hebrew words for thief and bandits (literally “raiding gang”) are singular, but the second one obviously refers to a group of people. Bible de Jérusalem and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible use a French singular for both “the thief” and “the bandit,” but some languages may prefer a plural for both (see the model below).

The raiding may happen anywhere outdoors, although the Hebrew expression for without (in the sense of “outside”) is sometimes used more narrowly, as in Good News Translation‘s “in the streets.” A more general expression for the outside is preferred here, for example, “in the streets and roads” or “outdoors.” The contrast between indoors and outdoors is made clear in New American Bible: “thieves break in, bandits plunder abroad.”

A translation model for 6.11b–7.1 is:

• Whenever I want to reverse the destiny of my people,
whenever I want to heal Israel,
then Ephraim’s iniquity is uncovered,
Samaria’s wickedness is exposed.
For they are cheating,
thieves are breaking into houses,
and mobs are robbing outdoors.

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 .