10:1a

Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself: This verse part is a metaphor that compares the nation of Israel to a grape vine that produced fruit. The meaning of the metaphor is that Israel was prosperous.Wood (page 208).

Some versions use present tense to translate this verse part. However, it makes better sense to translate it as a description of a prosperous time in Israel’s past.10:1b–c uses verb forms that normally indicate completed events.

Another way to translate this metaphor is to change it to a simile. For example:

The people of Israel are like vines that used to produce fruit. (GW)

luxuriant: In this verse, the word refers to a healthy plant that is growing well.The Hebrew word has two homonyms. One homonym occurs only in Hosea 10:1. It means “luxuriant.” See TWOT (#272), BDB (#1238), and HALOT (electronic ed., page 150–151). Another homonym means “empty.” See TWOT (#273). Versions that correspond to this meaning include the NJPS “Israel is a ravaged vine,” GW “used to produce fruit,” and KJV “empty vine.”

yielding fruit: The precise meaning of the Hebrew word that the BSB translates as yielding is debated.HALOT (electronic ed., page 1437) indicates that there is textual uncertainty concerning this word. For the meaning in this verse, HALOT cites ancient translations with the meaning “to produce/make.” This contrasts with the meaning “to ripen,” which some modern scholars suggest. For example, the Vulgate and Peshitta have: “which brought forth fruit.” However, Rudolf suggests: “that makes fruit ripen over and over again.” Here the meaning is probably “to produce” or “to make.”Most modern versions follow the meaning “to produce/make” as in the ancient versions. See the Vulgate and Peshitta example in the previous footnote. HALOT (electronic ed., page 1437) also cites Gesenius-Buhl as supporting the verb shawah II “to make, produce.”

Here are some ways to translate it:

• Use words that focus on producing or making fruit. For example:

  Israel is like a large vine that produced plenty of fruit.

  Israel was a fertile vine that yielded fruit. (ESV)

• Use words that focus on the amount of fruit. For example:

  How prosperous Israel is—a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit! (NLT)

  The people of Israel were like a grapevine that was full of grapes. (GNT)

for himself: The phrase for himself indicates that Israel benefitted from the fruit.McComiskey (page 159). Some versions leave this phrase implicit.

10:1b–c

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^1b The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars.

^1c The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.

In these lines, the metaphor of Israel as a vine with fruit is replaced by a more literal description of Israel’s past. Both lines describe how Israel used their wealth to honor idols instead of the LORD.

Some versions indicate an explicit contrast between these lines and the previous one. These lines (1b–c) imply that the LORD made Israel prosperous, yet Israel gave credit for their prosperity to idols. Some versions express this contrast with the word “but.” For example:

But the richer the people get, the more pagan altars they build. (NLT)

Indicate this contrast in a natural way in your language.

10:1b

The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars: In Hebrew, the first clause is more literally “according to [the] abundance of his fruit.” It introduces a comparison. In this comparison, an increase in fruit results in an increase in the number of altars.

Here are some other ways to translate this comparison:

The more fruit they produced, the more altars they built. (GW)

Since/Because his supply of fruit increased, he was able to increase the number of his altars.

He used his wealth to build more altars.

altars: This word refers here to altars that were built for the worship of idols.McComiskey (page 159), Hubbard (page 169), Wood (208), Macintosh (page 388), and Stuart (page 159). Some versions make this information explicit. For example:

As the people became richer, they built more altars for idols. (NCV)

10:1c

The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars: This verse part is more literally “according to [the] prosperity of his land they made good sacred pillars. The first clause introduces a comparison. In this comparison, an increase in prosperity results in improvement in the sacred pillars.

Here are some other ways to translate this comparison:

Since/Because their land became more prosperous, they put up better sacred pillars.

They used the wealth from their bountiful harvests to make their stone pillars even more attractive.

the better he made the sacred pillars: In Hebrew, the term sacred pillars is literally “stone pillars.” It refers here to stone pillars that were set up for the worship of idols.TWOT (#1398g). Some versions make this information explicit. For example:

stone markers they set up to honor other gods (GW)

See how you translated this term in 3:4b.

In Hebrew, the word translated better he made means “to do something well.”HALOT (electronic ed., page 408). Here it describes pillars that the people built well or that they made attractive in some way.

Here are other ways to translate this word:

he improved his pillars (NRSV)

the more beautiful they made the sacred stone pillars they worship (GNT)

put up better stone pillars to honor gods (NCV)