13:15a–f

Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come—a wind from the LORD…: This verse describes the unexpected result of a condition. There are two possible interpretations:

1. 15a is the condition. 15b–f is the unexpected result. For example:

   ^15aThough he flourishes among his brothers, ^15ban east wind will come (REB) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GNT, GW, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB)

2. 14e is the unexpected result. 15a is the condition. For example:

   ^14e“I will have no compassion, ^15aeven though he thrives among his brothers. (NIV) (NIV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions and commentaries.

Here are some ways to show a condition and unexpected result:

• Introduce the condition in 15a. Leave the unexpected result implied. For example:

  ^15a Though Ephraim bears more fruit than his brothers, ^15bthe wind from the east wind will come (NJB)

• Leave the condition implied. Introduce the unexpected result in 15b. For example:

  ^15aEphraim was the most fruitful of all his brothers, ^15bbut the east wind—a blast from the Lord—will arise in the desert. (NLT)

• Introduce both the condition in 15a and the unexpected result in 15b. For example:

  ^15a Even though he flourishes among his brothers, ^15bnevertheless, an east wind will come….

Indicate the condition and unexpected result in a natural way in your language.

13:15a

Although: The Hebrew clause starts with a word that introduces a condition.The word ki is understood as concessive “although/even though.” See HALOT (electronic edition, page 471) sense 12. See the examples above for other ways to indicate a condition and unexpected result.

he flourishes: The word he refers to Ephraim. Some versions make the pronoun referent explicit. For example:

Though Ephraim bears more fruit (NJB)

The Hebrew word for “flourish” means to “show fruitfulness” or “flourish.”HALOT (electronic edition, page 961). Some of the letters in this word are also in the Hebrew word for “Ephraim.” Hosea may have chosen this word to create an intentional pun or word play that links “flourish” to “Ephraim.” See Hubbard (page 223), McComiskey (pages 226–227), Carroll (page 300), and Dearman (pages 331–332).

The tense of the verb indicates that he continued to flourish up to the time that Hosea spoke these words.

Here are some other ways to translate this time span:

he thrives (NIV)

he flourishes (REB)

Translate this time span in a natural way in your language.

among his brothers: There are two main textual issues in this clause. The first concerns the word that the BSB translates as among:

1. The LXX has “between/among.”The word bên between/among” closely resembles the word bēn “son.” Some scholars suggest that bēn is a northern spelling of bên. See Andersen and Freedman (pages 640–641). For example:

   Though he flourishes among his brothers (REB) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, KJV, NABRE, NASB, NCV, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB)

2. The Masoretic Text has the word “son.” For example:

   Although he, a son of brothers, flourishesAdapted from the BART interlinear gloss. (no English versions)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with all versions.

There is also a textual issue concerning the Hebrew word for brothers in this phrase. These are the two main options:

1. The Masoretic Text has brothers. For example:

   Though Ephraim may flourish among his brothers (NABRE) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, KJV, NABRE, NCV, NIV, NJB, NLT, REB)

2. Some scholars think that the original word was “reeds.”Scholars suggest that the MT substituted the word ʾaḥ “brother” for the word ʾaḥu “marsh plant, reed plant.” BDB (#269). See Garrett (pages 266–268) and the NET footnote on “reed plant.” For example:

   For though he flourish among reeds (NJPS) (GNT, NASB, NET, NJPS, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions. It has good support from scholars and early versions.The LXX, Peshitta and Vulgate all translate the Hebrew word as “brothers” here.

Here the word brothers refers to the tribes of Israel. The phrase “Although he flourishes among his brothers” implies that the tribe of Ephraim has become great or very important among the tribes of Israel.Dearman (pages 331–332) and Hubbard (page 223). See also Hosea 12:8; 13:1. Some versions make that implication explicit. For example:

No matter how much you prosper more than the other tribes (CEV)

The people of Ephraim have become important among their relatives. (GW)

13:15b

13:15c

13:15b–c

Notice the parallel lines that are similar in meaning.

^15ban east wind, will come—a wind from the LORD

^15c rising up from the desert.

an east wind will come—a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert: This is the second part of the clause that begins with 15a. The phrase from the LORD indicates that these lines describe a judgment from the LORD against Ephraim. The flourishing of Ephraim will not prevent it.

The phrase east wind often refers to the sirocco. The sirocco is a devastating, drying wind that comes from the desert to the east of Israel.Andersen and Freedman (pages 640–641) and Keil (pages 105–106).

Here, however, the phrase is figurative. It compares the armies of Assyria to the sirocco.Patterson and Hill (page 81), Dearman (pages 331–332), Stuart (page 208), Keil (pages 105–106), and Wood (page 222).

Some ways that they are similar are that:

1. They both come from the east.

2. They both cause destruction.

3. The LORD sends them both.

Most versions translate the phrase here as the east wind or wind or something similar. They leave the comparison to the Assyrian armies implied. It is recommended that you translate in a similar way if possible.

However, it may be confusing or unnatural in some languages to use this figure of speech. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate this figure of speech:

• Change the figure of speech to a simile. For example:

  ^15b the enemy is like an east wind that will come—a wind from the LORD

  ^15crising up from the desert.

• Change the figure of speech to a simile and make explicit the way that they are similar. For example:

  ^15b the enemy will destroy like an east wind that will come—a wind from the LORD

  ^15crising up from the desert.

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

  ^15bThe LORD will send the enemy. They will come from the east,

  ^15cmoving swiftly from the wilderness.

• Use a different figure of speech with the same meaning that is natural in your language.

The east wind figure of speech continues in 15d–f. If you make a change in 15b–c you may need to make changes to 15d–f to concord with it. For example, if in 15b–c you translate the meaning without the figure of speech, you may need to translate 15d–f without the figure of speech there as well.

desert: This word refers to dry and barren land where very few people live. Another way to translate desert is “wilderness” (ESV).

13:15d–e

Notice the parallel lines that are similar in meaning.

^15d His fountain will fail,

^15eand his spring will run dry.

These lines describe the effect of the drying wind on the water sources of Israel. They will dry up.

fountain…spring: The Hebrew words for fountain and spring are closely related. The word for fountain means a water source.HALOT (electronic edition, page 627). The Hebrew word for spring also means “source” or “headwaters.”HALOT (electronic edition, page 612).

Here are some other ways to translate these lines:

his spring will dry up; his well will become dry (NET)

All their flowing springs will run dry, and all their wells will disappear. (NLT)

Another option is to combine these two lines 15d–e. For example:

dries up streams of water (CEV)

and it will dry up their springs and wells (GNT)

fail…run dry: The Hebrew words for fail and run dry both mean to “dry up.”There is some debate concerning the Hebrew word in 15d that the BSB translates as “fail.” The MT has the word “ashamed” BDB (#954). The LXX, Peshitta, and the Vulgate, however, translate the word as “dry up” NIDOTTE (#3312). It is possible that these early versions based their translations on a different Hebrew word root. It is one that also occurs in a Qumran text. Modern versions follow the early versions here. See Andersen and Freedman (pages 640–641) and the NET footnote on this word.

13:15d

13:15e

13:15f

The wind will plunder his treasury of every precious article: This clause probably refers to the plunder of Ephraim by Assyrian armies. The LORD used them to judge Ephraim.

Here are four acceptable ways to describe this event:

• Say that the east wind plunders.Macintosh (page 550). This translation option continues the east wind figure of speech from 15a. The east wind represents the Armies of Assyria, who plunder. For example:

  However, the Lord’s scorching wind will come from the east…. The wind will destroy every precious thing in their storehouses. (GW)

• Say that it is the LORD who plunders.McComiskey (pages 226–227) and Andersen and Freedman (pages 640–641). This translation option indicates that the LORD is the one who sends the Assyrian armies, represented by the east wind, to plunder. For example:

  the Lord will send a wind from the east…. He will destroy from their treasure houses everything of value. (NCV)

• Say that the enemy plunders. For example:This translation option makes explicit that the enemy, the Assyrian armies, are the plunderers.

  an east wind will come, a blast from the Lord rising over the desert….The enemy will plunder his wealth, all his costly treasures. (REB)

• Leave the agent of plundering implied.Davies (page 296) suggests that “the east wind” need not be the grammatical subject of “plunder” here. The verb may have an indefinite subject equivalent to passive. In this translation option, the fact that Ephraim will be plundered is what matters. The identity of the plunderer is not important. For example:

  Every precious thing they own will be plundered and carried away. (NLT)

treasury: There are two main interpretations of the Hebrew word for treasury in this context:TWOT (#154a) has “treasure,” “treasury,” “storehouse."

1. The word means treasury. A treasury is a place where valuable things are stored.Dearman (pages 331–332) and Davies (page 296). For example:

   to strip his treasury of everything worth having (NJB) (BSB, ESV, GW, NASB, NCV, NIV, NJB, NRSV)

2. The word means “treasure(s)” (valuable things).McComiskey (pages 226–227). For example:

   That [wind] shall plunder treasures, Every lovely object. (NJPS) (CEV, GNT, KJV, NET, NJPS, NLT, REB)

The display will follow interpretation (1). However, the Hebrew word can mean either treasures or the place treasures are stored. So either interpretation is acceptable.

every precious article: The Hebrew phrase for every precious article is more literally “every vessel of preciousness.”Some versions translate the phrase as a reference to foodstuffs. For example, the NET has: “delightful foods.” But there is no evidence from the phrase or the context that the meaning is that limited or that it refers to food at all. This phrase refers to objects of value, such as those made of silver or gold.Hubbard (page 225) states that this phrase “probably means images, art objects, jewelry and serving vessels.” It may refer in particular to treasures of the king and or temple, but it could include those of the general population as well.Andersen and Freedman (page 641), Keil (page 106), and Dearman (pages 331–332).

Here are some other ways to translate the phrase:

all its treasures (NIV)

your precious treasures (CEV)

everything of value (NCV)