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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT ESA WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Hos C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14
Hos 13 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16
OET (OET-LV) I_will_meet_them like_a_bear robbed_of_cubs and_I_will_tear the_cavity_of their_heart_of_their and_I_will_devour_them there like_a_lion (the)_animal_of the_field it_will_tear_them_to_pieces.
OET (OET-RV) I’ll attack them like a bear that’s been robbed of her cubs.
⇔ ≈ I’ll rip open their chests and devour them there like a lion—
⇔ ≈ like a wild animal would tear them apart.
In this section, the LORD gives reasons for his anger against Israel. It was necessary to judge them because they continued to rebel against him.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Final Judgment on Israel (GNT)
The Lord’s Relentless Judgment on Israel (ESV)
Ephraim’s Idolatry (NASB)
In this paragraph, the LORD is the speaker. He states a complaint against the people of Israel. He always took care of them, but they forgot him. He must punish them in response.
Like a bear robbed of her cubs I will attack them, and I will tear open their chests.
I will attack them like a bear whose cubs were stolen. I will split open their chests.
I will tear them apart like an enraged bear who has lost her cubs.
Like a bear robbed of her cubs: In Hebrew, these words are more literally “like a bear bereaved.” It refers to a mother bear that is enraged because of the loss of her cubs.Andersen and Freedman (page 635) suggest that the mother bear imagery is used to stress extreme rage that exceeds or surpasses that of humans. It is rage because of loss. See also Dearman (page 324), Davies (page 290), and Stuart (page 204). Garrett (pages 258–259) suggests that the children are the common people of Israel. The royal and priestly leaders robbed the children of Israel from the LORD and made them to be children of Baal.
bear: A bear is a large animal that is capable of killing humans as well as other animals. It has sharp teeth and long claws. If bears are not known in your language area, it is suggested that you provide a picture or describe it in a footnote. You may also use a more general phrase. For example:
a fierce/angry wild animal
I will attack them, and I will tear open their chests: The attack is ferocious. It does more than injure. It kills.Stuart (page 204). Be sure that you translate in a way that does not make the attack sound less severe.
tear open their chests: This phrase is more literally “and I will tear the enclosure of their heart.” The Hebrew word for “enclosure of their heart” refers to the breast or the rib-cage.
There I will devour them like a lion,
Like a lion I will devour them quickly
I will eat them there as if I were a lion.
There I will devour them like a lion: The lionThe Hebrew has a different word for lion here than in 13:7a. However, there is no apparent meaning difference. comparison continues to indicate the violence of the LORD’s judgment.TWOT (#1070c). According to TWOT, labiʾ “lion” in Hosea 13:8 serves as a symbol of the violence of God in judgment (Hos 13:8).
The word There is left implied in some other versions. The word has no explicit referent. It may refer to the time and be translated as “then” or “immediately.” For example:
Like a lion I will devour you on the spot (GNT)
However, There might refer back to the path in 7b. Most versions that include the word “there” leave the referent unstated. For example:
I will devour them there like a lion (NET)
devour: In this figure of speech, the lion devours/eats those it attacks. A common figurative meaning of devour is to destroy.TWOT (#85). “Figuratively, droughts, famines, and pestilences are said to consume, meaning that they overcome. From this is also derived the usage of oppressors consuming their victims.”
like a wild beast would tear them apart.
in the same way that a wild animal would tear them apart.
Like a wild animal I will split/rip them open.
like a wild beast would tear them apart: In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “the animal of the field will tear them to pieces.” In this clause the subject changes from “I” (the LORD) to “A wild animal.” There are two main interpretations of this clause:
This clause compares either the behavior of the lion or of the LORD to the behavior of a typical wild animal.The cited versions may be following one of two possible interpretations here. One interpretation is that this line further describes the lion or the previous animals. Macintosh (page 533) describes this interpretation more technically as a circumstantial clause, “while/as if wild beasts rip them in pieces.” A second possible interpretation regards this clause as a separate metaphor in which the LORD is compared to an unspecified wild animal. This interpretation assumes that the Hebrew comparative ki is implied here. See Dearman (pages 323–324). It is difficult to be certain which of these two interpretations each cited version is following. Either one is acceptable. For example:
Like a wild animal I will tear you apart. (GW) (BSB, CEV, GNT, GW, ESV, NASB, NET, NCV, NJB, NLT, NRSV, REB)
This clause describes the behavior of wild animals. It is a literal description, not a figurative comparison. For example:
The beasts of the field shall mangle them. (NJPS) (KJV, NIV, NJPS)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions. This interpretation continues the pattern of figurative descriptions in each line.
a wild beast: This phrase is more literally “animal of the field.” Here this phrase refers to wild animals that attack human beings or damage land.NIDOTTE (#2651). It is singular, but it may also be understood as collective singular.Macintosh (page 534).
In some languages, the natural way to translate collective singular is by using plural. For example:
wild animals
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
(Occurrence 0) as a bear … as a lion … as a wild beast
(Some words not found in UHB: I,will_meet_them like,a_bear robbed_of_~_cubs and,I_will_tear rib_cage_of their_heart_of,their and,I,will_devour_them there like,a_lion being/animal the=field it,will_tear_them_to_pieces )
These are wild animals that attack and kill other animals. Yahweh continues to say that he will destroy his people for their sins.
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
(Occurrence 0) as a bear that is robbed of her cubs
(Some words not found in UHB: I,will_meet_them like,a_bear robbed_of_~_cubs and,I_will_tear rib_cage_of their_heart_of,their and,I,will_devour_them there like,a_lion being/animal the=field it,will_tear_them_to_pieces )
The words “would attack” are left out because they are understood. Alternate translation: “like a bear would attack an animal that takes her cubs”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
(Occurrence 0) as a lion
(Some words not found in UHB: I,will_meet_them like,a_bear robbed_of_~_cubs and,I_will_tear rib_cage_of their_heart_of,their and,I,will_devour_them there like,a_lion being/animal the=field it,will_tear_them_to_pieces )
The words “would devour them” are left out because they are understood. Alternate translation: “as a lion would devour them”
OET (OET-LV) I_will_meet_them like_a_bear robbed_of_cubs and_I_will_tear the_cavity_of their_heart_of_their and_I_will_devour_them there like_a_lion (the)_animal_of the_field it_will_tear_them_to_pieces.
OET (OET-RV) I’ll attack them like a bear that’s been robbed of her cubs.
⇔ ≈ I’ll rip open their chests and devour them there like a lion—
⇔ ≈ like a wild animal would tear them apart.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.
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