HOS 3:4 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–5: Hosea redeemed Gomer as the LORD will redeem Israel

In this section, the LORD commanded Hosea to take Gomer back as his wife. This probably occurred later in their marriage after Gomer had left Hosea and became an adulteress.There are two main views about how the events of chapters 1 and 2 relate to those of chapter 3. One view is that the events described in chapter 3 follow those described in chapters 1 and 2. (This is the view taken by this Translators Notes publication.) Another view is that in chapter 3, Hosea is describing most of the same events but from a different perspective and for a different purpose. Once more Hosea communicated the LORD’s message by his action as well as his words. His action was an illustration of the LORD’s unfailing love for the nation of Israel. Israel had been unfaithful to the LORD and had been worshiping other gods. In the same way, Gomer had been unfaithful to Hosea and had left him for other lovers. And just as Hosea was commanded to take Gomer back as his wife, so the LORD planned to restore Israel to himself.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

An Illustration of God’s Love for Idolatrous Israel (NET)

Hosea Redeems His Wife (ESV)

Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife (NIV)

Paragraph 3:4–5

In this paragraph, Hosea’s words predicted that the LORD will judge/punish the nation of Israel (3:4). But after the LORD punishes them, they will seek him again (3:5).

Verse 4 gives details of the LORD’s punishment. He will punish Israel by keeping them from having three things: its own government, worship, and supernatural guidance. These things are arranged in three pairs. In Hebrew, the first five items in these pairs are introduced with a negative existential “there is no/not” (“without” in English versions):Lange (page 47) and Davies (page 103) think that both “ephod” and “idols” may have represented idols that were used in pagan worship. McComiskey (page 53) says that Hosea may have omitted the word “without” before “idols” to indicate that Israel’s syncretistic religion was actually totally pagan. Macintosh (pages 106–107) also comments on the close association of these two terms, but concludes that the Israelites used the ephod in the context of the idolatrous cult to consult Yahweh. Wood (page 138) and Pusey (page 43) both make a distinction between the ephod, used by the high priest to consult Yahweh, and the idols (teraphim) used to consult pagan deities. Hubbard (page 93) also associates the ephod with the high priestly garment that contained the Urim and Thummim used to obtain guidance from Yahweh. Of the English versions used in TN, only the NJPS and KJV follow the Hebrew repetition of the word “without.”

^4a without king and without prince

^4b without sacrifice and without pillar

^4c without ephod and idols

3:4a

For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince,

¶ In the same way, it will be a long time until the people of Israel have their own kings or officials.
¶ This will show/illustrate what will happen to the people of Israel. They will have no king or other leaders for a long time.

For: In Hebrew, this word introduces the reason that the LORD told Hosea to stop having sexual relations with Gomer in 3:3. The reason was to illustrate that the LORD will refrain from closeness to Israel. Some versions use a phrase that makes this connection between 3:3 and 3:4 more explicit. For example:

This shows that…. (NLT)

In just this way…. (GNT)

Use a natural way in your language to introduce this connection.

the Israelites: See the note on the same phrase in 3:1c.

must live many days: This is the same phrase as in 3:3a. You should translate this phrase in a way that shows the parallel between Gomer and Israel. For example, the GNT has “for a long time” in both verses.

without king or prince: During the time that the people of Israel are in exile, the Assyrians will rule them. They will not be able to govern themselves anymore. In Hebrew, the word prince refers here to any leader, chief, or official who serves in the government of the king, the highest ruler.BDB (#8269), Pusey (page 43), and Macintosh (page 105).

Here are some other ways to translate these terms:

without kings or leaders (GNT)

without king and without officials (NJPS)

3:4b

without sacrifice or sacred pillar,

During that time, they will not be able to make sacrifices. Nor will they have the opportunity to worship other gods at sacred stone pillars.
They will also have no way to sacrifice animals to Yahweh, and they will have no statues that they have set up to worship idols.

without sacrifice: When the people are in exile, they will no longer be able to make animal sacrifices. This term can refer to sacrifices to the LORD or sacrifices to idols. At that time, the people worshiped both the LORD and idols, so if possible, translate it so that it can refer to either kind of sacrifice. For example:

there will be no animal sacrifices

they will not be able to make sacrifices

If you need to specify the LORD or idols, you should specify the LORD. This gives a better contrast with the pagan worship indicated by the next term.Commentaries that support a contrast between sacrifices (made to Yahweh) and pagan worship involving stone pillars include Pusey, Wood, McComiskey, and Davies. Wood (page 183) says that the Israelites would be “without proper or improper means of worship.” Pusey (page 43) says: “not following after idolatries, yet cut off from the sacrificial worship which he had appointed for forgiveness of sins.”

sacred pillar: In Hebrew, this word is literally “a pillar.” It refers to a tall, thin pillar or column made of stone that was placed vertically in the ground. Some scholars think that these pillars were statues or idols of pagan gods that the people used in their worship.Lange (page 47) uses the word “statues.” Hubbard (page 94) says that they were “Canaanite columns that symbolized male deities.” Pusey (page 43) identifies them as “images,…the visible form of the beings, whom they worshiped instead of God.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

sacred stone pillars (GNT)

stones that they set up for worshiping idols

3:4c

and without ephod or idol.

And during that time, there will not be an ephod or any teraphim.
Moreover, there will be no High Priest with the embroidered vest/garment that has objects to use to get answers/guidance from Yahweh. There will also be no household idols/gods for the people to consult.
There will be nothing for people to use if they want Yahweh’s guidance or even guidance from the small idols in their homes.

without ephod: The ephod that is mentioned here was probably used by the High Priest.Other types of ephod mentioned in the OT include 1) a simple linen garment worn by priests (1 Samuel 2:18) and 2) an object used for divination that sometimes accompanied household idols (Judges 8:27). It was an embroidered sleeveless vest to which was attached a breast piece that contained the Urim and Thummim. The High Priest used these objects to ask the LORD for guidance (Exodus 28:6–15, 28–30).

Here are some ways to translate this term:

Transliterate the Hebrew term ephod. The BSB and many other versions do not add any details that describe the ephod or its intended function.
Translate a brief description of an ephod along with its function. For example:
without any embroidered garment that has objects to use to get answers from the LORD.
Translate the function of an ephod or the High Priest in obtaining guidance from the LORD. For example:
without anything to use to contact the LORD
without a High Priest to ask the LORD for guidance

With any of these options, consider adding a footnote that gives more information. Here is a suggested footnote:

In Hebrew, the word ephod refers here to an embroidered vest/garment that the High Priest wore. In a pocket/pouch attached to this garment were two small objects called Urim and Thummim. (Exodus 28:6–15, 28–30). He used them to find out what the LORD wanted the nation of Israel to do.

idol: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as idol is literally “teraphim.” It refers to small household idols that represented pagan gods or the spirits of dead ancestors. The people consulted them for guidance.Davies (page 104) says that these idols represented either “household gods or the spirits of dead ancestors.” Hubbard (page 94) says they were “small figures of deities thought to grant protection and guidance.”

Here are some other ways to translate this term:

Transliterate the Hebrew term teraphim, as in the REB.
Translate a brief description of teraphim. For example:
family idols (GW)
household gods (ESV)

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

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.