HOS 5:12 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:8–15: The LORD will judge the people by war

In 5:8–11, the LORD warned Israel and Judah that he would soon destroy them by means of the enemy that had come to wage war against them. He also accused them of various kinds of sin. In 5:12–15, the LORD compared his judgment to destructive things like a moth, wood rot, and a lion. He assured the people that they would be destroyed in spite of their attempt to get help from Assyria. We do not know with certainty the date and the details of the war. However, some scholars believe that this is the war that is mentioned in 2 Kings 16:5–9 and 2 Chronicles 28:5–23.This may be the Syro-Ephraimite war, 735–732 B.C.E. In that war the kingdoms of Israel and Syria united to fight against the kingdoms of Assyria and Judah. The war greatly harmed both Israel and Judah. Israel and Syria lost the war, and the king of Assyria took control of most of the land of Israel. See Andersen and Freedman (pages 402–403), Hubbard (pages 118–122), Stuart (page 101), and Macintosh (page 194) for more details.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

War between Judah and Israel (GNT)

The Lord warns Israel and Judah (CEV)

5:12a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ I will destroy Israel and Judah like a moth ruins clothes or like termites/disease cause(s) trees/wood to decay.

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^12aSo I am like a moth to Ephraim,

^12band like decay to the house of Judah.

These lines contain parallel similes. In these similes, the LORD compares himself to things that destroy. He will destroy the people of Ephraim and Judah like a moth destroys clothing or like wood or other things weaken and decay. See the General Comment on 5:12a–b for other ways to translate these parallel similes.

moth: The word moth refers here to a destructive kind of moth that makes holes in clothing.Some scholars (e.g., Stuart, page 105; Macintosh, page 207) think that this word is derived here from an Arabic root that means “pus.” For example, the REB translates it as “festering sore.” However, this meaning does not occur elsewhere in the OT. It is recommended that you follow the normal meaning for this Hebrew word. In some languages, there may not be a word for this kind of moth. If that is true in your language, you may use a word that refers to something with a similar function. For example:

worm/insect

decay: There are two ways to interpret the parallel word decay here:

It refers to something that causes wood to decay, become soft, or fall apart. For example:
wood rot (NET)
rot that destroys wood (GW) (BSB, NIV, ESV, GW, NET, NLT, RSV)
It refers to something that causes a part of the body to decay or become weak. For example:
gangrene (NJB) (NJB, REB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions.Many English versions use a general term such as “rot” or “rottenness.” These versions could refer to either interpretation. They include the CEV, KJV, NASB, NCV, NIV, and NRSV. The Display will follow this interpretation. However, you may also follow interpretation (2). In three out of five other verses that use the same Hebrew for “rot/rottenness,” it refers to rottenness of the bones.The Hebrew word raqab occurs five times in the OT. Proverbs 12:4 and 14:30 and Habakkuk 3:16 refer specifically to rot or decay of the bones. Job 13:28 and Hosea 5:12 do not specify. According to the Hebrew viewpoint in OT times, the bones were the source of bodily health and strength. People sometimes described physical or emotional suffering in terms of weakness or rottenness in their bones (NIDOTTE, #6795).

Ephraim…the house of Judah: The word Ephraim has the same meaning here as in 5:11a. The parallel phrase refers to the people of the nation of Judah.

General Comment on 5:12a–b

If these similes are not clear in your language, here are some other translation options:

Make explicit the way in which the LORD is like a moth and like rot. For example:
^12aI will destroy Ephraim as a moth destroys clothing. (GW)
^12bI will destroy the nation of Judah as rot destroys wood.
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
I will bring destruction on Israel and ruin on the people of Judah. (GNT)
Use similar figures of speech that convey the right meaning in your language. For example:
^12aI will cause the people of Israel to be destroyed like locusts/grubs destroy plants.
^12bI will destroy the people of Judah like termites destroy wood.

In some languages, it may be clearer or more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts, using one or more of the preceding options. For example:

I will destroy the nations of Israel and Judah like moths destroy clothes or dry rot weakens wood.

5:12a

So I am like a moth to Ephraim,

¶ “I will destroy the nation of Israel like a moth that destroys clothing/wool.
¶ “What I do to the people of Israel will be like locusts that destroy plants.

5:12b

and like decay to the house of Judah.

I will destroy the nation of Judah like wood rot weakens/destroys trees.
The way that I punish the people of Judah will be like termites that weaken and destroy wood/trees.

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.

OET interlinear HOS 5:12