HOS 11:12 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

OET (OET-RV) Efrayim has surrounded me with lies,
⇔ ≈ and the people of Yisrael with deceit,
⇔ but Yehudah still goes about with God,
⇔ ≈ and is faithful to the holy one.”

Key: khaki:verbs, blue:Elohim.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
⇔ and the house of Israel with deceit.
⇔ But Judah still goes about with God,
⇔ and is faithful to the Holy One.”

UST “The people of Israel have continually lied to me.
⇔ But the people of Judah they still obey me and are faithful to me, the Holy One.”

BSB Ephraim surrounds Me with lies,
⇔ the house of Israel with deceit;
⇔ but Judah still walks with God
⇔ [and is] faithful to the Holy One.[fn]

11:12 Or and Judah is unruly against God, the faithful Holy One

OEB ⇔ Ephraim has encompassed me with falsehood,
⇔ and the house of Israel with deceit.
⇔ But Judah still wanders with God
⇔ faithful to the Holy One[fn].

11:12 Heb. uncertain. Or "Judah is still restless against God"

WEBBE ⇔ Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood,
⇔ and the house of Israel with deceit.
⇔ Judah still strays from God,
⇔ and is unfaithful to the Holy One.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Ephraim has surrounded me with lies;
⇔ the house of Israel has surrounded me with deceit.
⇔ But Judah still roams about with God;
⇔ he remains faithful to the Holy One.

LSV “Ephraim has surrounded Me with feigning,
And the house of Israel with deceit. And Judah is again ruling with God,
And [is] faithful with the Holy Ones!”

FBV Ephraim surrounds me with lies and Israel with deceit, and Judah still wanders with some deity, faithful to some “Holy One.”[fn]

11:12 It seems that Judah was merging ideas from pagan worship with that of the true God, and using the term “el” which was the name of the highest Canaanite god but could also be applied to Yahweh. So what is being said here seems to be that Judah too is wavering in its allegiance to the true God.

T4T Yahweh says, “The people of Israel have ◄surrounded me with lies/constantly told lies to me►.
⇔ And the people of Judah have also turned/rebelled against me, their God,
⇔ the Holy One who always does what I promise to do,
⇔ and the people of Judah worship other gods.”

LEB No LEB HOS 11:12 verse available

BBE The deceit of Ephraim and the false words of Israel are about me on every side. ...

Moff ⇔ Ephraim throngs round me – with lies,
⇔ the house of Israel with deceit;
⇔ Judah is wayward still with God,
⇔ with its faithful Deity.

JPS (12-1) Ephraim compasseth Me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; and Judah is yet wayward towards God, and towards the Holy One who is faithful.

ASV Ephraim compasseth me about with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the Holy One.

DRA Ephraim hath compassed me about with denials, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Juda went down as a witness with God, and is faithful with the saints.

YLT Compassed Me with feigning hath Ephraim, And with deceit the house of Israel. And Judah again is ruling with God, And with the Holy Ones [is] faithful!

Drby Ephraim encompasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet walketh with [fn]God, and with the holy things of truth.

11.12 El

RV Ephraim compasseth me about with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the Holy One.
(Ephraim compasseth/compasses/surrounds me about with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Yudah yet rules with God, and is faithful with the Holy One. )

SLT Ephraim surrounded me with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit: and Judah even ruled with God, and was faithful with the holy ones.

Wbstr Ephraim encompasseth me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

KJB-1769 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.[fn]
(Ephraim compasseth/compasses/surrounds me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Yudah yet rules with God, and is faithful with the saints. )

11.12 saints: or, most holy

KJB-1611 [fn]Ephraim compasseth mee about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Iudah yet ruleth with God, and is faithfull with the Saints.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and footnotes)

11:12 Or, with the most holy

Bshps Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes, & the house of Israel with deceipt: but Iuda yet ruleth with God, and is faithfull with the saintes.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Gnva Ephraim copasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Iudah yet ruleth with God, and is faithfull with the Saints.
(Ephraim copasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Yudah yet rules with God, and is faithful with the Saints. )

Cvdl But Ephraim goeth aboute me with lies, and the house of Israel dyssembleth. Only Iuda holdeth him with God, and with the true holy thinges.
(But Ephraim goeth/goes about me with lies, and the house of Israel dissembleth/dissembles. Only Yudah holdeth/holds him with God, and with the true holy things.)

Wycl Effraym cumpasside me in denying, the hous of Israel in gile. But Judas a witnesse yede doun with God, and with feithful seyntis.
(Ephraim compassed/surrounded me in denying, the house of Israel in guile. But Yudas a witness went down with God, and with faithful saints.)

Luth No Luth HOS 11:12 verse available

ClVg [Circumdedit me in negatione Ephraim, et in dolo domus Israël; Judas autem testis descendit cum Deo, et cum sanctis fidelis.]
([Circumdedit me in/into/on deniesion Ephraim, and in/into/on trickery home Israel; Yudas however testis came_down when/with to_God, and when/with to_the_saints faithful.] )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 11:12–12:14: Israel is deceitful and refuses to return to the LORD

In this section, the LORD accuses both Israel and Judah of wrongdoing, but then focuses on the wicked behavior of Israel (11:12–12:1). Hosea continues to describe Israel, giving examples from the life of their ancestor Jacob to show that Israel followed his bad behavior (12:2–8). The LORD then reminded the people how they had responded wickedly when he led them in the past (12:9–11). Hosea concludes this section by comparing Jacob’s care of sheep in Aram with the LORD’s care of his people through a prophet or prophets.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Israel’s Sin (NIV)

Israel and Judah Are Condemned (GNT)

Paragraph 11:12–12:1

In this paragraph, the LORD brings charges against both Israel and Judah. The statements here are similar to opening remarks made by a prosecutor in a court case.Or a presentation to teach or confront the people. See Dearman (pages 294–295) and Stuart (pages 187–188). Some versions use headings that correspond to such a context.

Here are some examples of other headings:

God’s Lawsuit against Israel: Breach of Covenant (NET)

Charges against Israel and Judah (NLT)

In the Masoretic Text, the first verse of Hosea chapter 12 begins here. The Notes and Display will follow the majority of English versions that regard this verse as Hosea 11:12.

11:12

This verse has similarities to 11:9c–d. Both verses use a less common Hebrew term for God and both refer to God as “Holy One.”11:9 and 11:12 are the only places in Hosea that the Hebrew term ‘ēl is used for “God” and that the term “holy [one]” is used to describe him. 11:9c–d describes the holy God in the midst of people. 11:12 uses a similar description. It is not a happy picture of a father surrounded by his loving children. Rather it is a picture of someone encircled by hostile enemies, who attack him with lies and deception.

11:12a–b

(combined/reordered)

All around me the people of Israel are dishonest and deceitful.

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^12a Ephraim surrounds Me with lies,

^12b the house of Israel with deceit;

There is an ellipsis in the second line. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing words from the first line. For example:

^12b the house of Israel surrounds me with deceit.

These lines are metaphors that compare the people of Israel to an enemy army that surrounds a person or a city. The lies and deceit of the people are like the weapons of the enemy.Stuart (page 189), Andersen and Freedman (page 600) and Davies (page 269).

Ephraim…house of Israel: Both of these terms refer to the people of Israel. (See 4:17a “Ephraim” and 1:6c “the house of Israel”). See the General Comment on 11:12a–b for translation options.

surrounds Me: This figurative phrase was probably well known to Hosea’s audience because of Psalms that use it in a similar way.For example, Psalm 22:16 says: “For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me….” Here, the pronoun Me refers to the LORD.Stuart (page 189) and Andersen and Freedman (page 600).

lies…deceit: In Hebrew, these two words have similar meanings. The word for lies means “evasion of truth.”TWOT (#975a). McComiskey (page 197). The word for deceit means “deceive,” “mislead.” It describes speech and behavior that intends to mislead, such as a merchant using inaccurate scales.TWOT (#2169b). Dearman (pages 296–297) and McComiskey (page 197).

General Comment on 11:12a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine some of the parallel parts. For example:

Israel surrounds me with lies and deceit (NLT)

11:12a

Ephraim surrounds Me with lies,

¶ Yahweh continued to speak, saying, “I am surrounded by Ephraim’s lies.
¶ Yahweh says, “Ephraim tells one lie after another,

11:12b

the house of Israel with deceit;

Israel’s deceit encircles me like an enemy.
and Israel constantly twists the truth.

11:12c–d

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^12cbut Judah still walks with God

^12dand is faithful to the Holy One.

In Hebrew, these lines are more literally “and/but Judah still it has roamed with God and with [the] holy [one(s)] faithful.” There are two main interpretations of this verse part:A third interpretation is not listed due to minimal version support. It proposes that the Hebrew term for God here, ‘el, refers to a pagan ‘el, rather than to YHWH. Likewise with “holy ones.” This view is favored by Andersen and Freedman (pages 600–603), Hubbard (page 199) and Garrett (pages 229–231).

These lines say that Judah remains faithful to God. The meaning of the word “roamed” is “follow.”HALOT (electronic edition, page 1194) cites Wolff “but Judah still goes about with God.” Andersen and Freedman (page 602) notes that this is the traditional interpretation. The people of Judah continue to follow God. The word “faithful” refers to Judah.In this interpretation, the parallel lines of the Hebrew text form a chiasm: Judah still (A) it has roamed (B) with God; (B’) and with [the] holy [one(s)] (A’) faithful. For example:
But Judah still roams about with God; he remains faithful to the Holy One. (NET) (BSB, ESV, KJV, NET, NJPS, NJB, NLT, NRSV)
These lines say that Judah wanders from God who is faithful. The meaning of the word “roamed” is “wander restlessly.”BDB (#7300). This Hebrew word normally has connotations of rebellion. Davies (page 270). The word “faithful” refers to God.In this interpretation the faithfulness of God is contrasted with the rebellious nature of the people of Judah. For example:
and the people of Judah are still rebelling against me, the faithful and holy God. (GNT) (CEV, GNT, GW, NASB, NCV, NIV, REB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).This interpretation is also supported by the LXX, which has “Judah now God knows them and it will be called a holy people of God.” See also Dearman (pages 296–297), Macintosh (page 475), and McComiskey (page 197). At the time of Hosea, Judah was not yet as rebellious against God as Israel.McComiskey (page 197) notes that Judah had not yet incurred the guilt that Israel had brought on herself, and would be spared for a while. See also Dearman (pages 296–297).

11:12c

but Judah still walks with God

But Judah continues to travel on God’s path.
Yet the people of Judah continue to follow God.

but Judah still walks with God: This line and 11:12d contrast the people of the southern kingdom of Judah with those of the northern kingdom of Israel. The people of Israel surrounded God with lies and deceit, but Judah continued to follow God.

still: The word still refers to something that continues. Here it indicates the continuation of a past or present event.TWOT (#1576a).

walks: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as walks, means “to roam about freely” or “to wander.”HALOT (electronic edition, page 1194). The meaning can be positive or negative. Here the word is used in a positive way. See the interpretations above.

with: The Hebrew word has meanings such as with, “beside,” “by,” or “accompanying.” It is commonly used of a close relationship.TWOT (#1640b).

God: Here the Hebrew word for God is el and not YHWH. This is the same word as in 11:9c. Some versions translate el as God instead of “LORD.” Use your general term for God here.

11:12d

and is faithful to the Holy One.

He is firm in his commitment to the Holy One.
They are loyal to me, the Holy One.

faithful: The Hebrew word means “to prove to be firm, reliable, faithful.”HALOT (electronic edition, p. 63) nifal. The word commonly applies to trust in God.Andersen and Freedman (page 603) and Macintosh (page 475).

the Holy One: This term is more literally “and with holy [ones].” The term Holy One is also in 11:9. See 11:9d “the Holy One among you.” In 11:9 the word is singular. Here it is plural. It is probably an honorific plural, also called a plural of majesty. The term refers to God in both verses.McComiskey (page 197), Macintosh (page 473) and Keil (pages 94–95).

Parallel HOS 11:12