HOS 6:3 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.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Let us know—let’s press on to know Yahweh.
⇔ His arrival is certain as the dawn.
⇔ ≈ He will come to us like the showers—
⇔ ≈ like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Key: khaki:verbs, green:YHWH.
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).

BrLXX καὶ ζησόμεθα ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ γνωσόμεθα· διώξωμεν τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν Κύριον· ὡς ὄρθρον ἕτοιμον εὑρήσομεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἥξει ὡς ὑετὸς ἡμῖν πρώϊμος καὶ ὄψιμος γῇ.
(kai zaʸsometha enōpion autou, kai gnōsometha; diōxōmen tou gnōnai ton Kurion; hōs orthron hetoimon heuraʸsomen auton, kai haʸxei hōs huetos haʸmin prōimos kai opsimos gaʸ. )

BrTr let us follow on to know the Lord: we shall find him ready as the morning, and he will come to us as the early and latter rain to the earth.

ULT Let us know;
⇔ let us press on to know Yahweh.
⇔ His going forth is sure as the dawn;
⇔ he will come to us like the showers,
⇔ like the spring rains that water the earth.”

UST Try to know Yahweh;
⇔ do all you can to be faithful to him.
⇔ It is as certain as tomorrow’s sunrise
⇔ that he will come to us; he will come to us like the rain,
⇔ like the rain comes in the spring on our fields.”

OEB Let us know, let us eagerly seek to know the Lord.
⇔ His coming is as sure as the sunrise.
⇔ He will come to us like the winter rain,
⇔ as the spring rain that waters the earth.’

WEBBE Let’s acknowledge the LORD.
⇔ Let’s press on to know the LORD.
⇔ As surely as the sun rises,
⇔ the LORD will appear.
⇔ He will come to us like the rain,
⇔ like the spring rain that waters the earth.”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET So let us acknowledge him!
⇔ Let us seek to acknowledge the Lord!
⇔ He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn,
⇔ as certainly as the winter rain comes,
⇔ as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land.”

LSV And we know—we pursue to know YHWH,
His going forth is prepared as the dawn,
And He comes in as a shower to us,
As spring rain [and] autumn rain to the earth.”

FBV Let's get to know the Lord, really strive to know him, and he will appear to us as surely as the sun will rise; he will come to us as certainly as the spring rains fall on the earth.”

T4T We must try to know Yahweh;
⇔ if we do that, he will come and help us,
⇔ as surely as the sun rises every morning,
⇔ as surely as rain falls every winter/cold season,
⇔ and as surely as the rain falls again ◄in the springtime/at the end of the cold season►.”

LEB • Let us know, let us press on to know Yahweh; his rising is sure like the dawn.
• He will come like the showers to us,
• like the spring rain that waters the earth.

BBE And let us have knowledge, let us go after the knowledge of the Lord; his going out is certain as the dawn, his decisions go out like the light; he will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.

Moff Let us know the Eternal, let us make haste to know him,
⇔ for he will come to us, sure as the dawn,
⇔ come to us like the winter-rain,
⇔ like the spring-rain watering the land.”

JPS And let us know, eagerly strive to know the LORD, His going forth is sure as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.'

ASV And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.

DRA He will revive us after two days: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. We shall know, and we shall follow on, that we may know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning light, and he will come to us as the early and the latter rain to the earth.

YLT And we know — we pursue to know Jehovah, As the dawn prepared is His going forth, And He cometh in as a shower to us, As gathered rain — sprinkling earth.'

Drby and we shall know, — we shall follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is assured as the morning dawn; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain which watereth the earth.

RV And let us know, let us follow on to know the LORD; his going forth is sure as the morning: and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.

SLT And we shall know, we shall pursue to know Jehovah: as the morning his going forth was prepared; and he shall come as the rain to us, as the latter rain, the early rain of the earth.

Wbstr Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he will come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth.

KJB-1769 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

KJB-1611 Then shal we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared, as the morning; & he shall come vnto vs, as the raine; as the latter and former raine vnto the earth.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Then shall we haue vnderstanding, and endeuour our selues to knowe the Lord: he shal go foorth as the spring of the day, & come vnto vs as the rayne, and as the latter rayne vnto the earth.
(Then shall we have understanding, and endeavour ourselves to know the Lord: he shall go forth as the spring of the day, and come unto us as the rain, and as the latter rain unto the earth.)

Gnva Then shall we haue knowledge, and indeuour our selues to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come vnto vs as the raine, and as the latter raine vnto the earth.
(Then shall we have knowledge, and endeavour ourselves to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us as the rain, and as the latter rain unto the earth. )

Cvdl Then shal we haue vnderstondinge, & endeuoure oure selues to knowe the LORDE. He shal go forth as the sprynge of the daye, and come vnto vs as the euenynge and mornynge rayne vpon the earth.
(Then shall we have understanding, and endeavour ourselves to know the LORD. He shall go forth as the spring of the day, and come unto us as the evening and morning rain upon the earth.)

Wycl He schal quykene vs after twei daies, and in the thridde dai he schal reise vs, and we schulen lyue in his siyt. We schulen wite, and sue, that we knowe the Lord. His goyng out is maad redi at the morewtid, and he schal come as a reyn to vs, which is timeful and lateful to the erthe.
(He shall quicken/bring_back_to_life us after twain/two_or_both days, and in the third day he shall raise us, and we should live in his sight. We should wit/know, and sue, that we know the Lord. His going out is made ready at the morning, and he shall come as a rain to us, which is timeful and lateful to the earth.)

Luth Dann werden wir acht darauf haben und fleißig sein, daß wir den HErr’s erkennen. Denn er wird hervorbrechen wie die schöne Morgenröte und wird zu uns kommen wie ein Regen, wie ein Spätregen, der das Land feuchtet.
(Then become we/us eight on_it have and diligent/hardworking be, that we/us the LORD’s recognise/realise. Because he becomes outbrechen as/like the beautiful dawn and becomes to/for us/to_us/ourselves coming as/like a Regen, as/like a Spätregen, the/of_the the country dampt.)

ClVg Vivificabit nos post duos dies; in die tertia suscitabit nos, et vivemus in conspectu ejus. Sciemus, sequemurque ut cognoscamus Dominum: quasi diluculum præparatus est egressus ejus, et veniet quasi imber nobis temporaneus et serotinus terræ.
(Vivificabit us after two days; in/into/on day third will_raise us, and we_will_live in/into/on in_sight his. Sciemus, sequemurque as cognoscamus the_Master: as_if diluculum prepared it_is going_out his, and will_come as_if the_rain us temporaneus and latetinus of_the_earth/land. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:1–3: The people will urge one another to repent

In the last paragraph of chapter 5, the LORD warned the people of Israel and Judah that he would abandon them until they turned to him and earnestly desired to worship and serve him. Section 6:1–3 is closely connected to this paragraph. It contains the people’s response to the LORD’s warning.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

The people will respond to the LORD’s warning

An invitation to repent

Some versions indicate in their section headings that these words of repentance are insincere or temporary. However, the words themselves appear to exemplify the true repentance that the LORD described in 5:15c. It was prophesied that this repentance would take place in the “last days” (3:5). The last chapter (14:1–7) describes the blessings that will result from this repentance. So it is recommended that you not imply in a section heading that this call to repentance is insincere or superficial. You may also want to add a footnote that cross-references the other verses in Hosea that describe this kind of repentance.

Paragraph 6:1–3

This paragraph gives the words that the people will say to each other when they repent and seek the LORD.

6:3a–b

(combined/reordered)

We^(incl) should make every effort to know Yahweh personally and learn who he is.

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^3aSo let us know—

^3b let us press on to know the LORD.

In these two lines, the speaker urges the people to know the LORD. Some versions have moved the LORD to the first line, because it is more natural English.

let us…let us: These phrases express a plea. See the note on “let us return” in 6:1a.

know…to know: The Hebrew verbs that the BSB translates as know have more than one meaning related to knowing, experiencing, and understanding. There are two main ways to interpret the word know here:

It means that the people should know the LORD in an intimate, personal way. It implies that they should understand the LORD’s character. For example:
Let us know, let us strive to know Yahweh (NJB)
Let’s learn about the LORD. Let’s get to know the Lord. (GW) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GNT, GW, NAB, NASB, NCV, NJB, NLT, NRSV, REB)
It means that the people should acknowledge or agree that he is the LORD. For example:
So let us acknowledge him! Let us seek to acknowledge the Lord! (NET) (NET, NIV)The NJPS has: “Let us pursue obedience to the Lord, and we shall become obedient.” To “acknowledge” the LORD involves obedience, so perhaps NJPS could be listed under this interpretation.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions. This is the same interpretation as in 2:20b, although the context there focuses more on a marriage relationship.

Some languages have different words for knowing someone personally and knowing facts about someone. If that is true in your language, you should use the word that refers to a personal relationship.

let us press on to know the LORD: The phrase that the BSB translates as let us press on is literally “let us pursue” It means to fervently strive to know him. For example:

let us strive to know Yahweh (NJB)

General Comment on 6:3a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these lines. For example:

Let’s do our best to know the Lord. (CEV)

6:3a

So let us know—

We^(incl) must do all that we can to know Yahweh!

6:3b

let us press on to know the LORD.

Let us^(incl) try hard to know him!

6:3c–e

(combined/reordered)

He will come to us^(incl) as surely as the day dawns, like the spring rains that irrigate/water the soil.”

Notice the parallel partsThe first and second lines form a chiasm. The phrase “He will appear” is the second phrase of the first line. The matching phrase “He will come” is the first phrase of the second line. that are similar in meaning:

^3c As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;

^3d He will come to us like the rain,

^3e like the spring showers that water the earth.

These three lines are similes. In each simile, the coming of the LORD is compared to natural events. His coming is as certain as the sunrise. It is also as welcome and beneficial as the rain that people in Israel depended on for their crops.

6:3d

He will come to us like the rain,

Yes, we^(incl) know that he will come just as the rains do.
His coming to us is like the arrival of the rainy season.

6:3c-d

He will appear; He will come: These clauses imply that the LORD will come to help and bless his people. No difference in meaning is intended between the parallel words appear and come.

6:3c

As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;

The sun always rises. Similarly, he will certainly come/appear.
There is no doubt that he will appear to help us^(incl). It is as certain as the sunrise.

As surely as the sun rises, He will appear: Here are some other ways to translate these clauses:

his coming is as sure as the dawn (NRSV)

His coming is as certain as the morning sun (CEV)

He will come to us as sure as the morning comes. (GW)

6:3e

like the spring showers that water the earth.

He will be like the rain that arrives in the spring that waters the earth.”
We^(incl) eagerly look forward to it just as we look forward to the rain that come right when the crops need it.”

6:3d–e

like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth: The terms that the BSB translates as rain and spring showers are each one word in Hebrew. The first word is literally rain. It usually refers to rain in general, whereas spring showers refers specifically to rain that falls at a particular time of year. There are two ways to interpret the first word:

It refers to rain or showers in general. It does not indicate the time of year when it rains. For example:
he will come to us like rain (NCV) (BSB, CEV, ESV, KJV, NAB, NASB, NCV, NJB, NJPS, REB, NRSV)
It refers specifically to autumn or winter rains. For example:
He will come to us like the autumn rains (GW) (GW, NET, NIV)

The BSB follows interpretation (1), but you may follow either interpretation. There are several reasons why either interpretation is valid:

In Hebrew parallelism, a general statement commonly precedes a specific one.
The general term rain probably includes both the earlier and later times of rain. In Israel, rain commonly fell at planting time in October-November and also when the crops were ripening in March or April.According to Macintosh (page 225), the word gešem (rain) “is a comprehensive term denoting rainfall and therefore includes the phenomena of Israel/Palestine, viz. the former and the latter rains, respectively of winter and spring. Of these the latter rain malqoš (‘spring showers’) alone is here named.” See also Pusey and Wood, who both mention the two seasons of rainfall in Israel. However, many other commentaries focus on the spring rains as the primary reference of the general term. These include Hubbard, Stuart, Dearman, and McComiskey. See also TWOT (#1127b).
With either interpretation, the point of the simile (the regularity and benefits of rain) is the same.

In different areas of the world, periods of rainfall are referred to in different ways. People may also expect rain at different times of the year. If that is true in your language area, you may use more general terms. For example:

He will come to us like the rain/showers that the crops need.

General Comment on 6:3c–e

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine some of the verse parts. For example the GNT combines 6:3d and 6:3e:

^3cHe will come to us as surely as the day dawns, ^3d–eas surely as the spring rains fall upon the earth. (GNT)

Parallel HOS 6:3