Ephraim's Deceit and Call to Return
Hosea 11:12-12:14
Hos.12.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- סבבני: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בכחש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובמרמה: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויהודה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- רד: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- עם: PREP
- אל: NEG
- ועם: CONJ+PREP
- קדושים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נאמן: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Hosea 7:13 (verbal): Within Hosea the same charge recurs against Ephraim/Israel — surrounded by lies and deceit — signaling a repeated prophetic indictment of the northern kingdom's perfidy.
- Genesis 5:24 (verbal): The phrase 'walked with God' (Heb. halakh im‑YHWH) echoes the language used of Enoch, providing a verbal parallel that highlights the contrast between faithful walking with God and Israel's deceit.
- Jeremiah 3:6-10 (thematic): Jeremiah depicts Ephraim/Israel as unfaithful and treacherous (committing spiritual adultery and turning from YHWH), a theme closely related to Hosea's accusation of deceit against Ephraim and Israel.
- Psalm 78:36-37 (thematic): The psalm accuses the people of flattering God with their mouths and lying with their tongues — language that parallels Hosea's depiction of Israel's deceitful relationship with God and religious hypocrisy.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ephraim surrounds me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit; Judah still walks with God and is faithful with the holy ones.
- Ephraim surrounds me with deceit, the house of Israel with treachery; but Judah still rules with God and is faithful with the holy ones.
Hos.12.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ורדף: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,ms
- קדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- כל: DET
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כזב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ירבה: VERB,qal,impf,3,ms
- וברית: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עם: PREP
- אשור: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- יכרתו: VERB,niphal,imf,3,m,pl
- ושמן: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- למצרים: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,pl
- יובל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Hos.7.11 (verbal): Direct parallel in Hosea condemning Ephraim for courting foreign powers: both passages accuse Ephraim of turning to Egypt/Assyria for help instead of trusting God.
- Hos.8.9-10 (thematic): Continues the theme of Israel's political unfaithfulness and misguided alliances—leaders making treaties and pursuing foreign support that lead to judgment.
- Isa.30.1-3 (thematic): Isaiah rebukes Judah for seeking a covenant with Egypt for military security; parallels Hosea’s critique of reliance on foreign powers rather than Yahweh.
- Isa.31.1 (allusion): A woe against those who seek refuge in Egypt’s chariots and horsemen echoes Hosea’s condemnation of making treaties with Assyria/Egypt for deliverance.
- 2 Kings 17:3-6 (structural): Historical background: Israel’s diplomatic moves with Assyria and Egypt and the subsequent fall of Samaria provide the historical event behind the prophetic denunciations in Hosea.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ephraim feeds on the wind and chases the east wind; all day he multiplies lies and robbery. They make a pact with Assyria, and olive oil will be carried to Egypt.
- Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind; he increases lies and robbery every day. They make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt.
Hos.12.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וריב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- עם: PREP
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- ולפקד: CONJ+PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- על: PREP
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כדרכיו: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- כמעלליו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ישיב: VERB,hifil,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 25:26 (verbal): Jacob as grasping the heel at birth (birthright/character of Jacob) — an early episode that Hosea invokes when summarizing Jacob’s ways and deeds.
- Genesis 32:24-30 (allusion): Jacob’s wrestling with the divine/angel is echoed in Hosea’s portrayal of Jacob’s contentious encounters with God and his formative, conflicted character.
- Hosea 12:4 (structural): Immediate literary parallel in the same chapter — continues the Jacob tradition (Bethel encounter, pleading) and clarifies the historical moments behind Hosea’s summary of God’s dealings with Jacob/Israel.
- Romans 2:6 (thematic): The principle that God ‘will repay each person according to their deeds’ parallels Hosea’s language about God visiting/punishing Jacob ‘according to his ways and his deeds.’
Alternative generated candidates
- But the contention of the LORD is with Judah, and he will attend to Jacob according to his ways; he will repay him for his deeds.
- I will take account of Judah; as for Jacob, I will visit him according to his ways and will repay him according to his deeds.
Hos.12.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בבטן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עקב: PREP
- את: PRT,acc
- אחיו: NOUN,3,m,sg,abs
- ובאונו: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:3ms
- שרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 25:26 (verbal): Jacob is born grasping his brother’s heel—direct verbal parallel to “in the womb he took his brother by the heel.”
- Genesis 32:24-30 (verbal): Jacob wrestles with a divine being and prevails; parallels Hosea’s language of striving with God and prevailing (Jacob/Israel as one who contends with God).
- Genesis 25:23 (thematic): God’s prophecy to Rebekah about the two nations and the elder serving the younger connects the in‑womb struggle theme and the destinies of Jacob and Esau referenced in Hosea.
- Romans 9:11-13 (quotation): Paul cites the Jacob/Esau tradition (and Malachi) to discuss divine election—an NT echo of the Israel/Esau motifs and God’s relationship to Jacob reflected in Hosea 12:4.
Alternative generated candidates
- From the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; in his strength he strove with God.
- In the womb he took his brother by the heel; in his strength he strove with God.
Hos.12.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישר: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- מלאך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בכה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ויתחנן: CONJ+VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ימצאנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg,obj,1,pl
- ושם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עמנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 32:24-30 (verbal): Directly parallels Jacob's night-long struggle with a divine/angelic figure, his prevailing, and the encounter that leads to his being named/identified (basis for 'wrestled with the angel and prevailed').
- Genesis 35:1-15 (allusion): God appears to Jacob at Bethel and speaks to him there; echoes Hosea's statement that Jacob was 'found at Bethel' where God spoke to him.
- Genesis 28:10-22 (thematic): Jacob's earlier Bethel experience (the ladder dream and vow) establishes Bethel as the locus of divine revelation and covenant—background for Hosea's Bethel reference.
- Hos.12.3 (verbal): Immediate context in Hosea recounts Jacob's struggle (in the womb and with God); 12:5 echoes and amplifies this portrait of Jacob's encounters with the divine.
Alternative generated candidates
- He strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought him at Bethel; there he spoke with us.
- He strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with us.
Hos.12.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- הצבאות: NOUN,m,pl,def
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- זכרו: VERB,qal,imperat,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 6:3 (verbal): Uses the divine title 'LORD of hosts' (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת), the same honorific as in Hos 12:6.
- Zechariah 1:3 (structural): Begins prophetic address with 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts,' echoing the prophetic formula and the title 'LORD of hosts' found in Hosea.
- Exodus 3:15 (quotation): Speaks of God's name and 'a memorial' (KJV: 'this is my memorial unto all generations'), directly paralleling the notion of the LORD as a remembrance.
- Malachi 3:16 (thematic): Describes a 'book of remembrance' written before the LORD for the faithful, thematically related to the idea that God preserves or 'remembers' his people.
- Psalm 56:8 (thematic): Depicts God recording personal events (tears, wanderings) in a divine record—parallel to the theme of God as one who remembers or holds a memorial.
Alternative generated candidates
- The LORD, the God of hosts—the LORD is his memorial.
- The LORD, the God of hosts—the LORD is his memorial.
Hos.12.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואתה: CONJ+PRON,2,m,sg
- באלהיך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cstr+PRON,2,m,sg
- תשוב: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,sg
- חסד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומשפט: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- וקוה: VERB,qal,impv,2,ms
- אל: NEG
- אלהיך: NOUN,m,sg,prsuf-2ms
- תמיד: ADV
Parallels
- Micah 6:8 (verbal): Uses the same ethical pair (justice/מִשְׁפָּט and kindness/חֶסֶד) — 'do justice, and love kindness' — closely parallels Hosea's 'keep kindness and justice.'
- Zechariah 7:9 (verbal): Commands to 'execute true judgment, show kindness and compassion' mirror Hosea's injunction to keep משפט and חסד (justice and mercy/kindness).
- Isaiah 1:17 (thematic): Calls Israel to 'seek justice, relieve the oppressed' and to learn to do good — echoing Hosea's combined ethical summons to mercy and justice.
- Amos 5:4 (thematic): 'Seek me and live' (and related calls to seek the LORD) resonates with Hosea's appeal to 'return to your God' and to 'wait continually for your God.'
- Psalm 27:14 (thematic): 'Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage' echoes Hosea's command to wait continually/trust in your God.
Alternative generated candidates
- And you—return to your God; keep steadfast love and justice, and always wait for your God.
- But you, return to your God; keep steadfast love and justice, and always wait for your God.
Hos.12.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כנען: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בידו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- מאזני: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- מרמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לעשק: VERB,qal,inf
- אהב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 11:1 (verbal): Explicitly condemns a 'false balance' (מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה), directly paralleling Hosea's image of deceitful scales used to defraud.
- Deuteronomy 25:13-16 (verbal): Legal prohibition against different weights and measures; provides the covenantal/ethical background to Hosea's accusation of fraudulent commerce.
- Leviticus 19:35-36 (verbal): Commands honest balances and measures; echoes the same concern for economic justice that Hosea charges his contemporaries with violating.
- Amos 8:4-6 (thematic): Denounces exploitation in the marketplace—cheating buyers, hurrying the end of the holy time to sell—similar social-ethical critique of commercial injustice in Hosea.
- Isaiah 1:23 (thematic): Identifies leaders who 'love bribes' and fail to defend the oppressed; links the economic corruption of Hosea's image (deceptive scales) to broader societal injustice and corrupt officials.
Alternative generated candidates
- In their hands are deceitful scales; they love to defraud.
- A Canaanite in his hand—he loves deceitful scales; he delights in defrauding.
Hos.12.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אך: PART
- עשרתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,?,sg
- מצאתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- כל: DET
- יגיעי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PS,1,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- ימצאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- עון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- חטא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Hos.12.7 (verbal): Immediate context in the same chapter accusing Ephraim of deceitful gain (merchants' balances), reinforcing the charge that apparent prosperity hides wrongdoing.
- Amos 6:1,6-7 (thematic): Condemns Samaria's/complacent Israelite elite who live in luxury and feel secure despite social injustice—parallel to Ephraim's claim of riches and moral self‑assurance.
- Romans 2:17-24 (thematic): Paul criticizes those who boast in the law (Jewish identity) while failing to keep it—echoes Ephraim's pride in prosperity/position despite guilt.
- Luke 18:11-14 (thematic): The Pharisee's self‑righteous prayer (‘I thank you that I am not like other men’) parallels Ephraim's boastful claim of having no sin despite his labor—an example of self‑justification.
- Job 31:6 (thematic): Job's insistence on his own innocence and willingness to be judged contrasts with Ephraim's confident denial of guilt; both reflect claims of moral integrity under scrutiny.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ephraim boasts, “I have become rich; I have found wealth for myself.” All his toil will not find in him any iniquity to be punished.
- And Ephraim said, “I have become rich; I have found wealth for myself.” All his labors—they shall not find in him guilt, no iniquity that is sin.
Hos.12.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואנכי: PRON,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהיך: NOUN,m,sg,prsuf-2ms
- מארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- עד: PREP
- אושיבך: VERB,hiph,impf,1,sg,obj2,ms
- באהלים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כימי: NOUN,m,pl,cs+sim
- מועד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Leviticus 23:42-43 (quotation): Explicitly links dwelling in booths (Sukkot) with the Exodus: 'you shall dwell in booths... that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt,' directly paralleling Hosea’s imagery.
- Exodus 6:6-7 (verbal): God’s self-identification as the LORD who brought Israel from Egypt and promise of relationship: 'I am the Lord... I will bring you out... I will take you for my people, and I will be to you a God,' echoing Hosea’s 'I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt.'
- Deuteronomy 16:13-15 (thematic): Instructions for observing the Feast of Booths—dwelling in booths and rejoicing—connect the festival memory of living in tents to the Exodus motif invoked by Hosea.
- Hosea 11:1 (thematic): In the same book God recalls calling Israel 'out of Egypt' (’When Israel was a child I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son’), reinforcing Hosea’s theme of God’s deliverance from Egypt and intimate care.
- John 1:14 (allusion): 'The Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us' uses the tabernacle/dwelling motif to express God’s presence with his people, echoing the OT idea of God dwelling with Israel after bringing them from Egypt.
Alternative generated candidates
- But I am the LORD your God— from the land of Egypt I brought you out; I will again settle you in booths as in the days of the festival.
- And I, the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt—I will again make you dwell in tents as in the days of the appointed festival.
Hos.12.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ודברתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- על: PREP
- הנביאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואנכי: PRON,1,sg
- חזון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הרביתי: VERB,hif,perf,1,_,sg
- וביד: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנביאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אדמה: NOUN,prop,f,sg
Parallels
- Amos 3:7 (thematic): Both assert that God reveals his purposes through the prophets — he will not act without first disclosing to his messengers.
- Numbers 12:6 (verbal): Speaks of God making himself known to a prophet in a vision or dream, closely paralleling Hosea’s language about visions given by the prophets.
- 2 Kings 17:13 (thematic): Declares that the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and seer, echoing Hosea’s emphasis on God speaking through prophetic messengers.
- Joel 2:28–29 (allusion): Promises outpouring of revelation: sons/daughters prophesy and people will see visions and dream dreams, resonating with Hosea’s mention of multiplied visions through prophets.
- Jeremiah 23:25–28 (thematic): Engages the prophetic phenomenon (true and false): Jeremiah cites prophets claiming visions/dreams, relating to Hosea’s focus on God’s communication by means of prophetic visions.
Alternative generated candidates
- I also spoke by the prophets; I increased visions, and through the prophets I gave parables.
- And I spoke through the prophets; I multiplied visions, and by the hand of the prophets I gave instruction.
Hos.12.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- גלעד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אך: PART
- שוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בגלגל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שורים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- זבחו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- גם: ADV
- מזבחותם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+SUFF,3,m,pl
- כגלים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- על: PREP
- תלמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שדי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 31:17-20 (allusion): Hosea recalls Jacob's flight and service abroad—Genesis describes Jacob fleeing to Paddan-aram, serving Laban and keeping sheep, which Hosea invokes as part of Israel's ancestral story.
- Genesis 28:18-22 (thematic): Jacob's setting up of a pillar/altar and vow at Bethel (memorials of covenantal worship) parallels Hosea's contrast between ancestral worship and later corrupt sacrificial practices.
- Amos 4:4-5 (verbal): Amos denounces ritual observance at Bethel and Gilgal—'bring your sacrifices'—similar to Hosea's censure of sacrifices/altars at Gilgal, linking ritual abuse with religious unfaithfulness.
- Hosea 4:15 (thematic): Within Hosea the prophet repeatedly criticizes Gilgal and illicit worship; 4:15's injunctions about Gilgal echo 12:12's negative portrayal of sacrifices and altars there.
Alternative generated candidates
- From Gilead comes iniquity—indeed, vanity is there; in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls, and their altars stand like mounds on the heights.
- Gilead is full of guilt; in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls—their altars are like heaps on the furrows of the field.
Hos.12.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויברח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שדה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויעבד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- באשה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ובאשה: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 27:43-45 (structural): After Esau vows to kill Jacob, Rebekah sends him away to her brother Laban in Paddan‑aram — the motive and flight to Aram parallel Hosea’s statement that Jacob fled to Aram.
- Genesis 28:10 (structural): Explicit account of Jacob’s journey ‘to Haran’/Paddan‑Aram, paralleling Hosea’s reference to Jacob’s flight into the fields of Aram.
- Genesis 29:18-20 (verbal): Jacob serves Laban in order to marry Rachel (’I will serve thee seven years for Rachel’) — directly parallels Hosea’s note that Israel (Jacob) ‘served for a woman.’
- Genesis 31:38-41 (thematic): Jacob’s own résumé of the years he labored for Laban (serving for flocks, for Leah and Rachel) and his eventual departure echoes Hosea’s summary that Jacob worked and kept sheep in Aram and served for a woman.
Alternative generated candidates
- So Jacob fled to the land of Aram; Israel served for a wife and tended flocks for her.
- And Jacob fled to the land of Aram; Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he tended flocks.
Hos.12.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובנביא: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- העלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs,def
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ממצרים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובנביא: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נשמר: VERB,niphal,impf,1,c,pl
Parallels
- Exodus 3:10 (verbal): God commissions Moses to bring Israel out of Egypt — the concrete event Hosea summarizes as ‘by a prophet the LORD brought Israel up out of Egypt.’
- Deuteronomy 18:15 (allusion): Predicts that the LORD will raise up a prophet like Moses; echoes Hosea’s emphasis on God acting through a prophet to deliver and preserve Israel.
- Psalm 105:26 (thematic): Recounts God’s sending of Moses (and Aaron) to lead Israel from Egypt, paralleling Hosea’s claim that the deliverance came through a prophet.
- Acts 3:22–23 (quotation): Peter cites Deut. 18:15 about a prophet like Moses; the New Testament link shows continuity in viewing God’s saving acts as accomplished through a prophetic mediator.
- Amos 3:7 (thematic): Affirms that the LORD reveals and acts through his prophets — supporting Hosea’s portrayal of God’s saving and preserving work mediated by a prophet.
Alternative generated candidates
- By a prophet the LORD brought Israel up from Egypt; by a prophet he was kept.
- By a prophet the LORD brought Israel up out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.
Ephraim surrounds me with deceit, the house of Israel with treachery; yet Judah still rules with God and is faithful among the holy ones.
Ephraim feeds on the wind and chases the east wind; all day he increases lies and violence. They make a covenant with Assyria and carry oil to Egypt. And the LORD contends with Judah; he visits Jacob according to his ways and repays him according to his deeds.
In the womb he took his brother by the heel; in his manhood he strove with God.
He had power with the angel and prevailed; he wept, he sought favor, he found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with us.
The LORD, the God of hosts—the LORD is his remembrance. But you, return to your God; keep steadfast love and justice, and wait continually for your God.
He has deceitful scales in his hand; he loves to defraud. And Ephraim said, “I have become rich; I have gained wealth for myself. In all my labors they will find in me no iniquity—no sin.” But I, the LORD your God, brought you out of the land of Egypt; I will cause you to dwell in tents again, as in the days of the appointed festival.
I spoke through the prophets; I multiplied visions, and by the hand of the prophets I gave parables.
Gilead is full of guilt; in Gilgal they have been false— they sacrifice bulls, and their altars stand like heaps on the hilltops of Shaddai. And Jacob fled to the land of Aram; Israel served for a wife and kept sheep for a wife.
By a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.