Hosea 11:8

The Divine Dilemma: Judgment or Mercy?

11:8 How can I give you up, ¹  O Ephraim?

How can I surrender you, O Israel?

How can I treat you like Admah?

How can I make you like Zeboiim?

I have had a change of heart! ² 

All my tender compassions are aroused! ³ 

Ulangan 7:6-7

7:6 For you are a people holy ⁴  to the Lord your God. He ⁵  has chosen you to be his people, prized ⁶  above all others on the face of the earth.

The Basis of Israel’s Election

7:7 It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord favored and chose you – for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples.

Yudas 1:16

1:16 These people are grumblers and ⁷  fault-finders who go ⁸  wherever their desires lead them, ⁹  and they give bombastic speeches, ¹⁰  enchanting folks ¹¹  for their own gain. ¹² 

Yudas 1:2

1:2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you! ¹³ 

Kisah Para Rasul 13:23

13:23 From the descendants ¹⁴  of this man ¹⁵  God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. ¹⁶ 

Nehemia 9:18-19

9:18 even when they made a cast image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up from Egypt,’ or when they committed atrocious ¹⁷  blasphemies.

9:19 “Due to your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. The pillar of cloud did not stop guiding them in the path by day, ¹⁸  nor did the pillar of fire stop illuminating for them by night the path on which they should travel.

Nehemia 9:31

9:31 However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.

Mazmur 106:43-46

106:43 Many times he delivered ¹⁹  them,

but they had a rebellious attitude, ²⁰ 

and degraded themselves ²¹  by their sin.

106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,

when he heard their cry for help.

106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,

and relented ²²  because of his great loyal love.

106:46 He caused all their conquerors ²³ 

to have pity on them.

Yeremia 3:1-4

3:1 “If a man divorces his wife

and she leaves him and becomes another man’s wife,

he may not take her back again. ²⁴ 

Doing that would utterly defile the land. ²⁵ 

But you, Israel, have given yourself as a prostitute to many gods. ²⁶ 

So what makes you think you can return to me?” ²⁷ 

says the Lord.

3:2 “Look up at the hilltops and consider this. ²⁸ 

You have had sex with other gods on every one of them. ²⁹ 

You waited for those gods like a thief lying in wait in the desert. ³⁰ 

You defiled the land by your wicked prostitution to other gods. ³¹ 

3:3 That is why the rains have been withheld,

and the spring rains have not come.

Yet in spite of this you are obstinate as a prostitute. ³² 

You refuse to be ashamed of what you have done.

3:4 Even now you say to me, ‘You are my father! ³³ 

You have been my faithful companion ever since I was young.

Yeremia 3:12-14

The Lord Calls on Israel and Judah to Repent

3:12 “Go and shout this message to my people in the countries in the north. ³⁴  Tell them,

‘Come back to me, wayward Israel,’ says the Lord.

‘I will not continue to look on you with displeasure. ³⁵ 

For I am merciful,’ says the Lord.

‘I will not be angry with you forever.

3:13 However, you must confess that you have done wrong, ³⁶ 

and that you have rebelled against the Lord your God.

You must confess ³⁷  that you have given yourself to ³⁸  foreign gods under every green tree,

and have not obeyed my commands,’ says the Lord.

3:14 “Come back to me, my wayward sons,” says the Lord, “for I am your true master. ³⁹  If you do, ⁴⁰  I will take one of you from each town and two of you from each family group, and I will bring you back to Zion.

Yeremia 31:20

31:20 Indeed, the people of Israel are my dear children.

They are the children I take delight in. ⁴¹ 

For even though I must often rebuke them,

I still remember them with fondness.

So I am deeply moved with pity for them ⁴² 

and will surely have compassion on them.

I, the Lord, affirm it! ⁴³ 

Mikha 7:18-20

7:18 There is no other God like you! ⁴⁴ 

You ⁴⁵  forgive sin

and pardon ⁴⁶  the rebellion

of those who remain among your people. ⁴⁷ 

You do not remain angry forever, ⁴⁸ 

but delight in showing loyal love.

7:19 You will once again ⁴⁹  have mercy on us;

you will conquer ⁵⁰  our evil deeds;

you will hurl our ⁵¹  sins into the depths of the sea. ⁵² 

7:20 You will be loyal to Jacob

and extend your loyal love to Abraham, ⁵³ 

which you promised on oath to our ancestors ⁵⁴ 

in ancient times. ⁵⁵ 

Zakharia 1:16

The Oracle of Response

1:16 “‘Therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘I have become compassionate ⁵⁶  toward Jerusalem ⁵⁷  and will rebuild my temple ⁵⁸  in it,’ says the Lord who rules over all. ‘Once more a surveyor’s measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’

Lukas 1:54-55

1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering ⁵⁹  his mercy, ⁶⁰ 

1:55 as he promised ⁶¹  to our ancestors, ⁶²  to Abraham and to his descendants ⁶³  forever.”

[11:8]  ¹ tn The imperfect verbs in 11:8 function as imperfects of capability. See IBHS 564 §34.1a.

[11:8]  ² tn The phrase נֶהְפַּךְ עָלַי לִבִּי (nehpakh ’alay libbi) is an idiom that can be taken in two ways: (1) emotional sense: to describe a tumult of emotions, not just a clash of ideas, that are afflicting a person (Lam 1:20; HALOT 253 s.v. הפך 1.c) and (2) volitional sense: to describe a decisive change of policy, that is, a reversal of sentiment from amity to hatred (Exod 14:5; Ps 105:25; BDB 245 s.v. הָפַךְ 1; HALOT 253 s.v. 3). The English versions alternate between these two: (1) emotional discomfort and tension over the prospect of destroying Israel: “mine heart is turned within me” (KJV), “my heart recoils within me” (RSV, NRSV), “My heart is turned over within Me” (NASB), “My heart is torn within me” (NLT); and (2) volitional reversal of previous decision to totally destroy Israel: “I have had a change of heart” (NJPS), “my heart is changed within me” (NIV), and “my heart will not let me do it!” (TEV). Both BDB 245 s.v. 1.b and HALOT 253 s.v. 3 suggest that the idiom describes a decisive change of heart (reversal of decision to totally destroy Israel once and for all) rather than emotional turbulence of God shifting back and forth between whether to destroy or spare Israel. This volitional nuance is supported by the modal function of the 1st person common singular imperfects in 11:8 (“I will not carry out my fierce anger…I will not destroy Ephraim…I will not come in wrath”) and by the prophetic announcement of future restoration in 11:10-11. Clearly, a dramatic reversal both in tone and in divine intention occurs between 11:5-11.

[11:8]  ³ tn The Niphal of כָּמַר (kamar) means “to grow warm, tender” (BDB 485 s.v. כָּמַר), as its use in a simile with the oven demonstrates (Lam 5:10). It is used several times to describe the arousal of the most tender affection (Gen 43:30; 1 Kgs 3:26; Hos 11:8; BDB 485 s.v. 1; HALOT 482 s.v. כמר 1). Cf. NRSV “my compassion grows warm and tender.”

[7:6]  ⁴ tn That is, “set apart.”

[7:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

[7:6]  ⁶ tn Or “treasured” (so NIV, NRSV); NLT “his own special treasure.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (sÿgullah) describes Israel as God’s choice people, those whom he elected and who are most precious to him (cf. Exod 19:4-6; Deut 14:2; 26:18; 1 Chr 29:3; Ps 135:4; Eccl 2:8 Mal 3:17). See E. Carpenter, NIDOTTE 3:224.

[1:16]  ⁷ tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.

[1:16]  ⁸ tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.

[1:16]  ⁹ tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”

[1:16]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”

[1:16]  sn They give bombastic speeches. The idiom of opening one’s mouth in the NT often implied a public oration from a teacher or one in authority. Cf. Matt 5:2; Luke 4:22; Acts 1:16; 3:18; 10:34; Eph 6:19; Rev 13:5-6.

[1:16]  ¹¹ sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.

[1:16]  ¹² tn Or “to their own advantage.”

[1:2]  ¹³ tn Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”

[13:23]  ¹⁴ tn Or “From the offspring”; Grk “From the seed.”

[13:23]  sn From the descendants (Grk “seed”). On the importance of the seed promise involving Abraham, see Gal 3:6-29.

[13:23]  ¹⁵ sn The phrase this man is in emphatic position in the Greek text.

[13:23]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “according to [his] promise.” The comparative clause “just as he promised” is less awkward in English.

[13:23]  sn Just as he promised. Note how Paul describes Israel’s history carefully to David and then leaps forward immediately to Jesus. Paul is expounding the initial realization of Davidic promise as it was delivered in Jesus.

[9:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “great.”

[9:19]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “did not turn from them by day to guide them in the path.”

[106:43]  ¹⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).

[106:43]  ²⁰ tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).

[106:43]  ²¹ tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.

[106:45]  ²² tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.

[106:46]  ²³ tn Or “captors.”

[3:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “May he go back to her again?” The question is rhetorical and expects a negative answer.

[3:1]  sn For the legal background for the illustration that is used here see Deut 24:1-4.

[3:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “Would the land not be utterly defiled?” The stative is here rendered actively to connect better with the preceding. The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer.

[3:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “But you have played the prostitute with many lovers.”

[3:1]  ²⁷ tn Heb “Returning to me.” The form is the bare infinitive which the KJV and ASV have interpreted as an imperative “Yet, return to me!” However, it is more likely that a question is intended, expressing surprise in the light of the law alluded to and the facts cited. For the use of the infinitive absolute in the place of a finite verb, cf. GKC 346 §113.ee. For the introduction of a question without a question marker, cf. GKC 473 §150.a.

[3:2]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and see.”

[3:2]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Where have you not been ravished?” The rhetorical question expects the answer “nowhere,” which suggests she has engaged in the worship of pagan gods on every one of the hilltops.

[3:2]  ³⁰ tn Heb “You sat for them [the lovers, i.e., the foreign gods] beside the road like an Arab in the desert.”

[3:2]  ³¹ tn Heb “by your prostitution and your wickedness.” This is probably an example of hendiadys where, when two nouns are joined by “and,” one expresses the main idea and the other qualifies it.

[3:3]  ³² tn Heb “you have the forehead of a prostitute.”

[3:4]  ³³ tn Heb “Have you not just now called out to me, ‘[you are] my father!’?” The rhetorical question expects a positive answer.

[3:12]  ³⁴ tn Heb “Go and proclaim these words to the north.” The translation assumes that the message is directed toward the exiles of northern Israel who have been scattered in the provinces of Assyria to the north.

[3:12]  ³⁵ tn Heb “I will not cause my face to fall on you.”

[3:13]  ³⁶ tn Heb “Only acknowledge your iniquity.”

[3:13]  ³⁷ tn The words “You must confess” are repeated to convey the connection. The Hebrew text has an introductory “that” in front of the second line and a coordinative “and” in front of the next two lines.

[3:13]  ³⁸ tc MT reads דְּרָכַיִךְ (dÿrakhayikh, “your ways”), but the BHS editors suggest דּוֹדַיִךְ (dodayikh, “your breasts”) as an example of orthographic confusion. While the proposal makes sense, it remains a conjectural emendation since it is not supported by any actual manuscripts or ancient versions.

[3:13]  tn Heb “scattered your ways with foreign [gods]” or “spread out your breasts to strangers.”

[3:14]  ³⁹ tn Or “I am your true husband.”

[3:14]  sn There is a wordplay between the term “true master” and the name of the pagan god Baal. The pronoun “I” is emphatic, creating a contrast between the Lord as Israel’s true master/husband versus Baal as Israel’s illegitimate lover/master. See 2:23-25.

[3:14]  ⁴⁰ tn The words, “If you do” are not in the text but are implicit in the connection of the Hebrew verb with the preceding.

[31:20]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “Is Ephraim a dear son to me or a child of delight?” For the substitution of Israel for Ephraim and the plural pronouns for the singular see the note on v. 18. According to BDB 210 s.v. הֲ 1.c the question is rhetorical having the force of an impassioned affirmation. See 1 Sam 2:27; Job 41:9 (41:1 HT) for parallel usage.

[31:20]  ⁴² tn Heb “my stomach churns for him.” The parallelism shows that this refers to pity or compassion.

[31:20]  ⁴³ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”

[7:18]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.

[7:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “pass over.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”

[7:19]  ⁴⁹ tn The verb יָשׁוּב (yashuv, “he will return”) is here used adverbially in relation to the following verb, indicating that the Lord will again show mercy.

[7:19]  ⁵⁰ tn Some prefer to read יִכְבֹּס (yikhbos, “he will cleanse”; see HALOT 459 s.v. כבס pi). If the MT is taken as it stands, sin is personified as an enemy that the Lord subdues.

[7:19]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “their sins,” but the final mem (ם) may be enclitic rather than a pronominal suffix. In this case the suffix from the preceding line (“our”) may be understood as doing double duty.

[7:19]  ⁵² sn In this metaphor the Lord disposes of Israel’s sins by throwing them into the waters of the sea (here symbolic of chaos).

[7:20]  ⁵³ tn More literally, “You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.

[7:20]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “our fathers.” The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.

[7:20]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “which you swore [or, “pledged”] to our fathers from days of old.”

[1:16]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “I have turned.” This suggests that the Lord has responded to the “turning” (i.e., repentance) of the people (v. 6) and now, with great love and forgiveness, allows construction of the temple to proceed.

[1:16]  ⁵⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:16]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[1:54]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “because he remembered mercy,” understanding the infinitive as causal.

[1:54]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “his [God’s] loyal love.”

[1:55]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “as he spoke.” Since this is a reference to the covenant to Abraham, ἐλάλησεν (elalhsen) can be translated in context “as he promised.” God keeps his word.

[1:55]  ⁶² tn Grk “fathers.”

[1:55]  ⁶³ tn Grk “his seed” (an idiom for offspring or descendants).