5They shall return to the land of Egypt,
and Assyria shall be their king,
because they have refused to return to me.
6The sword rages in their cities,
it consumes their oracle-priests,
and devours because of their schemes.
7My people are bent on turning away from me.
To the Most High they call,
but he does not raise them up at all.e
8How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
9I will not execute my fierce anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and no mortal,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.f
10They shall go after the LORD,
who roars like a lion;
when he roars,
his children shall come trembling from the west.
11They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,
and like doves from the land of Assyria;
and I will return them to their homes, says the LORD.
12g Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
and the house of Israel with deceit;
but Judah still walksh with God,
and is faithful to the Holy One.
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a Gk: Heb they
b Gk: Heb them
c Gk Syr Vg: Heb his
d Or who ease the yoke on their jaws
e Meaning of Heb uncertain
f Meaning of Heb uncertain
g Ch 12.1 in Heb
h Heb roams or rules
11.1–11 Divine compassion overcomes divine anger at betrayal.
11.1 For Israel as God’s child, see Ex 4.22–23; Deut 1.31; 8.5; 32.6; Jer 2.14; 31.9. Called signifies God’s election of Israel as a vassal people.
11.2 I called them, as, e.g., in Ps 81.8–10, a psalm of Asaph. Baals. See note on 2.13. Idols, sculpted divine images; see Ps 78.58, a psalm of Asaph; Mic 1.7; 5.13.
11.3–4 The Lord’s way is like the tender care of a new parent (cf. 7.15).
11.5 On the threatened return to…Egypt, cf. 8.13; 9.3, 6; 11.11. Return to me. See note on 2.6–7.
11.8 God begins an intense self-questioning. Admah and Zeboiim were totally destroyed (Deut 29.23). God’s burning tenderness parallels that of the mother in 1 Kings 3.26.
11.9 Again destroy, or “turn to destroy” (Hebrew). No mortal. The traditions behind Hosea stress God’s mysterious otherness and freedom; see Ps 50.21, a psalm of Asaph; Ex 3.14, E; Num 23.19, E; Mic 7.18; Deut 4.15–24.
11.10–11 Catastrophe does finally strike Israel in 722 BCE, but, unlike Admah and Zeboiim, God’s people can look forward to a future, resettled in God’s land.
11.11 The returnees from exile flutter home to their dovecote (cf. Isa 60.8).
11.12–14.8 Death and new life for Israel.
11.12–12.14 God’s indictments of the descendants of Jacob.
HOSEA 12
1Ephraim herds the wind,
and pursues the east wind all day long;
they multiply falsehood and violence;
they make a treaty with Assyria,
and oil is carried to Egypt.
The Long History of Rebellion
2The LORD has an indictment against Judah,
and will punish Jacob according to his ways,
and repay him according to his deeds.
3In the womb he tried to supplant his brother,
and in his manhood he strove with God.
4He strove with the angel and prevailed,
he wept and sought his favor;
he met him at Bethel,
and there he spoke with him.a
5The LORD the God of hosts,
the LORD is his name!
6But as for you, return to your God,
hold fast to love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.
7A trader, in whose hands are false balances,
he loves to oppress.
8Ephraim has said, “Ah, I am rich,
I have gained wealth for myself;
in all of my gain
no offense has been found in me
that would be sin.”b
9I am the LORD your God
from the land of Egypt;
I will make you live in tents again,
as in the days of the appointed festival.
10I spoke to the prophets;
it was I who multiplied visions,
and through the prophets I will bring destruction.
11In Gileadc there is iniquity,
they shall surely come to nothing.
In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls,
so their altars shall be like stone heaps
on the furrows of the field.
12Jacob fled to the land of Aram,
there Israel served for a wife,
and for a wife he guarded sheep.d
13By a prophet the LORD brought Israel up from Egypt,
and by a prophet he was guarded.
14Ephraim has given bitter offense,
so his Lord will bring his crimes down on him
and pay him back for his insults.
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a Gk Syr: Heb us
b Meaning of Heb uncertain
c Compare Syr: Heb Gilead
d Heb lacks sheep
12.1 Herds the wind, is obsessed with the ephemeral (cf. 8.7; Ps 78.39), referring here to political intrigue (cf. 2 Kings 15.19–20;17.3–4).
12.2–6 Jacob’s return to the Lord, especially his abandonment of foreign gods at Bethel (Gen 35.1–8, E), should be an example for his descendants.
12.4 On how Jacob strove with the angel, see Gen 32.24–32, E. Tradition held that Jacob founded the Bethel shrine (Gen 35.1–8, E), a formerly holy site where God used to instruct Israel (see text note d).
12.6 In old Israel instruction at Bethel had emphasized core covenantal values such as love and justice (Hebrew chesed and mishpat; cf. 2.19; Mic 6.8; Jer 9.24).
12.7 Trader can be translated “Canaanite” the term is a double taunt.
12.9 I am the LORD…Egypt, the opening of a covenant instruction (see note on 13.4) like those cultivated of old by Levites like Hosea at periodic festal assemblies of the tribes (cf. Judg 21.19). God plans to return Israel to those days of the appointed festival (cf. 2.14–15; 3.4).
12.11 Gilead. See note on 6.8. Expensive offerings of bulls at Gilgal (cf. 4.15; 9.15) were a poor substitute for covenant faithfulness (cf. Mic 6.6–8).
12.12–14 Jacob tended sheep, but Moses tended God’s human flock (see Ps 77.20, a psalm of Asaph). Since Hosea now has Moses’ role (see Deut 18.15–19), Jacob’s descendants should heed him.
12.14 Given bitter offense, an idiom from Hosea’s traditions for breaking the covenant and worshiping foreign gods (1 Kings 14.9; Ps 78.58, a psalm of Asaph).
HOSEA 13
Relentless Judgment on Israel
1When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling;
he was exalted in Israel;
but he incurred guilt through Baal and died.
2And now they keep on sinning
and make a cast image for themselves,
idols of silver made according to their understanding,
all of them the work of artisans.
“Sacrifice to these,” they say.a
People are kissing calves!
3Therefore they shall be like the morning mist
or like the dew that goes away early,
like chaff that swirls from the threshing floor
or like smoke from a window.
4Yet I have been the LORD your God
ever since the land of Egypt;
you know no G
od but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
5It was I who fedb you
in the wilderness, in the land of drought.
6When I fedc them, they were satisfied;
they were satisfied, and their heart was proud;
therefore they forgot me.
7So I will become like a lion to them,
like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
8I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs,
and will tear open the covering of their heart;
there I will devour them like a lion,
as a wild animal would mangle them.
9I will destroy you, O Israel;
who can help you?d
10Where now ise your king, that he may save you?
Where in all your cities are your rulers,
of whom you said,
“Give me a king and rulers”?
11I gave you a king in my anger,
and I took him away in my wrath.
12Ephraim’s iniquity is bound up;
his sin is kept in store.
13The pangs of childbirth come for him,
but he is an unwise son;
for at the proper time he does not present himself
at the mouth of the womb.
14Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from Death?
O Death, where aref your plagues?
O Sheol, where isg your destruction?
Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
15Although he may flourish among rushes,h
the east wind shall come, a blast from the LORD,
rising from the wilderness;
and his fountain shall dry up,
his spring shall be parched.
It shall strip his treasury
of every precious thing.
16i Samaria shall bear her guilt,
because she has rebelled against her God;
they shall fall by the sword,
their little ones shall be dashed in pieces,
and their pregnant women ripped open.
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a Cn Compare Gk: Heb To these they say sacrifices of people
b Gk Syr: Heb knew
c Cn: Heb according to their pasture
d Gk Syr: Heb for in me is your help
e Gk Syr Vg: Heb I will be
f Gk Syr: Heb I will be
g Gk Syr: Heb I will be
h Or among brothers
i Ch 14.1 in Heb
13.1–16 Israel is headed for death.
13.1 Ephraim. See note on 4.17. Exalted. Cf. 12.8. Guilt through Baal, because of violation of the covenant. Died, because Israel had become detestable (9.10) and lost independence (2 Kings 17.3).
13.2 Keep on sinning. Cf. Ps. 78.17, a psalm of Asaph. The cast image refers to Bethel’s bull image (8.5; 10.5); on kissing calves, see 1 Kings 19.18. Work of artisans. Cf. Deut 27.15; Jer 10.3–4, 9.
13.3 Smoke from a window. Israelite houses had no chimneys to vent interior fire pits, so smoke escaped through glass-free openings in the walls.
13.4 A core tradition behind Hosea’s prophecy (see 12.9; Ex 20.2–3; Ps 81.9–10, a psalm of Asaph; Deut 5.6–7), forbidding any gods other than the Lord.
13.6 On the theme of satiety, see note on 10.1–2.
13.10 Cf. Mic 4.9. The background is likely Assyria’s imprisonment of King Hoshea (2 Kings 17.4). Give me a king. Cf. 1 Sam 8.6, 19; 12.13, 17.
13.11 An indictment of societal centralization and monarchy; see notes on 3.4; 8.4; 10.3.
13.14 O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your destruction? The Hebrew may entail a divine summons to effect punishment: “O Death, bring on your plagues. O Grave, bring on your destruction.” Alternatively, the sense may be one of hope (see the Septuagint; 1 Cor 15.55).
HOSEA 14
A Plea for Repentance
1Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2Take words with you
and return to the LORD;
say to him,
“Take away all guilt;
accept that which is good,
and we will offer
the fruita of our lips.
3Assyria shall not save us;
we will not ride upon horses;
we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”
Assurance of Forgiveness
4I will heal their disloyalty;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily,
he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon.b
6His shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be like the olive tree,
and his fragrance like that of Lebanon.
7They shall again live beneath myc shadow,
they shall flourish as a garden;d
they shall blossom like the vine,
their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
8O Ephraim, what have Ie to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.f
I am like an evergreen cypress;
your faithfulnessg comes from me.
9Those who are wise understand these things;
those who are discerning know them.
For the ways of the LORD are right,
and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.
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a Gk Syr: Heb bulls
b Cn: Heb like Lebanon
c Heb his
d Cn: Heb they shall grow grain
e Or What more has Ephraim
f Heb him
g Heb your fruit
14.1–8 A summons to repentance (vv. 1–3) and a divine promise of renewal (vv. 4–8).
14.2 Above and beyond animal sacrifice, Israel is bid to bring words of genuine repentance (see note on 6.6; cf. Ps 50.13–15, a psalm of Asaph).
14.3 Turning to Assyria (see notes on 5.13; 12.1) and worshiping idols (8.6; 10.6; 11.2; 13.2) were basic betrayals of the covenant. The orphan finds mercy. See Ex 22.22–23; Deut 27.19; Pss 10.14; 68.5.
14.9 Conclusion in the style of wisdom writings, such as Proverbs and Ps 1. Study of Hosea’s book reveals God’s path to life, even for those living long after the prophet’s era.
JOEL
1 | 2 | 3 |
Content and Structure
THE BOOK OF JOEL is the second book in the Masoretic version of the book of the Twelve Prophets. The superscription of the book in 1.1 simply tells us that the word of the Lord, YHWH [editor’s note: Some scholars write the Divine Name without vowels as a sign of respect, while others spell and pronounce it Yahweh], came to the prophet, Joel ben Pethuel, without providing further details concerning the prophet’s identity or the historical background. The body of the book first presents the prophet’s call for the people to lament (1.2–2.14), employing the metaphor of a swarm of locusts (1.2–20) to portray the threat of an enemy invasion of Jerusalem (2.1–14). It then turns to the prophet’s announcement of YHWH’s response to the people that they will be protected from the threat (2.15–3.21). It reports YHWH’s response to the people (2.15–20) and reassures them that the fertility of the land will be restored and the nations that threaten Jerusalem will be defeated (2.21–3.8). It concludes with the prophet’s call to the nations to assemble for judgment as YHWH carries out the divine promise to restore the land and the nation (3.9–21).
Historical Background
THE BOOK OF JOEL is notoriously difficult to date since it lacks clear historical references. Interpreters have suggested dates ranging from the ninth through the fourth centuries BCE. Earlier proposals associate Joel’s condemnation of Egypt with Pharaoh Shishak’s campaign against Isra
el following the death of Solomon (1 Kings 14.25–29) and the condemnation of Edom with the Edomite revolt against King Jehoram of Judah (2 Kings 8.20–22). Most interpreters date Joel to the fifth and fourth centuries BCE based largely on its allusions to earlier biblical literature, such as 1.15 (Isa 13.6; Ezek 30.2–3); 3.10 (Mic 4.1–4; Isa 2.2–4); 2.1–2 (Zeph 1.14–15); 3.2, 12 (2 Chr 20.20–26); 3.16, 18 (Am 1.2; 9.13), and the many references to Obadiah throughout ch. 3.
Message
JOEL IS FREQUENTLY VIEWED as a protoapocalyptic book owing to its correlation of natural and human events. Indeed, its portrayal of the portents in heaven and earth on the “day of YHWH,” i.e., the darkened sun and stars, the moon turned to blood, and the pouring out of the “divine spirit” on all flesh prior to the judgment of the nations, suggests an apocalyptic scenario. Nevertheless, readers must be aware that Joel’s scenario does not constitute a portrayal of the end of time. The imagery is associated with the Hamsin (Arabic) or Sharav (Hebrew), the dry desert wind—much like the Santa Ana winds of southern California—that fills the sky with blowing dust and marks the transitions between the dry summer and rainy winter seasons in both ancient and modern Israel. Although the prophet employs this imagery to portray the threat of enemy invasion against Jerusalem, the use of earlier biblical traditions points to YHWH’s deliverance of the city. Altogether, the book of Joel presents YHWH’s response of mercy to Judah’s pleas for help. [RICHARD A. HENSHAW, revised by MARVIN A. SWEENEY]
JOEL 1
1The word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel:
Lament over the Ruin of the Country
2Hear this, O elders,
give ear, all inhabitants of the land!
Has such a thing happened in your days,
or in the days of your ancestors?
3Tell your children of it,
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