Hosea 11

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).[8] Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including 4Q82 (4QXII^g; 25 BCE) with extant verses 2–12 (verse 11:12 = 12:1 in Masoretic Text).[9][10][11][12]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^Q; 6th century).[13][lower-alpha 1]

When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called My son.[15]

• "And out of Egypt I called My son": or "From the time that he (Israel) was in Egypt, I called him My son," (according to Bengel) in parallel to the use of "from the land of Egypt" in Hosea 12:9 and Hosea 13:4.[3] Exodus 4:22 shows that Israel was called "My son" by God from the period of Egyptian sojourn (Isaiah 43:1) and God is always said to "have led" or "brought forth", not to have "called", Israel from Egypt.[3] Matthew 2:15 quotes this prophecy for Jesus' sojourn in Egypt, not His return from it.[3] The same general reason, that is, the danger of extinction, caused Israel in its national infancy and the infant Jesus (cF. Genesis 42:1–43:34; 45:18; 46:3, 4; Ezekiel 16:4–6; Jeremiah 31:20) to sojourn in Egypt.[3]
• The verse has two textual variants: one is the standard reading of "Out of Egypt I called my son" and a second is found in the Greek Septuagint "Out of Egypt I called his children", which is likely based on a small variation of benei, "my son", in the Hebrew Masoretic Text, to beneiu, "his children", as a possible source of Septuagint reading.[16]

How can I give you up, Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I set you like Zeboiim?

My heart churns within Me;

My sympathy is stirred.[17]

• "Admah" and "Zeboim": were cities in the same plain with Sodom and Gomorrah; each with a king (Genesis 14:2) and, though are not mentioned by name in the narrative in Genesis, were destroyed together with Sodom and Gomorrah, as recorded in a general term "those cities and all the plain" (Genesis 19:25) or later in detail "...that the whole land thereof is brimstone and salt and burning, ... like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath" (Deuteronomy 29:22–23).[18][19]
• "My heart churns within Me": or "my heart is within me changed", that is, 'from anger to pity'.[19]
• "My sympathy is stirred": from Hebrew: נכמרו נחומי, niḵ-mə-rū ni-khū-māy;[20] almost the same phrase is found in Genesis 43:30, Hebrew: נכמרו רחמיו, niḵ-mə-rū ra-khă-māw,[21] 'his [Joseph's] compassion [bowels] were overcome [towards his brother].'[22] The word rendered "is stirred" or "were overcome" (nik’meru), according to Rashi, "one warmed", has a close affinity with the Assyrian kamâru, "to throw down", as in Hosea 10:5 for k’mârîm, "(idolatrous) priests".[22] The word for "sympathy" is from Hebrew nikhumim, from Piel נִחֵם, a noun of הבוד, less definite than rakhamim, "bowels", as "the seat of the emotions".[19]

Verses 8–9 form one of the most moving passages in the Hebrew Bible, where YHWH struggles with the anguish of his love, that he cannot totally destroy Israel as he did Admah and Zeboim.[23]

• Hosea 11 Hebrew with Parallel English
• Hosea 11 Hebrew with Rashi's Commentary

• Hosea 11 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate