Ephraim strives after wind and follows the east wind, covenanting with Assyria and carrying oil into Egypt; remember Jacob, who took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength strove with a godlike being — he strove with an angel and prevailed, at Beth-el He found him: 'Therefore turn to your God; keep mercy and justice, and wait for your God continually.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Ephraim compasses Me about with lies, And the house of Israel with deceit; And Judah is yet wayward towards God, And towards the Holy One who is faithful.
verse value 3203
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "and·Judah" (וִיהוּדָ֗ה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "yet" (עֹ֥ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·with·the·Holy·One" (וְעִם־קְדוֹשִׁ֖ים, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 141: toward·God, faithful. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "they·turned·me" (סְבָבֻ֤נִֽי), "with·lies" (בְכַ֙חַשׁ֙), "and·in·deceit" (וּבְמִרְמָ֖ה). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Israel" (root ישראל, 39x in Hosea); "Ephraim" (root אפרים, 37x in Hosea); "house·of" (root בית, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: סְבָבֻ֤נִֽי [they·turned·me] (124) + בְכַ֙חַשׁ֙ [with·lies] (330) + אֶפְרַ֔יִם [Ephraim] (331) + וּבְמִרְמָ֖ה [and·in·deceit] (293) + בֵּ֣ית [house·of] (412) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + וִיהוּדָ֗ה [and·Judah] (36) + עֹ֥ד [yet] (74) + רָד֙ [roaming] (204) + עִם־אֵ֔ל [toward·God] (141) + וְעִם־קְדוֹשִׁ֖ים [and·with·the·Holy·One] (576) + נֶאֱמָֽן [faithful] (141) = 3203.
Rashi
“Surround me.” Already Ephraim and the House of Israel—the kings of the Ten Tribes and all the people—have descended into deceit and fraud. But Judah still has dominion with God; he still rules in the fear of God. “Descends” is like [the verse] (Numbers 24:19): “And he shall have dominion from Jacob,” meaning their kings still descend with the Holy One, blessed be He.
Radak
“Surrounded me with deceit, Ephraim.” But now they surround me with deceit and guile that they practice. And the meaning of “surrounded me” is that I dwell among them, and they encircled me around the Temple with the service of other gods, and only the tribe of Judah remained in the midst. Therefore it says, “And Judah still clings to God.” And it mentions Ephraim because of Jeroboam, who was from the tribe of Ephraim, and “the house of Israel” refers to the rest of the tribes of Israel that were with him, except for the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. And it does not mention Benjamin because Judah is the principal tribe, and the king is from his tribe.
And Judah still went down with God. When Ephraim and the other tribes began to serve the calves, the tribe of Judah still feared God and served Him, as Abijah, king of Judah, said to Jeroboam and to Israel: “You are a great multitude, and with you are the golden calves, etc., and everyone who comes to fulfill his hand with a bull of cattle, etc., and he shall be a priest of no-God; but we, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests serving the Lord, the sons of Aaron, etc.”
24. The matter of "rule" is like [the verse] "Why have we descended?" (Jeremiah 2:31), and the explanation is that "descend" means to serve, as in "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:29), or it recalls the matter of rule, because when the king served the Lord, he would admonish the people to serve God alone, blessed be He; and when the king served other gods, he would compel the people to serve other gods as well.
"And a faithful holy people." The repetition of the idea in different words: because regarding "holy," in the place of "God," he used the language of the plural, like "Gods" [Elohim]; "holy" he said, for Judah was faithful to God, blessed be He, and upheld His service, even though Ephraim was serving the calves. And my master and father, of blessed and holy memory, explained "faithful" referring to God, blessed be He. And it is astonishing that Jonathan translated "with God" like "with God" with a patach. We do not know if he read it thus, that he translated [it as] "He was sufficient before Me," etc.
Metzudat David
"Surrounded me with deceit, Ephraim." Behold, the kingdom of Ephraim surrounded me, as if they were returning to Me, yet they would deny Me, for their heart is not truly with them.
And in the matter of deception, etc. The matter is repeated in what is stated:
“And Judah.” But Judah is still ruling with God; that is to say, he compels the people to walk with God in the ways of the Torah.
"And a holy people." A people who are holy to God, that is, faithful to fulfill His word.
Metzudat Zion
"Rad." The matter of "dominion" is like [the verse] "You have ruled over the nations" (Psalms 110:2):
Malbim
“Surround me” – this refers to Ephraim, which is the tribe that reigns. They surrounded me with deceit, which is the heresy whereby they denied the foundations of faith and said to the calves, “These are your gods, O Israel.”
And regarding the deceit of the House of Israel: the other tribes engaged in deceit in matters between man and his fellow, to defraud and swindle, as it is explained by “Canaan in his hand, scales of deceit.” Only Judah continued to walk with God, in the days of Jotham and Hezekiah, ruling in the fear of God in matters of faith.
And with the holy ones, He is trustworthy, for trustworthiness is the opposite of deceit, which is shared with the holy ones, to be trustworthy and not to deceive one another.
Ephraim strives after wind, and follows after the east wind; All the day he multiplies lies and desolation; And they make a covenant with Assyria, And oil is carried into Egypt.
verse value 4656
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "pasturing" (רֹעֶ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·day" (כׇּל־הַיּ֕וֹם, 6 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "pasturing" (רֹעֶ֥ה), "and·pursuing" (וְרֹדֵ֣ף), "all·the·day" (כׇּל־הַיּ֕וֹם). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Ephraim" (root אפרים, 37x in Hosea); "all·the·day" (root יום, 28x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'be or become great', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Rashi
“Roa’ah ruach.” This is the language of “re’i” (companion), meaning one who associates with words of spirit [i.e., idolatry] for the sake of idol-worship, and their oil they transport to Egypt, to give bribes to the Egyptians to assist them.
Ibn Ezra
Ephraim: He does not follow the Name [of God] except through His words, for he is a shepherd of spirit, just as the end [is determined] according to words of spirit, and the proof is: “And he will cut off a covenant with Assyria, and oil will be carried to Egypt”—a gift for the king of Egypt.
Radak
“Ephraim herds the wind, and pursues the east wind.” When he served the calves, he was like one who opens his mouth to the wind and feeds upon it, for he shall not live by it.
"And he pursued the east wind." The matter is expressed with a duplication of words, and the east wind is mentioned because it is the harshest of the winds and harms people; so too, they—not only did the service of the golden calf not benefit them, but rather it harmed them.
"All day long deceit and robbery increase." He does not repent of his wickedness; rather, all his days he increases in deceit, which refers to the worship of the calf, and likewise he increases in robbery and destruction, so that punishment will come upon them for their worship. And despite all this, he will not understand nor return from the worship of the calf to the worship of God, blessed be He. Rather, what does he do? When the distress of the enemy comes upon him, he makes a covenant with Assyria to aid them, and likewise with Egypt—sometimes with this one, sometimes with that one.
"And they shall carry their oil to Egypt." This means that they transport oil to Egypt as a bribe, for oil comes to them in Egypt and to other lands from the Land of Israel, as it is written in the prophecy concerning Tyre: "Judah and Israel—they are your merchants; they trade with you in wheat, honey, oil, and fat" (Ezekiel 27:17), and it is stated in Isaiah: "You shall pay tribute to the king with oil" (Isaiah 16:1), because the Land of Israel was a land of olive trees and oil.
Metzudat David
“Roa’ ruach.” He shepherds the spirit; that is to say, he occupies himself with vain words.
"And he pursues the east wind." This is a repetition of the matter stated in the verse:
"As slander and robbery increase." He increases in speaking slander and in oppressing people.
And the covenant, etc. To be with His help:
"and oil, etc." – to bribe him, so that he would assist him against the enemy.
Metzudat Zion
Shepherd. From the term for pasture:
Qadim. That is to say, the east wind.
And extortion. The matter of oppression:
"Yuval." The matter is one of being brought, like "yuval shai" (Isaiah 18:7):
Malbim
Ephraim, but Ephraim is a shepherd of wind and emptiness in matters of faith, and all day long he increases in deceit and corruption in matters between man and his fellow; and besides this, he himself prepares a snare for himself that he will be exiled from his land. For after he made a covenant with Assyria and Hoshea became his servant, why was he sent to Egypt? Why did he send messengers to So, king of Egypt, which was in order to rebel against the king of Assyria? And this was the cause of their exile, as the prophet already complained about this above (7:11, 8:9, 11:5).
Hashem has also a controversy with Judah, And will punish Jacob according to his ways, According to his doings will He recompense him.
verse value 1740
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 46 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (לֽוֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (לֽוֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "with·Judah" (עִם־יְהוּדָ֑ה, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "and·strife" (וְרִ֥יב), "with·Judah" (עִם־יְהוּדָ֑ה), "and·to·punish" (וְלִפְקֹ֤ד). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Hosea); "with·Judah" (root עם, 22x in Hosea); "He·will·repay" (root שוב, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְרִ֥יב [and·strife] (218) + לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה [to·Hashem] (56) + עִם־יְהוּדָ֑ה [with·Judah] (140) + וְלִפְקֹ֤ד [and·to·punish] (220) + עַֽל־יַעֲקֹב֙ [upon·Jacob] (282) + כִּדְרָכָ֔יו [as·his·ways] (260) + כְּמַעֲלָלָ֖יו [as·his·deeds] (206) + יָשִׁ֥יב [He·will·repay] (322) + לֽוֹ [to·him] (36) = 1740.
Rashi
And He pleads with Judah. To them He relates the words of His dispute, which their brother, the House of Israel, did to Him, so that they should not be astonished when He takes vengeance on Jacob according to their ways.
Ibn Ezra
“Uri’v” – The commentator who explained that Judah is the trustworthy one and he will be the rebuker, and who said that the verse did not mention “vayir’ev la’Hashem” (and he will contend with God) regarding Judah, but rather with the meaning that the name “vayir’ev” (and he will contend) applies to Judah contending with Ephraim – indeed, he erred in the way of the writing and the grammar. For above it is written, “Vayehuda et mizro” (and Judah his plow), “Arkiv Ephraim yacharosh Yehuda” (Ephraim shall plow, and Judah shall harrow), and concerning both of them it is said: “Achaltem pri khashav gam shekhach vayir’ev ro’ei Gerar im ro’ei Yitzchak” (You have eaten the fruit of deceit, and knowledge has failed you; and the shepherds of Gilead contend with the shepherds of Isaac), “Vayir’ev ha’am im Moshe” (and the people contended with Moses), and many others. Therefore, Ephraim is joined with Judah, and it says: “Lifkod al Yaakov k’darchav” (to visit upon Jacob according to his ways), for this name encompasses both of them.
Radak
“And the Lord had a controversy with Judah.” Although it was stated, “And Judah yet dwelt with God,” [the verse] says: Even though they maintained the service of God in the Temple, subsequently their deeds became evil when their kings were wicked. Therefore, it is said that the Lord has a controversy and rebuke with Judah and with Jacob, to bring judgment upon them according to their deeds, because their kings were wicked. For they did not remember His kindnesses toward them, nor toward their father Jacob. For everything was for the sake of his seed, and I showed him a sign that would be for his seed after him, if they would direct their heart to Me and know that that sign was done for their sake, not for Jacob himself. For he was not master over Esau in his days, and what I showed him was only for the sake of his seed. And they do not recognize this. For if they had recognized this, they would have clung to Me and to My service, and I would have fulfilled for them the blessing of their father Jacob. And what is the sign that I made for him?
Metzudat David
“And the LORD has a grievance.” This means: Since Judah, too, subsequently transgressed, therefore the Lord will contend also with Judah, and He will remember all the children of Jacob according to their ways in which they walked, and according to their deeds He will recompense them.
Malbim
“And the Lord had a dispute with Judah” – this means that Ephraim was engaged in a dispute with Judah, which was a dispute against the Lord. For in those days there was contention between Ephraim and Judah, and the cause of the dispute was that Judah served the Lord and observed the service of the Temple and its sacrifices, whereas Ephraim clung to the sin of Jeroboam and raised a rebellion against the Lord. This dispute was with Judah, and this too was the cause of his downfall: because of this, not only did Judah not send him help in his time of distress, but even in the days of Ahaz, Judah incited the king of Assyria against him. “To visit upon Jacob according to his ways” – behold, the ten tribes identified themselves by the name Jacob, for whenever the book simply says “House of Jacob,” it refers to the ten tribes. Likewise, whenever the names Israel and Judah appear together, the name Israel refers to the ten tribes. In light of this, the verse says that they had a dispute with Judah, and similarly what is stated that they rebelled against the Lord and served the calves – this is said in a rhetorical and mocking manner, suggesting that they desired to “visit upon Jacob according to his ways,” meaning they wished to resemble Jacob. And against what is stated that they had a dispute with their brother Judah, it is said that they would claim that Jacob too did the same, for...
In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And by his strength he strove with a godlike being;
verse value 1724
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "he·took·by·the·heel" (עָקַ֣ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "God" (אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "in·the·belly" (בַּבֶּ֖טֶן), "he·took·by·the·heel" (עָקַ֣ב), "his·brother" (אֶת־אָחִ֑יו). 5 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·brother', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בַּבֶּ֖טֶן [in·the·belly] (63) + עָקַ֣ב [he·took·by·the·heel] (172) + אֶת־אָחִ֑יו [his·brother] (426) + וּבְאוֹנ֖וֹ [and·by·his·strength] (71) + שָׂרָ֥ה [he·strove] (505) + אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים [God] (487) = 1724.
Rashi
“[He grasped his brother’s heel in the womb.]” All of this I did for him: I held him by his heel, as a sign that he would be his master.
Ibn Ezra
“Bein batan” – The one who explains that “bein batan” refers to the womb says that God decreed the matter of the birthright and the blessing, but I do not know what is the meaning of “bein batan,” and yet the verse states: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” And according to my understanding: it is according to its plain meaning, for in the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and this is explicitly stated: “And his hand held Esau’s heel.” And the reason why the children of Jacob are not mentioned [in this context] is because I chose their father and made him superior to all who are born. For when he was in the womb, I gave him the strength to grasp the heel, and this is like a miraculous act, for there is no strength in one who is still in the amniotic sac and at the time of the breaking of the waters to grasp anything, until he emerges from the womb into the air of the world. And behold, while he was in the womb, I gave him his strength, and afterward he wrestled with the angel and could not prevail against him. And behold, one angel slew the entire camp of Assyria, and people tremble at his appearance, just as David was terrified, and yet he wrestled with him. And behold, the reason is so that all the children of the world should know that his seed will stand forever, and in the end he will defeat his enemies. And behold, Ephraim thought that Ephraim is the source of strength.
Radak
"[He grasped] his heel in the womb, [to hold back] his brother." Just as it is stated, "and his hand held Esau's heel," and this was a great wonder, for a fetus while still in the womb has no strength or capability in any of its limbs; and even were the amniotic sac to burst and it were to grasp the heel of the other fetus, that would be a great marvel. And this I did, so that it should be a sign for his descendants after him -- that in the end (this being the meaning of "the heel," i.e., the last), the sons of Jacob would rule over the sons of Esau. And although in the days of David they had dominion over them, as it is stated, "And Edom became servants to David," that dominion did not endure until the end of days, as it is written, "And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau shall be stubble, and they shall kindle among them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau," etc. And all of this his descendants did not take to heart.
"And he wrestled with God." And I showed him yet another sign, to serve as a token for his descendants after him, that I endowed him with the strength to grapple with the angel and to stand as a prince against him, as if they were in the same rank. This is the sign I showed him: that his descendants would be the Lord’s portion alone, so that no star or angel would have dominion over them, as long as they do My will. They will not be harmed by the signs of the heavens, for these have no power or authority over them, because the Divine providence of the Blessed Holy One clings to them as long as they do His will, and they will not fall under the sway of chance or the passage of time. Likewise it is stated in the Torah: "The Lord your God has allotted them to all the nations under the entire heaven, but you the Lord has taken..."
Metzudat David
“In the womb he held Esau’s heel.” This means that even though Jacob, their father, was still in his mother’s womb, he seized the heel of his brother Esau, and this miracle served as a sign.
"And with his vigor." By his strength he became a prince; "of God" refers to the angel, Esau's guardian angel, who wrestled with him, for Jacob overpowered him.
Metzudat Zion
“Akav.” This means that He held him by his heel, which is the back part of the foot.
And his strength. The matter of strength and power, as it says, "and his strength in the muscles of his belly" (Job 40:16).
Sarah. From the word for dominion:
Malbim
(4-5) “In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel,” and similarly they will do, grasping their brother Judah. And in opposition to what they consecrated Bethel to the worship of the calves, it says, “He wrestled with God and prevailed with the angel,” etc. The prophet informed us with this of a joy from long ago, for we saw that at the time when Jeroboam reigned, it is written (I Kings 12:25), “And Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and went out from there and built Penuel.” And the king took counsel and made two golden calves, and he put one in Bethel, and the other he placed in Dan. Now, that he placed one calf in Dan does not astonish us, for in Dan stood Micah’s idol from ancient times, and they considered that this place was consecrated to the worship of the calf. But why did he place the other one in Bethel? And we have already explained that the calf in Bethel was the principal one for him. Why did he choose specifically Bethel? And why did he build these two cities, Shechem and Penuel? All of this you will understand from what is said, that the ten tribes traced their lineage to the name of Jacob and likened themselves to him. And since Jeroboam schemed to consecrate places that would be holy in the eyes of Israel, like Jerusalem, he considered the ways of Jacob, the father of the nation, who wrestled with the angel in Penuel, as it is said, “He called the name of the place Penuel.” And from Penuel he went to the city of Shechem, and from Shechem he traveled to Bethel, and there he built an altar. Therefore, he built Shechem and Penuel, inasmuch as these places contain holiness: Penuel on account of the initial sight of the angel, and Shechem where Jacob subsequently dwelt and built an altar there. However, in Bethel, where God revealed Himself to him, the Midrash brings a narrative that when the angel asked Jacob to let him go, and Jacob desired that he agree to the blessing, the angel entreated him to release him now, for in Bethel he would agree to the blessing. This narrative was ancient. And according to this, Jeroboam said that in Bethel this angel remained, and there he would reveal Himself to the prophets of the calves and their worshippers. And this is what it says, to explain what they would do according to their understanding, in the ways of Jacob: A] In the strife that they would have with their brother Judah, like the strife of Jacob with Esau; B] For “he wrestled with God and prevailed with the angel,” as it is said, “For you have wrestled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.” And then the angel wept and entreated Jacob, and promised him that Bethel would find him, and there he would agree to the blessings. According to this, Ephraim would say now that there He will speak with us, meaning that the angel is found there even until now, and he is the one speaking with the children of Jacob, who are the worshippers of the calves in Bethel, who said that this angel would prophesy to them, and he is the intermediary who bestows His blessings upon them even now.
So he strove with an angel, and prevailed; He wept, and made supplication to him; At Beth-el he would find him, And there he would speak with us;
verse value 2659
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "wept" (בָּכָ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·made·supplication·to·him" (וַיִּתְחַנֶּן־ל֑וֹ, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "and·he·strove" (וַיָּ֤שַׂר), "to·angel" (אֶל־מַלְאָךְ֙), "and·he·prevailed" (וַיֻּכָ֔ל). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with" (root עם, 22x in Hosea); "Beth-el" (root בית, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·made·supplication·to·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֤שַׂר [and·he·strove] (516) + אֶל־מַלְאָךְ֙ [to·angel] (122) + וַיֻּכָ֔ל [and·he·prevailed] (66) + בָּכָ֖ה [wept] (27) + וַיִּתְחַנֶּן־ל֑וֹ [and·made·supplication·to·him] (560) + בֵּֽית־אֵל֙ [Beth-el] (443) + יִמְצָאֶ֔נּוּ [can·find·it] (197) + וְשָׁ֖ם [and·there] (346) + יְדַבֵּ֥ר [he·would·speak] (216) + עִמָּֽנוּ [with] (166) = 2659.
Rashi
He wept. [Namely,] the angel:
“And he besought him.” When He said to him, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:27), the angel was saying to him, “Let me go now. In the end, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself to you at Bethel, and it is there that He will be found, and it is there that He will speak with us. He and I will concur regarding the blessings that Isaac blessed you with. And that angel was the prince of Esau, and he was challenging the blessings.”
Ibn Ezra
And he sang - The meaning is: how he sang to God.
ויוכל - the angel, and he nearly wept and entreated him to let him go. And the meaning of "the rising of the dawn" is: before the light would strengthen, which was not the time for Jacob.
And the meaning of “the house of God shall find him” is that when he returned to his father, there he found the angel. And because the angel appeared at Bethel twice, behold, the place is the gate of heaven. Therefore, I and Amos prophesied against Jeroboam at Bethel, which was the place of his kingdom, as I will explain.
Radak
"And he wrestled with a man, until the breaking of the day." The repetition of the matter serves to emphasize that it was a great marvel for a human being to wrestle with an angel and prevail against him, as it states, "And he saw that he could not prevail against him."
“He wept and entreated him.” This is not mentioned in the Torah, and its meaning is as if the angel wept and entreated Jacob to let him go, as it says, “And he said, ‘Let me go, for the daybreak is dawning.’” All of this is to inform us that the Holy One, blessed be He, sends the angel to aid the righteous and to carry out their will, and therefore the angel did not depart from him except by his own will.
“God will find him in Bethel.” The angel also found him in Bethel, and there He also blessed him. The word “yimtz’enu” (He will find him) is in the future tense instead of the past. My master and father, of blessed memory, explained it according to its plain meaning: the angel said to him, “God will find him in Bethel.” God, blessed be He, foretold to him that there He would reveal Himself to him, and He would call his name Israel.
"And there He will speak with us." The words of the prophet: He said that there, in Bethel, He will speak with me and with Amos, to reprove Israel for the worship of the calf in Bethel, as Amos said, "Seek Me and live, and do not seek Bethel..." And my master and father, of blessed memory, explained: "And there He will speak with us" — the words of the angel: He said to him that the Holy One, blessed be He, will find him in Bethel, and there He will speak with us, with me and with you, to fulfill His blessing to you and to call your name Israel, saying, "Because you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." And the Gaon Rabbi Saadia explained: "And there He will speak with us" — meaning on our account or for our sake, like "for the sake of the seed of Israel," which He said to him, "A nation and a company of nations shall come from you..." And our Sages of blessed memory said that this angel is Michael, and regarding him it is said, "The angel who redeemed me from all evil..."
Metzudat David
"And he wrestled." And when he became a prince over the angel, and for the sake of further explanation, it says, "and he prevailed over him," meaning that he defeated him and gained mastery over him. Then the angel wept before him and pleaded with him to let him go, and thus he said: "Behold, in Bethel we shall find the Lord, and there He will speak with us, and there He will bless you, and I too will be there, and I will thank you for the blessings." So our Sages of blessed memory expounded. And it is as if he were saying by this: If I have given the power into Jacob's hand to gain mastery over the angel, why then should you not trust in Me and go to seek help from Egypt and from Assyria?
Metzudat Zion
And he prevailed. The word is derived from the root of "strength" (yachal).
Verse structure: 5 words, 23 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 841 = 29². The shortest word is "God·of" (אֱלֹהֵ֣י, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·hosts" (הַצְּבָא֑וֹת, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "and·Hashem" (וַיהֹוָ֖ה), "the·hosts" (הַצְּבָא֑וֹת). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Hosea); "God·of" (root אלהים, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·hosts', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיהֹוָ֖ה [and·Hashem] (32) + אֱלֹהֵ֣י [God·of] (46) + הַצְּבָא֑וֹת [the·hosts] (504) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + זִכְרֽוֹ [his·memorial] (233) = 841.
Rashi
"And the Lord, the God of hosts, He is remembered." Just as I was from of old, so am I now; and if you had walked with Me in integrity, like your father Jacob, I would have dealt with you as I dealt with him.
Ibn Ezra
"And the Lord" — The implication is that the angel spoke with your father, and the Name revealed Himself to Moses, that He is the God of the angels, to be a God to them; therefore, the Name is mentioned.
Radak
“And the Lord, the God of hosts.” Although He revealed Himself to your father as El Shaddai, saying to him, “I am El Shaddai” (Genesis 17:1), He further renewed His exalted Name for Moses, and all this was for your sake, to perform signs and wonders through it to bring you out from servitude to freedom. And this Name is Yod-He-Vav-He, and He is the God of hosts, the God of the heavenly hosts, namely the angels and the celestial spheres together with their stars. With the names El and Elohim He shares [the attribute of divinity] with them, but with this Name He does not share with any other. And you, if you do His will, He will be your God, just as He is the God of the hosts. The Lord, remember Him, as it is said, “This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations” (Exodus 3:15). And in this manner did the prophet Jonathan translate: “He is the Lord, the God of hosts, etc.”
Metzudat David
"And the Lord." This means: Is not the Lord God over all the hosts above and below, and is not everything His and in His hand?
The Lord, may He be remembered. His name is the Lord, indicating that He is the Master of all.
Metzudat Zion
"His memorial." His name, for by [His] name is He remembered:
Malbim
“And the Lord, God of Hosts” — concerning this, the prophet answers them: “Do not the people of Israel receive their influence from an angel or a prince? Rather, they receive their influence directly from the Lord, without any intermediary. The Lord is the God of Hosts, He who rules over the hosts of angels. The Lord, whose name is remembered among us by the name of the Tetragrammaton, not by the name of Hosts, nor by the name of angel or prince. And if so, why do you trust in an angel or a prince among the princes of the battle? No.”
Therefore turn you to your God; Keep mercy and justice, And wait for your God continually.
verse value 2903
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "goodness" (חֶ֤סֶד, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·your·God" (אֶל־אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "and·you" (וְאַתָּ֖ה), "to·your·God" (בֵּאלֹהֶ֣יךָ), "you·return" (תָשׁ֑וּב). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·your·God" (root אלהים, 21x in Hosea); "you·return" (root שוב, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·return', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְאַתָּ֖ה [and·you] (412) + בֵּאלֹהֶ֣יךָ [to·your·God] (68) + תָשׁ֑וּב [you·return] (708) + חֶ֤סֶד [goodness] (72) + וּמִשְׁפָּט֙ [and·judgment] (435) + שְׁמֹ֔ר [keep] (540) + וְקַוֵּ֥ה [and·wait] (117) + אֶל־אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ [to·your·God] (97) + תָּמִֽיד [continually] (454) = 2903.
Rashi
“And as for you, return to your God.” In His promise and His support, which He promises you, you can rely and return to Him; only kindness and justice are kept and guaranteed—you can always hope for His salvation.
Ibn Ezra
"And you" – If you had returned to your God, He would have been your helper, to bring you back to Him; and this is [the meaning of]: "And you, return to your God, and hope in Him, and do not rely on your wealth and your might, for the strength was from Him, and also the wealth."
Radak
"And you." You, who are the seed of Jacob, if you will desire your God, you shall return, meaning you shall rest, as in "Return and rest, and you shall be saved."
“Lovingkindness and justice observe.” On this condition you will be able to rest and not fear the enemy, if you observe to do lovingkindness and justice, for His attributes are as He said, “For I am the Lord, who do lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight,” says the Lord. And even though He did not mention here “righteousness,” He said in another place, “Observe justice, and do righteousness.” And He said, “And hope in your God always,” and this is righteousness and uprightness, that you hope continually in the Lord. And even if you have great good, wealth, and property, you will say that everything is from Him; you will remember Him always and hope in Him, as it is said in the Torah, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth.” Not like Ephraim, who said, “Surely I have found favor for myself.” And there is an interpretation that the bet in “your God” should be understood in place of a lamed, and the matter will be one of repentance, and similar to this is “And he shall send forth the goat into the wilderness,” like “into the wilderness,” and “The righteous shall sing praises to the Lord,” like “to the Lord.” And Jonathan rendered it, “And in your worship,” etc.
Metzudat David
"And you." And even you, upon the support of your God, shall sit in repentance with tranquility. Only, guard kindness and justice, and then you shall always hope in your God, for you will be confident that He will fulfill your hope.
Metzudat Zion
You shall be at rest. The matter of quieting and resting is like [the verse] “Return and rest” (Isaiah 30:15).
Malbim
“And you shall return to your God” – the condition for your return to your former spiritual level is through your God, the God of Israel, not through an angel. And this is achieved by observing kindness and justice; therefore, hope always in your God, not in an angel or a prince.
As for the trafficker, the balances of deceit are in his hand. He loves to oppress.
verse value 1113
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "loved" (אָהֵֽב, 3 letters) and the longest is "scales" (מֹאזְנֵ֥י, 5 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "Canaan" (כְּנַ֗עַן), "in·his·hand" (בְּיָד֛וֹ), "scales" (מֹאזְנֵ֥י). 6 unique roots are used. Full calculation: כְּנַ֗עַן [Canaan] (190) + בְּיָד֛וֹ [in·his·hand] (22) + מֹאזְנֵ֥י [scales] (108) + מִרְמָ֖ה [deceit] (285) + לַעֲשֹׁ֥ק [to·press·upon] (500) + אָהֵֽב [loved] (8) = 1113.
Rashi
Canaan has in his hand deceitful scales. You rely on your wealth, since you are merchants and swindlers, and regarding your riches you say, "Only my wealth [do I have], and I will not serve the Holy One, blessed be He."
Radak
"Canaan in his hand." And you are not so; rather, you are like Canaan, who is the merchant who has deceitful scales in his hand.
"To defraud, he loved." The reverse of this is: "Observe kindness and justice." And the Targum translates: "You shall not be like merchants," etc.
Metzudat David
Canaan. This means: But you are like a deceitful merchant who has false scales in his hand, and who loves to oppress people, and you do not desire kindness and justice.
Metzudat Zion
Canaan. A merchant and trader; likewise, "and gave a girdle to the merchant" (Proverbs 31:24).
Mazanei. From the language of “scales of weight.”
Malbim
Canaan: Behold, until now I have explained what is written, “They have surrounded me with deceit, Ephraim,” and I have elucidated their deceit, denial, and heresy that was among them, to deny the Divine providence and to serve the ministers of the celestial spheres. Now I will explain what is written, “with fraud, the house of Israel,” namely, what they sinned concerning interpersonal relations through fraud and swindling. Behold, the Canaanite merchant, who engages in commerce, holds in his hand deceitful scales, because he loved to defraud.
And Ephraim said: ‘Surely I am become rich, I have found me wealth; In all my labours they shall find in me No iniquity that were sin.’
verse value 3243
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "indeed" (אַ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·my·toils" (כׇּל־יְגִיעַ֕י, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "I·have·become·rich" (עָשַׁ֔רְתִּי), "all·my·toils" (כׇּל־יְגִיעַ֕י), "they·will·find·in·me" (יִמְצְאוּ־לִ֖י). The root מצא appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 49x in Hosea); "Ephraim" (root אפרים, 37x in Hosea); "and·said" (root אמר, 22x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֶפְרַ֔יִם [Ephraim] (331) + אַ֣ךְ [indeed] (21) + עָשַׁ֔רְתִּי [I·have·become·rich] (980) + מָצָ֥אתִי [I·have·found] (541) + א֖וֹן [vigour] (57) + לִ֑י [to·me] (40) + כׇּל־יְגִיעַ֕י [all·my·toils] (153) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + יִמְצְאוּ־לִ֖י [they·will·find·in·me] (187) + עָוֺ֥ן [perversity] (126) + אֲשֶׁר־חֵֽטְא [that·is·sin] (519) = 3243.
Rashi
“I have found strength for myself.” “Strength” is a term of power and exposition. Rabbi Shimon, of blessed memory, would expound in the manner of aggadah: “I have found strength for myself” means that I have found for myself a bond of debt, namely that I have dominion over Israel, as it is stated, “And his brothers also went and fell down before him, and said, ‘We are your servants’” (Genesis 49:8). “Strength for myself” refers to the legal force of the bond, as one writes upon it “his strength,” similar to the expressions “in one strength” and “in one time” found in Bereshit Rabbah. And this is its interpretation: Ephraim said, “But I have found strength for myself.” Jeroboam son of Nebat, who was from the tribe of Ephraim, boasted about himself and said, “But I have found strength for myself,” meaning a single bond by which all Israel are my slaves, for my father purchased them, as it is written, “And his brothers also went and fell down before him, and said, ‘We are your servants.’” And whatever a slave acquires, his master acquires; therefore, all their property is mine. Consequently, there is no sin in me if I take all that belongs to them, for they are my slaves. What is written after this? “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 20:2). The greatness that came to your father in Egypt was from Me, said the Holy One, Blessed be He. “We are your servants” — you have not forgotten this. But “I am the Lord your God,” as stated in the Ten Commandments, you have forgotten, for you set up two calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan. As for the simple meaning of the verse: You say, “I have found strength for myself” through oppression and deceitful scales. But I am the Lord your God, from the land of Egypt, where I distinguished between the drop of a firstborn and a drop that is not of a firstborn. Likewise, I know and will exact retribution from deceitful scales made without understanding, and from those who hide their weights in salt in order to deceive.
"All my labors shall not be found for me." It is good for you if you said in your heart: "All my wealth will not suffice to atone for the sins I have committed." So too does Jonathan translate it: "the prophet says to them,": "All your wealth shall not endure for you on the day that your debts are fully paid."
"they shall not find" – meaning, they shall not suffice, as it is stated (Numbers 11:22): "and He provided for them," and it is not possible to interpret [the phrase] as "all those who toil, all the toilers, seeking iniquity, and shall not find iniquity for Me," for if so, it would have been proper to write "kol yage'a" without a yod and vocalized with a tsere; but now it is not the language of "yaga" (to toil) but rather the language of "yagi'a" (toil/effort).
Ibn Ezra
"And he said" – The meaning is: "Only that the Lord has not given me wealth; I have enriched myself on my own," for he is not like Canaan, who was a merchant, as it is stated, "Let there no longer be a Canaanite." And the reason why he says, "Keep kindness and justice," is so that there will be no oppression like that of the Canaanite, and all my labors will not find people whom I have wronged.
Radak
And Ephraim said, “But I have found my strength for myself.” [This means that he has] turned away and does not continually hope in his God; he does not hope in the Holy One, blessed be He, nor does he acknowledge that it is He who gave him the power to achieve success. Rather, he says, “My strength and the might of my hand have produced this wealth for me,” and he forgets the Holy One, blessed be He, who gave him the power to achieve, as it is written in the Torah: “And you shall forget the Lord your God.” This is what is meant by “I have found,” namely, that I have grown rich of my own accord.
And "aun." Like "hon" (wealth), or its interpretation is like "koach" (strength), as it says, "And those who have no strength, she herself shall increase."
"All my labors will not find in me any iniquity that I have sinned." Another evil he states is that he is a swindler, and he says that in all that he has labored and gathered, they will not find in him any wealth of iniquity and sin.
“Which he sinned.” This is like the phrase “and he sinned,” and similarly, “good” which is like “beautiful,” as in “good and beautiful.” Or its meaning is: “They will not find in me iniquity, nor any matter in which I have sinned against Him.” And sin is less than iniquity, for sin sometimes comes about through error. Or [another] explanation: “Iniquity which he sinned,” meaning in which I had sinned, i.e., that I sinned regarding it. For if it came into my possession through iniquity and robbery, it was not in my knowledge; that is to say, because I sinned regarding it and took it through iniquity knowingly. And in this manner, “And they made them sin, guilt”—the juxtaposition means: an iniquity for which they will be held guilty. And the Targum says: “And they said, ‘The house of Ephraim, etc.’”
Metzudat David
“And Ephraim said.” This means: Moreover, he will further add transgression, for he said, “Ephraim,” implying that the reason I have prospered is because I have found for myself strength and power to accumulate wealth, and not that the Lord has done all this. And he said further, “In all my toil,” meaning that the wealth comes through my toil. Behold, in all of it, no iniquity is found in me by which a person would sin. Here, “which he will sin in” means: there is in it no trace of sin, robbery, or fraud, for he thinks that the Lord, blessed be He, does not recognize his deeds.
Metzudat Zion
“On.” The matter of strength and might:
"All my labors." In the phrase "all my labors," the functional letter bet is lacking; it is as though it said "in all my labors."
Malbim
And Ephraim said, and Ephraim says that this is not a sin, since he does not steal by force, but rather profits through deceit in the manner of commerce, through his labor and the work of his hands. And he says, "Only I have gained tenfold thereby, and I have found deceit for myself to profit in my trade." And even though I had a stone and a stone [of differing weights], this is not a sin, for all my toil will not find me guilty of a sin that I have committed. Since I have attained this wealth through my labor in my trade, it is not considered a sin that I weighed with deceitful scales.
But I am Hashem your God From the land of Egypt; I will yet again make you to dwell in tents, As in the days of the appointed season.
verse value 1591
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "again" (עֹ֛ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·will·make·you·dwell" (אוֹשִֽׁיבְךָ֥, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "I·will·make·you·dwell" (אוֹשִֽׁיבְךָ֥), "in·tents" (בׇאֳהָלִ֖ים). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Hosea); "as·days·of" (root יום, 28x in Hosea); "your·God" (root אלהים, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Egypt', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְאָנֹכִ֛י [and·I] (87) + יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ [your·God] (66) + מֵאֶ֣רֶץ [from·land·of] (331) + מִצְרָ֑יִם [Egypt] (380) + עֹ֛ד [again] (74) + אוֹשִֽׁיבְךָ֥ [I·will·make·you·dwell] (339) + בׇאֳהָלִ֖ים [in·tents] (88) + כִּימֵ֥י [as·days·of] (80) + מוֹעֵֽד [meeting] (120) = 1591.
Rashi
"And I will yet cause you to dwell in tents." I will uproot from among you deceitful merchants, and I will cause you to dwell in tents; I will establish from among you students engaged in the Torah.
“Like the days of the appointed time.” Like the days of the first appointed time, when Jacob was an innocent man dwelling in tents.
Ibn Ezra
"And I" – The meaning is: Do you not remember that I brought you up from Egypt with great wealth in which you did not toil, and I sustained you in the wilderness while you were in tents? Just so, I can do for you as on the appointed day of your departure from Egypt.
Radak
“And I am the Lord your God, from the land of Egypt.” From there your ancestors knew Me, that I performed for them many signs and wonders, and I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And so it is stated in the Torah: “I am the Lord your God…” And it was incumbent upon you to know Me from what I did with your ancestors, and likewise with you, and with all those after them, at the time that you heeded My voice. And so I am destined to bring you out of the exile in which you will be, just as I did when I brought you out of the land of Egypt, and I sustained you in the wilderness, and I settled you in tents. So too, I am destined yet again, when I bring you out from the lands of the nations, to settle you in tents in the wilderness along the way, and to show you wonders, until you return to your land in peace, as it is written: “I will open upon the heights rivers…” and I say: “And the parched land will become a pool of water…” And the explanation is: “As in the days of your coming out from the land of Egypt.” And all of this you did not place in your heart to contemplate the good deeds that I did with your ancestors and with you.
Metzudat David
"And I." But is it not so that "I am the Lord your God"—from the time I brought you out of the land of Egypt, and from then on, I Myself have been bestowing good upon you and overseeing your deeds with particular providence, not through intermediaries, the angels above, as is the manner of the idolaters.
"And I will yet cause you to dwell in tents." There will yet come a time when you will emerge from exile, and I will cause you to dwell in the way, in tents, just as in those days when you went forth from the land of Egypt; for My providence will never depart from you, forever.
Metzudat Zion
"I will seat you." From the language of sitting:
Mo'ed. The matter of a fixed time, as it is written: “For I will take a mo’ed” (Psalms 45:1).
Malbim
And I, the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, responds to him: Indeed, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. For in the prohibitions of interest and false weights, the Exodus from Egypt is mentioned. The meaning is that in Egypt they were poor; they did not lend with interest due to their poverty, and they did not possess deceptive scales because they had no commerce at all. On this basis, the Torah mentions in these two prohibitions that they should remember the day of their departure from the land of Egypt, and that if they lend with interest or defraud in weights, they will return to poverty and destitution. On this basis, the Lord responds to them: Remember that I am the Lord your God who brought you up from the land of Egypt, where you were in poverty and lacking everything. And if you add to using deceptive scales, I will again place you in tents like the days of the festivals. You will return to being poor, dwelling in tents, lacking a house and dwelling, just as you were in the days of the festival of your departure from the land of Egypt. Or, you will cease from livestock, property, and all merchandise, being in poverty and destitution, just as people cease from commerce on the festivals and holidays.
I have also spoken to the prophets, And I have multiplied visions; And by the ministry of the prophets have I used similitudes.
verse value 1815
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "vision" (חָז֣וֹן, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·the·prophets" (עַל־הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים, 9 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "to·the·prophets" (עַל־הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים), "vision" (חָז֣וֹן), "and·in·hand·of" (וּבְיַ֥ד). The root נביא appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·multiplied', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְדִבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ [and·I·will·speak] (622) + עַל־הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים [to·the·prophets] (218) + וְאָנֹכִ֖י [and·I] (87) + חָז֣וֹן [vision] (71) + הִרְבֵּ֑יתִי [I·multiplied] (627) + וּבְיַ֥ד [and·in·hand·of] (22) + הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים [the·prophets] (118) + אֲדַמֶּֽה [red] (50) = 1815.
Rashi
"And I will speak to the prophets" – to prove you wrong and to bring you back to what is good.
And in the hand of the prophets, “adama.” I appeared to them in many visions. Another interpretation: “adama” [earth] to them [means] words of prophecy through parables, in order to settle them upon their listeners.
Ibn Ezra
"And I will speak" — Behold, I have already spoken thus and thus concerning the prophets, that they will say to you to abandon false words.
And in the hand of the prophets, “I use similitudes” – that I have placed complete likenesses so that you may understand.
Radak
"And I spoke with the prophets" – just as [the phrase] "with the prophets" [is used], and similarly, "the men came upon the women." He said: What could I have done for you that I did not do, so that you would not forget Me? And what I did with your ancestors – behold, I always spoke with the prophets to warn you from Me, and I greatly increased visions for them for many days.
“And in the hand of the prophets, the land.” This means: I placed visions and parables in the hands of the prophets, such as the parable that Isaiah said, “A vineyard was for my beloved,” and what Ezekiel said, “Your birth and your origin,” and the entire passage; and what it says, “And in the hand,” its meaning is that through them He sent them the visions and parables, just as it is said, “Which the Lord spoke by the hand of Moses.”
Metzudat David
"I spoke." I spoke concerning your affairs to the prophets, and I multiplied My words of vision.
"Adamah" – meaning, I spoke by way of analogy and parable, so that it would be accepted by the heart, that I indeed pay close attention to you.
Metzudat Zion
Vision. The matter of a prophetic appearance:
“Earth.” From the language of likeness and parable:
Malbim
“And I will speak through the prophets”: Behold, I intended to answer them with a rebuke, and therefore I multiplied for them many prophets. For in the days of Ahab, several hundred prophets stood, who were all disciples of Elijah, and they spoke and admonished the people. And I also multiplied visions, which is also one of the types of prophecy, whereby He speaks to the prophets through speech and through visions, and by means of parables and allegories. This is what is meant by the verse: “And through the prophets I will make the land desolate.” Yet all of this was of no avail, for...
If Gilead be given to iniquity Becoming altogether vanity, In Gilgal they sacrifice to bullocks; Indeed, their altars shall be as heaps In the furrows of the field.
verse value 2744
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֤ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "their·altars" (מִזְבְּחוֹתָם֙, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "if·Gilead" (אִם־גִּלְעָ֥ד), "indeed·emptiness" (אַךְ־שָׁ֣וְא), "bullocks" (שְׁוָרִ֣ים). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "were" (root היה, 28x in Hosea); "upon" (root על, 28x in Hosea). First appearance of the root שור ("bullocks") in Hosea. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·sacrificed', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: אִם־גִּלְעָ֥ד [if·Gilead] (148) + אָ֙וֶן֙ [iniquity] (57) + אַךְ־שָׁ֣וְא [indeed·emptiness] (328) + הָי֔וּ [were] (21) + בַּגִּלְגָּ֖ל [in·Gilgal] (68) + שְׁוָרִ֣ים [bullocks] (556) + זִבֵּ֑חוּ [they·sacrificed] (23) + גַּ֤ם [also] (43) + מִזְבְּחוֹתָם֙ [their·altars] (503) + כְּגַלִּ֔ים [as·waves] (103) + עַ֖ל [upon] (100) + תַּלְמֵ֥י [furrows·of] (480) + שָׂדָֽי [field] (314) = 2744.
Rashi
"If Gilead is there"—if misfortune and coercion came upon them, they brought it upon themselves, for they were but vanity, and in Gilgal they sacrificed oxen to idolatry.
“Also their altars.” [They were] numerous, like the clods upon the furrows of the field; “furrows of the field” refers to the ridges raised by the plow, which are called furrows.
Ibn Ezra
"If – and behold, the men of Gilead were before the prophets, iniquity."
"Yet they are but vanity" – afterward.
"In the wheel of oxen they sacrificed" – to Baal.
"Like waves" – this is a metaphor, indicating that they were numerous and visible.
Radak
"If Gilead is a place of falsehood": If Gilead began to engage in falsehood, meaning that they were the first to commit evil, and they were the first to go into exile.
"Yet they are vanity." We can attach it to the above, so that its cantillation mark falls on "Gilead," which is remembered, and the matter will be doubled in different words; or its cantillation mark will be attached to "in Gilgal." And even though the zakef is on the word "they are," not all the cantillation marks of the explanations follow the cantillation marks of the vowels.
In Gilgal they sacrificed oxen. For the inhabitants of Gilgal were neighbors to the land of Gilead, with only the Jordan River between them; they learned from their deeds and began to serve idolatry like them, and to commit injustice and falsehood. They sacrificed bulls to idolatry in the very place where they had previously built an altar to the Lord, blessed be He, and where they had initially stationed the Tabernacle after crossing the Jordan. There, they sacrificed bulls to idolatry.
"Also their altars were like stones on the ridges of the fields." It was not sufficient that they made an altar to the idolatrous gods in Gilgal; rather, even outside the city, many altars were visible, resembling stone cairns on the ridges of the fields.
Shaddai. Like shadim, and similarly, "and He tore for Him the windows," like chalonot, and so did Jonathan translate.
Metzudat David
"If iniquity has come upon Gilead, behold, it did not come by chance, but rather by providence, as a complete recompense, for their deeds were but vanity. For in Gilgal, the place where the sanctuary originally stood, they slaughtered oxen for idolatry, and their altars that they made for idolatry were numerous, like the number of the stone-heaps that are on the furrows of the field."
Metzudat Zion
“Aven.” The matter of toil and labor is like, “For trouble does not come forth from the dust” (Job 5:6).
Like waves. The matter of a mound and a nest:
Talmi. It is the furrow made by plowing, and likewise, "and her furrows are satisfied with water" (Psalms 65:11):
Shaddai. Like the word "field":
Malbim
If Gilead were but a lie, and if it were only vanity, since it has already been explained above (6:8) that all the prophets, who were disciples of Elijah, were slain in Gilead, for there was the dwelling place of Elijah. And there Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord. Regarding this it was said there: “Gilead is a city of workers of iniquity, trodden underfoot with blood.” And this is what is written: “If Gilead were full of [men] to kill the prophets,” then these prophets were indeed vanity and for naught, for by their death they were sacrificed in the cycle of the oxen; for according to the number of the prophets’ sons whom they killed, they sacrificed oxen in Gilgal to idolatry, and they erected altars to Baal, an altar and a bull as a burnt offering for every prophet whom they killed. And this is what is written: “Even their altars are like stones in the corners of the fields,” for they thought that by this they would appease the blood of the prophets that was being shed.
And Jacob fled into the field of Aram, And Israel served for a wife, And for a wife he kept sheep.
verse value 2753
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "field" (שְׂדֵ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·fled" (וַיִּבְרַ֥ח, 5 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "and·fled" (וַיִּבְרַ֥ח), "field" (שְׂדֵ֣ה), "Aram" (אֲרָ֑ם). The root אשה appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Israel" (root ישראל, 39x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Aram', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיִּבְרַ֥ח [and·fled] (226) + יַעֲקֹ֖ב [Jacob] (182) + שְׂדֵ֣ה [field] (309) + אֲרָ֑ם [Aram] (241) + וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ד [and·he·served] (92) + יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ [Israel] (541) + בְּאִשָּׁ֔ה [in·wife] (308) + וּבְאִשָּׁ֖ה [and·in·wife] (314) + שָׁמָֽר [kept] (540) = 2753.
Rashi
“And Jacob fled to the field of Aram, etc.” It is like a person who says, “Let us return to the earlier matters that we discussed above: ‘He strove with the angel,’ and furthermore, this is what I did for him: He was compelled to flee to the field of Aram. Do you know how I guarded him?”
And for a wife he tended the flock:
Ibn Ezra
"And he fled" – You might have thought that when your father fled to Aram, he was poor, as it is stated: "And He gave me bread to eat."
"And he served" [ויעבד], "for a woman" [באשה]—this refers to the statement, "Was it not for Rachel that I served you?" [הלא ברחל עבדתיך]. And because of a woman he kept sheep, and I enriched him; moreover, I brought up his sons through a prophet—this is Moses, and the people of Israel were like sheep, and their shepherd was Moses; yet Israel forgot all this.
Radak
"And Jacob fled." And they do not remember the good that I did for their father, who fled from his brother Esau.
"And Israel served for a wife." Even when he was there, he had to serve Laban on account of a woman, so that he would give him his daughter. The work was that he guarded his flocks, and likewise with his other daughter whom he gave him, he also guarded his flocks. And I was the One who was with him and blessed him, and he returned from there with wealth and property.
Metzudat David
“And Jacob fled.” Was it not the case that when Jacob fled from Esau to Aram, he then served Laban for the sake of a woman, namely Rachel, and afterward he returned to once again tend Laban’s flocks for the sake of another woman? And all of this was due to his great poverty, for he came with empty hands. And as it were, did he not return with great wealth? And who gave him this wealth? Was it not I? How, then, can you say, “Only that which I have found”?
Metzudat Zion
A field of Aram: Just as it says, "the land of Aram."
Malbim
“And Jacob fled...” and the prophet brought up... “Ephraim has provoked to anger with bitter words.” Its grammatical structure is: “Ephraim has provoked to anger with bitter words,” meaning that regarding the reproof with which they reprove him for the matters stated above—namely, regarding the denial and the disbelief, that he served the calves, and regarding the deceit, of which it is said, ‘deceitful scales’—to these two charges he replies in a manner of mockery and derision, to provoke the reprovers with bitter words. Regarding what they reproach him for concerning the deceit, he provokes and replies: “Did not Jacob flee to the field of Aram?” Indeed, Jacob fled from Esau to the field of Aram because of deceit and fraud, for he deceived Esau concerning the birthright and the blessing. Thus, did not Jacob also practice deceit? And did not “Israel serve with a woman, and with a woman he kept sheep?” Afterwards, while he was in Laban’s house, he served for the sake of a woman, namely Rachel, and Laban deceived him and gave him Leah, and the deceit was fulfilled in his hand, for afterwards he kept sheep a second time for another woman, and he was required to keep sheep for two women. Thus, deceit had already been customary since the days of our fathers.
And by a prophet Hashem brought Israel up out of Egypt, And by a prophet was he kept.
verse value 2230
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "brought·up" (הֶעֱלָ֧ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "Israel" (אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 71: and·in·prophet, and·in·prophet. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "brought·up" (הֶעֱלָ֧ה), "Israel" (אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל), "was·kept" (נִשְׁמָֽר). The root נביא appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Egypt', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: וּבְנָבִ֕יא [and·in·prophet] (71) + הֶעֱלָ֧ה [brought·up] (110) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [Israel] (942) + מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם [from·Egypt] (420) + וּבְנָבִ֖יא [and·in·prophet] (71) + נִשְׁמָֽר [was·kept] (590) = 2230.
Rashi
"And through a prophet the Lord caused to ascend, etc." And because you despise the prophets and mock their words, behold, it is through a prophet that the Lord caused to ascend, etc.
Radak
And regarding the prophet, He brought them up. Furthermore, I did kindness to His children who descended to Egypt and were enslaved there, and I sent to them a prophet who brought them up from Egypt with great wealth, and he is Moses.
And in the prophet it is guarded. Forty years that they were in the wilderness, they were guarded by the prophet that I gave them, and they lacked nothing. And all these good things they do not remember, and they anger Me with abominations and with "not this God." This is what is said:
Metzudat David
"And in the prophet." Is it not through Moses, the prophet, that He brought them up, etc., and through Him they were guarded on the way? It is as if He said, "Everything came under My providence; how then can you deny by saying that I do not watch over and know the deeds of man?"
Malbim
And regarding the prophet: In response to the reproach they received for their denial [of God] and for the calves they had made, they would answer that they required an intermediary between themselves and the Holy One, blessed be He. For indeed, when Israel made the calf, they said, “Make us gods, for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” This implies that initially, Moses served as an intermediary between them and the Holy One, blessed be He. And when Moses disappeared from their sight, they made the calf, so that it would go before them and serve as an intermediary between them and the Holy One, blessed be He. On this basis, they also claimed that they needed the calves to serve as intermediaries between them and the Holy One, blessed be He, in receiving the divine influx. They brought proof for this, arguing: Did not the prophet bring Israel up from the land of Egypt? This shows that even the Exodus from Egypt occurred through an intermediary, namely the prophet. Likewise, subsequently, they were guarded through the prophet, for the prophet was always an intermediary in the arrival of the divine influx. This demonstrates that an intermediary is required for the descent of spirituality to below. Therefore, they made the calves.
Ephraim has provoked most bitterly; Therefore shall his blood be cast upon him, And his reproach shall his Lord return to him.
verse value 3028
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֖וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֖וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "bitterness" (תַּמְרוּרִ֑ים, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "has·provoked" (הִכְעִ֥יס), "bitterness" (תַּמְרוּרִ֑ים), "and·his·blood" (וְדָמָיו֙). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Ephraim" (root אפרים, 37x in Hosea); "upon·him" (root על, 28x in Hosea); "will·return" (root שוב, 21x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'bitterness', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 7 words. Full calculation: הִכְעִ֥יס [has·provoked] (165) + אֶפְרַ֖יִם [Ephraim] (331) + תַּמְרוּרִ֑ים [bitterness] (896) + וְדָמָיו֙ [and·his·blood] (66) + עָלָ֣יו [upon·him] (116) + יִטּ֔וֹשׁ [will·leave] (325) + וְחֶ֨רְפָּת֔וֹ [and·his·reproach] (700) + יָשִׁ֥יב [will·return] (322) + ל֖וֹ [to·him] (36) + אֲדֹנָֽיו [his·lord] (71) = 3028.
Rashi
“Ephraim provoked [Him to anger].” This means he provoked his Creator by despising His prophets and betraying Him.
Tamarim. They are to him [i.e., God] as one who shed blood, because he caused Israel to sin by attaching themselves to idolatry, and he who causes another to sin is more hated by the Holy One, Blessed be He, than the one who kills him, as we learn from the case of Moab and Ammon, who misled Israel to attach themselves to Baal-Peor, and Scripture punished them more severely than the Egyptians and the Edomites, who drowned them in the sea and came against them with the sword.
“Upon Him He shall cast.” Upon Him the Holy One, blessed be He, shall cast them.
"And he reproached him." That he reproached Solomon, as it is stated (1 Kings 11): "And he raised his hand against the king," meaning that he rebuked him publicly for the fact that Solomon built the Millo, as is explained in [the chapter] Chelek [of tractate Sanhedrin].
He will answer his master, the Holy One, Blessed be He, for he has done evil more than He.
Ibn Ezra
"he angered" – the Divine Name.
Tamarorim – in an open manner, as it says: “Set for yourself tamarorim,” and as it says: “And he was deeply distressed.”
"ve-damav" – the blood of the innocent that he shed.
יטוש - like "and they are forsaken."
Radak
“Ephraim provoked with bitterness.” Ephraim provoked the Holy One, blessed be He, with bitterness, and these are the altars that were like cairns and boundary markers, as it is said, “Set for yourself bitter things” (Jeremiah 31:21). And one may also interpret it from the matter of “bitterness,” and its meaning is: he provoked with bitterness, that is to say, with evil and bitter anger.
"And his blood shall be cast upon him." The blood of the innocent that Ephraim shed, his Master will turn back upon him; and likewise the reproach with which he reproached the Blessed Holy One by making the calves—He will return all of it, bringing his recompense upon his own head.
"Yitos." Like, "And they were scattered over the face of all the land." "Vayitos al ha-machaneh" denotes the matter of spreading out, and "adonav" refers to the Holy One, blessed be He. And even though he does not recognize His lordship, nonetheless, He is his Master, and He will return his recompense upon his own head.
Metzudat David
"He angered." This means that after all this was known to Ephraim, nevertheless he angered the Lord with evil deeds.
"And its blood." Therefore, the blood that was shed will spread over him to take vengeance.
"And His reproach." That which he [Ephraim] reproached toward the One above by replacing Him with the golden calves, so too the Holy One, blessed be He, is their Master and Ruler over them, and He will repay them according to their deeds.
Metzudat Zion
Tamarurim. From the root of "mar" (bitter):
יטוש. The meaning is "to spread out," as in "and he spread out over the camp" (Numbers 11:31).
Malbim
“Ephraim has provoked bitterness”: Through these answers, which are words of mockery that descend into the chambers of the belly, they provoked the reprovers and mocked them with these bitter words, and “his blood.” The interpretation of the verse is: “My master! His blood shall be cast upon him, and his reproach shall be returned to him.” For they killed the kings on account of the sin of idolatry that they served, just as they killed the house of Jeroboam and the house of Ahab and other kings for this sin. And after they killed him, they themselves returned to persist in the worship of Baal and the calves. If so, did they not kill him through murder and for nothing? Based on this, the prosecutor will depict it as if his master, who is the murdered king, rose from his grave and casts his blood upon him, meaning he throws his blood, which was shed for nothing, upon the people who murdered him. And he will return to him his reproach—the reproach with which they reproached him at the time they murdered him, because he served idols. He will now return the reproach to his bosom and reproach him. And from now on, he will recount the words that his murdered master will speak to him.
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim