When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling — he exalted himself in Israel; but he became guilty through Baal and died: they that kiss calves sacrifice men; 'Shall I ransom them from the power of the nether-world? Shall I redeem them from death? Ho, your plagues, O death! Ho, your destruction, O nether-world!'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling, He exalted himself in Israel; But when he became guilty through Baal, he died.
verse value 3380
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. Verse gematria: 3380 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "trembling" (רְתֵ֔ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·Israel" (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "when·speaking" (כְּדַבֵּ֤ר), "trembling" (רְתֵ֔ת), "lifted" (נָשָׂ֥א). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Israel" (root ישראל, 39x in Hosea); "Ephraim" (root אפרים, 37x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: כְּדַבֵּ֤ר [when·speaking] (226) + אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ [Ephraim] (331) + רְתֵ֔ת [trembling] (1000) + נָשָׂ֥א [lifted] (351) + ה֖וּא [he] (12) + בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [in·Israel] (543) + וַיֶּאְשַׁ֥ם [and·offended] (357) + בַּבַּ֖עַל [through·Baal] (104) + וַיָּמֹֽת [and·he·died] (456) = 3380.
Rashi
As it is said, “Ephraim trembled,” meaning that when Jeroboam became jealous of the Holy Place and spoke harsh words against Solomon, he did so with trembling, for Solomon was a great king.
He was taken up among Israel. From there, he merited to be elevated to become king of Israel.
"And he was guilty of Baal." As soon as he rose to greatness, he was guilty of idolatry.
"And he died." The house of Jeroboam was cut off, and so too the house of Ahab. And the Targum translates: "As one of the house of Ephraim was speaking, trembling seized them." For they had become numerous in Israel, and when they sinned in the service of error, they were slain.
Ibn Ezra
“Like a word” – From His utterance the nations were in fear. And the word *ratat* has no cognate in Hebrew, only in Aramaic. And Rabbi Moses the Cohen explained: This refers to Jeroboam, who was from Ephraim, like “this Jeroboam son of Joash,” as I will explain further.
"Nissa hu" – meaning that His sovereignty was carried [i.e., established] among Israel, for He reigned over the Ten Tribes.
"And she was defiled, and died" – she was regarded as dead. And furthermore: "For he had slain all his army."
Radak
"When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling." Initially, before Ephraim sinned, his fear was upon the nations surrounding him, for in his speech he held trembling and shaking for those who heard him, and he was exalted and great among the tribes of Israel, as it is stated concerning him: "And his seed shall fill the nations." This is what he said: "He was exalted in Israel," meaning that he raised his head in Israel. And once he became guilty of the sin of Baal, he died, meaning he was struck down before his enemies as if he had died, for his hand was weakened. And in this manner Jonathan rendered it: "When one of the house of Ephraim speaks, etc."
Metzudat David
“Like the word of Ephraim.” Jeroboam, who came from Ephraim, when he spoke with trembling, harsh words to reprove Solomon, as it is stated in I Kings; through this he merited to be exalted in Israel and to reign over them; and when he sinned with Baal, he was expelled from the world.
Metzudat Zion
"Ratat." The meaning is trembling, as it is stated: "And they shall be seized with trembling" (Exodus 15:16). The Targum renders it: "trembling seized them."
Nasa. The meaning of lifting up:
And he was charged. The language of guilt and wickedness:
Malbim
As for the phrase, "his master shall return his insult to him," and it says, "And he spoke to him, saying," this refers to the fact that Ephraim trembled at the time when Ephraim (who was the king, from the tribe of Ephraim) spoke about worshipping the calves. This was the trembling. Due to fear and trembling, he was afraid because he held a high position among Israel; due to his elevated status, he feared that the people might go up to Jerusalem and return to their master, the King of Judah, and kill him. And due to this fear, he spoke about worshipping idolatry, as mentioned regarding Jeroboam (1 Kings 11). And even though he did this under duress, due to trembling and fear, nevertheless, he was guilty of Baal worship. This was his guilt, and he became liable for punishment and died, and consequently, the people killed him.
And now they sin more and more, And have made them molten images of their silver, According to their own understanding, even idols, All of them the work of the craftsmen; Of them they say: ‘They that sacrifice men kiss calves.’
verse value 4383
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "abundance" (הֵ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "as·their·understanding" (כִּתְבוּנָם֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 75: to·them, to·them. 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "shall·they·add" (יוֹסִ֣פוּ), "and·they·did" (וַיַּעֲשׂ֣וּ), "molten·image" (מַסֵּכָ֨ה). The root הם appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·them" (root הם, 31x in Hosea); "saying" (root אמר, 22x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 7 words.
Rashi
"Now. The House of Jehu, having seen all this, will add to their sin:"
According to their skill. According to their pattern:
“Those who sacrifice men shall kiss calves.” The priests of Molech say to the Israelites: “Whoever sacrifices his son to an idol is worthy of kissing the calf, for he has offered to it a beloved gift.” Thus our Rabbis explained in Sanhedrin, and this is more consistent with the language of the biblical verse than the Targum of Jonathan.
Ibn Ezra
"And now they will add to this generation's sin."
“kitvunam” – [means] “kitvunatam” (“according to their understanding”), like: “and their rock is to be consumed by Sheol” – [means] “and their rock.”
Regarding "to them," they say: People mock them, for they kiss the Baalim [idols], who are the forms of the calves, as it is stated: "And every mouth that has not kissed him" (implying those who did not kiss the calf), and they shed innocent blood. And this is the meaning of: "And his blood shall be upon his own head." And they reverse the behavior of every person, for a person should kiss another person who is his fellow, and slaughter the calves for his food.
Radak
“And now they will add to sin.” “And now,” when Jeroboam reigned, they added even more to their sin. For initially, during the days of the Judges, they would serve Baal and then return to God when a Judge arose and restored them to the good. But now, they plotted to uproot entirely the worship of God, blessed be He, so that no one would ascend to Jerusalem for the service of the Temple, and they would serve before the calves forever. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
“And they made themselves a molten image of their silver.” Now, the calves were not of silver but of gold. Rather, the phrase “of their silver” means that from their silver, which each one contributed to purchase gold for making the calves, they made for themselves, according to their design, [idols], and these are the calves. And the explanation of “their design” is according to how they deliberated on the matter: what form they should make, and they agreed to make a calf, just as they did in the wilderness. The reason for this we explained in the Book of Kings. And Jonathan rendered “their design” as “their form,” which he translated as “their likeness.” And the word “ketavunam” should properly have been “ketavunatam” (with a tav). And similarly, “and their form, for Sheol to consume,” is like “their form,” for the absolute noun is “tevunah”/“tzurah.” And some say that they are of the same pattern; it is said of them without the heh: “tevun,” “tzur.”
It is entirely the work of craftsmen. The entire calf is the work of a craftsman's hands; there is no spiritual element in it, as it is stated, “and there was no breath in it.”
"To them," they say -- that is, concerning them, the priests of the [golden] calf would say to people who came to sacrifice, "human sacrifices," meaning: whoever among the people wishes to sacrifice.
“The calves shall kiss them.” The calves shall kiss their mouths, for their service is not complete until they kiss them, as that was their custom, as it is stated: “And every mouth that has not been kissed.” And our Sages of blessed memory explained: “The sacrifices of men” refers to those who sacrificed their sons to idolatry. This is what is meant by “men.” And the idolatrous priests would say to them: Whoever sacrifices his son to idolatry is worthy to kiss the calf, for he has offered a beloved sacrifice to it.
Metzudat David
“And now.” The children of this generation added to their sins, and the golden calves that Jeroboam made were not sufficient for them; for they each made for themselves, every man in his house, a molten image from their silver, in the likeness of the idols that Jeroboam had made.
A work of craftsmen is the entire thing. All the work of the molten image was a work of craftsmen, to resemble the calves of Jeroboam.
To them, etc. They used to say concerning the calves: “Whoever kisses them, his reward is very great, as if he were sacrificing to it a human being, which is, in their eyes, the greatest of their forms of worship.” Therefore, each one made [a calf] in his house, so that it would be available for him to kiss it at all times.
Metzudat Zion
Massekah. That which is made by casting molten metal; and likewise, "the gods of massekah" (Exodus 34:17).
“Kitvunam.” Like their pattern, and it is the matter of form, like the image (Deuteronomy 4:12).
“Atzabim” [idols]. Thus are idols called:
“Charashim.” Artisans:
"Yishkon." The root is that of "neshikah" (kissing):
Malbim
And now, after they have murdered the king on account of this guilt, how will they add to their sin? For now their sin will be greater than it was previously when the king was alive. For now they will make for themselves a molten calf from their own silver, according to their own wisdom. The molten calf that was made until now was not made by them, but by the king; and now they themselves will make it. The molten calf that was made until now was not from their silver, but from the king’s silver; and now they will make it from their silver. The molten calf that was made until now was not according to their wisdom and understanding; and now they will make it for themselves according to their wisdom, according to their understanding. Is not their sin greater? All these things the murdered king will return to them.
“Bones.” He will add to his figurative language, depicting the exalted nature of the idol-maker, stating that the bones are entirely the work of a craftsman. That is to say, the bones were fashioned through the labor of a craftsman and a thinker, to the point that they possess a mouth to speak. He depicts that the bones themselves say, “The bones speak.” And they say to the people who come to kiss them and honor them, the bones will say to them: “Shall those who sacrificed a man kiss calves?” Those who sacrificed a man—meaning they murdered the king because he served the calves—how can they themselves kiss the calves? Surely, since you have come to kiss the calves, it is evident that you sacrificed a man and murdered him for no cause?
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, And as the dew that early passes away, As the chaff that is driven with the wind out of the threshing-floor, And as the smoke out of the window.
verse value 2630
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "therefore" (לָכֵ֗ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "as·cloud·of·morning" (כַּעֲנַן־בֹּ֔קֶר, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "they·will·be" (יִֽהְיוּ֙), "like·chaff" (כְּמֹץ֙), "is·driven" (יְסֹעֵ֣ר). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·will·be" (root היה, 28x in Hosea); "going" (root הלך, 22x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'going', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: לָכֵ֗ן [therefore] (100) + יִֽהְיוּ֙ [they·will·be] (31) + כַּעֲנַן־בֹּ֔קֶר [as·cloud·of·morning] (492) + וְכַטַּ֖ל [and·as·the·dew] (65) + מַשְׁכִּ֣ים [rising·early] (410) + הֹלֵ֑ךְ [going] (55) + כְּמֹץ֙ [like·chaff] (150) + יְסֹעֵ֣ר [is·driven] (340) + מִגֹּ֔רֶן [from·threshing-floor] (293) + וּכְעָשָׁ֖ן [and·as·smoke] (446) + מֵאֲרֻבָּֽה [from·the·window] (248) = 2630.
Rashi
And as for the dew that departs early, whose moisture quickly vanishes:
Like chaff that is blown away from the threshing floor. Like chaff that the wind blows away from the threshing floor.
יסוער. "Which the storm lifted us up:"
Ibn Ezra
Therefore - hence they shall not stand.
“משכים” – I have explained it as meaning that it is not found when the sun is hot.
"Like chaff" – the fine straw, which is scattered by a stormy wind, and which ought to be driven out through a large opening; and behold, it is a foreign word in terms of grammar.
Radak
"Therefore they shall be like the morning cloud." Therefore they shall go into destruction, and they shall be like the morning cloud, and like the dew that departs early in the morning; quickly it is cut off when the heat of the sun reaches it. So too, they shall be consumed quickly. And likewise, they shall be like chaff driven by the wind from the threshing floor; just as the chaff, which is the fine straw, is driven by the wind from the threshing floor, so too shall they be driven from their land.
"And like smoke from a chimney"—or like the column of smoke that issues from a window, which will quickly be nullified and cease.
"יסוער" – with a tsere under the yod, like in "פתח," and it is from the binyan whose active form is not mentioned in the emphatic (dagesh) state.
Metzudat David
"Therefore": For this reason, they will vanish quickly, like the morning cloud that departs swiftly, and like the dew that hastens to go at the rising of the sun, for then it ceases in a single hour.
Like chaff. Like the chaff of grain that is scattered from the threshing floor by a stormy wind, and like smoke that hastens to rise through a chimney.
Metzudat Zion
Like chaff. It is the refuse of the grain, as it is said: “Like chaff” (Psalms 1:1).
יסוער. The word is derived from "רוח סערה" (storm wind).
From the granary. It is the place of the grain:
From the word "arubah" (chimney/flue). Thus, the window located above, in the roof of the house, is called an "arubah," as it is written: "the windows of the heavens" (Genesis 7:11).
Malbim
Therefore, "they shall be like a morning cloud," concerning the matter that He will withhold goodness and blessing from them, it is stated that they shall be similar to a morning cloud, which appears to be a cloud bringing rains of blessing, yet it dissipates and departs. And also, "they shall be like dew that passes away early," meaning that even if they receive any measure of good, it will not endure, but rather [it will be] like dew, which was present during the night and passed away in the morning. And in addition to this, He will actually bring evil upon them and scatter them into exile: first, "they shall be like chaff driven by the wind from the threshing floor," where the wind carries away the chaff while the grain remains; so too, the wicked will be exiled while the righteous will remain. And afterward, "they shall be like smoke driven out of the chimney," where the wind carries away everything; so too, all of them will be exiled.
Yet I am Hashem your God From the land of Egypt; And you know no God but Me, And beside Me there is no saviour.
verse value 2875
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·God" (וֵאלֹהִ֤ים, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "and·God" (וֵאלֹהִ֤ים), "except" (זוּלָתִי֙), "you·know" (תֵדָ֔ע). The root אלהים appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 49x in Hosea); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x 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 7 words. Full calculation: וְאָנֹכִ֛י [and·I] (87) + יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ [your·God] (66) + מֵאֶ֣רֶץ [from·land·of] (331) + מִצְרָ֑יִם [Egypt] (380) + וֵאלֹהִ֤ים [and·God] (92) + זוּלָתִי֙ [except] (453) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תֵדָ֔ע [you·know] (474) + וּמוֹשִׁ֥יעַ [and·savior] (432) + אַ֖יִן [nothing] (61) + בִּלְתִּֽי [beside·Me] (442) = 2875.
Rashi
"And I am the Lord your God." This teaches that you were not to rebel against Me.
Ibn Ezra
"And I" – The meaning is: How did You cease to embrace the calf, so that it would not save nor satisfy, and You abandoned Your God from ancient days, who saved You and knew all Your needs, as it is said, "The righteous knows the knowledge of the poor" (or: "The righteous knows [the needs of] the poor").
Radak
"And I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." As we explained above:
"And you shall know that there is none besides Me." You were not to know or serve other gods, except that you should see that there is no savior besides [Me].
Metzudat David
"And I." This means that they are deserving of destruction, for am I not the Lord your God? From the time I brought you out of the land of Egypt, for then you accepted Me as your God, and it is fitting that you should know no other God besides Him, since there is no savior other than Him.
Metzudat Zion
"Zulati" (except for). It is similar in meaning to "belati" (without), as in "beledi" (besides/excluding).
Malbim
"And I, the Lord, am your God": This is in response to what was stated, that the Lord does not watch over them directly, and that they require an intermediary between them and the Lord, as it is stated, "And the Lord brought up Israel from Egypt by the hand of the prophet." Therefore, they set up for themselves the calves as intermediaries to channel the divine flow. He answers them: "Is it not I, the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt? Is it not from there that I brought you out without any intermediary?" And then, "You shall know no God besides Me"—meaning, it is not that there exists another God besides Me, a second to Me. Moreover, there is no savior other than Me; there is no savior who is My agent to save, for I saved you directly, without any intermediary.
I did know you in the wilderness, In the land of great drought.
verse value 1955
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·have·known·you" (יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "I·have·known·you" (יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ), "droughts" (תַּלְאֻבֽוֹת). 4 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·wilderness', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + יְדַעְתִּ֖יךָ [I·have·known·you] (514) + בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר [in·the·wilderness] (248) + בְּאֶ֖רֶץ [in·land·of] (293) + תַּלְאֻבֽוֹת [droughts] (839) = 1955.
Rashi
"I knew you. I paid attention to know your needs and provided for you:"
Tela'uvot. It has no parallel; and its interpretation, according to its context, is: a mound (tel) from which all good is sought, but is not found.
Ibn Ezra
"I am" – "Tlaivot" (afflictions): [This is interpreted as] "a land of drought and thirst," and so it is in the language of Ishmael [i.e., Arabic], and because all afflictions are in it; this is by way of midrash [homiletical interpretation] and not by way of pshat [literal interpretation].
Radak
"I knew you." This implies that you should know Me, for I knew you in the wilderness and provided for your needs in the wilderness, in a place where there was no sustenance at all.
"In the land of thirst." In the land of drought, which is the wilderness. And my master and father, of blessed and righteous memory, brought proof for this word from the Arabic language, in which they say "la'ab al-dagul," meaning "the man is thirsty." And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: "In the land in which you were..."
Metzudat David
"I knew you." I set my heart to understand your needs in the wilderness and to prepare for you. And it is as if He said: Since from the beginning until the end I watched over you, and yet you turned to idolatry, therefore you are deserving of destruction.
"In the land of affliction." The doubling of the matter is stated in what is written:
Metzudat Zion
Tela’uvot. The matter is one of thirst, and it has no parallel. It is possible that it is like “a mound of debts,” meaning a mound in which one is indebted for everything, since one will not find there anything [to satisfy the need].
Malbim
"I, and also in another wilderness, after I brought you out of Egypt, I knew you through My providence and knowledge, to fulfill all your needs in the land of thirst, so that it was not possible for you to survive except through constant miracles—from the manna, the well, and the pillar of cloud, which were all solely from Me, for miracles come from God alone."
When they were fed, they became full, They were filled, and their heart was exalted; Therefore have they forgotten Me.
verse value 2444
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. Verse gematria: 2444 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "their·heart" (לִבָּ֑ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "as·their·pasture" (כְּמַרְעִיתָם֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 394: and·they·were·sated, they·have·forgotten·me. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "as·their·pasture" (כְּמַרְעִיתָם֙), "and·they·were·sated" (וַיִּשְׂבָּ֔עוּ), "they·was·satisfied" (שָׂבְע֖וּ). The root שבע appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "therefore" (root על, 28x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: כְּמַרְעִיתָם֙ [as·their·pasture] (780) + וַיִּשְׂבָּ֔עוּ [and·they·were·sated] (394) + שָׂבְע֖וּ [they·was·satisfied] (378) + וַיָּ֣רׇם [and·rose] (256) + לִבָּ֑ם [their·heart] (72) + עַל־כֵּ֖ן [therefore] (170) + שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי [they·have·forgotten·me] (394) = 2444.
Rashi
"As you have fed them." When they entered the Land, they were fed and became satiated, then:
"They ate their fill, and their hearts were lifted up." This is like the phrase "and he lifted up" (Exodus 7:20), which uses the language of "lifting up." Another interpretation: "and their hearts were lifted up" here means that they exalted themselves.
Ibn Ezra
"As you have pastured" – The prophet will recount the good deeds that God performed with their ancestors when they came from the wilderness into the Land of Canaan.
Radak
As it says, “As you grazed, you became full.” When they came to the place of their grazing, which is the Land of Canaan, they had all good things, became full, and their hearts grew haughty, and they forgot Me, as it is stated in the Torah that they will do so in the future: “Lest you eat and become full, and build good houses and dwell in them, and your herds and flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, etc., and your heart become haughty, and you forget the Lord your God.” And it says, “Jeshurun grew fat and kicked, etc.”
Metzudat David
As you have pastured. When they came to the place of their pasturing, which is the Land of Israel, they became satiated there with good things; and when they became satiated, their hearts became proud, and therefore they forgot Me.
Metzudat Zion
As you have pastured. The word is from the root "mar'ah" (pasture).
Malbim
"As you have grazed" — only after He brought them from the wilderness into the land of settlement, where they found pasture and became satiated, and because they became satiated, their hearts were necessarily lifted up; therefore, they forgot Me. As it is stated: "And your heart will be lifted up, and you will forget the Lord your God."
Therefore am I become to them as a lion; As a leopard will I watch by the way;
verse value 1642
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "like·a·lion" (כְּמוֹ־שָׁ֑חַל, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "and·I·was" (וָאֱהִ֥י), "like·a·lion" (כְּמוֹ־שָׁ֑חַל), "as·a·leopard" (כְּנָמֵ֖ר). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·them" (root הם, 31x in Hosea); "and·I·was" (root היה, 28x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'like·a·lion', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וָאֱהִ֥י [and·I·was] (22) + לָהֶ֖ם [to·them] (75) + כְּמוֹ־שָׁ֑חַל [like·a·lion] (404) + כְּנָמֵ֖ר [as·a·leopard] (310) + עַל־דֶּ֥רֶךְ [by·the·way] (324) + אָשֽׁוּר [I·will·watch] (507) = 1642.
Rashi
“On the way of Ashur.” Every instance of “Ashur” in Scripture has a dagesh, whereas this one is without a dagesh (rapi); it is not a proper name of a place, but rather [means] “I will hide and I will watch,” similar to “ashurnu” (“we hid”) and not “karov” (“near”) (Numbers 24:17).
Ibn Ezra
"And I was" – A past-tense verb referring to the evils that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon them.
Ashur – an adjective, as in “mighty,” [meaning] that a man’s steps go firmly in it, and so on.
Radak
"And I became to them." As soon as they forgot Me, I also abandoned them and delivered them into the hands of the nations.
And I was to them as it is written. Or like a lion that lies in wait on the path, which is accustomed to devour whatever passes by on the way; so too I was to them, for I subjected them to their enemies, and they had no power to save themselves from their hands, until they returned to Me, and I would have mercy on them.
Ashur. It is a po'el form from the Qal stem, and so too its imperative is from the Qal. And "asheru" is in the way of Binah, on the pattern of the word zakhru (remember).
Metzudat David
"And I was." Therefore, I will be against them, like a predator that devours its prey.
Like a leopard. Just as the leopard watches and gazes along the path to find its prey, so will I look along the path of their going to cause them to stumble and to destroy them.
Metzudat Zion
And I was: Like "And I was."
Shakhal. One of the names of the lion:
Like a leopard. The name of a wild beast:
Ashur: The matter of gazing and seeing, as it is written, "I behold him, but not near" (Numbers 24:17).
Malbim
“And I was to them as a lion” (ve’ehi lahem k’challal): This means that they forgot the goodness of God and denied His kindnesses, but the evil that came upon them they attributed to God, to the extent that God appeared in their eyes like a wild beast that devours, like a lion, a leopard, a bear, and a wolf. And these four [beasts] correspond to the four kingdoms that corrupted them: the lion is the kingdom of Babylonia and Ashur, as Daniel saw the first [beast] as a lion (and as stated above regarding the verse “God roars like a lion”); the leopard is the kingdom of Greece; and it is said “like a leopard” in the manner of Ashur, which came upon the path of the Land of Israel, for it did not exile them from their land, as it is stated, “A leopard lies in wait for their cities.”
I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, And will rend the enclosure of their heart; And there will I devour them like a lioness; The wild beast shall tear them.
verse value 3368
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "as·bear" (כְּדֹ֣ב) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁם֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·will·meet·them" (אֶפְגְּשֵׁם֙, 5 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "I·will·meet·them" (אֶפְגְּשֵׁם֙), "as·bear" (כְּדֹ֣ב), "bereaved" (שַׁכּ֔וּל). 12 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'their·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 6 words. Full calculation: אֶפְגְּשֵׁם֙ [I·will·meet·them] (424) + כְּדֹ֣ב [as·bear] (26) + שַׁכּ֔וּל [bereaved] (356) + וְאֶקְרַ֖ע [and·I·will·tear] (377) + סְג֣וֹר [gold] (269) + לִבָּ֑ם [their·heart] (72) + וְאֹכְלֵ֥ם [and·I·will·devour·them] (97) + שָׁם֙ [there] (340) + כְּלָבִ֔יא [as·lioness] (63) + חַיַּ֥ת [beast] (418) + הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה [field] (314) + תְּבַקְּעֵֽם [will·tear·them] (612) = 3368.
Rashi
Like a bear that is in mourning. Just as you say "merciful and gracious," so too "in mourning" means that he is entirely clad in mourning garments and prepared to kill people.
"And I will tear open their sealed heart." Like a bear that grasps its claws in the chest and tears until it reaches the heart. Another interpretation: "Their sealed heart"—their heart that is sealed from understanding, to return to Me.
Ibn Ezra
“Like a bereaved bear” – some say: his sons were killed, or it is a transitive/active adjective [i.e. "bereaving," rather than passively "bereaved"].
And the meaning of “the beasts of the field” is: I will devour some of them by word and by famine, and the beasts of the field will tear some of them apart.
Radak
“Like a bear bereaved of her cubs.” They killed her sons, and she is bereaved and bitter of soul. If she encounters a person or an animal, she will quickly tear them apart. And because it says “a bear bereaved” and does not say “a lion bereaved” or “a leopard bereaved,” they say that when the bear gives birth, she gives birth as if to pieces of flesh, for the offspring is entirely covered at birth by a very thick placenta. The bear licks the placenta and cuts it little by little so as not to harm the offspring, and she labors greatly at this until she has removed all the flesh and the offspring emerges. And because she toiled so much over it, she is more bitter of soul when it is killed.
"And I will tear open their sealed heart." Their heart, which is sealed and does not understand, I will tear open. This is a metaphor, for so does the lion do to its prey: it tears the body down to the heart, eats it, and drinks its blood.
"And a lion shall devour them there." "There" means in their cities, where they will be devoured by the enemy through plague and sword, just as a lion tears without mercy. Likewise, the beasts of the field will tear them apart outside, as it is stated in the Torah: "And I will send among you the beasts of the field, and they shall bereave you..." And Jonathan the Proselyte rendered it in the Targum as: "The forces of the nations..."
Metzudat David
"I will meet them." I will encounter them to do them harm, like a bear bereaved of her cubs, whose way it is to harm anyone whom she encounters.
“Seal up their heart.” Because they compared them to a bear, it employs the language applicable to a bear, which tears until the heart that is sealed beneath the chest.
"And I will eat them there." In the place where I find them, I will eat them—like a lion.
"Beast of the field." The letter kaph in the word "kelev" (lion) serves a double function, meaning: "I will be like the beast of the field that tears them apart," namely, those accustomed to tearing apart.
Metzudat Zion
"I will meet them." The matter of "meeting":
Like a bear. The name of a beast:
Sho'el. One whose children have died is called a sho'el, as it is written: "And I, when I was bereaved, I was bereaved" (Genesis 43:14).
Kelevia. One of the names of the lion:
“taveka’am.” The word is from the root of “bqi’ah” (splitting/cleaving):
Malbim
"When I meet them like a bereaved bear" – this is the second beast that Daniel saw, which resembles a bear, representing the kingdom of Media. And then, "I will tear open their sealed hearts" – in the days of Haman, when they opened their hearts and returned in repentance. And "I will devour them like a lion" – in the exile of Edom, which is the fourth beast that devours, crushes, and tramples the remainder with its feet. This means that during all these exiles, it seemed to them that I was devouring them, but in truth this is a mistake, for "the beasts of the field will tear them apart" – because I have hidden My face from them, the beasts of the field come upon them and tear them apart.
It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help.
verse value 1610
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 18 letters. The shortest word is "it·has·destroyed·you" (שִׁחֶתְךָ֥, 4 letters) and the longest is "Israel" (יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "it·has·destroyed·you" (שִׁחֶתְךָ֥), "that·against·Me" (כִּי־בִ֥י), "against·your·helper" (בְעֶזְרֶֽךָ). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Israel" (root ישראל, 39x in Hosea). Full calculation: שִׁחֶתְךָ֥ [it·has·destroyed·you] (728) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [Israel] (541) + כִּי־בִ֥י [that·against·Me] (42) + בְעֶזְרֶֽךָ [against·your·helper] (299) = 1610.
Rashi
That You have cut off Israel. You have wounded Yourself, Israel, because in You have they sinned, rebelling against Your help. And this is a concise verse, and it is settled upon the heart of one who understands the language of Scripture.
“Because of Me.” “Because of Me” was the rebellion in which you rebelled. And you might say: “What concern is it of Yours that you rebelled against Your help?” [The answer is:] When you rebelled against Me.
Ibn Ezra
"שחתך" – "Ki Bi" is a term of consolation, like "Yotzer," which means "He is on your side."
Radak
“Who cut him.” The calf mentioned above: it is he who destroyed you, for were it not for this one, I would have been your help, and the two [instances of the] letter bet [used as a particle] would have come together as one, though one would have sufficed. Rather, both interpretations are correct in this matter, and this is the custom of the language to speak in this manner. And the meaning of “I would have helped you” is: “for My name would have been in your aid.” And similarly, “He sent with a net in his feet” is like “with a net of his feet.” And so is the custom with two comparative “like”s: “like a servant, like his master,” “like you, like Pharaoh.”
Metzudat David
"Who has cut off Israel" – You, Israel, have harmed yourselves, for your strength depends upon Me; why have you not turned to Me?
Metzudat Zion
“With Your help.” The bet is an added letter. Likewise, “and a linen turban shall he wear” (Leviticus 10:6), and the Targum renders it: “and a linen turban.”
Malbim
“Who has spoiled Israel?” — Just as you, Israel, have been spoiled from your home, so too, it is not I who does this, but rather he who spoiled you. Through the fact that you spoil your ways, it is he who spoils you, and you spoil yourselves.
For "I"—that which you think, that your destruction depends on Me, is only because I was aiding you; and consequently, when I began to hide My face from you and not to help you, you were destroyed. And I am the cause of this only through "sitting and not doing," not through "rising and doing."
Ho, now, your king, That he may save you in all your cities! And your judges, of whom you said: ‘Give me a king and princes! ’
verse value 3696
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "where" (אֱהִ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·may·he·save·you" (וְיוֹשִׁיעֲךָ֖, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "your·king" (מַלְכְּךָ֙), "then" (אֵפ֔וֹא), "and·may·he·save·you" (וְיוֹשִׁיעֲךָ֖). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "you·said" (root אמר, 22x in Hosea). First appearance of the root אהי ("where") in Hosea. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·all·your·cities', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: אֱהִ֤י [where] (16) + מַלְכְּךָ֙ [your·king] (110) + אֵפ֔וֹא [then] (88) + וְיוֹשִׁיעֲךָ֖ [and·may·he·save·you] (422) + בְּכׇל־עָרֶ֑יךָ [in·all·your·cities] (352) + וְשֹׁ֣פְטֶ֔יךָ [and·your·magistrates] (425) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [who] (501) + אָמַ֔רְתָּ [you·said] (641) + תְּנָה־לִּ֖י [give·to·me] (495) + מֶ֥לֶךְ [king] (90) + וְשָׂרִֽים [and·princes] (556) = 3696.
Rashi
“Ahay, your King, behold.” The Targum renders it: “Where is your king?.” And I say that it is not necessary to uproot it from its literal meaning: “Ahay” stands opposite to see “behold,” your King, so that I make myself see what your end is, “behold,” your Savior.
Ibn Ezra
"Ehyeh" – Some say: It is reversed, like "Ayeh." And the correct explanation is: As it says, "Ehyeh, your King, where is He?"
"Yoshia'cha" – from the hand, and immediately from the beasts.
And your judges – the meaning is twofold.
Radak
“Ehyeh. I will be eternally present, but your kingship—where is it? You have despised My kingship and asked for a king to save you. Where is he who will save you?”
"In all their cities." [This refers to] the enemies that come against them, as you stated: "And He will go out before us and fight our battles."
And your judges. Since you appointed them upon yourself of your own accord, behold, you see that they will not benefit you—kings, rulers, and princes—except through My help. And Jonathan rendered it as a reversal, like "Where is your king," which he translated as "Where is your king, etc."
Metzudat David
“Ahay” – this means: I, the Lord, will stand firm and endure forever, but as for the king whom I have established for you, where is he? Will he save you in all your cities when the enemy comes upon them?
“And your judges.” Likewise, your judges, where are they, you who asked in the days of the prophet Samuel to be given a king and officers? What benefit is there in them if you do not turn to Me?
Metzudat Zion
Ahy. I will be in His existence, and I will be established, and its likeness is "There was strife and contention" (Habakkuk 1:3).
“Efo.” [It is a contraction of] “ayeh” (where) and “poh” (here).
Malbim
"Ah, He is your King" means: Is it not that He was destroyed on account of the fact that there is no king who, because Hoshea rebelled against him and informed against him to the King of Assyria, was thereby destroyed (as stated above, section 10)? [The verse] says, "And could I be your King?" [meaning] to defend you before the King of Assyria? If so, "and He will save you in all your cities." Its grammatical structure is: "If so, in all your cities and in all your judges, He will save you." Seek [for Him] in all your cities and in all your judges; if so, the King who will save you is found.
As you said, “Give me a king and princes,” meaning that in ancient times, during the days of the Judges, the Lord was their King, their head, and their savior, as He had been in the days of Samuel. Then they assembled and requested a king for themselves, because they rejected the sovereignty of Heaven, as Samuel became angry with them regarding this matter. And the Lord said to him, “It is not you that they have rejected, but Me they have rejected, from reigning over them.” For initially, they were under the Divine providence of the Lord, above nature, and they requested to be conducted according to the way of nature, as I explained there at length. Therefore, He said to them: How can you now request that I be your king? Did you not reject My sovereignty and choose for yourselves a king who would save you through the way of warfare? And you said, “Give me a king and princes.” If so, where is he who will save you?
I give you a king in Mine anger, And take him away in My wrath.
verse value 1483
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "king" (מֶ֙לֶךְ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·my·wrath" (בְּעֶבְרָתִֽי, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "I·will·give·to·you" (אֶֽתֶּן־לְךָ֥), "in·my·anger" (בְּאַפִּ֔י), "and·I·will·take" (וְאֶקַּ֖ח). 5 unique roots are used. Full calculation: אֶֽתֶּן־לְךָ֥ [I·will·give·to·you] (501) + מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ [king] (90) + בְּאַפִּ֔י [in·my·anger] (93) + וְאֶקַּ֖ח [and·I·will·take] (115) + בְּעֶבְרָתִֽי [in·my·wrath] (684) = 1483.
Ibn Ezra
"I will give you a king" – [This refers] to Saul, about whom the prophet said: "Because they have rejected Me from reigning over them, now I will take vengeance in My anger."
Radak
"I will give you." I gave you a king in My anger, for it was not My desire that you ask for a king, as it says, "They have rejected Me from being king over them." And I took him in My wrath, that he died in the war against the Philistines and did not reign but only two years, so that you would be able to recognize that you have no kingdom except My kingdom, and the king whom I appoint over you—if he does My will, he and you will be saved from all evil. And some say that "I will give you" refers to Saul, as we have explained, and "I took" refers to Zedekiah, who was the last king. And some say it refers to the kings of the tribes, Jeroboam and Hoshea son of Elah. And what it says regarding Jeroboam, "in My anger," is because although He was angry with the kingdom of the House of David, He gave it to him.
Metzudat David
"I will give..." – This means: Just as I gave you a king in My anger, because it was evil in the sight of the Lord that they asked for a king, as stated in I Samuel.
"And I took." And similarly, [the verse states], "I have taken him from the world" in My wrath, for King Saul, the first [king], died in battle in the prime of his life.
Metzudat Zion
“In My wrath.” The word is from the root “wrath” and "passing" and "anger":
Malbim
"Behold, when I gave you a king in the days of Samuel, it was in My anger, for I knew that your end would be to divide and to serve the calves, and this was not My desire."
“And I will take [Hoshea] when I cross over”: Hoshea, who was the last king, was better than the kings who preceded him, and he did not deserve to be punished on account of his deeds; rather, this was due to the collective transgression. Since there was a transgression upon the community—and this is the definition of the term “transgression”—I took him from you, even though My anger was not kindled against him personally.
The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; His sin is laid up in store.
verse value 1608
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "perversity" (עֲוֺ֣ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "Ephraim" (אֶפְרָ֔יִם, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "bundle" (צָרוּר֙), "north" (צְפוּנָ֖ה), "his·sin" (חַטָּאתֽוֹ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Ephraim" (root אפרים, 37x in Hosea). Full calculation: צָרוּר֙ [bundle] (496) + עֲוֺ֣ן [perversity] (126) + אֶפְרָ֔יִם [Ephraim] (331) + צְפוּנָ֖ה [north] (231) + חַטָּאתֽוֹ [his·sin] (424) = 1608.
Rashi
A bundle of sins is Ephraim. I will not withhold My anger from him; It is stored up with Me.
Ibn Ezra
Tzuror – "He is in my heart, I shall not forget Him," just as the verse above forgot Me.
Radak
Tsuror. "He is kept by Me" – just as something is kept within a bundle, as it is said, "Seal up my iniquity in a bundle" (Job 14:17). And "the sin" refers to the sin of the golden calves.
Metzudat David
Tsuror. Do not think that I have forgotten the sin of Ephraim, for it is bound up in a superior knot, and his transgression is hidden away with Me, to preserve it until the measure is filled.
Metzudat Zion
Tsuror. The meaning is binding, as in "he bound his money" (Genesis 42:35).
“Tzefunah” [hidden away]. The matter of hiding is as it is written, “A hiding place for the righteous” (Proverbs 13:6).
Malbim
Tzuror, meaning that Ephraim does not abandon his sins; rather, his iniquity is bound up within him, and his transgression is hidden away, and he guards them, unwilling to forsake them and return in repentance.
The throes of a travailing woman shall come upon him; He is an unwise son; For it is time he should not tarry In the place of the breaking forth of children.
verse value 1624
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 44 letters. Notable word values: "upon·him" (ל֑וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "upon·him" (ל֑וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·he·shall·tarry" (לֹֽא־יַעֲמֹ֖ד, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "throes·of" (חֶבְלֵ֥י), "bearing" (יוֹלֵדָ֖ה), "they·will·go·in" (יָבֹ֣אוּ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 49x in Hosea); "for·time" (root כי, 48x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: חֶבְלֵ֥י [throes·of] (50) + יוֹלֵדָ֖ה [bearing] (55) + יָבֹ֣אוּ [they·will·go·in] (19) + ל֑וֹ [upon·him] (36) + הוּא־בֵן֙ [he·is·a·son] (64) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + חָכָ֔ם [wise] (68) + כִּי־עֵ֥ת [for·time] (500) + לֹֽא־יַעֲמֹ֖ד [not·he·shall·tarry] (155) + בְּמִשְׁבַּ֥ר [in·place·of·breaking·forth] (544) + בָּנִֽים [son] (102) = 1624.
Rashi
"For the time of distress has come upon him, which he will not be able to withstand and endure."
“On the birthstool.” This is the stool upon which the woman in labor sits to give birth, and in the vernacular it is called a “shila.”
“in the breaking forth of children.” As the breaking forth that is prepared for the birth of children:
Ibn Ezra
Chavlei – And I know that the child she is bearing will be foolish like his father, and not wise; therefore, the time will not come for him to stand in the trial of children, for he will die immediately.
Radak
The pains of a woman in childbirth. Just as the pains of a woman in childbirth come upon her, so will troubles that I will bring upon him come upon him.
“And he is the son of a non-sage.” Since he compared his cords to the birth-pangs of a woman in labor, he said that those who are born are not sages; that is to say, the subsequent generations, who saw their ancestors in distress due to their sins, were not wise and did not reflect that their ancestors found distress because of their sin, nor did they return from the deeds of their ancestors, but rather they did evil like them.
“For the time will not endure in the crisis of children.” If he were wise, he would not stand even a single moment in the crisis, for he would quickly emerge from the crisis into the air of the world. And the “crisis” is the womb. There are children who are naturally swift upon their exit from the womb, and they emerge quickly. So too, if they were wise, they would not stand even a single hour in distress, for as soon as they returned to God, blessed be He, they would be saved from the distress.
In the word "mishber" (womb). It is written with an open vowel (patach) because it is adjacent to the word "banim" (sons). And the womb is called "mishber" because of the pains and contractions that the woman experiences while the child is in the womb and cannot yet emerge quickly.
Metzudat David
The pains of a woman in childbirth. From here, it is derived that he will experience agonies like the labor pains of a woman giving birth.
"He is the son of one who is not wise," meaning, he should observe what is yet to come, namely, the time when he will be unable to withstand the strain when he sits upon the birth-stool to bear children. This refers to the time of retribution, when the measure [of sin] is filled. And since the comparison is made to a woman giving birth, the language appropriate to that context is used.
Metzudat Zion
Ḥevlei. Just as the term "ḥevlei" denotes the pains of childbirth, so too it is written: "She shall cry out in her travails" (Isaiah 26:17).
In the matter of "the loins." It is the place where the birthing woman sits when she bends down to give birth. And likewise, "And the sons came, even to the loins" (Isaiah 37:3).
Malbim
"The pains of a woman in childbirth will come upon him" — this compares the contractions and labor pains that have befallen the nation to the pains that come to a woman in childbirth, for the more the contractions and labor pains increase, the greater becomes the hope, for she will deliver the child from the full womb and the pains will cease. And already it was stated in this metaphor (Isaiah 37:3), "For the children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver," which means that due to the multitude of contractions, it appears that the children in her womb have reached the point of birth and are close to being delivered, only that the woman in labor lacks the strength to bring forth the children from her womb and give birth to them. And the metaphorical meaning is that the troubles and contractions have already multiplied to such an extent that it seems the time has arrived for the children of the nation to emerge from the strait and be born to become a saved people in the Lord; this is the image of the nation's birth. Only, the woman in labor lacks the inherent strength by which nature expels the fetus outward; namely, she lacks the commandments and the mitzvot, through which the people are born to become children of the Living God. And here it states that after the nation has experienced the pains of a woman in childbirth, "the child in the womb is not wise," unlike the other children who possess the wisdom to exit the womb at the time of birth and stand at the threshold, where the children stand at the time of birth and where they are saved to exit and be born. And this is what it says, "He is a child, not wise," for even though the time and moment of birth have arrived, and he ought to have exited and stood at the threshold to be born, yet he will not stand at the threshold where children are born and exit the womb, for because he is not wise, he did not discern how to exit at the time of birth and stand at the threshold, and he remains like a miscarriage in his mother's womb. And the metaphor is that then was the time for the nation to be born and renewed, for they already had the pains of a woman in childbirth due to the multitude of troubles, only that they did not stand at the threshold, meaning they did not return in repentance, which is the path to birth. And therefore it preceded with what it said, "A bundle of sin for Ephraim," which indicates sin as excess blood clotted in the full womb, preventing the child from being born. And similarly, sin and transgression, clotted and hidden within them, hindered them from doing repentance and being born, even though it was as if she were in labor, ready to give birth, beginning to cry out in her pains.
Shall I ransom them from the power of the nether-world? Shall I redeem them from death? Ho, your plagues, O death! Ho, your destruction, O netherworld! Repentance be hid from Mine eyes!
verse value 3207
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "from·hand·of" (מִיַּ֤ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·will·redeem·them" (אֶגְאָלֵ֑ם, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 337: netherworld, netherworld. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "from·hand·of" (מִיַּ֤ד), "from·death" (מִמָּ֖וֶת), "I·will·redeem·them" (אֶגְאָלֵ֑ם). The root שאול appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·redeem·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 9 words. Full calculation: מִיַּ֤ד [from·hand·of] (54) + שְׁאוֹל֙ [netherworld] (337) + אֶפְדֵּ֔ם [I·will·ransom·them] (125) + מִמָּ֖וֶת [from·death] (486) + אֶגְאָלֵ֑ם [I·will·redeem·them] (75) + אֱהִ֨י [where] (16) + דְבָרֶ֜יךָ [your·plagues] (236) + מָ֗וֶת [death] (446) + אֱהִ֤י [where] (16) + קׇֽטׇבְךָ֙ [your·destruction] (131) + שְׁא֔וֹל [netherworld] (337) + נֹ֖חַם [repentance] (98) + יִסָּתֵ֥ר [hides·himself] (670) + מֵעֵינָֽי [from·my·eyes] (180) = 3207.
Rashi
"From the hand of Sheol I will redeem them." I am He who was redeeming them from the hand of Sheol and ransoming them from death, but now I will be your words of death; I will set myself to speak against you words of death.
Ah, may the decree of Sheol be overturned against you:
"His comfort will be hidden from My eyes." I will not comfort [Him] for this evil. The word "nuḥam" is from the root of "niḥum" (comfort), and the mem is part of the root of the word, just as the mem in "no'am" (pleasantness) is part of the root. For the accent is on the final syllable, and the het is dotted with a pataḥ. And if it were from the root "naḥ" (to rest), and the mem served as a plural ending, its accent would be under the het, and the vowel would be a qamats: "nuḥam" (they rested).
Ibn Ezra
“From the hand of Sheol” — I was redeeming your forefathers; now I shall be the word of your death, and I shall also be your destruction. And the proof is from the verse: “He shall walk in darkness” — “destruction” is understood in the sense of “cutting off.” And there are those who say: “And I shall be” is like “Where is?” as they said: “We have made a covenant with death.”
"Nocham" – a noun, from the same root as "and the LORD relented" (Genesis 6:6, va-yinachem Hashem), and the meaning is, "I shall not relent."
Radak
“Immediately from Saul I would redeem them.” I would have redeemed them immediately from Saul, had they been wise.
“From death I will redeem them.” The matter is repeated in different words:
“Your words will bring death.” But now, since you are not wise but foolish, and deny my kindness, it is not enough that I will not redeem you from death; rather, I will bring death upon you by plague, by sword, by famine, and by wild beasts. Its interpretation is that “your words” refers to the words that I sent to you, yet you did not heed My voice; these very words will cause your death. And He said “your words” in the sense of “My words,” for pronominal suffixes can apply to both the subject and the object. Similarly, “and I will make them rejoice in My house of prayer” [refers to the people as the object of rejoicing], and “I have heard your prayer” [refers to the prayer as the object of hearing]. And there are those who interpret “devarekha” from the root dever (pestilence), because it is juxtaposed with the word “your plague [katvekha].” And similarly it says, “[Nor for] the pestilence that stalks in darkness, [nor for] the destruction that ravages at noon” (Psalm 91:6). And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: “My utterance will be upon them,” etc.
“Ah, you are cut off, Saul.” And I will be the cause of your being cut off. “Cut off” refers to the matter of cutting off. And similarly, “He cuts down the trees at midday,” and the Jerusalem Targum translates it as “to cut down trees,” and “to cut off the eye.” And “cut off” comes with a qamats under the qof, not according to the usual pattern of its measure, and like it is “qatan” (small).
"He who comforts will hide Himself from my eyes." The One who was my comforter concerning their evil, as it is said, "And the Lord regretted the evil," now will hide Himself from my eyes, for they have sinned so greatly.
Metzudat David
"From the hand of Sheol I will redeem them." Behold, from of old I have redeemed you from Sheol and ransomed you from death; but when the measure is filled, I will be the One speaking words of death against you; I will be the One compelling you to descend into your Sheol.
“Necham yister me’enei.” This means: Until now, I have relented from bringing the evil, but from now on, relenting will be hidden from My eyes, for I will no longer relent.
Metzudat Zion
Katab. The meaning of *keritah* (cutting), and similarly, "He cuts off the noonday sun" (Psalms 91:6).
Nechem. From the language of "nechumim" (consolation):
Malbim
"Immediately," he explains what was said above, that it was then their time to give birth, for I had thought that immediately from Sheol I would redeem them, that they would do repentance through the multitude of afflictions and the pains of childbirth, and in this way I would redeem them immediately from the king of Assyria, and I would redeem them from death. And the parable of Sheol is the exile, and the parable of death is the slaughter that He slaughtered them with, for the Lord thought that He would save them so that they would not be exiled from the land, and also so that He would not slaughter them with great slaughter, and in this way they would be born anew. But they did not stand at the crisis point and did not do repentance. And now, "Your words shall be death"—He turns His face toward death and Sheol, and speaks to them directly. Now, not only have I not redeemed them from your hand, but I will be from now on the matter belonging to you, O Death! The matter that is the agent whom you send to kill—I will be that one. That is to say, I will be your agent to kill them and to destroy them.
“And I will be your destruction, O Sheol!”—you, O Sheol! Your bitter destruction, by which you consume people, I Myself will be, meaning that I will be the agent of your exile. That is to say, not only will I not redeem them, because they have not done repentance, but furthermore I will consume them with death and exile them from their land under My providence, and I will assist in this. “My compassion will be hidden from My eyes,” meaning that compassion and regret, which are always the cause for revoking a bad decree—for through compassion He relents from His anger, meaning that through the people’s comforting themselves over their deeds and returning in repentance, the Lord will relent from the evil that He spoke of doing—now compassion will be hidden and will not come before My eyes, because the people do not comfort themselves and regret their deeds, and I will not relent from the evil.
For though he be fruitful among the reed-plants, An east wind shall come, the wind of Hashem coming up from the wilderness, And his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up; He shall spoil the treasure of all precious vessels.
verse value 3197
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 80 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "he·is·fruitful" (יַפְרִ֑יא, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 12: he, he. 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Hosea. Unique to this verse in Hosea (hapax): "between" (בֵּ֥ין), "brother" (אַחִ֖ים), "he·is·fruitful" (יַפְרִ֑יא). The root הוא appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 48x in Hosea); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Hosea). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·is·fruitful', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 15 words.
Rashi
"For he shall be fruitful among his brothers." The Targum: "If they are called 'sons' and 'workers,' they will greatly increase the brothers' [share of] evil speech, like [it is said in] Ezekiel 21:20, 'You are made to flash,' and it says 'brother' regarding all abominations [in Ezekiel 7]."
“Yifri” (He shall flourish). This is the language of “a brier and a thorn” (Deuteronomy 29:17). And I say that “among his brothers” is the language of “and they sprouted among the reeds” (Genesis 41:2). “Among his brothers he shall flourish” means that he shall sprout and grow among the reeds. “Among his brothers” refers to one who grows in the channels of water, who always flourishes. And since he is compared to a reed, it says, “Let the east wind come and dry up its source.” Another interpretation: “For he is among his brothers, he shall flourish.” This refers to Jeroboam, who is the son who caused the brotherhood of Israel to flourish [i.e., to multiply/divide]; through him they were divided into two kingdoms. “Yifri” is the language of “wild” (parah), referring to a wild man.
"Yavo Kedem" – A mighty king, like the east wind, in the utterance of the Lord, from the way of the wilderness he will ascend.
"He shall plunder." That same king shall plunder all the treasures of his desirable vessels.
Ibn Ezra
“for he is among brothers” – from the same root as “achu” (reed-grass/river-meadow, as in Job 8:11), not “brotherhood.”
Yifri – like yifre, the one who made them sick, like hechila, and the meaning is: by way of analogy, as he mentioned in their pasture, the book describes how God will slay them and cut them off.
And it was ashamed – like: and it dried up, or according to its literal meaning, that its waters would be falsified. And the meaning of "the wind" is like an enemy that will devastate.
Radak
“Because He.” For Ephraim was bearing fruit among his brothers; until he made the calves, he was growing and flourishing among his brothers, as Jacob said of him, “But his younger brother shall grow great, and his seed shall fill the nations.” And now that he has sinned, the east wind, the wind of the Lord, shall come. “He” refers to the king of Assyria. And he compared him to the east wind, which is an eastern wind, because the land of Assyria is east of the Land of Israel. Furthermore, he said “east wind” because it is a harsh wind. And he said “the wind of the Lord” to magnify the wind and strengthen it, like “Mountains of God, a land of Sinai” and “flame of fire.” And he also said “the wind of the Lord” because the Blessed Holy One aroused His spirit to come upon Israel. And similarly it is said, “And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser, king of Assyria…” And similarly it is written: When Menachem reigned, Pul came upon the Land of Israel; in the days of Pekah, Tilgath-pilneser, king of Assyria, came; and in the days of Hoshea son of Elah, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, went up against Samaria and besieged it.
From the desert he ascends. For the wind is always in the desert; or its interpretation is that there is a desert between the Land of Israel and the Land of Assyria, and because of that wind, which is the king of Assyria, the spring of Ephraim shall be ashamed. For it was originally like a flourishing tree by the waters, as it is said of him: “Joseph is a flourishing bough, a flourishing bough by a spring” (Genesis 49:22). And now his spring shall be ashamed, and his fountain shall be dried up, because of that wind.
Yibush. Its root is yavesh, just as "yot" in the Shekel [coin] comes from "yot," and "vechirav" [and it was desolate] is like "yavesh" from "charav" [the waters dried up].
"He shall gnaw it." That same wind gnawed the treasury of all precious vessels.
Metzudat David
"For he." From the beginning, Ephraim was "bearing fruit" among the brothers; that is to say, he was great and prominent among the brothers, as it is stated, "Nevertheless, his younger brother shall grow greater than he" (Genesis 48:19).
“The east wind shall come.” Now, after they sinned with the golden calves, the east wind shall come—a strong wind from the Lord that rises from the desert, where there is nothing to impede the force of the wind’s blowing. And this wind shall dry up the spring and devastate the fountain. And since he expressed his words in a parable, he explains to say: “He” means this wind, which is Assyria; it shall plunder the treasury of all precious vessels.
Metzudat Zion
"Yifra." The verbal form of "peri":
“And it dried up.” The word is from the term for dryness:
Its source. It is the spring:
And it was desolate. The word is from the root ch-r-v, meaning desolation and dryness.
יִשְּׁשֶׁה. The meaning here is “and he plundered,” similar to “and my enemies were plundered” (ibid. 44:11).
Malbim
“For He shall blossom among His brothers,” this refers to the Comforter; He, the Comforter, will not bear fruit except among brothers. When Israel are brothers and united with one another, then it is possible for the Comforter to act. This is because it has already been explained that in the days of Hoshea son of Elah, they abandoned the worship of the calves and abolished the fortified cities that Jeroboam had established to prevent Israel from going up for the pilgrimage festivals. However, there were factions that disputed this on that very account and informed the King of Assyria against him (as stated above, 8:4, 10:2, 7). Likewise, it is explained in II Chronicles 30 that Hezekiah sent messengers to the tribes to return to the Lord, and they mocked them, though some were subdued and came to Jerusalem. Thus, there were then two factions among them. Consequently, the Comforter did not bear fruit there, and they did not all return in repentance, nor did the Lord comfort them regarding the evil. Therefore, the east wind will come; by this means, the King of Assyria will come upon them, arriving from the east, from beyond the Jordan, and traveling through the desert. This is the wind of the Lord, which the Lord sent upon them, rising from the desert to come upon them. Its source shall be ashamed, for it has devastated the land where the source of Israel was. Consequently, the spring flowing from that source will be destroyed; thereby, they were scattered to the four corners of the heavens, and the waters of their abundance, sustenance, and success dried up. “He shall plunder the treasury”—this also refers to that same wind; it shall plunder all their treasures and all their desirable vessels. They have no hope anymore, for they are lost and rejected due to their sin.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim