Hosea 10

Question in verse 3 - response in the last verse (15). Play on words between Bethel and Bethaven. House of God and House of Mischief. Extended harvesting metaphor. 22 words occur exactly twice, 11 more than twice. Complex image - deliberate, but not poetry. Play on the calf - an idol or Ephraim itself, two iniquities - reflecting each other.

So what we reap is what we sow. If we sow (in this case) to militarism, we will reap the same in our own streets. If we sow (as here also) to idolatry, whether or mammon or flesh, we will reap shame and venomous judgment. There are no priests (כהן) in this chapter. There are in chapters 4 to 6, but not here - so ascetic is the gloss I chose. (Ephraim can't blame its trouble on a hierarchy.) There were many pebbles to stumble over in this chapter. Perhaps I have not punted them all away yet. Always take care where you walk. Sometimes I stumble on a plain path.

Hosea 10		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
גֶּ֤פֶן בּוֹקֵק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל פְּרִ֖י יְשַׁוֶּה־לּ֑וֹ כְּרֹ֣ב לְפִרְי֗וֹ הִרְבָּה֙ לַֽמִּזְבְּח֔וֹת כְּט֣וֹב לְאַרְצ֔וֹ הֵיטִ֖יבוּ מַצֵּבֽוֹת	1	C	A vine evacuated is Israel, fruit conferred for itself, As the multitude of its fruit, so is the multitude of altars. As good as its land, is the good of monuments.	3e	4C	13 22
חָלַ֥ק לִבָּ֖ם עַתָּ֣ה יֶאְשָׁ֑מוּ ה֚וּא יַעֲרֹ֣ף מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֔ם יְשֹׁדֵ֖ד מַצֵּבוֹתָֽם	2		Divided in their heart, now they bear their guilt. He, he will break the nape of their altars. He will devastate their monuments.	3e	4C	9 15
כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ לָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָרֵ֙אנוּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מַה־יַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽנוּ	3	C	For now they say, There is no king for us, for we did not fear Yahweh. But what will the king do for us?	3e	4C	10 19
דִּבְּר֣וּ דְבָרִ֔ים אָל֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא כָּרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֑ית וּפָרַ֤ח כָּרֹאשׁ֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט עַ֖ל תַּלְמֵ֥י שָׂדָֽי	4		They have spoken words of vain imprecation to cut a covenant, so judgment flourishes as venom over the ridges of the field.	3e	4C	12 12
לְעֶגְלוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית אָ֔וֶן יָג֖וּרוּ שְׁכַ֣ן שֹֽׁמְר֑וֹן כִּי־אָבַ֨ל עָלָ֜יו עַמּ֗וֹ וּכְמָרָיו֙ עָלָ֣יו יָגִ֔ילוּ עַל־כְּבוֹד֖וֹ כִּֽי־גָלָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנּוּ	5		The Samaritan neighbours will be in awe of the calf of Bethaven [House of mischief], for its people lament over it and its ascetics rejoice over it, over its glory, for it is exiled from them.	3e	4B	13 23
גַּם־אוֹתוֹ֙ לְאַשּׁ֣וּר יוּבָ֔ל מִנְחָ֖ה לְמֶ֣לֶךְ יָרֵ֑ב בָּשְׁנָה֙ אֶפְרַ֣יִם יִקָּ֔ח וְיֵב֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעֲצָתֽוֹ	6		Moreover it to Ashur is escorted, a gift to the king Jareb. Shame Ephraim receives, and Israel is ashamed from its own counsel.	3e	4B	15 16
נִדְמֶ֥ה שֹׁמְר֖וֹן מַלְכָּ֑הּ כְּקֶ֖צֶף עַל־פְּנֵי־מָֽיִם	7		Undone is Samaria, her king, as raging foam on the surface of water.	3e	4A	6 7
וְנִשְׁמְד֞וּ בָּמ֣וֹת אָ֗וֶן חַטַּאת֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל ק֣וֹץ וְדַרְדַּ֔ר יַעֲלֶ֖ה עַל־מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֑ם וְאָמְר֤וּ לֶֽהָרִים֙ כַּסּ֔וּנוּ וְלַגְּבָע֖וֹת נִפְל֥וּ עָלֵֽינוּ ס	8		And exterminated are the high places of mischief, the sin of Israel. Bramble and thistle will come up on their altars, and they will say to the hills, Cover us, and to the hillocks, Fall upon us.	3e	4C	25 19
מִימֵי֙ הַגִּבְעָ֔ה חָטָ֖אתָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל שָׁ֣ם עָמָ֔דוּ לֹֽא־תַשִּׂיגֵ֧ם בַּגִּבְעָ֛ה מִלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־בְּנֵ֥י עַֽלְוָֽה	9		From the days of Gibeah, Israel has sinned. There they stood. In Gibeah, war did not overtake them against the children of injustice.	3c	4B	11 18
בְּאַוָּתִ֖י וְאֶסֳּרֵ֑ם וְאֻסְּפ֤וּ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ עַמִּ֔ים בְּאָסְרָ֖ם לִשְׁתֵּ֥י עוֹנֹתָֽם	10		...In my desire that I would chasten them? And peoples gather against them in their bonds to their two iniquities.	3e	4C	8 16
וְאֶפְרַ֜יִם עֶגְלָ֤ה מְלֻמָּדָה֙ אֹהַ֣בְתִּי לָד֔וּשׁ וַאֲנִ֣י עָבַ֔רְתִּי עַל־ט֖וּב צַוָּארָ֑הּ אַרְכִּ֤יב אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ יַחֲר֣וֹשׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה יְשַׂדֶּד־ל֖וֹ יַעֲקֹֽב	11		And Ephraim is a calf under teaching, loving to pound, and I, I pass through above her fine neck. I will make Ephraim ride. Judah will plough. Jacob will harrow for him.	3e	4C	25 17
זִרְע֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם לִצְדָקָה֙ קִצְר֣וּ לְפִי־חֶ֔סֶד נִ֥ירוּ לָכֶ֖ם נִ֑יר וְעֵת֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה עַד־יָב֕וֹא וְיֹרֶ֥ה צֶ֖דֶק לָכֶֽם	12		Sow for yourselves for righteousness. Reap to the edge of kindness. Till for yourselves what is to be tilled. For time it is to search out Yahweh until he comes and instructs righteousness for you.	3e	4C	17 17
חֲרַשְׁתֶּם־רֶ֛שַׁע עַוְלָ֥תָה קְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֲכַלְתֶּ֣ם פְּרִי־כָ֑חַשׁ כִּֽי־בָטַ֥חְתָּ בְדַרְכְּךָ֖ בְּרֹ֥ב גִּבּוֹרֶֽיךָ	13		You have ploughed wickedness. Injustice you have reaped. You have eaten the fruit of dissimulation, because you have trusted in your way, in the multitude of your valiant ones.	3d	4B	17 13
וְקָ֣אם שָׁאוֹן֮ בְּעַמֶּךָ֒ וְכָל־מִבְצָרֶ֣יךָ יוּשַּׁ֔ד כְּשֹׁ֧ד שַֽׁלְמַ֛ן בֵּ֥ית אַֽרְבֵ֖אל בְּי֣וֹם מִלְחָמָ֑ה אֵ֥ם עַל־בָּנִ֖ים רֻטָּֽשָׁה	14		So noise will arise among your people and all your enclosures will be devastated, as Shalman devastated the house of Arbel in the day of war. Mother on children dashed to pieces.	3c	4B	29 7
כָּ֗כָה עָשָׂ֤ה לָכֶם֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל מִפְּנֵ֖י רָעַ֣ת רָֽעַתְכֶ֑ם בַּשַּׁ֕חַר נִדְמֹ֥ה נִדְמָ֖ה מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל	15	~	As such the house of God will do for you from the face of the evil that is your evil. In the dawn undone, undone is the king of Israel.	3e	4C	15 12