translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: HOS

label: NET study note

text: The suffixes on the nouns אֲחֵיכֶם (’ akhekhem , “your brother”) and אֲחוֹתֵיכֶם (’ akhotekhem , “your sister”) are both plural forms. The brother/sister imagery is being applied to Israel and Judah collectively.


text: The suffix on the noun אִמְּכֶם (’ immékhem , “your mother”) is a plural form (2nd person masculine). The children of Gomer represent the “children” (i.e., people) of Israel; Gomer represents the nation as a whole.


text: This statement alludes to the practice of sexual rites in the Canaanite fertility cult which attempted to secure agricultural fertility from the Canaanite gods (note the following reference to wool, flax, olive oil, and wine).


text: The third person plural here is an obvious reference to the Israelites who had been unfaithful to the Lord in spite of all that he had done for them. To maintain the imagery of Israel as the prostitute, a third person feminine singular would be called for; in the interest of literary consistency this has been supplied in some English translations (e.g., NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).


text: There is a wordplay on the terms בַּעְלִי ( ba ’ li , “my master”) and הַבְּעָלִים ( habbé ’ alim , “the Baals”) which are derived from the root בַּעַל ( ba ’ al , “master; lord”). This wordplay is especially effective because the term בַּעַל can refer to one’s husband and is also the name of the Canaanite storm god Baal. Referring to a spouse the term normally means “husband; master.” It was a common, ordinary, nonpejorative term that was frequently used in an interchangeable manner with אִישׁ (’ ish , “husband; man”). Due to its similarity in sound to the abhorrent Canaanite fertility god Baal, the repentant Israelites would be so spiritually sensitive that they would refrain from even uttering this neutral term for fear of recalling their former idolatry. The purpose of the exile is to end Israel’s worship of Baal and to remove syncretism.