1Israel is a ravaged vineAnd its fruit is like it.When his fruit was plentiful,He made altars aplenty;When his land was bountiful,Cult pillars abounded.
2Now that his boughsaboughs Cf. 2 Sam. 18.14, where the word is rendered “thick growth.” are broken up,He feels his guilt;He himself pulls apart his altars,Smashes his pillars.
3Truly, now they say,“We have no king;For, since we do not fear GOD,What can a king do to us?”
4So they conclude agreements and make covenantsWith false oaths,And justice degenerates into poison weeds,Breaking outbdegenerates into poison weeds, / Breaking out Cf. Amos 6.12; lit. “breaks out like poison weeds.” on the furrows of the fields.
5The inhabitants of Samaria fearFor the calf of Beth-aven;cBeth-aven See the second note at 4.15. Indeed, its people and priestlings,Whose joy it once was,dWhose joy it once was Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Mourn over it for the gloryThat is departed from it.
6It too shall be brought to AssyriaAs tribute to a patronepatron See the second note at 5.13. king;Ephraim shall be chagrined,Israel shall be dismayedBecause of his plans.fplans Emendation yields “image,” referring to the calf.
7Samaria’s monarchygmonarchy The Heb. verb agrees with this word, not with “Samaria.” is vanishingLike foam upon water,
8Ruined shall be the shrines of [Beth-]aven,h[Beth-]aven See the second note at 4.15. That sin of Israel.Thorns and thistlesShall grow on their altars.They shall call to the mountains, “Bury us!”To the hills, “Fall on us!”
9You have sinned more, O Israel,Than in the days of Gibeah.ithe days of Gibeah See note at 9.9. There they stand [as] at Gibeah!Shall they not be overtakenBy a war upon scoundrels
10As peoples gather against them?jThere they stand … gather against them Meaning of Heb. uncertain. When I chose [them], I broke them in,Harnessing them for two furrows.
11Ephraim became a trained heifer,But preferred to thresh;I placed a yokeUpon her sleek neck.kplaced a yoke / Upon her sleek neck Lit. “passed over the comeliness of its neck.” I will make Ephraim do advance plowing;ldo advance plowing Taking rkb in the sense of the Arabic krb. JudahmJudah Emendation yields “Israel.” shall do [main] plowing!Jacob shall do final plowing!
12“Sow righteousness for yourselves;Reap the fruits ofnthe fruits of Lit. “according to.” goodness;Break for yourselves betimes fresh groundOf seeking GOD,So that you may obtain a teacheroa teacher Meaning of Heb. uncertain; Septuagint reads “the fruits.” of righteousness.”
13You have plowed wickedness,You have reaped iniquity—[And] you shall eat the fruits of treachery—Because you relied on your way,pway Septuagint reads “chariots.” On your host of warriors.
14But the din of war shall arise in your own people,And all your fortresses shall be ravagedAs Beth-arbel was ravaged by ShalmanqShalman Perhaps identical with the Shallum of 2 Kings 15.10ff.; cf. the atrocities of Shallum’s rival in 15.16. On a day of battle,When mothers and babes were dashed to death together.
15This is what Bethel has done to youris what Bethel has done to you Emendation yields “will I do to you, O House of Israel.” For your horrible wickedness:At dawnsAt dawn Meaning, perhaps, “swiftly as the dawn”; cf. v. 7 above, “like foam upon water.” shall Israel’s monarchyUtterly perish.