1Ephraim surrounds Me with deceit,The House of Israel with guile.asurrounds Me … with guile I.e., the deceit and guile that they practice on each other (below vv. 8–9) is constantly noted by GOD. (But Judah stands firm with GodAnd is faithful to the Holy One.)b(But Judah … the Holy One.) Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
2Ephraim tends the windAnd pursues the gale;He is forever addingIllusion to calamity.ccalamity Septuagint reads “futility.” Now they make a covenant with Assyria,Now oil is carried to Egypt.dNow they make a covenant with Assyria / Now oil is carried to Egypt I.e., they foolishly depend on alliances instead of on GOD; cf. 5.13; 7.10–11.
3GOD once indicted Judah,eJudah Presumably the patriarch Judah. Emendation would yield “Israel”; cf. next note. And punished Jacob for his conduct,Requited him for his deeds.
4In the womb he tried to supplant his brother;Grown to manhood, he strove with a divine being,fCf. Gen. 25.26; 32.29.
5He strove with an angel and prevailed—The other had to weep and implore him.At Bethel [Jacob] would meet him,There to commune with him.ghim Heb. “us.”
6Yet the ETERNAL, the God of Hosts,Must be invoked as “ GOD.”has “GOD” I.e., one should not invoke any of the angelic hosts.
7You must return to your God!Practice goodness and justice,And constantly trust in your God.
8A trader who uses false balances,Who loves to overreach,
9Ephraim thinks,“Ah, I have become rich;I have gotten power!All my gains do not amountTo an offense that is real guilt.”iAll my gains … real guilt Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
10I the ETERNAL have been your GodEver since the land of Egypt.I will let you dwell in your tentsjin your tents I.e., securely; see 2 Kings 13.5. againAs in the days of old,kold Lit. “a fixed season.”
11When I spoke to the prophets;For I granted many visions,And spoke parables through the prophets.
12As for Gilead, it is worthless;And to no purposelAnd spoke parables … no purpose Meaning of Heb. uncertain. have theyBeen sacrificing oxen in Gilgal:The altars of these are alsoLike stone heaps upon a plowed field.mLike stone heaps upon a plowed field I.e., the cults of Gilead and Gilgal are as worthless as that of Bethel.
13Then Jacob had to fleenhad to flee This is the punishment mentioned in v. 3. to the land of Aram;There Israel served for a wife,For a wife he had to guard [sheep].
14But when GOD Brought Israel up from Egypt,It was through a prophet;othrough a prophet I.e., not through an angel. Through a prophetpThrough a prophet See previous note. they were guarded.
15qMeaning of this verse and the next uncertain. Ephraim gave bitter offense,And his Lord cast his crimes upon himAnd requited him for his mockery.