But the more I called to him, the more he turned away from me: There are two difficult textual problems in these lines. Instead of I and me, the Hebrew text has “they” and “them,” as shown in the Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation footnotes. The Hebrew of these lines is literally “They called to them, thus [or, so] they went from them.” The Hebrew text is difficult to understand. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh avoids saying who did the calling by using a passive verb: “Thus they were called, But they went their own way” (similarly Contemporary English Version, English Standard Version, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling). If passives are common in the receptor language, a passive construction may be a good solution.

Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint with the pronouns I and me, which seem to make more sense in this context (similarly Good News Translation, New International Version, New Living Translation, NET Bible, New English Bible, Bible en français courant). However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Hebrew text in both lines, with a {B} rating in the first line, but only a {C} rating in the second line. King James Version follows the Hebrew, saying “As they called them, so they went from them.” This reading may mean “As the prophets called the people, so the people went from the prophets,” but the prophets are not mentioned in the context. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project suggests that these two lines may recall a popular saying at that time, possibly a proverb. People would then automatically think of the prophets without mentioning them. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project suggests translating the lines from the Hebrew text as follows: “They turn away from those who call them” or “They call them, but at once those who are called turn away from them.” A possible way of forming this as a proverb in English may be “The more people call them [or, someone calls them], the more they turn away from them.” Contemporary English Version makes it clear that this is a proverb: “But as the saying goes, ‘The more they were called, the more they rebelled.’ ”

Instead of the plural pronouns them and they, which refer to the Israelites, Good News Translation has the singular pronouns “him” and “he” to agree with the singular reference to Israel in the previous verse. Some other languages may find this adjustment helpful.

They kept sacrificing to the Baals: The Hebrew verb for sacrificing refers to killing and burning animals as an offering (see 4.13). The plural word Baals indicates that the god Baal was worshiped in various places, each with its own statue and altar to Baal, and often with a special name known in each place (see comments on 2.13). Good News Translation chooses the singular word “Baal” to show that Baal was one god. The plural Baals is better, unless there is good reason in a language area to think of it as singular. Most modern translations keep the plural form, although Biblia Dios Habla Hoy and Tagalog common language version use the more generic “false gods.” Since Baals is a frequently occurring word in the Old Testament, there is no need to replace it with a generic term. NET Bible says “Baal idols,” which is a good model.

And burning incense to idols: For the Hebrew verb rendered burning incense, see the comments on 2.13. Idols translates a Hebrew term that refers to images of gods carved out of wood or stone. In this context idols of Baal are probably in view. Both sacrificing and burning incense were used by the Israelites to worship Yahweh, but instead they were doing these very things to worship Baal.

A translation model for this verse is:

• The more they were called,
the more they went away from me.
They sacrificed to Baal images,
and they burned incense to these idols.

Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .