In this verse Revised Standard Version‘s literal rendering shows how the Hebrew uses two parallel clauses that mean nearly the same thing, the second clause expressing the idea negatively. Good News Translation combines them into one statement. If a poetic rendering is preferred in the receptor language, we do not recommend the Good News Translation model here.

For renders the Hebrew waw conjunction. This conjunction is not necessarily a sequential connector. In this context some scholars believe it introduces an explanation of the previous verse (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). However, it seems more likely that this verse should be seen as parallel to the previous one. Therefore Good News Translation, New International Version, New Living Translation, and many other translations have left it untranslated.

I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth has connotations of God not allowing the Israelites to use the names of Baal’s idols. In some languages it is not possible to say remove the names, as if the names were physical objects. An appropriate idiom may have to be used, particularly in combination with from her mouth. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch uses a German idiom by rendering this verse as “I will make you no longer take the word Baal into the mouth.” Bijbel in Gewone Taal has “I will make sure that the name Baal does not pass your lips anymore.” The names of the Baals reflects the many idols dedicated to Baal that were named for their respective locations (see comments on 2.13). The Hebrew switches from second to third person for Israel by using the pronoun her instead of “your” (see the previous verse). In translation this issue should be handled consistently with similar switches elsewhere in the text.

And they shall be mentioned by name no more is literally “and they shall not be remembered [or, invoked] again by their name.” In worship the deity was considered to be present when his name was mentioned. In Hebrew “to call on the name of” is a synonymous expression for worship. Therefore the effect of this verse is to put an end to the worship of Baal. New American Bible implies this with “they shall no longer be invoked.” Another possible model is “they will no longer be worshiped.”

A translation model for this verse is:

• I will remove the names of Baal idols from your [or, her] lips,
no longer will they be worshiped.

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 .