It is important to construe properly the meaning of before. This is not a reference to Isaiah’s speaking before Hosea did. It is Isaiah speaking in anticipation of the judgment.

The scripture reference in this verse comes from the Septuagint of Isaiah 1.9. Lord Almighty is translated “Lord of Hosts” in most translations. This phrase was used in the Old Testament frequently as a name for God, and originally meant “Lord of the armies,” a name which described the Lord’s strength in battle. A translation such as “Lord of Hosts” conveys nothing to the English reader, and the nearest equivalent appears to be “the Lord, the Almighty.” It may be translated as “the Lord who is all powerful,” “the Lord who has all strength,” or “the Lord who is the strongest of all.”

Some descendants in this particular context may be translated as “some persons to continue the lineage” or “some persons of our same tribe.”

In some languages it may be useful to employ a classifier with Sodom and Gomorrah—for example, “we would become like the city of Sodom; we would become like the city of Gomorrah.” In other languages it may be necessary for stylistic reasons to coalesce these into one—for example, “we would become like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.” At this point a brief marginal note, a cross reference, or an identification of the significance of Sodom and Gomorrah in a glossary is important.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .