SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 2021

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:1

Section 1:1

Preface/Introduction

This opening verse introduces the whole book. It tells us that this book was a message from the LORD to his people through the prophet Hosea. It also tells when Hosea received this message from the LORD.

In Hebrew, this first verse serves as a title for the whole book. Most English versions have a separate book title, such as “Hosea,” followed directly by 1:1. There are two ways to show the relationship of 1:1 to the rest of the book:

• Place a section heading before 1:1. Here are some other examples of section headings:

The beginning of the book
-or-
The LORD gave a message to Hosea

• Do not place any heading before 1:1. Instead, place the first heading before 1:2. See the examples in the note on Section 1:2–9.

Paragraph 1:1

1:1a

This is the word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri: The expression the word of the LORD refers here to the message that the LORD gave to the prophet Hosea. It is implied that Hosea would make this message known by his words or actions to the people.

Here are some other ways to translate this line:

This is the message which the Lord gave Hosea son of Beeri…. (Good News Translation)
-or-
This book contains the words/message that God made known to Hosea the son of Beeri

LORD: The word LORD represents the Hebrew word “Yahweh,” the personal name of God. In Hebrew, this is a proper name, not a title or general noun. See the discussion of Yahweh, the LORD in the Introduction.

to Hosea son of Beeri: See the discussion of The author in the Introduction.

The writer introduced himself in the third person, as if he were speaking about someone else. The writers of the New Testament letters did this also. Most English versions keep the third person forms. However, if this would be confusing for your readers, you could reword it using “I…me.” For example:

I am Hosea son of Beeri. This is the message that God gave to me during…

If you use “I” or “me” in this verse, you will need to make the same change in some of the verses that follow. For example, in 1:3, the Contemporary English Version has:

So I married Gomer (Contemporary English Version)

son of Beeri: In languages that do not use specific terms for son or “daughter,” you may use a general term. For example:

child of Beeri

1:1b

in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah: This is a list of the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah who ruled one after the other. Hosea prophesied sometime within this same time period. Verse 1:2a–b does not imply that Hosea’s ministry began during the same year as the reign of King Uzziah or that it ended during the same year as the reign of King Hezekiah. See the discussion of The historical background in the Introduction.

kings: The word “king” is a title that refers to the highest official of a country. In languages where a word for “king” is not known, you may use a title with a similar meaning. For example:

chief officials
-or-
rulers

1:1c

and of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel: This statement refers to the reign of Jeroboam II. He ruled as king over Israel in the north during the same time period as the kings of Judah in the south that are listed above. Hosea prophesied sometime within this same time period. See the discussion of The historical background in the Introduction.

General Comment on 1:1a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder the parts of this verse. The Contemporary English Version has reordered some of the verse parts using the first person pronouns “I” and “me.”

1a I am Hosea son of Beeri. 1b When Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah, 1c and when Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel, 1a the Lord spoke this message to me.

For a way to reorder the parts of this verse using third person forms, see 1:1a–c (combined/reordered) in the Display. Use an order that is natural in your language.

Division 1:2–3:5

Hosea’s marriage and family symbolized Israel’s unfaithfulness to God

In chapters 1–3, Hosea’s relationship with Gomer illustrates the LORD’s relationship to his people, the Israelites. Hosea married Gomer, but she was not faithful to him. Instead, she left him and lived with other men. In a similar way, the LORD had made an agreement with the people of Israel that he would be their God and they should worship only him. But they were not faithful to obey that agreement. Instead, they turned away from him and worshiped false gods. The LORD punished Israel because of their unfaithfulness, but eventually he was merciful and restored their relationship. In a similar way, Hosea was merciful to Gomer and restored their relationship.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:2

Section 1:2–9

Hosea married an unfaithful wife and fathered three children

The LORD commanded Hosea to marry Gomer. She was an immoral woman who would be unfaithful to him. Her unfaithfulness illustrated Israel’s unfaithfulness to the LORD. The LORD also commanded Hosea to give their three children names that would serve as warnings of future judgments.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Hosea’s wife and children (Good News Translation)
-or-
Hosea’s marriage symbolized the LORD’s relationship to Israel

Paragraph 1:2

1:2a

When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him: These words introduce Hosea’s prophetic ministry. They refer to the first time that the LORD spoke to Israel through Hosea.

Here are some other ways to translate these two clauses:

When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
This is the beginning of the Lord ’s message given by Hosea. (Revised English Bible)

In some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit who the LORD spoke to when he spoke through Hosea. For example:

When the Lord first spoke to Israel through Hosea, he said to Hosea (Good News Translation)

1:2b

Go, take a prostitute as your wife: These two commands function as a single command to get married. The word Go serves primarily to introduce the second command. It may emphasize the need for Hosea to take action. It does not imply that Hosea should first go on a journey and then marry someone.

Here are some other ways to translate this kind of double command:

• Use a word or phrase that directs attention to the main command to get married. For example:

Go marry… (NET Bible)
-or-
What I want you to do is to get married to…

• Translate the main command to get married. Leave a word or phrase such as Go implied. For example:

Marry… (God’s Word)

Translate these commands in a way that is clear and natural in your language.

a prostitute as your wife: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a prostitute as your wife is literally “a wife/woman of immoralities.” The Hebrew word “immoralities” refers to sexual activity that is contrary to God’s law. It includes both adultery and sexual relations between unmarried people. Some forms of this word refer to prostitution, that is, offering to have sexual intercourse for pay.

In this context, the plural form “immoralities” indicates repeated or habitual behavior. There are two main ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) The LORD told Hosea to marry a woman who had already engaged in sexual relations contrary to God’s law. She may have been a prostitute. People knew about her immoral character before her marriage to Hosea. For example:

Go and marry a prostitute (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Go marry a promiscuous woman (NIV2011)

(2) The LORD told Hosea to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him after their marriage. Her promiscuous character would develop or become clear only after she became his wife. For example:

Go and get married; your wife will be unfaithful (Good News Translation)
-or-
Go marry a woman who will commit adultery.

Some English versions translate the Hebrew phrase “wife/woman of immoralities” quite literally. For example, the King James Version, English Standard Version, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, and New Revised Standard Version have “wife of whoredom(s).” The New American Standard Bible has “wife of harlotry.” These expressions can refer to more than one interpretation, so the Notes have not listed them under either one.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most English versions. However, both interpretations have good commentary support. So it is also recommended that you mention interpretation (2) in a footnote. You may also want to mention interpretation (2) for the next phrase (“children of unfaithfulness”) in the same footnote, because the two interpretations correspond to each other.

and have children of adultery: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “and children of immoralities.” There are three main interpretations of this phrase:

(1) The children born to Gomer and Hosea would be born to an immoral mother. Nothing is indicated about the behavior of the children. For example:

and have children with her (NIV2011)

(Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, NIV2011, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible)

(2) The children born to Gomer and Hosea would be like their mother in their behavior and character. The immoral character of each would become evident in the future. For example:

and your children will be just like her (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, New Century Version)

(3) The children born to Gomer after her marriage would be a result of her adultery. Hosea would not be their father. For example:

a prostitute who will bear illegitimate children conceived through prostitution (NET Bible)

(NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions.

1:2c

because: In Hebrew, this word introduces the reason that the LORD commanded Hosea to marry “a woman of immoralities.” The reason is that his marriage to an unfaithful wife would illustrate the LORD’s relationship to his unfaithful people, the Israelites.

Some English versions translate this word as “for” or because. Other versions leave it implied. Use a natural way in your language to introduce the LORD’s reason for his command to Hosea. In some languages, it may be necessary to make more information explicit. For example:

This will illustrate how Israel… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Do that, because it will show how the people in this land…

this land: Here the term this land is a figure of speech (metonymy). It represents the people who lived in the land, that is, the Israelites.

Here are some other ways to translate this figure of speech:

the people in this country (New Century Version)
-or-
my people (Good News Translation)

is flagrantly prostituting itself: In Hebrew, this expression refers here to committing sexual immorality or behaving as a prostitute. It is used here as a figure of speech (metaphor). In this metaphor, the people of Israel are compared to a wife who is repeatedly unfaithful to her husband, because they had stopped worshiping the LORD and begun to worship other gods. See the General Comment on 1:2c for other ways to translate this figure of speech.

The form of the Hebrew expression emphasizes the extent of their immorality. It may imply several things:

(a) They repeatedly or continually commit immoral acts.

(b) They are openly, brazenly, or flagrantly immoral.

Here are some ways to express this emphasis:

have been completely unfaithful (New Century Version)
-or-
continually commit adultery
-or-
openly committing adultery (New Living Translation (1996))

You should express this emphasis in a way that is appropriate in your language.

by departing from the LORD: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “from after the LORD.” By worshiping other gods, the people of Israel had abandoned the LORD. To make the meaning clear, English translations supply a verb such as departing (Berean Standard Bible), “forsaking” (New Revised Standard Version), “abandon” (God’s Word), “turning away” (NET Bible). You may also have to supply additional words to make the meaning clear in your language.

the LORD: The LORD referred to himself in the third person, the LORD, as if he were speaking about someone else. This was good style in Old Testament Hebrew. In some languages, it may be more natural to use the pronoun “me” to make it explicit that the LORD is referring to himself. For example:

the people in this land have abandoned me, the LORD.

Another way to avoid confusion is to use only the pronoun “me.” It may not be necessary to repeat the words the LORD. For example:

my people have left me and become unfaithful. (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 1:2c

The phrase “in departing from the LORD” explains the meaning of the figure of speech “vilest adultery” in nonfigurative language.

Here are some other ways to express these two phrases:

• Change the phrase “vilest adultery” into a simile. For example:

it is like the people of this land are being totally immoral, because they have turned their backs on me, the LORD.

• Place the nonfigurative phrase “in departing from the LORD” first. For example:

the people of this land have abandoned the LORD. They are like a woman who repeatedly commits adultery.

• Combine the two phrases into one phrase. For example:

the people in this country have been completely unfaithful to the Lord (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:3

Paragraph 1:3

1:3a

So: Verses 1:2 and 1:3 are connected by a Hebrew word that English versions translate as So. In this context, this word expresses result. Hosea married Gomer as a result of the LORD’s command to him in 1:2b. Use a natural way in your language to introduce a result.

Hosea went and married: The Hebrew verbs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Hosea went and married are literally “he went and he took.” These repeat the verbs of the LORD’s command to Hosea in 1:2b, “Go, take.” Many English versions follow the Hebrew pattern of repeating the same verbs in both places. For example, the Revised Standard Version has “Go and take” for the command in 1:2b and “he went and took” in 1:3. Other versions have “marry” in both places. You may wish to repeat the same verbs here that you used in 1:2b in order to highlight Hosea’s complete obedience to the LORD’s command.

Gomer daughter of Diblaim: This is the first time that Gomer is mentioned in this book. In some languages, it may be more natural to introduce her in a slightly different way. For example:

a woman named Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim (Good News Translation)

Use a natural way in your language to introduce a new participant in the story.

1:3b

and she conceived and bore him a son: This clause implies that Hosea was the child’s father. There are different ways to make this clear and at the same time to express the idea of conceiving a child. For example:

she became pregnant and gave birth to Hosea’s son (New Century Version)
-or-
After the birth of their first child, a son (Good News Translation)

In languages that do not use a gender-specific word such as son, you may need to use a phrase such as “male child.”

If you referred to Hosea in 1:1–2 with “I” or “me,” you may be able to translate this verse as the Contemporary English Version has done:

So I married Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and we had a son. (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:4

Paragraph 1:4–5

This paragraph refers back to an event that occurred in a place called Jezreel. In Jezreel, King Jehu, an ancestor of Jeroboam II, had brutally killed the family of King Ahab (see 2 Kings 9–10). Although the LORD himself had commanded Jehu to destroy the family of Ahab (see 2 Kings 9:7), Jehu had exceeded this command when he killed many other people as well. For this reason, the LORD was going to punish Jehu’s descendants. It may be helpful to include some of this historical information in a footnote to help your readers to understand the reason for God’s judgment.

1:4a

Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel: The LORD told Hosea to name his son after the place in Israel called Jezreel. Jezreel was the name of both a valley and a town. The name Jezreel means “God scatters.” Here it has a bad connotation. In 1:11d it has a good connotation. See the notes there for more information.

1:4b–c

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

4b for soon I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu,

4c and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.

Verse 1:4c adds information that clarifies how the LORD will punish the descendants of King Jehu.

1:4b

for: In Hebrew, this word introduces the reason that the LORD told Hosea to name his child Jezreel. Some English versions translate it as for or “because.” Other versions leave this connection implied. Use a natural way in your language to introduce this reason.

soon I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu: This is the reason that the LORD told Hosea to name his child Jezreel. The name would be a reminder and a warning. It would remind the Israelites of the murders that Jehu committed at Jezreel when he was king of Israel. It would also warn them that the LORD was going to punish Jehu’s descendants for what he had done.

the bloodshed of Jezreel: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “the blood of Jezreel.” It refers to the murders that Jehu committed at Jezreel.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the bloodshed at Jezreel (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
the people they killed at Jezreel (New Century Version)
-or-
the murders he committed in Jezreel Valley (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit that Jehu committed the murders. For example:

the murders that his ancestor Jehu committed (Good News Translation)

Use a phrase that communicates the meaning clearly in your language.

the house of Jehu: In Hebrew, the phrase the house of may have more than one meaning. It can refer to the people of an entire nation (see 1:6c “the house of Israel” and 1:7a “the house of Judah”), the family or descendants of an individual, or the dynasty of a king. Here it refers specifically to Jehu’s descendant King Jeroboam II and his family.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

dynasty of Jehu (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the descendants of King Jehu of Israel (Contemporary English Version)

It may also be helpful to make it explicit that the king of Israel is the actual person to whom the house of Jehu refers. For example:

punish the king of Israel for the murders that his ancestor Jehu committed (Good News Translation)

Even though the Good News Translation does not use an expression like house of Jehu, it makes clear the connection between the king of Israel and Jehu by using the phrase “his ancestor Jehu.” Translate this idea in a way that communicates the meaning clearly in your language.

1:4c

and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel: In Hebrew, the phrase the kingdom of Israel is literally “the kingdom of the house of Israel.” There are two ways to interpret this phrase here:

(1) It refers to the northern kingdom of Israel. It means that Israel would cease to exist as an independent nation. For example:

I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. (God’s Word)

(2) It refers specifically to the rule of Jehu’s descendant, Jeroboam II. It means that this dynasty would cease to exist and that a new king who was not descended from Jehu would replace Jeroboam II. For example:

I am going to put an end to Jehu’s dynasty. (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It best fits the context of 1:5.

I will put an end to: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as put an end to means “to cause to stop.” The LORD will no longer allow the northern kingdom of Israel to exist as an independent nation. This statement does not include the southern kingdom of Judah. See the note on 1:7a.

Here are some other ways to translate 1:4c:

I will bring an end to Israel’s independence. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I will cause the nation/government of Israel to cease to exist.
-or-
I will cause Israel’s status as a country to end.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:5

1:5

And on that day: This phrase refers here to the time in the future when the LORD will bring an end to the kingdom of Israel. It does not refer to a literal 24-hour day.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

At that time (Good News Translation)

Some versions omit this expression, because the meaning is clear from the context. Do what is most natural in your language.

I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel: The LORD warned Israel here that he would use an enemy army to defeat them in the Valley of Jezreel and destroy their military power.

I will break the bow of Israel: The bow was one of the main instruments of warfare in Hosea’s time. Here it is used as a figure of speech to symbolize Israel’s power and military strength.

If this figure of speech is not clear in your language, here are some other ways to translate it:

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

I will at that time destroy Israel’s military power. (Good News Translation)

• Use a similar figure of speech that conveys the right meaning in your language.

With either option, be careful not to imply that God literally will be fighting Israel at Jezreel. In some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit that the LORD will use an enemy nation as his instrument to destroy Israel’s military power. For example:

At that time, I will cause the enemies of Israel to defeat her at the Valley of Jezreel, so that Israel will not be able to fight any more.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:6

Paragraph 1:6–7

This paragraph tells about the birth of Gomer’s second child. The meaning of the child’s name, “not loved/pitied,” reinforced the LORD’s promise that he would destroy the northern kingdom of Israel. He promised to show them no mercy. In contrast, the LORD promised to deliver the people of Judah from destruction.

1:6a

Gomer again conceived and gave birth to a daughter: Although the verse does not explicitly say that Hosea was the father, it is implied here. See how you translated the similar sentence in 1:3b.

In Hebrew, there is no explicit transition between the birth of Hosea and Gomer’s first child in 1:3 and the birth of their second child here in 1:6. In some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit that some time passed between the two births. For example:

Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Later, Gomer had a daughter (Contemporary English Version)

daughter: In languages that do not use a gender-specific word such as daughter, you may need to use a phrase such as “female child.”

Notice that the Contemporary English Version leaves implicit the information that Gomer “conceived again.” Describe this event in a way that is natural in your language.

1:6b

Name her Lo-ruhamah: The literal meaning of the Hebrew name Lo-ruhamah is “Not having obtained mercy/love.” This name covers more than one aspect of meaning. For example:

Not pitied (Revised Standard Version)

Not Loved (New International Version footnote)

No Mercy (Contemporary English Version footnote)

Choose an expression in your language that includes one or more of these aspects of meaning. It is important that your translation communicates the meaning of the name to your readers. Otherwise your readers will not know why the LORD told Hosea to give her that name.

Here are some other ways to translate this name:

• Omit the Hebrew name and write the meaning of the name in the translation. This is a good option, especially if it is a custom in your culture to give children names with meanings that the people understand. For example:

Call her name Not pitied (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Name her ‘Unloved’ (Good News Translation)

• Write the Hebrew name in the translation and give the meaning in a footnote. Many English versions do this. For example:

Name her Lo-Ruhamah (New Century Version)

Here is the New Century Version footnote:

[Lo-Ruhamah] This name in Hebrew means “not pitied.” (New Century Version)

• Write both the Hebrew name and the meaning in the translation. If you do this, avoid giving the impression that the LORD explained the meaning of the name to Hosea. The God’s Word uses brackets to accomplish this. For example:

Name her Lo Ruhamah [Unloved].

If your readers are not familiar with this use of brackets, the first two options may be preferable to this one.

The names of Gomer’s next two children are discussed in 1:9a and 2:23b–c. Consider the context carefully to see whether you can use the same method to translate all three names. See especially the notes on 2:23b–c.

1:6c

for: In Hebrew, this word introduces a two-part reason for the LORD’s command that Hosea should name his child Lo-ruhamah. Most English versions translate this word as for or “because.” For example:

because I will not pity Israel anymore (New Century Version)

Some versions leave the connection implied. Introduce this two-part reason in a natural way in your language.

I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel: This is the first reason that the LORD told Hosea to name his daughter Lo-ruhamah. The name will indicate to them that the LORD will no longer show them love or mercy.

have compassion: This is the verb in Hebrew from which Lo-ruhamah’s name is derived. You should translate this phrase with the same word or phrase that you used to describe the meaning of Lo-ruhamah’s name. For example, if you said that her name means “Not pitied,” you should also translate the verb here as “show pity.”

the house of Israel: This phrase is a figure of speech that refers here to the nation of Israel, specifically the people of that nation.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Israel (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the nation of Israel (NET Bible)
-or-
the people of Israel (Good News Translation)

Try to translate the phrase house of Israel consistently, if the context is the same. In some verses, such as 1:4c, this phrase occurs in a different context, so your translation there may be different.

1:6d

that I should ever forgive them: In Hebrew, this clause is closely related to the previous statement, “I will no longer show love to the house of Israel.” It gives the second part of the reason for Lo-ruhamah’s name. Her name indicates that the LORD will no longer forgive them. Both clauses have a similar, negative meaning.

Here are some other ways to express the relationship between these clauses:

• Use a conjunction such as “and” or “or.” For example:

I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I will no longer have mercy and forgive Israel (Contemporary English Version)

• Start a new sentence or clause at this point. Leave the connection implied. For example:

I will no longer love the nation of Israel. I will no longer forgive them. (God’s Word)
-or-
I shall never again show love to Israel, never again forgive them. (Revised English Bible)

ever forgive them: In Hebrew, an emphatic form of the verb forgive is used here. It corresponds to the emphasis expressed in the phrase “no longer” in 1:6c. Some versions, such as the God’s Word and Revised English Bible quoted above, use an emphatic word or phrase in both 1:6c and 1:6d. The NET Bible is similar:

I will no longer have pity on the nation of Israel. For I will certainly not forgive their guilt. (NET Bible)

Other English versions use one expression of emphasis to cover both phrases. For example:

I will no longer have mercy and forgive Israel. (Contemporary English Version)

Emphasize this phrase in a way that is natural in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:7

1:7a

Yet I will have compassion on the house of Judah: In contrast to the nation/people of Israel, the LORD will continue to show his compassion to the nation of Judah. This implies that the nation of Judah will not be judged/punished by the LORD at that time.

Yet: The Berean Standard Bible uses the conjunction Yet to introduce the contrast between the LORD’s judgment of Israel in 1:6 and his compassion toward Judah here in 1:7. Some versions use “but” or “instead.” You should introduce this contrast in a natural way in your language.

have compassion: This is the same verb that was used in 1:6c. You should translate it in the same way.

the house of Judah: This phrase is a figure of speech. It refers here to the people of the nation of Judah, the southern kingdom. See how you translated the similar expression “house of Israel” in 1:6c.

1:7b

and I will save them: In this context, this phrase does not refer to spiritual salvation. The LORD promises here to save or rescue them from defeat by their enemies in battle.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

I will deliver them (NET Bible)
-or-
I will free them from their enemies (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I will rescue them (God’s Word)

1:7c

not by bow or sword or war, not by horses and cavalry: The bow and the sword were the main instruments used in war at that time. The horses and cavalry (the men who rode the horses or drove the chariots into battle) were the strongest units in an army. By mentioning these weapons, horses, and cavalry, the LORD compared his power to the strongest human army and implied that he is stronger.

In some cultures, people may not be familiar with these weapons and the use of horses in war. If that is true in your culture, you may need to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

I will not do it by war—with swords or bows and arrows or with horses and horsemen (Good News Translation)
-or-
I will personally free them from their enemies without any help from weapons or armies (New Living Translation (2004))

1:7d

but by the LORD their God: The LORD indicated that he will not be using a human army as his instrument to save Judah. Instead, he will do it personally with his own power.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

but by my power as the LORD their God

General Comment on 1:7a–d

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of these verse parts. For example:

But I am the Lord God of Judah, and I will have mercy and save Judah by my own power—not by wars and arrows or swords and cavalry. (Contemporary English Version)

Arrange this information in a natural order in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:8

Paragraph 1:8–9

This paragraph tells about the birth of Gomer’s third child. Once again, the LORD told Hosea to give his child a name that would communicate a message of judgment to the people of Israel. This was the third and most severe judgment. In Exodus 6:7, the LORD described to Moses the covenant he would later make with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. He said, “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” (See also Leviticus 26:12). For many generations the people of Israel continued to break their covenant with the LORD and continued to reject him. As a result, the LORD negated the words of the covenant by saying: “you are not my people, and I am not your God.” (See the note on 1:9b.)

1:8

After she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, Gomer conceived and gave birth to a son: As in 1:6a, the verse does not explicitly say that Hosea is the father, but it is implied here.

After she had weaned Lo-ruhamah: Unlike 1:6a, the author added these words to indicate that a certain amount of time (perhaps three years or so) passed by between the births of these two children.

Gomer conceived and gave birth to a son: Refer to the way you translated the similar expressions in 1:3b and 1:6a. For example:

she became pregnant again and had another son (Good News Translation)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 2021

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:1

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:6

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:7

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:8

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American Bible Society