The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “adultery” in English (here etymologically meaning “to alter”) is typically understood as “marital infidelity.” It is (back-) translated in the following ways:
Toraja-Sa’dan: “to measure the depth of the river of (another’s) marriage”
North Alaskan Inupiatun: “married people using what is not theirs” (compare “fornication” which is “unmarried people using what is not theirs”) (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 2:2:
Kupsabiny: “Rebuke your mother and scold her, because she is no longer my wife and I am no longer her husband. Rebuke her to abstain from adultery and promiscuity.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “‘Oh my children, argue with your mother. Yes indeed, now she is neither my wife nor am I her husband. She must remove the prostitution from her face and the adultery from between her two breasts.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “‘Children, [you (plur.)] rebuke your (plur.) mother even-though she (is) not my wife anymore, and I (am) not her husband anymore. [You (plur.)] rebuke her that she should stop now her committing-adultery-with-a-man.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Plead with your mother, plead: Yahweh speaks to the people of Israel as if Hosea were speaking to his three children. The Hebrew pronoun for your is plural. Good News Translation has made the addressees explicit by beginning with “My children.” The suggested context here is that of a court case in which the mother is on trial. The children represent the people of Israel. The mother represents the nation of Israel in this allegory. However, we do not recommend making this explicit in the translation. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy and Bijbel in Gewone Taal make it explicit that Yahweh is speaking by beginning this verse with “The Lord says.” In 2.1-13 the wife is spoken to directly only in 2.6 in the Hebrew.
Plead translates a Hebrew word usually associated with a legal trial. In the present context this verb denotes a confrontation in the setting of a court case, so it is better rendered “Accuse” (Contemporary English Version) or “Make complaint against.” The father is asking his children to confront their mother by taking legal action against her in court. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible renders this line as “Take legal action against your mother, take legal action against her,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “To court, take your mother to court!” The repetition of the imperative Hebrew verb here makes the appeal to the children to accuse their mother more compelling. It is not stated whether the children are to do so together with their father or independently. Most commentators assume that they are to join their father’s action. However, this is not likely if the parents are divorced (see the comments below).
For she is not my wife, and I am not her husband: These two lines are usually interpreted as a statement of divorce. It is placed within the larger sentence as a parenthetical statement. So it seems to be a statement of what has already occurred, not a statement that the divorce is taking place at this moment. Moreover, the issue of divorce is not the main topic of the allegory. The statement symbolizes that the covenant between God and Israel has been broken by Israel’s unfaithfulness. If they are no longer husband and wife, this may be the reason Hosea (representing Yahweh) asks the children, the people of Israel, to bring the formal accusation against their mother, the morally decayed nation of Israel. The former husband would no longer do so, for he is no longer legally related to the woman. Instead, Hosea now represents the one who executes punishment in 2.3. Some scholars believe a divorce has not occurred, since Gomer would then not be permitted to return to her husband (see 2.7). Thus Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) translates these lines as “For she acts as if she were not my wife and I were not her husband.” The Hebrew text does not support this rendering, so it is not recommended. Hosea and Gomer were definitely separated and most likely divorced, according to this formal statement of divorce. It must be remembered that, just as Hosea and Gomer were divorced, so also God eventually rejected Israel. They were taken into captivity in Assyria, and they never returned. The “divorce” was final, in that case.
Instead of the conjunction for, Good News Translation uses the connector “though” to render the Hebrew particle ki. For expresses a causal relationship, while “though” indicates a contra-expectation. Depending on the context, the Hebrew word can be translated both ways, but in view of the explanation in the preceding paragraph, we recommend a causal connector, such as for or “because.”
The Hebrew text uses independent pronouns for she and I to sharpen the contrast between the husband and the wife. The Hebrew phrases for not my wife and not her husband clearly resemble the combination of negatives in 1.9. They are grammatically identical. We suggest choosing a translation that visualizes this resemblance.
That she put away her harlotry from her face and her adultery from between her breasts: Even though they are divorced, the husband continues to try to change what his wife is doing, and this is the reason for the courtroom scene. The purpose for confronting her is expressed in these two lines, which are parallel lines of poetry. The Hebrew verb form rendered that she put away may be translated “And let her put away” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), which introduces an independent clause. Revised Standard Version understands it as introducing a purpose clause, which is also possible. The main problem with this solution is the fact that the purpose clause should be linked with the first line in this verse. Because of the parenthetical statement in between, it may be difficult to see the connection. A slight rearrangement of clauses can resolve this problem (see the second translation model below). Since these two lines are parallel in Hebrew, the verb put away is implied in the second line (a case of ellipsis). If ellipsis is a poetic device in the receptor language, it should be kept here.
Her harlotry from her face possibly refers to cosmetics, decorations, or jewelry that would advertise her as a prostitute. Her adultery from between her breasts is a way of referring to the physical position of the men with whom she commits adultery; she should stop accepting them. Some translations interpret this expression to refer to the same kinds of jewelry or signs as those on her forehead, assuming that it adds no further information as a parallel expression. Thus Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) renders these two lines as “She should remove from her face and from her breast the decoration, which is a reminder that she has broken her faithfulness with me.” Either interpretation is valid. The Hebrew poet may have implied both of them.
Good News Translation avoids the details of these two lines, in which the figures of speech may be unclear, and gives the basic meaning: “Plead with her to stop her adultery and prostitution.” What is gained in clarity is lost in poetic and stylistic artistry. We advise translators to weigh such issues in deciding the various translation options.
Translation models for this verse are:
• To court! Take your mother to court!
For she is not my wife,
I am not her husband.
Let her remove the symbols of prostitution from her face,
the signs of adultery from between her breasts.
• Accuse your mother!
She is not my wife
and I am not her husband.
Accuse her,
so that she removes her whorish looks
and her harlotry between her breasts.
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 .
In this section, the LORD described the crisis that resulted from Israel being unfaithful to him by following other gods. He warned Israel about the punishment that he would inflict on them if they continued their unfaithfulness. There is a sharp contrast between the negative tone in this section and the positive tone in the previous one.
The first words of this section seem to be a command by Hosea to his children. He commanded them to rebuke their mother (2:2a). However, the words “declares the LORD” in 2:13c indicate that the LORD is the speaker throughout this section. The reason for this double reference is that this section has both literal and figurative meanings. Literally, it applies to the relationship between Hosea, his wife Gomer, and their children. Figuratively, it expresses the relationship between the LORD and Israel. In a complex metaphor, the nation of Israel is compared to the LORD’s wife. At the same time, the entire nation of Israel is compared to a mother, and the individual Israelites that made up the nation are compared to her children.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The LORD’s future punishment of Israel -or-
Israel is the Lord ’s unfaithful wife (God’s Word) -or-
Unfaithful Gomer—Unfaithful Israel (Good News Translation)
Paragraph 2:2–5
This paragraph contains the first examples in Hosea of Hebrew poetry, including the use of parallel lines. See The form in the Introduction for more information on formatting poetry and translating parallel lines.
2:2a
Rebuke your mother, rebuke her: In Hebrew, the word rebuke means “to fight with words,” as in a quarrel or a legal case. There are two ways to interpret the word here:
(1) It means to accuse. The children were told to accuse their mother of adultery. For example:
Accuse ! Accuse your mother! (Contemporary English Version)
(2) It means to plead. The children were told to plead with their mother to stop her adultery. For example:
Plead with your mother, plead (New Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most lexicons and commentaries. The Hebrew verb used in this verse is not used elsewhere in the Old Testament to describe an appeal that someone change his ways.
Some English versions use an expression that refers to an actual trial. For example:
take your mother to court (New Jerusalem Bible)
But this verse may also refer to an informal accusation or rebuke, so if possible, use a more general expression, as in the New International Version or Contemporary English Version.
Rebuke…rebuke: In Hebrew and in some English versions, the word is repeated to emphasize the seriousness of this command. Another way to give emphasis is to add a word that intensifies the meaning. For example:
Sternly accuse your mother
Use a natural way in your language to emphasize this command.
your mother: This phrase refers literally to Gomer, the mother of Hosea’s children. At the same time, Gomer represented the entire nation of Israel. Her children represented the individual Israelites whom the LORD commanded to rebuke the nation.
If possible, translate this phrase in a general way that allows both meanings to be understood. If the figurative meaning is not clear from the context, you may want to explain it in a footnote. For example:
In this verse, Hosea told his children to accuse their mother Gomer of committing adultery. This was a symbol of the LORD telling individual Israelites to accuse their mother, the nation of Israel, of committing spiritual adultery by worshiping idols.
2:2b–c
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
2b for she is not My wife,
2c and I am not her husband.
for: This word introduces the reason that the children are told to rebuke their mother. They should rebuke her because she is no longer behaving like a wife.
not My wife…not her husband: Together these two statements emphasize that Israel had broken its covenant with the LORD, just as Gomer had broken her marriage covenant with Hosea. As a result, the LORD could no longer treat Israel as his people, and Hosea could no longer act as Gomer’s husband.
These statements probably indicate a broken relationship rather than divorce. This is because in the next verses the husband continues to urge his wife, through the children, to stop her adulterous behavior and to reconcile with him.
One way to avoid implying divorce is to make it clear that these statements refer to actions or attitudes, not to an actual legal status. For example:
2b She no longer acts like my wife. (God’s Word)
2c And I no longer act like I am her husband.
Be careful not to imply that the husband had been unfaithful to his wife and had broken their relationship.
2:2d–e
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
2d Let her remove the adulteryfrom her face
2e and the unfaithfulnessfrom between her breasts.
the adultery…the unfaithfulness: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as adultery is literally “her immoralities.” The word “immoralities” means sexual activity that is contrary to God’s law. It is the same word that was used in 1:2b.
The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unfaithfulness is literally “her adulteries.” The word “adulteries” refers to sexual intercourse with someone other than her husband.
Both these plural terms describe the woman’s character. They indicate repeated or habitual behavior, as in the New Century Version and NET Bible quoted below.
from her face…from between her breasts: In Hebrew, it is common to refer to behavior by mentioning the parts of the body (face, breasts) that are associated with this behavior. These figurative expressions refer to the shameless attitude and behavior of a woman who is openly immoral and unfaithful to her husband.
Here are some other ways to translate these expressions:
to stop acting like a prostitute, to stop behaving like an unfaithful wife. (New Century Version) -or-
put an end to her adulterous lifestyle, and turn away from her sexually immoral behavior (NET Bible)
2:2d
Let her remove: In Hebrew, this verb phrase is an indirect third-person wish or command that the woman stop committing adultery. Hosea is instructing his children to tell their mother to stop being unfaithful to him.
If it is not natural to use a third-person command in your language, here are some other ways to translate this command:
Tell her to stop… (God’s Word) -or-
I want her to stop… -or-
She must stop…
General Comment on 2:2d–e
These two statements emphasize one main point. If parallel statements imply two different points in your language, consider combining them into a single statement. For example:
She must stop her adultery and prostitution.
2:3a–b
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
3a I will strip her naked
3b and expose her like the day of her birth.
Both lines refer to the punishment of taking off the clothes of the adulteress so that she will be naked in public.
These statements also illustrate what the LORD threatens to do to the nation of Israel. To “strip her naked” may indicate that the LORD will remove everything he has given to her since the time he rescued her from Egypt. The “day of her birth” may refer to the time in the wilderness before Israel entered the Promised Land. In some translations, it may be appropriate to explain this symbolic meaning in a footnote.
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