TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Hosea - Chapter 11

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1I fell in love with Yisrael When he was still a child; And I have called [him] My son Ever since Egypt.

אכִּי נַעַר יִשְׂרָאֵל וָאֹהֲבֵהוּ וּמִמִּצְרַיִם קָרָאתִי לִבְנִי׃

2Thus were they called, But they went their own way; They sacrifice to Baalim And offer to carved images.

בקָרְאוּ לָהֶם כֵּן הָלְכוּ מִפְּנֵיהֶם לַבְּעָלִים יְזַבֵּחוּ וְלַפְּסִלִים יְקַטֵּרוּן׃

3I have pampered Efraim, Taking them in My arms; But they have ignored My healing care.

גוְאָנֹכִי תִרְגַּלְתִּי לְאֶפְרַיִם קָחָם עַל־זְרוֹעֹתָיו וְלֹא יָדְעוּ כִּי רְפָאתִים׃

4I drew them with human ties, With cords of love; But I seemed to them as one Who imposed a yoke on their jaws, Though I was offering them food.

דבְּחַבְלֵי אָדָם אֶמְשְׁכֵם בַּעֲבֹתוֹת אַהֲבָה וָאֶהְיֶה לָהֶם כִּמְרִימֵי עֹל עַל לְחֵיהֶם וְאַט אֵלָיו אוֹכִיל׃

5No! They return to the land of Egypt, And Assyria is their king. Because they refuse to repent,

הלֹא יָשׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְאַשּׁוּר הוּא מַלְכּוֹ כִּי מֵאֲנוּ לָשׁוּב׃

6A sword shall descend upon their towns And consume their limbs And devour [them] because of their designs.

ווְחָלָה חֶרֶב בְּעָרָיו וְכִלְּתָה בַדָּיו וְאָכָלָה מִמֹּעֲצוֹתֵיהֶם׃

7For My people persists In its defection from Me; When it is summoned upward, It does not rise at all.

זוְעַמִּי תְלוּאִים לִמְשׁוּבָתִי וְאֶל־עַל יִקְרָאֻהוּ יַחַד לֹא יְרוֹמֵם׃

8How can I give you up, O Efraim? How surrender you, O Yisrael? How can I make you like Admah, Render you like Zeboiim? I have had a change of heart, All My tenderness is stirred.

חאֵיךְ אֶתֶּנְךָ אֶפְרַיִם אֲמַגֶּנְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵיךְ אֶתֶּנְךָ כְאַדְמָה אֲשִׂימְךָ כִּצְבֹאיִם נֶהְפַּךְ עָלַי לִבִּי יַחַד נִכְמְרוּ נִחוּמָי׃

9I will not act on My wrath, Will not turn to destroy Efraim. For I am Hashem, not man, The Holy One in your midst: I will not come in fury.

LO e-e-SEH kha-RON a-PEE LO a-SHUV l'-sha-KHAYT ef-RA-yim KEE AYL a-no-KHEE v'-lo EESH b'-kir-b'-KHA ka-DOSH v'-LO a-VO b'-EER

טלֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה חֲרוֹן אַפִּי לֹא אָשׁוּב לְשַׁחֵת אֶפְרָיִם כִּי אֵל אָנֹכִי וְלֹא־אִישׁ בְּקִרְבְּךָ קָדוֹשׁ וְלֹא אָבוֹא בְּעִיר׃

 11:9  I will not act on My wrath

Rashi (1040-1105)

Hoshea compares Israel to a son that Hashem lovingly carried in His arms, healed when sick, and taught to walk (verse 3). Therefore, as an expression of His love, Hashem states that He will not express the fullness of His anger at Israel’s rebellion, for He is not like man. Rashi explains that unlike man, God never regrets any good that He performs or promises to carry out. Therefore, despite their rebellion, He will not go back on His promise of an eternal bond with the Children of Israel, nor His promise of redemption. Instead, He will call out to them with a roar like that of a lion, which will be heard in all the places of their exile. They will return to Him like a bird that returns to its nest, and He will ultimately “settle them in their homes” (verse 11) when He brings them back to the Land of Israel.

10Hashem will roar like a lion, And they shall march behind Him; When He roars, His children shall come Fluttering out of the west.

יאַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה יֵלְכוּ כְּאַרְיֵה יִשְׁאָג כִּי־הוּא יִשְׁאַג וְיֶחֶרְדוּ בָנִים מִיָּם׃

11They shall flutter from Egypt like sparrows, From the land of Assyria like doves; And I will settle them in their homes —declares Hashem.

יאיֶחֶרְדוּ כְצִפּוֹר מִמִּצְרַיִם וּכְיוֹנָה מֵאֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר וְהוֹשַׁבְתִּים עַל־בָּתֵּיהֶם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃