Hosea 6:2 New translation and explanation

[Kenneth Greifer]

I think the usual translation of Hosea 6:2 makes some sense: "He will let us live from (after?) 2 days. In the third day, He will cause us to rise up and we will live before Him."

I think it could also say: "He will let us live. He will cause us to rise more than the seas in the third day, and we will live before Him."

I imagine that the seas rose very high when the water from all over the earth was gathered into seas on the third day of creation in Genesis 1:9-10.

Hosea 13:14 might explain Hosea 6:2. It says that G-d will redeem them from death and Sheol, the pit deep below the earth's surface. He will let them live and He will raise them up a lot from Sheol, and they will live before Him. These two quotes seem to fit together in a way that makes too much sense to just be a coincidence, but who knows?

Kenneth Greifer

[S_Walch]

Not quite convinced of your proposal there, Kenneth.

I reckon it could also be translated, "He shall rescue us from the seas on the third day; He shall raise us up and we shall live in His presence".

I would interpret "seas" as a reference to Gentiles if I was to translate it like this. Makes sense coming after the words of 6:1.

[Kenneth Greifer]

Ste,

I don't know where you get the word "rescue" or how you got the nations to be called "seas", so I don't know what to say about your idea. At least my idea has a quote that matches Hosea 6:2 pretty closely.

Kenneth Greifer

[S_Walch]

I don't know where you get the word "rescue"

As a slightly different understanding to the Hebrew חיה, which is used in the context of "life, making alive, refresh, restore, revive", with a meaning taken from "restore to life = rescue (from death)". Especially if you want to equate Hos 6:2 = 13:14. Redeem and rescue go hand in hand.

or how you got the nations to be called "seas"

From a theological understanding of ים/sea (I did say that it was an "interpret[ation]), which is quite a common symbolic understanding of the word.

The translation I propose has some other passages that use מימים to indicate "from the seas" - Ezek 26:17, 27:33. I couldn't find any place where it meant "more than the seas".

[Kenneth Greifer]

I think your translation is interesting now that you explained some details, but I think my translation is more literal. Also, you still did not explain why it says "the third day."

Kenneth Greifer

[S_Walch]

I'm afraid that's because I don't really have an explanation for why it says "on the third day", although there are a few times when things just seem to happen "on the third day" - See Genesis 22:4; 31:22.

It could also be an allusion to the third day of creation, when seas (Gentiles?) and land (Israelites?) appeared (with the seas being "separated", and land was allowed to "appear", aka, rescued from amidst the seas).

For your translation, how would you explain "in the third day"?

[Kenneth Greifer]

"In the third day" of creation (Genesis 1:9-10), the water on the face of the earth was gathered into seas, so I would imagine that the water level of the seas rose as all of the water was put into them from everywhere else.

If Hosea 6:2 says "He will let us live. He will cause us to rise more than the seas in the third day, and we will live before Him", it could mean that G-d will bring the people back to life, raise them up from Sheol which is deep under the earth, and let them live.

Hosea 13:14 says He will redeem them from death and Sheol which is what Hosea 6:2 sounds like.

It is nice that you are willing to discuss a translation you don't agree with. Most of the people here won't discuss anything that disagrees with their beliefs or that is not by someone with a PhD.

Kenneth Greifer

[S_Walch]

Would not translating it "out of" rather than "more than" the seas make a bit more sense in this regard then, if Yahweh is raising them up from Sheol?

I'm willing to discuss any and all translations by anyone, as long as they can demonstrate that they have some understanding as to what they're talking about.

As I disagree with translations quite regularly, it would be hypocritical of me to not discuss when someone disagrees with me. I also don't have a PhD in anything, so that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Intellect and knowledge is found and acquired from numerous places - it doesn't require one to have a piece of paper with "PhD" written on it to be heard.

[Kenneth Greifer]

I think it says "He will raise us more than the seas in the third day" and not "from the seas" because Sheol is not a sea and it is about them being raised up a long distance from deep under the earth's surface. I think the seas were raised up a big amount in Genesis 1:9-10 when the water was gathered into the seas.

Kenneth Greifer

[SteveMiller]

I think it would be bad writing on the part of Hosea (and God) to have 2 consecutive YM's, one meaning seas and the other days. It would be like in English to say, "I saw two cranes on the land, and 3 cranes flying above the trees", and to interpret the 1st 2 cranes as machines rather than birds.

Also, since it is followed by 3 days, it does not make sense for meyomim to mean "from some days" but to "from (after) 2 days", considering it as dual.

Hos 13:14 does seem to give more details about Hos 6:2. So does Hos 3:4-5.