6:8 The sovereign Lord confirms this oath by his very own life. 1
The Lord, the God who commands armies, is speaking:
“I despise Jacob’s arrogance;
I hate their 2 fortresses.
I will hand over to their enemies 3 the city of Samaria 4 and everything in it.”
1 tn Heb “swears by his life”; or “swears by himself.”
2 tn Heb “his,” referring to Jacob, which stands here for the nation of Israel.
3 tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
4 tn Heb “the city”; this probably refers to the city of Samaria (cf. 6:1), which in turn, by metonymy, represents the entire northern kingdom.