Discovery BoxHosea 12:14--13:1 
Context12:14 But Ephraim bitterly 1 provoked him to anger;
so he will hold him accountable for the blood he has shed, 2
his Lord 3 will repay him for the contempt he has shown. 4
13:1 When Ephraim 5 spoke, 6 there was terror; 7
he was exalted 8 in Israel,
but he became guilty by worshiping Baal and died.
1 tn The noun תַּמְרוּרִים (tamrurim, “bitter things”) functions as an adverbial accusative of manner, modifying the finite verb: “He bitterly provoked Him to anger” (GKC 375 §118.q). The plural form of the noun functions as a plural of intensity: “very bitterly.” For the adverbial function of the accusative, see IBHS 172-73 §10.2.2e.
2 tn Heb “He will leave his blood upon him”; NIV “will leave upon him the guilt of his bloodshed.”
3 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
4 tn Heb “for his contempt” (so NIV); NRSV “for his insults”; NAB “for his outrage.”
5 sn In Hosea the name “Ephraim” does not refer to the tribe, but to the region of Mount Ephraim where the royal residence of Samaria was located. It functions as a synecdoche of location (Mount Ephraim) for its inhabitants (the king of Samaria; e.g., 5:13; 8:8, 10).
6 tn The rulers of Ephraim (i.e., Samaria) issued many political decisions in the 8th century
7 tn The noun רְתֵת (rÿtet, “terror, trembling”) appears only here in OT (BDB 958 s.v. רְתֵת; HALOT 1300-1301 s.v. רְתֵת). However, it is attested in 1QH 4:33 where it means “trembling” and is used as a synonym with רַעַד (ra’ad, “quaking”). It also appears in Mishnaic Hebrew, meaning “trembling” (G. Dalman, Aramäisch-neuhebräisches Handwörterbuch, 406, s.v. רעד). This is the meaning reflected in the Greek recensions of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, as well as Jerome’s Latin Vulgate.
8 tc The MT vocalizes the consonantal text as נָשָׂא (nasa’, “he exalted”; Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular) which is syntactically awkward. The LXX and Syriac reflect a vocalization tradition of נִשָּׂא (nisa’, “he was exalted”; Niphal perfect 3rd person masculine singular). The BHS editors suggest that this revocalization should be adopted, and it has been followed by NAB, NIV, NRSV.
