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LXX Hosea

Septuagint

About this book
Chapter 8

1 He shall come into their midst as the land, as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and have sinned against my law. 2 They shall cry out to me, saying, God, we know you. 3 For Israel has turned away from good things; they have pursued an enemy. 4 They have made kings for themselves, but not by me: they have ruled, but they did not make it known to me:⁠ of their silver and their gold they have made images to themselves, that they might be destroyed. 5 Cast off your calf, Samaria; my anger is kindled against them: how long will they be unable to purge themselves? 6 In Israel also the workman made it, and it is not God; therefore your calf, Samaria, was a deceiver: 7 for they sowed blighted seed, and their destruction shall await them, a sheaf of grain that does not avail to make meal; and even if it should produce it, strangers shall devour it. 8 Israel is swallowed up: now he has become among the nations as a worthless vessel. 9 For they have gone up to the Assyrians: Ephraim has been strengthened against himself; they loved gifts. 10 Therefore they will be delivered to the nations: now I will receive them, and they shall cease a little to anoint a king and princes. 11 Because Ephraim has multiplied altars, his beloved altars have become sins to him. 12 I will write down a multitude of commands for him; but his statutes are accounted strange things, even the beloved altars. 13 For if they should offer a sacrifice, and eat flesh, the Lord will not accept them: now he will remember their iniquities, and will take vengeance on their sins: they have returned to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things among the Assyrians. 14 And Israel has forgotten him that made him, and they have built shrines, and Judah has multiplied walled cities: but I will send fire on his cities, and it shall devour their foundations.

Texts in conversation

Compare Hosea 8:4 and LXX Hosea 8:4

Hebrew Bible · Septuagint

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Summary

Hosea 8 says Israel set up rulers but God “did not know,” implying God lacked knowledge. The Greek Septuagint changes the language of divine ignorance to human secrecy, showing how the Greek tradition changes language that implies divine limitation.

Passages

Hosea 8:4

Hebrew Bible
3 But Israel has rejected what is morally good; so an enemy will pursue him. 4 They enthroned kings without my consent. They appointed princes but I did not know*. They made idols out of their silver and gold, but they will be destroyed! 5 O Samaria, he has rejected your calf idol. My anger burns against them! They will not survive much longer without being punished, even though they are Israelites!
600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Hosea

LXX Hosea 8:4

Septuagint
3 For Israel has turned away from good things; they have pursued an enemy. 4 They have made kings for themselves, but not by me: they have ruled, but they did not make it known to me: of their silver and their gold they have made images to themselves, that they might be destroyed. 5 Cast off your calf, Samaria; my anger is kindled against them: how long will they be unable to purge themselves?
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Hosea

References

"... The Masoretic text of Hosea 8:4 reads, “They made kings, but not through me; they set up princes, but without my knowledge” (NRSV). In the Septuagint, the rendering, “They made a king for themselves, and not through me; they ruled and did not inform me,” prevents the conclusion that God is not omniscient. Perhaps already the Hebrew Vorlage was altered ..."
Martin Meiser, The Septuagint and Its Reception: Collected Essays (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2022), 18.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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