899 B
899 B
General Information:
Hosea is speaking about Israel.
and a king—what could he do for us?
The people wills say that their kings could not have helped them. AT: "Even if we had a king now, he could not help us." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
They speak empty words
Here "empty words" refers to lies. AT: "They speak lies" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom)
So justice springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field
What they people called justice in their laws and legal decisions is spoken of as if it were a plant sprouting up. AT: "So their decisions are not just; instead, they are harmful" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field
Their lies and injustice spread throughout their nation and harm everyone like poisonous plants. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile)