Hosea 10:1

גֶּ֤פֶן בֹּוקֵק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל פְּרִ֖י יְשַׁוֶּה־לֹּ֑ו כְּרֹ֣ב לְפִרְיֹ֗ו הִרְבָּה֙ לַֽמִּזְבְּחֹ֔ות כְּטֹ֣וב לְאַרְצֹ֔ו הֵיטִ֖יבוּ מַצֵּבֹֽות׃

Yisraʾel is an emptying vine; he brings forth fruit for himself. According to the multitude of his fruit, he multiplied the altars; as his land prospered, they made goodly pillars.

Morphology

1. גֶּפֶן (gefen) – Root: גפן (gefen); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “vine”; Notes: A metaphor for Yisraʾel—often used to symbolize fruitfulness or divine blessing, here corrupted into self-serving prosperity.
2. בֹּוקֵק (boqeq) – Root: בקק (baqaq); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “emptying out” or “wasting”; Notes: Describes a vine that pours out its fruit wastefully—suggesting misuse of blessings.
3. יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the northern kingdom, personified as a once-fruitful vine now turned to idolatry.
4. פְּרִי (peri) – Root: פרה (parah); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “fruit”; Notes: Represents productivity, wealth, or offspring—directed toward selfish ends rather than YHWH.
5. יְשַׁוֶּה־לֹּו (yeshaweh-lo) – Root: שוה (shavah); Form: Piel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular + preposition לְ + suffix 3ms; Translation: “he brings forth for himself”; Notes: Indicates self-directed gain—Yisraʾel’s fruitfulness benefits himself, not YHWH.
6. כְּרֹב (ke-rov) – Root: רבב (ravav); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “according to the multitude”; Notes: Sets a proportional relationship—more prosperity leads to more idolatry.
7. לְפִרְיֹו (le-firyo) – Root: פרי (peri); Form: Preposition לְ + noun masculine singular construct + suffix 3ms; Translation: “to his fruit”; Notes: Refers to his produce or increase—pointing to abundance misused.
8. הִרְבָּה (hirbah) – Root: רבה (ravah); Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “he multiplied”; Notes: Expresses deliberate increase—Yisraʾel expanded idolatrous practices alongside material growth.
9. לַמִּזְבְּחֹות (la-mizbeḥot) – Root: מזבח (mizbe’aḥ); Form: Preposition לְ + definite noun masculine plural; Translation: “the altars”; Notes: Refers to places of sacrifice—multiplied in false worship rather than devotion to YHWH.
10. כְּטֹוב (ke-tov) – Root: טוב (tov); Form: Preposition כְּ + noun masculine singular; Translation: “as good” or “as the prosperity”; Notes: Compares spiritual degradation with material success.
11. לְאַרְצֹו (le-artso) – Root: ארץ (ʾerets); Form: Preposition לְ + noun feminine singular construct + suffix 3ms; Translation: “to his land”; Notes: Refers to the productivity of Yisraʾel’s land—prosperity turned toward idolatry.
12. הֵיטִיבוּ (heitivu) – Root: יטב (yatav); Form: Hiphil perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they made goodly”; Notes: Used ironically—external beauty masks moral corruption.
13. מַצֵּבֹות (matsevot) – Root: נצב (natsav); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “pillars” or “sacred stones”; Notes: Refers to cultic monuments erected for idol worship, condemned throughout the prophets.