Lexical Summary tanah: To recount, rehearse, tell Original Word: תָּנָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hire A primitive root; to present (a mercenary inducement), i.e. Bargain with (a harlot) -- hire. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to hire NASB Translation hire (1), hired (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [תָּנָה] verb hire (si vera lectio, akin to נתן); — Qal Imperfect3masculine plural יִתְּנוּ בַגּוֺיִם Hosea 8:10 hire (allies) among the nations; Hiph`il Perfect3plural הִתְנוּ Hosea 8:9 have hired lovers. — We in both יִתְּנוּ give: Hosea 8:9 give amorous favours, Hosea 8:10 give (these), compare Now Marti Harper. — תְּנָה Psalm 8:2 see נתן Qal 2 b. Topical Lexicon Scriptural Occurrences תָּנָה appears twice, both in Hosea 8:9 and Hosea 8:10, and nowhere else in the Old Testament canon. Each instance is connected to political and spiritual infidelity, where the Northern Kingdom “hires” foreign powers for protection instead of trusting the covenant-keeping God. Historical Setting in Hosea Hosea prophesied during the eighth century B.C. when Assyria was rising to dominate the Ancient Near East. Facing internal decay and external threats, Israel sought safety through costly treaties. The prophet unmasks these alliances as spiritual adultery. By using תָּנָה, Hosea likens Ephraim’s diplomacy to a mercenary transaction reminiscent of a prostitute paying for companionship—an inversion of normal commerce that underscores the depth of Israel’s unfaithfulness. Textual Insight Hosea 8:9 reads, “For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey on its own. Ephraim has hired lovers.” The untamed donkey picture highlights stubborn independence, while תָּנָה reveals the desperate outlay of resources to secure foreign favor. Hosea 8:10 follows: “Though they hire among the nations, I will now gather them together. They will begin to diminish under the burden of the king of princes.” The same term exposes the futility of these payments; God Himself will bring the hired allies against Israel in judgment. Theological Significance 1. Covenant Violation: תָּנָה functions as a symbol of forsaking divine sufficiency. By purchasing aid, Israel rejects Yahweh’s exclusive lordship (Exodus 20:2-3). Cultural and Comparative Notes Ancient Near Eastern vassal treaties routinely involved tribute payments. Israel’s choice to engage in such practices was not politically unusual, but Hosea interprets it spiritually: reliance on tribute equates to misplaced faith. Ezekiel employs a related metaphor when Jerusalem “pays” her lovers (Ezekiel 16:33), reinforcing the prophetic critique of idolatrous alliances. New Testament Resonances While תָּנָה itself does not occur in the Greek Scriptures, the principle surfaces when Jesus warns, “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Dependence on economic leverage instead of God remains a timeless snare. Likewise, James 4:4 rebukes friendship with the world as spiritual adultery, echoing Hosea’s imagery. Ministry Applications • Discern Alliances: Churches and believers must test partnerships to ensure they do not compromise allegiance to Christ. Summary תָּנָה crystallizes Hosea’s indictment of Israel’s strategy to “buy” security. The word exposes the emptiness of human solutions apart from God, affirms His righteous judgment, and upholds His redemptive intent for those who return to Him. Forms and Transliterations הִתְנ֥וּ התנו יִתְנ֥וּ יתנו hiṯ·nū hitNu hiṯnū yiṯ·nū yitNu yiṯnūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Hosea 8:9 HEB: ל֑וֹ אֶפְרַ֖יִם הִתְנ֥וּ אֲהָבִֽים׃ NAS: all alone; Ephraim has hired lovers. KJV: by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers. INT: alone Ephraim has hired lovers Hosea 8:10 2 Occurrences |