there was trembling
The Hebrew word used here is "רְתֵת" (retet), which conveys a sense of fear or awe. This trembling signifies the respect and authority Ephraim commanded in Israel. It reflects a time when Ephraim's leadership was acknowledged and their decisions were met with serious consideration. This trembling can also be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual authority and responsibility that Ephraim had, which was recognized by the other tribes.

he was exalted in Israel
The exaltation of Ephraim in Israel points to a period of prosperity and high status. The Hebrew root "נָשָׂא" (nasa) means to lift up or exalt. Ephraim's exaltation was not just in terms of political power but also in terms of spiritual leadership. This phrase underscores the tribe's significant role in the history of Israel, where they were seen as leaders and were held in high esteem by the other tribes.

But he incurred guilt through Baal
The turning point in the verse is marked by the word "But," indicating a shift from Ephraim's former glory to their downfall. The Hebrew word for "incurred guilt" is "אָשַׁם" (asham), which implies a deep sense of wrongdoing or sin. The reference to "Baal" highlights the idolatry that led to Ephraim's spiritual and moral decline. Baal worship was a significant issue in Israel, representing a departure from the worship of Yahweh. This phrase serves as a warning about the dangers of idolatry and the consequences of turning away from God.

and died
The finality of the phrase "and died" signifies the spiritual death that resulted from Ephraim's idolatry. The Hebrew word "מוּת" (muth) means to die, indicating not just a physical death but a separation from the life and blessings that come from God. This death is symbolic of the loss of Ephraim's former glory and the consequences of their unfaithfulness. It serves as a sobering reminder of the wages of sin and the importance of remaining faithful to God.

(1) There is a difference of opinion as to the construction and rendering of this verse. We adopt the interpretation, When Ephraim uttered terror, he rebelled in Israel; then he committed sin through Baal, and died. This points to the revolt of the Ten Tribes, and the consequent abandonment of the pure traditions of Jehovah worship for those of Baal. This idea and that of the previous verse (Hosea 12:14) may have been brought into prominence by the recent untoward antagonism aroused by the Syro-Ephraimitish war against Judah.

(1) is supported by the Syriac, which is: "When Ephraim spake trembling, then he was, and was great in Israel." Rashi has a similar rendering of the word retheth, which is an ἅπαξ λεγόμενον, and causes the diversity of translation in this clause; but his exposition of the whole sentence is vague and unsatisfactory. Referring it to Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim, he explains as follows: "When Jeroboam, zealous for God, spoke against Solomon hard words, and with terror, Solomon was a great king." Pococke's exposition is in harmony with the Authorized Version, and is the following: "When Ephraim spake with fear and trembling (like his forefather Jacob, in his humble supplication to God), he exalted himself in Israel." But

(2) the rendering adopted by most moderns, is decidedly preferable, as agreeing better with the context, and much more in bar-runny with tribal characteristics of Ephraim, as intimated in this very book, and exhibited elsewhere. The translation we thus prefer is: "When Ephraim spake, there was trembling; he, even he, exalted himself in Israel." Such was the fear inspired, and the deference paid to the authority of that powerful tribe. The word reheth, though not found elsewhere, has a cognate root in Aramaic, with the meaning here assigned to it; for רתת is to fear, shudder, tremble; there is also, in Jeremiah 49:24, the word רֶטֶט, equivalent to "fear," similar in both sense and sound. The Chaldee supports this rendering; its paraphrase is: "When one of the house of Ephraim spake, trembling seized the peoples." Also Aben Ezra and Kimchi. The former's brief comment is: "Before his speaking the peoples were afraid; and the word רתת has no analogue except in the Aramaic." Kimchi's explanation is, "From the beginning, before Ephraim sinned, the fear of him was great over the peoples who surrounded him; for when he spake, fear and trembling were wont to seize him who heard him; and he was great and strong among the tribes of Israel, as it was said of him, ' And his seed shall be a multitude of nations.'"

(3) The LXX. renders reheth by δικαιώματα, thus:" According to the word of Ephraim, be adopted ordinances for himself in Israel," that is, when Ephraim spoke, the rest of the Israelites assented to his ordinances and rights, reverencing his authority, so that the general sense differs little from the Chaldee. . . .

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