found in the Greek Septuagint "Out of Egypt I called his children", which is likely based on a small variation of benei, "my son", in the Hebrew Masoretic Text, to beneiu, "his children", as a possible source of Septuagint reading. Verse 8 How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. "Admah" and "Zeboim": were cities in the same plain with Sodom and Gomorrah; each with a king () and, though are not mentioned by name in the narrative in Genesis, were destroyed together with Sodom and Gomorrah, as recorded in a general term "those cities and all the plain" () or later in detail "...that the whole land thereof is brimstone and salt and burning, ... like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath" (). "My heart churns within Me": or "my heart is within me changed", that is, 'from anger to pity'. "My sympathy is stirred": from , ; almost the same phrase is found in , , , 'his [Joseph's] compassion [bowels] were overcome [towards his brother].' The word rendered "is stirred" or "were overcome" (nik’meru), according to Rashi, "one warmed", has a close affinity with the Assyrian kamâru, "to throw down", as in Hosea 10:5 for k’mârîm, "(idolatrous) priests". The word for "sympathy" is from Hebrew nikhumim, from Piel , a noun of , less definite than rakhamim, "bowels", as "the seat of the emotions". Verses 8–9 form one of the most moving passages in the Hebrew Bible, where YHWH struggles with the anguish of his love, that he cannot totally destroy Israel as he did Admah and Zeboim. God’s Charge Against Ephraim (11:12) Ephraim has surrounded Me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit. But Judah still walks with God, and is faithful to the Holy One. "Holy One" or "holy ones". An allusion to Israel's lies and deceit, which resonates with Hosea 12:1, 3, 7. See also Related Bible parts: Genesis 14, Genesis 19, Exodus 4, Deuteronomy 29, Hosea 6, Hosea 7, Hosea 8, Hosea 9, Hosea 10, Matthew 2 Notes References Sources External links Jewish Hosea 11 Hebrew with Parallel English Hosea 11 Hebrew with Rashi's Commentary Christian Hosea 11 English