Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageI was angry over his greed and sin; I struck him and turned away My face in fury — yet he kept walking his own stubborn road.
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GBecause of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was wrathful; I struck him and hid My face in wrath — yet he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.
KJV
King James VersionFor the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleI was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart.
Footnotes
*Betza'* ('unjust gain/greed') is a commercial term — the profit extracted by exploitation, the cutting of corners at another's expense. It is the sin of the merchant, the landlord, the trafficker. YHWH struck (*ekahehu*) and hid His face (*haster*) — the double withdrawal of both active protection and divine presence — yet the people still persisted (*shotev*, backsliding/turning away). The portrait is of a people so habituated to self-will that even divine chastisement cannot redirect them. This makes the grace of v.18 all the more staggering.
