“A Luxuriant Vine is Yisra’el”: Construct Chains and Idolatrous Fruitfulness in Hosea 10:1
גֶּ֤פֶן בֹּוקֵק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל פְּרִ֖י יְשַׁוֶּה־לֹּ֑ו כְּרֹ֣ב לְפִרְיֹ֗ו הִרְבָּה֙ לַֽמִּזְבְּחֹ֔ות כְּטֹ֣וב לְאַרְצֹ֔ו הֵיטִ֖יבוּ מַצֵּבֹֽות׃ (Hosea 10:1) Yisra’el is a luxuriant vine; he produces fruit for himself. According to the abundance of his fruit, he multiplied altars; as the goodness of his land, they improved sacred pillars. Fertility Imagery as Prophetic Irony Hosea 10:1 opens with an…