The first says Ephraim will return to Egypt; the second says he will not. Right? Not so fast: In the first instance, "return to Egypt" is figurative language meaning, returning into bondage and slavery. Solomon Tulbure does not quote the whole verse, which clearly shows this: "They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria."
Does God dwell in heaven (Ps. 123:1), or in Zion as these say? The problem here is that critics think that "dwell" implies permanent residence. The word "dwell" is yashab and simply means to settle or sit down for a given time period; it is used of the nomadic tribesman of the OT who moved from place to place. What keeps God from manifesting His presence in Zion or elsewhere as needed?
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