Hosea2
New Living Translation
1“In that day you will call your brothers Ammi—‘My people.’ And you will call your sisters Ruhamah—‘The ones I love.’
2“But now bring charges against Israel—your mother— for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to remove the prostitute’s makeup from her face and the clothing that exposes her breasts.
3Otherwise, I will strip her as naked as she was on the day she was born. I will leave her to die of thirst, as in a dry and barren wilderness.
4And I will not love her children, for they were conceived in prostitution.
5Their mother is a shameless prostitute and became pregnant in a shameful way. She said, ‘I’ll run after other lovers and sell myself to them for food and water, for clothing of wool and linen, and for olive oil and drinks.’
6“For this reason I will fence her in with thornbushes. I will block her path with a wall to make her lose her way.
7When she runs after her lovers, she won’t be able to catch them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, ‘I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now.’
8She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her everything she has— the grain, the new wine, the olive oil; I even gave her silver and gold. But she gave all my gifts to Baal.
9“But now I will take back the ripened grain and new wine I generously provided each harvest season. I will take away the wool and linen clothing I gave her to cover her nakedness.
10I will strip her naked in public, while all her lovers look on. No one will be able to rescue her from my hands.
11I will put an end to her annual festivals, her new moon celebrations, and her Sabbath days— all her appointed festivals.
12I will destroy her grapevines and fig trees, things she claims her lovers gave her. I will let them grow into tangled thickets, where only wild animals will eat the fruit.
13I will punish her for all those times when she burned incense to her images of Baal, when she put on her earrings and jewels and went out to look for her lovers but forgot all about me,” says the Lord.
14“But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there.
15I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.
16When that day comes,” says the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’ instead of ‘my master.’
17O Israel, I will wipe the many names of Baal from your lips, and you will never mention them again.
18On that day I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the animals that scurry along the ground so they will not harm you. I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety.
19I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion.
20I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord.
21“In that day, I will answer,” says the Lord. “I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds. And the sky will answer the earth with rain.
22Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapevines, and the olive trees. And they in turn will answer, ‘Jezreel’—‘God plants!’
23At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself. I will show love to those I called ‘Not loved.’ And to those I called ‘Not my people,’ I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’ And they will reply, ‘You are our God!’”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Hosea 2.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The idolatry of the people. (1-5). God's judgments against them. (6-13). His promises of reconciliation. (14-23).
vv1-5
This chapter continues the figurative address to Israel, in reference to Hosea's wife and children. Let us own and love as brethren, all whom the Lord seems to put among his children, and encourage them in that they have received mercy. But every Christian, by his example and conduct, must protest against evil and abuses, even among those to whom he belongs and owes respect. Impenitent sinners will soon be stripped of the advantages they misuse, and which they consume upon their lusts.
vv6-13
God threatens what he would do with this treacherous, idolatrous people. They did not turn, therefore all this came upon them; and it is written for admonition to us. If lesser difficulties be got over, God will raise greater. The most resolute in sinful pursuits, are commonly most crossed in them. The way of God and duty is often hedged about with thorns, but we have reason to think it is a sinful way that is hedged up with thorns. Crosses and obstacles in an evil course are great blessings, and are to be so accounted; they are God's hedges, to keep us from transgressing, to make the way of sin difficult, and to keep us from it. We have reason to bless God for restraining grace, and for restraining providences; and even for sore pain, sickness, or calamity, if it keeps us from sin. The disappointments we meet with in seeking for satisfaction from the creature, should, if nothing else will do it, drive us to the Creator. When men forget, or consider not that their comforts come from God, he will often in mercy take them away, to bring them to think upon their folly and danger. Sin and mirth can never hold long together; but if men will not take away sin from their mirth, God will take away mirth from their sin. And if men destroy God's word and ordinances, it is just with him to destroy their vines and fig-trees. This shall be the ruin of their mirth. Taking away the solemn seasons and the sabbaths will not do it, they will readily part with them, and think it no loss; but He will take away their sensual pleasures. Days of sinful mirth must be visited with days of mourning.
vv14-23
After these judgments the Lord would deal with Israel more gently. By the promise of rest in Christ we are invited to take his yoke upon us; and the work of conversion may be forwarded by comforts as well as by convictions. But usually the Lord drives us to despair of earthly joy, and help from ourselves, that, being shut from every other door, we may knock at Mercy's gate. From that time Israel would be more truly attached to the Lord; no longer calling him Baali, or "My lord and master," alluding to authority, rather than love, but Ishi, an address of affection. This may foretell the restoration from the Babylonish captivity; and also be applied to the conversion of the Jews to Christ, in the days of the apostles, and the future general conversion of that nation; and believers are enabled to expect infinitely more tenderness and kindness from their holy God, than a beloved wife can expect from the kindest husband. When the people were weaned from idols, and loved the Lord, no creature should do them any harm. This may be understood of the blessings and privileges of the spiritual Israel, of every true believer, and their partaking of Christ's righteousness; also, of the conversion of the Jews to Christ. Here is an argument for us to walk so that God may not be dishonoured by us: Thou art my people. If a man's family walk disorderly, it is a dishonour to the master. If God call us children, we may say, Thou art our God. Unbelieving soul, lay aside discouraging thoughts; do not thus answer God's loving-kindness. Doth God say, Thou art my people? Say, Lord, thou art our God.
Key Words
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
אָח: a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
אָחוֹת: a sister (used very widely (like brother), literally and figuratively)
רָחַם: to fondle; by implication, to love, especially to compassionate
רִיב: properly, to toss, i.e. grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a controversy; (by implication) to defend
אֵם: a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like father))
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
אִשָּׁה: a woman
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
Cross References
Hosea 2Explicitly cited by Paul to show the inclusion of the Gentiles as God's people.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Peter quotes this verse to describe the spiritual identity of the New Testament church.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The husband imagery for Yahweh, contrasting Baali with Ishi (my husband).
Supported by JFB
Direct continuation of the prophetic names (Lo-ammi, Lo-ruhamah) reversed in restoration.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Detailed parallel of stripping the unfaithful wife naked in judgment before her lovers.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels God's hedging up the way with thorns and blocking paths in times of judgment.
Supported by JFB
The Valley of Achor, once a place of trouble, is transformed into a door of hope.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallels the concept of God blocking one's path so they cannot pass.
Supported by JFB
The resolution of the wayward wife echoes the Prodigal Son's decision to return.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The law's command that the names of other gods should not be mentioned.
Supported by John Calvin
God as husband inviting the backsliding children to return and be married to Him.
Supported by JFB
The Lord's metaphorical divorce of the nation of Israel due to her transgressions.
Supported by JFB
Using God-given silver and gold to construct idolatrous images.
Supported by JFB
Jeroboam's false, manufactured feasts contrasted with God's divinely ordained sabbaths.
Supported by JFB
A covenant of peace securing safety from dangerous beasts.
Supported by JFB