September 4, 2025
Faithful God, Unfaithful Israel
Hosea 1-7
Aubrie Visor
Big Book Idea
Though Israel is unfaithful, God remains faithful.
Key Verse | Hosea 6:6
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hosea 1-7
Chapter 1
1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Hosea's Wife and Children
2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 And the LORD said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, 1 1:6 Hebrew Lo-ruhama, which means she has not received mercy for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. 7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”
8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, 2 1:9 Hebrew Lo-ammi, which means not my people for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” 3 1:9 Hebrew I am not yours
10 4 1:10 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children 5 1:10 Or Sons of the living God.” 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
Chapter 2
Israel's Unfaithfulness Punished
1 6 2:1 Ch 2:3 in Hebrew Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” 7 2:1 Hebrew ammi, which means my people and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.” 8 2:1 Hebrew ruhama, which means she has received mercy
2
“Plead with your mother, plead—
for she is not my wife,
and I am not her husband—
that she put away her whoring from her face,
and her adultery from between her breasts;
3
lest I strip her naked
and make her as in the day she was born,
and make her like a wilderness,
and make her like a parched land,
and kill her with thirst.
4
Upon her children also I will have no mercy,
because they are children of whoredom.
5
For their mother has played the whore;
she who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
who give me my bread and my water,
my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’
6
Therefore I will hedge up her
9
2:6
Hebrew your
way with thorns,
and I will build a wall against her,
so that she cannot find her paths.
7
She shall pursue her lovers
but not overtake them,
and she shall seek them
but shall not find them.
Then she shall say,
‘I will go and return to my first husband,
for it was better for me then than now.’
8
And she did not know
that it was I who gave her
the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and who lavished on her silver and gold,
which they used for Baal.
9
Therefore I will take back
my grain in its time,
and my wine in its season,
and I will take away my wool and my flax,
which were to cover her nakedness.
10
Now I will uncover her lewdness
in the sight of her lovers,
and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.
11
And I will put an end to all her mirth,
her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,
and all her appointed feasts.
12
And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,
of which she said,
‘These are my wages,
which my lovers have given me.’
I will make them a forest,
and the beasts of the field shall devour them.
13
And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals
when she burned offerings to them
and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry,
and went after her lovers
and forgot me, declares the LORD.
The LORD's Mercy on Israel
14
Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
15
And there I will give her her vineyards
and make the Valley of Achor
10
2:15
Achor means trouble; compare Joshua 7:26
a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
16 And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. 18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish 11 2:18 Hebrew break the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. 19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.
21
And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD,
I will answer the heavens,
and they shall answer the earth,
22
and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and they shall answer Jezreel,
12
2:22
Jezreel means God will sow
23
and I will sow her for myself in the land.
And I will have mercy on No Mercy,
13
2:23
Hebrew Lo-ruhama
and I will say to Not My People,
14
2:23
Hebrew Lo-ammi
‘You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”
Chapter 3
Hosea Redeems His Wife
1 And the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech 15 3:2 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.
Chapter 4
The LORD Accuses Israel
1
Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel,
for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
and no knowledge of God in the land;
2
there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3
Therefore the land mourns,
and all who dwell in it languish,
and also the beasts of the field
and the birds of the heavens,
and even the fish of the sea are taken away.
4
Yet let no one contend,
and let none accuse,
for with you is my contention, O priest.
16
4:4
Or for your people are like those who contend with the priest
5
You shall stumble by day;
the prophet also shall stumble with you by night;
and I will destroy your mother.
6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7
The more they increased,
the more they sinned against me;
I will change their glory into shame.
8
They feed on the sin
17
4:8
Or sin offering
of my people;
they are greedy for their iniquity.
9
And it shall be like people, like priest;
I will punish them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.
10
They shall eat, but not be satisfied;
they shall play the whore, but not multiply,
because they have forsaken the LORD
to cherish
11 whoredom, wine, and new wine,
which take away the understanding.
12
My people inquire of a piece of wood,
and their walking staff gives them oracles.
For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,
and they have left their God to play the whore.
13
They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains
and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth,
because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore,
and your brides commit adultery.
14
I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
nor your brides when they commit adultery;
for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes
and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,
and a people without understanding shall come to ruin.
15
Though you play the whore, O Israel,
let not Judah become guilty.
Enter not into Gilgal,
nor go up to Beth-aven,
and swear not, “As the LORD lives.”
16
Like a stubborn heifer,
Israel is stubborn;
can the LORD now feed them
like a lamb in a broad pasture?
17
Ephraim is joined to idols;
leave him alone.
18
When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;
their rulers
18
4:18
Hebrew shields
dearly love shame.
19
A wind has wrapped them
19
4:19
Hebrew her
in its wings,
and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Chapter 5
Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah
1
Hear this, O priests!
Pay attention, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For the judgment is for you;
for you have been a snare at Mizpah
and a net spread upon Tabor.
2
And the revolters have gone deep into slaughter,
but I will discipline all of them.
3
I know Ephraim,
and Israel is not hidden from me;
for now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore;
Israel is defiled.
4
Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God.
For the spirit of whoredom is within them,
and they know not the LORD.
5
The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
20
5:5
Or in his presence
Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;
Judah also shall stumble with them.
6
With their flocks and herds they shall go
to seek the LORD,
but they will not find him;
he has withdrawn from them.
7
They have dealt faithlessly with the LORD;
for they have borne alien children.
Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields.
8
Blow the horn in Gibeah,
the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound the alarm at Beth-aven;
we follow you,
21
5:8
Or after you
O Benjamin!
9
Ephraim shall become a desolation
in the day of punishment;
among the tribes of Israel
I make known what is sure.
10
The princes of Judah have become
like those who move the landmark;
upon them I will pour out
my wrath like water.
11
Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment,
because he was determined to go after filth.
22
5:11
Or to follow human precepts
12
But I am like a moth to Ephraim,
and like dry rot to the house of Judah.
13
When Ephraim saw his sickness,
and Judah his wound,
then Ephraim went to Assyria,
and sent to the great king.
23
5:13
Or to King Jareb
But he is not able to cure you
or heal your wound.
14
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear and go away;
I will carry off, and no one shall rescue.
15
I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and in their distress earnestly seek me.
Chapter 6
Israel and Judah Are Unrepentant
1
“Come, let us return to the LORD;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
2
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
3
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.”
4
What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away.
5
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.
6
For I desire steadfast love
24
6:6
Septuagint mercy
and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
7
But like Adam they transgressed the covenant;
there they dealt faithlessly with me.
8
Gilead is a city of evildoers,
tracked with blood.
9
As robbers lie in wait for a man,
so the priests band together;
they murder on the way to Shechem;
they commit villainy.
10
In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;
Ephraim's whoredom is there; Israel is defiled.
11
For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed.
When I restore the fortunes of my people,
Chapter 7
1 when I would heal Israel,the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed,
and the evil deeds of Samaria,
for they deal falsely;
the thief breaks in,
and the bandits raid outside.
2 But they do not consider
that I remember all their evil.
Now their deeds surround them;
they are before my face.
3 By their evil they make the king glad,
and the princes by their treachery.
4 They are all adulterers;
they are like a heated oven
whose baker ceases to stir the fire,
from the kneading of the dough
until it is leavened.
5 On the day of our king, the princes
became sick with the heat of wine;
he stretched out his hand with mockers.
6 For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue;
all night their anger smolders;
in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
7 All of them are hot as an oven,
and they devour their rulers.
All their kings have fallen,
and none of them calls upon me.
8
Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples;
Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9
Strangers devour his strength,
and he knows it not;
gray hairs are sprinkled upon him,
and he knows it not.
10
The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
25
7:10
Or in his presence
yet they do not return to the LORD their God,
nor seek him, for all this.
11
Ephraim is like a dove,
silly and without sense,
calling to Egypt, going to Assyria.
12
As they go, I will spread over them my net;
I will bring them down like birds of the heavens;
I will discipline them according to the report made to their congregation.
13
Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!
Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!
I would redeem them,
but they speak lies against me.
14
They do not cry to me from the heart,
but they wail upon their beds;
for grain and wine they gash themselves;
they rebel against me.
15
Although I trained and strengthened their arms,
yet they devise evil against me.
16
They return, but not upward;
26
7:16
Or to the Most High
they are like a treacherous bow;
their princes shall fall by the sword
because of the insolence of their tongue.
This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
Footnotes
[1] 1:6 Hebrew Lo-ruhama, which means she has not received mercy[2] 1:9 Hebrew Lo-ammi, which means not my people
[3] 1:9 Hebrew I am not yours
[4] 1:10 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew
[5] 1:10 Or Sons
[6] 2:1 Ch 2:3 in Hebrew
[7] 2:1 Hebrew ammi, which means my people
[8] 2:1 Hebrew ruhama, which means she has received mercy
[9] 2:6 Hebrew your
[10] 2:15 Achor means trouble; compare Joshua 7:26
[11] 2:18 Hebrew break
[12] 2:22 Jezreel means God will sow
[13] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ruhama
[14] 2:23 Hebrew Lo-ammi
[15] 3:2 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters
[16] 4:4 Or for your people are like those who contend with the priest
[17] 4:8 Or sin offering
[18] 4:18 Hebrew shields
[19] 4:19 Hebrew her
[20] 5:5 Or in his presence
[21] 5:8 Or after you
[22] 5:11 Or to follow human precepts
[23] 5:13 Or to King Jareb
[24] 6:6 Septuagint mercy
[25] 7:10 Or in his presence
[26] 7:16 Or to the Most High
Table of Contents
Introduction to Hosea
Timeline
Author and Date
Hosea prophesied during the latter half of the eighth century B.C. (c. 753–722 B.C.). This period was an extremely difficult time in Israel’s history, just before the northern kingdom went into exile.
Audience and Purpose
Hosea’s primary audience was Ephraim (another name for the northern kingdom, Israel), which is mentioned 35 times in the book. Hosea wanted to see Israel turn back to God.
Background and Overview
Israel is the Lord’s bride, but Israel has instead joined itself to Baal, the false god worshiped in Syria-Palestine. Worshiping Baal violates the first of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:3). It is also a betrayal of God’s intimate union with his people. Therefore Hosea describes it as spiritual adultery, an offense against the marriage between the Lord and Israel. He compares Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness to the ingratitude of a wayward wife. Such unfaithfulness justifies the Lord’s coming judgment. But punishment is not ultimately what the Lord wants for his people. He desires that they leave their sin. He wants them to return to the One who first loved them and who can provide what is best for them.
Key Themes
- Hosea frequently refers to the Pentateuch, the foundation of Israel’s relationship to God (e.g., 1:10; 6:7; 7:13; 9:6–10; 11:1–4; 12:2–5, 9–10, 12–13; 13:4–6).
- Hosea stresses divine sovereignty. God speaks in the first person, “I,” almost a hundred times in the book.
- Hosea’s personal life illustrates the Lord’s compassion (chs. 1–3).
- Isolation/exile, which is coming upon Israel, is a way to restoration (1:6–7; 2:14–23; 5:6–6:3; 11:8–11; 12:9).
Outline
Chapters 1–3 use Hosea’s own marriage as a parable for the relationship between God and Israel. The dominant image is of Israel as an unfaithful wife. Chapters 4–14 detail the comparison, with its series of accusations, warnings, appeals, and motivations for God’s people to return.
The Near East at the Time of Hosea
c. 740 B.C.
Hosea prophesied to Israel and Judah during the decades leading up to the fall of the northern kingdom to Assyria. The resurgence of this ancient empire dominated much of the politics of the ancient Near East from the time of Jeroboam until Assyria’s demise at the end of the seventh century B.C.
Fact: Terebinths
Terebinths are huge, spreading trees that grow to a height of 20–26 feet (6–8 m). They have reddish-green leaves and red berries that grow in clusters. A perfumed, oily resin flows out of the bark when it is cut. Terebinths grow in hot, dry places, and were thus a source of welcome shade to the people of the Bible (35:4; Hos. 4:13).
Fact: Hosea
Hosea comes from the same verb as “Joshua” and “Jesus,” meaning “to save" or "to deliver.” The message of the Bible is one of salvation for people of all different ethnicities and backgrounds all around the globe.
Fact: Public humiliation
Public humiliation was a standard punishment for adultery in the ancient world (2:3). Rather than follow that custom, however, Hosea sought to reclaim his wife. This is a picture of the Lord, who seeks to reclaim his people even when they forsake him.
Fact: piece of wood
The piece of wood mentioned in 4:12 refers to the wooden idols worshiped by Canaanites. God’s people had sunk so low that they would even “inquire of a piece of wood” rather than seek guidance from the Lord.
Fact: Treacherous bow
To describe the Israelites as a treacherous bow (7:16) means that they were undependable and even dangerous to those who relied on them. If a bow was improperly stored when not in use, the dry Mediterranean heat would make it brittle, causing it to snap and injure its user.
Hosea
Hosea ministered to the northern kingdom of Israel during the latter half of the eighth century B.C., the most difficult time the nation had ever faced. Israel had forsaken the Lord and was worshiping Baal instead. Hosea understood that this was why the Lord intended to judge the nation. God commanded Hosea to marry, but warned him that his wife would be unfaithful to him. Hosea married Gomer, who indeed became unfaithful to him. When Gomer left Hosea, God instructed him to reclaim her. This would be a sign to the people that, though their sins were shameful, the Lord still loved Israel, his spiritually unfaithful wife. Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, her unfaithfulness, and their eventual restoration were thus a parable of the Lord’s relationship to Israel. (Hosea 3:1–5)
Hos. 1:2 take to yourself a wife of whoredom. The word translated “whoredom” throughout the book describes various kinds of sexual misconduct. In Hosea it generally refers to a married woman being unfaithful to her husband, which is why it provides a picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord, her husband (compare 2:5). The tragedy of Hosea is the tragedy of a marriage that began well but went bad. And so it was with the Lord and Israel.
Hos. 1:4 Jeroboam II (v. 1) was the fourth king of the dynasty begun by Jehu in 841 B.C. The house of Jehu is probably parallel to house of Israel. This would mean that the blood of Jezreel refers to the events of 1 Kings 21: Ahab permitted the murder of Naboth, a man loyal to the Lord, in order to take his vineyard in Jezreel. Thus, this verse introduces the ongoing confrontation between Baal and the God of Israel in the rest of the book.
Hos. 1:6 The name of Gomer’s second child, No Mercy, probably means that Hosea denies that he is the father. Hosea does not have the affection that a father would have for his own children.
Hos. 1:3–9 Hosea’s wife bears children, and God gives them prophetic names. The text suggests that Hosea was in fact the father of Gomer’s first child (bore him, v. 3).
Hos. 1:8–9 The birth and naming of another child by Gomer reinforces what was seen with No Mercy’s birth. Not My People means he is not Hosea’s son. for you are not my people, and I am not your God. The name symbolizes a breaking of the marital bond that God had made with Israel at Sinai (Ex. 6:7; Lev. 26:12).
Hos. 1:10 God intends to restore his people, based on the promises of the Abrahamic covenant: the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea (Gen. 22:17; 32:12). Israel’s salvation must be gained just as Abraham’s was: salvation by grace through faith and not by works of the law (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:1–3).
Hos. 1:11 the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together. The hostility between Judah (the southern kingdom) and Israel (the northern kingdom) had a long history, beginning in 1 Kings 12:16–24.
Fact: Hosea
Hosea comes from the same verb as “Joshua” and “Jesus,” meaning “to save" or "to deliver.” The message of the Bible is one of salvation for people of all different ethnicities and backgrounds all around the globe.
Hos. 2:1 Hosea hopes the Israelites will respond to the promise contained in this verse. The verse begins with a command (Say to your brothers), as does the following verse. Both serve as a motivation for Israel to return to her God. Israel can look forward to receiving a new name: no longer will they be “No Mercy” and “Not My People.”
Hos. 2:2 Perhaps the declaration that she is not my wife, and I am not her husband should be read as a threat, rather than an actual divorce. Otherwise, Hosea would have no right to issue the warnings and threats that follow. The marriage between God and Israel has not ended. The covenant made with Israel contains a way for Israel to be restored. She only needs to put away her whoring from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts.
Fact: Public humiliation
Public humiliation was a standard punishment for adultery in the ancient world (2:3). Rather than follow that custom, however, Hosea sought to reclaim his wife. This is a picture of the Lord, who seeks to reclaim his people even when they forsake him.
Hos. 2:4–5 they are children of whoredom. Here is a clear rejection of fatherhood. The Lord, like Hosea, is as a husband wronged and injured by infidelity.
Hos. 2:8 she did not know. Israel’s failure to “know” the Lord is a key idea in the book (vv. 8; 4:1, 6; 5:4; 6:3; 8:2; 13:4, 5). that it was I who gave. Israel’s prosperity was a gift from the Lord, not from Baal.
Hos. 2:1–13 Hosea uses the legal process of an offended husband against his wife as a picture of God’s plans for dealing with Israel’s rebellion.
Hos. 2:15 The Valley of Achor, where Achan was cursed (Josh. 7:25–26), will become a place for hope.
Hos. 2:16–17 you will call me “My Husband,” and no longer will you call me “My Baal.” The Hebrew word for “Baal” and one of the words for “husband” are virtually the same. Israel treated Baal (their false god) as if he were God (their covenant husband). In the future, they will know their true God.
Hos. 2:19 I will betroth you to me. The marriage agreement is established by paying a bride-price to the bride’s father (2 Sam. 3:14). The bride-price that the Lord will pay for Israel is righteousness, justice, steadfast love, and mercy. Only the Lord can offer such things (Ex. 34:6–7).
Hos. 2:14–23 Hosea describes God’s plan to restore his “marriage” with Israel.
Hos. 2:21–23 And in that day, that is, when the marriage is again consummated, Israel’s former difficulties will be reversed: grain, wine, and oil will be replenished (compare vv. 5, 8–9). No Mercy will receive mercy (compare 1:6; 2:4), and Not My People will again be God’s people (compare 1:9).
Hos. 3:1 Though the name of this woman is not stated, she is Gomer, Hosea’s wife. It is Israel, the adulteress, that the Lord pursues, not another people. Hosea is to retrieve his adulterous wife so that Israel will clearly know that the Lord still loves her, his spiritually unfaithful wife.
Hos. 3:2 Bought her probably means that Hosea redeemed Gomer from slavery, though the exact custom is unknown.
Hos. 3:3–4 You must dwell as mine has the force of a command. The separation of Gomer/Israel will lead to her purification, rededication, and renewal. This separation will mean giving up those things that led to Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness: king and prince, who failed in keeping Israel faithful to the Lord (see 1:4; 8:4); sacrifice, which they offered to the Baals (see 11:2; 13:1–2); the cult pillar (see 10:2), popular in Canaanite religion; the ephod, which was improperly used as a tool for magical ceremonies; and household gods, idols prohibited from Israel’s religion (Judg. 17:5; 2 Kings 23:24; Zech. 10:2). The Lord’s removing these things, far from being incompatible with his love, is a major aspect of it.
Hos. 1:1–3:5 Biographical: Hosea’s Family. The unfaithfulness of Hosea’s wife, Gomer, and her eventual restoration to him, are a parable for the Lord’s relationship to Israel.
Hos. 3:1–5 Hosea returns to his marriage, which is still an image for God and Israel. Israel’s hope, like Judah’s, lies with the house of David.
Hos. 3:5 To call David their king is significant for the northern kingdom, which has been rebelling against the house of David for two centuries. They must return in order to be full participants in God’s covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:8–16). It is from the house of David that the ultimate king for God’s people will come, as indicated by the term the latter days (see Isa. 2:2). God has a glorious future in store for his people.
Hos. 4:1–2 The Lord’s charges against Israel are presented in the vocabulary of a lawsuit (a controversy), a setting used by other eighth-century biblical prophets (compare Isa. 3:13–15; Mic. 6:2). The charges are offenses against God’s law, particularly violations of the Ten Commandments. Faithfulness and steadfast love are attributes of God in Ex. 34:6. Genuine knowledge of God in the hearts of his people will produce a character like his.
Hos. 4:6 The people are the focal point in this chapter (see vv. 1, 12, 15). God refers to them as “my people” throughout (vv. 8, 12). The priests were responsible for teaching the people God’s laws (see Lev. 10:11; Mal. 2:6–7), but they had failed miserably. As a result, the people lacked knowledge of God’s laws and his ways.
Hos. 4:10–11 they shall play the whore. By worshiping Baal.
Fact: piece of wood
The piece of wood mentioned in 4:12 refers to the wooden idols worshiped by Canaanites. God’s people had sunk so low that they would even “inquire of a piece of wood” rather than seek guidance from the Lord.
Hos. 4:12–13 These verses describe breaking God’s laws by following Canaanite religious practices. inquire of a piece of wood. They would ask for guidance from an idol carved out of wood. led them astray. Like sheep following a wicked shepherd. Therefore your daughters play the whore. There is a connection between following a false religion (which is spiritual adultery, vv. 12–13a) and the immoral conduct (physical adultery) of the next generation (“Therefore,” v. 13b; compare v. 6). The parents turned away from God, and as a consequence he allowed their daughters and other young women (your brides) to stray into sexual immorality.
Fact: Terebinths
Terebinths are huge, spreading trees that grow to a height of 20–26 feet (6–8 m). They have reddish-green leaves and red berries that grow in clusters. A perfumed, oily resin flows out of the bark when it is cut. Terebinths grow in hot, dry places, and were thus a source of welcome shade to the people of the Bible (35:4; Hos. 4:13).
Hos. 4:14 I will not punish your daughters. Perhaps spoken in sarcasm, as if to say, how can anyone blame them when the whole people is unfaithful? sacrifice with cult prostitutes. An unfaithful spouse is grouped alongside those who participate in sexual activity at pagan places of worship.
Hos. 4:15 Judah is warned not to follow Israel’s example, though eventually Judah did. Several shrines that might entice Judah are named.
Hos. 4:1–19 The Lord continues to prosecute his case against unfaithful Israel.
Hos. 5:1 Hear this, O priests . . . O house of Israel . . . O house of the king. Both royal and religious leaders are addressed. Mizpah in Gilead and Tabor, a mountain in the Valley of Jezreel, marked high points in Israel’s past. Mizpah was the home of Jephthah (Judg. 10:17; 11:33), and Tabor was the scene of Barak’s victory (Judg. 4:14). These revered sites became a net spread upon Tabor. The image of a net, a device used for catching birds, depicts the Israelites as the prey of priests and royalty.
Hos. 5:10 like those who move the landmark. To move a neighbor’s boundary marker is forbidden (Deut. 19:14; 27:17). Land-grabbing violates God’s intention that all the people are to enjoy the land he gave them, and it creates a wealthy, power-abusing class. my wrath like water. The word for “wrath” suggests the image of overflowing fury (compare Isa. 14:6).
Hos. 5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound. Using physical infirmities to describe spiritual corruption is common in the OT prophets. Notice how frequently Hosea links Israel/Ephraim and Judah: 1:11; 4:15; 5:12–14; 6:4; 8:14; 10:11; 11:12.
Hos. 5:1–14 Israel’s rulers have led the way into unfaithfulness.
Hos. 6:2 After two days he will revive us. Even after the punishment described in v. 1, the Lord can heal his people. on the third day he will raise us up. Hosea is not writing specifically about Jesus here, but this picture of Israel’s death and resurrection sets the pattern for what eventually will be accomplished in and through Christ (compare Luke 24:46).
Hos. 5:15–6:3 The Lord will “return” to his place, expecting the people to “return” to him.
Hos. 6:5 my judgment goes forth as the light. God’s light exposes Israel’s idolatry.
Hos. 6:6 Rather than burnt offerings, God desires real participation in the covenant by his people, here expressed as steadfast love and knowledge of God (see note on Amos 4:4–5).
Hos. 6:7 But like Adam they transgressed the covenant. “Covenant” appears four other times in Hosea (2:18; 8:1; 10:4; 12:1). Twice it refers to breaking a covenant (6:7; 8:1). Israel is like Adam, who disobeyed God (Gen. 2:16–17; 3:17).
Hos. 6:4–7:3 Israel’s sins are worse than simply violating the law: they repudiate the gracious covenant that is the foundation of their life and hope.
Hos. 7:2–3 The actions described in ch. 7 illustrate that Israel shows no sorrow for their sin. By their evil they make the king glad describes acts that please royalty, perhaps by assassinating potential rivals.
Hos. 7:4–7 These verses compare adulterers with an oven. In v. 4, the heated oven represents a quiet passion that does not go out even though the baker ceases to stir the fire. In v. 6, the oven is a restrained passion that unexpectedly and violently erupts; it blazes like a flaming fire. In v. 7, the oven represents a consuming passion that will devour . . . rulers and all their kings. This may refer to the assassinations of four of the last six Israelite kings.
Hos. 7:8 mixes himself with the peoples. Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness has made it no different from the pagan nations. a cake not turned. That is, half-baked, not fit for eating.
Hos. 7:14–15 gash themselves. Probably to call on Baal (see 1 Kings 18:28).
Hos. 7:4–16 Hosea compares Israel to an oven (vv. 4–7), a half-baked cake (vv. 8–10), a silly dove (vv. 11–12), and a treacherous bow (vv. 13–16), thus describing their passion for evil, their foolishness, and their uselessness.
Hos. 7:16 Egypt here represents all foreign powers but refers specifically to Israel’s time of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 1–12). Like other historical references in Hosea, the name mourns the reversal of Israel’s fortunes.
Fact: Treacherous bow
To describe the Israelites as a treacherous bow (7:16) means that they were undependable and even dangerous to those who relied on them. If a bow was improperly stored when not in use, the dry Mediterranean heat would make it brittle, causing it to snap and injure its user.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Hosea 1-7
Hosea starts with a familiar scene: A sign-act of the Lord commanding Hosea, a faithful believer, to marry Gomer, an unfaithful woman and a prostitute in her time. The book dives into Hosea's prophetic accusation about Israel's sin, the Lord's righteous judgment of his people, and, ultimately, the Lord's heart to restore Israel to a holy covenant built upon his steadfast love (chesed).
Hosea describes Israel's sins in detail, showing that the Lord is aware of the adultery they have committed by worshiping and sacrificing to other gods in their stubbornness (Hosea 4:16-19). He sees all their sins. Though God is slow to anger (Exodus 34:6), it doesn't mean that he never gets angry. The unrepentant idolatry and worship of these false gods angered God to the point where he turned away from his chosen people (Hosea 2:13), giving them over to their sin. However, we also have a God who is merciful and is moved in love to redeem his people (Hosea 2:14-16). Through this, we get a glimpse of the future when Jesus will come to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross to reconcile us fully to the Lord so that we may truly know him.
I often see myself falling into the same pitfalls that Israel found herself in. My thoughts, mind, and heart get pulled in so many directions that I can easily find myself barely taking time to look to God in the midst of it all. The things of this world can so easily turn into idols for me when I fail to remember that everything is the Lord's (Psalm 24:1).
Thankfully, we do not have a Savior who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus knows our struggles, and he asks us to confidently draw near, for he is where we find true restoration and the answer for hardened hearts. That confidence is not found in what we do for God, but rather in his steadfast love that invites us to know him.
This month's memory verse
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (NIV)
– Matthew 11:28-30
Discussion Questions
1. How would you respond to God if he called you to obey like he did Hosea?
2. What sacrifices/burnt offerings are you still trying to give the Lord that are clouding your knowledge and understanding of him?
3. To whom or what would you attribute the "good" things you have or desire in your life? List them and ask God if the list contains any idols.