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(A) I am Hosea son of Beeri. When Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah, and when Jeroboam son of Jehoash[a] was king of Israel,[b] the Lord spoke this message to me.

Hosea's Family

The Lord said, “Hosea, Israel has betrayed me like an unfaithful wife.[c] Marry such a woman and have children by her.” So I married Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and we had a son.

(B) Then the Lord said, “Hosea, name your son Jezreel,[d] because I will soon punish the descendants of King Jehu of Israel for the murders he committed in Jezreel Valley.[e] I will destroy his kingdom, and in Jezreel Valley I will break the power of Israel.”

Later, Gomer had a daughter, and the Lord said, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah,[f] because I will no longer have mercy and forgive Israel. But I am the Lord God of Judah, and I will have mercy and save Judah by my own power—not by wars and arrows or swords and cavalry.”

After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she had another son. Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi,[g] because these people are not mine, and I am not their God.”

Hope for Israel

10 (C) Someday it will be impossible to count the people of Israel, because there will be as many of them as there are grains of sand along the seashore. They are now called “Not My People,” but in the future they will be called “Children of the Living God.” 11 Israel and Judah will unite and choose one leader. Then they will take back their land, and this will be a great day for Jezreel.[h] So let your brothers be called “My People” and your sisters be called “Shown Mercy.”[i]

The Lord Promises To Punish Israel

Accuse! Accuse your mother!
    She is no longer my wife,
and now I, the Lord,
    am not her husband.
Beg her to give up prostitution
    and stop being unfaithful,[j]
or I will strip her naked
    like the day she was born.
I will make her barren
like a desert,
    and she will die of thirst.
You children are the result
of her unfaithfulness,
    and I'll show you no pity.
Your mother was unfaithful.
She was disgraceful and said,
    “I'll run after my lovers.
Everything comes from them—
    my food and drink,
    my linen and wool,
    my olive oil and wine.”

I, the Lord, will build
a fence of thorns
    to block her path.
She will run after her lovers,
    but not catch them;
she will search,
    but not find them.
Then she will say, “I'll return
to my first husband.
    Life was better then.”
She didn't know that her grain,
wine, and olive oil
    were gifts from me,
as were the gold and silver
    she used in worshiping Baal.[k]

So I'll hold back the harvest
    of grain and grapes.
I'll take back
my wool and my linen
    that cover her body.
10 Then I'll strip her naked
in the sight of her lovers.[l]
    No one can rescue her.

11 I'll stop Israel's celebrations—
no more New Moon Festivals,
    Sabbaths, or other feasts.
12 She said, “My lovers gave me
vineyards and fig trees
    as payment[m] for sex.”

Now I, the Lord, will ruin
    her vineyards and fig trees;
they will become clumps of weeds
    eaten by wild animals.

13 I'll punish her for the days
she worshiped Baal
    and burned incense to him.
I'll punish her for the times
    she forgot about me
and wore jewelry and rings
to attract her lovers.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

The Lord Will Help Israel

14 Israel, I, the Lord,
will lure you into the desert
    and speak gently to you.
15 (D) I will return your vineyards,
and then Trouble Valley[n]
    will become Hopeful Valley.
You will say “Yes” to me
as you did in your youth,
    when leaving Egypt.

16 I promise from that day on, you will call me your husband instead of your master.[o] 17 I will no longer even let you mention the names of those pagan gods that you called “Master.” 18 And I will agree to let you live in peace—you will no longer be attacked by wild animals and birds or by weapons of war. 19 I will accept you as my wife forever, and instead of a bride price[p] I will give you justice, fairness, love, kindness, 20 and faithfulness. Then you will truly know who I am.

21 I will command the sky to send rain on the earth, 22 and it will produce grain, grapes, and olives in Jezreel Valley. 23 (E) I will scatter the seeds and show mercy to Lo-Ruhamah.[q] I will say to Lo-Ammi,[r] “You are my people,” and they will answer, “You are our God.”

God's Love Offers Hope

Once again the Lord spoke to me. And this time he said, “Hosea, fall in love with an unfaithful woman[s] who has a lover. Do this to show that I love the people of Israel, even though they worship idols and enjoy the offering cakes made with fruit.”

So I paid 15 pieces of silver and about 150 kilograms of grain for such a woman. Then I said, “Now you are mine! You will have to remain faithful to me, though it will be a long time before we sleep together.”

It will also be a long time before Israel has a king or before sacrifices are offered at the temple or before there is any way to get guidance from God. But later, Israel will turn back to the Lord their God and to David their king. At that time they will come to the Lord with fear and trembling, and he will be good to them.

Israel Is Unfaithful

Israel, listen
as the Lord accuses
    everyone in the land!
No one is faithful or loyal
    or truly cares about God.
Cursing, dishonesty, murder,
    robbery, unfaithfulness—
these happen all the time.
    Violence is everywhere.
And so your land is a desert.
Every living creature is dying—
    people and wild animals,
    birds and fish.

The Lord Warns the Priests

Don't accuse just anyone!
    Not everyone is at fault.
My case is against you,
    the priests.[t]
You and the prophets
will stumble day and night;
    I'll silence your mothers.
You priests have rejected me,
and my people are destroyed
    by refusing to obey.
Now I'll reject you and forget
your children, because you
    have forgotten my Law.

By adding more of you priests,
you multiply the number
    of people who sin.
Now I'll change your pride
    into shame.
You encourage others to sin,
so you can stuff yourselves
    on their sin offerings.

That's why I will punish
    the people for their deeds,
just as I will punish
    you priests.
10 Their food won't satisfy,
and having sex at pagan shrines
    won't produce children.
My people have rebelled
11 and have been unfaithful
    to me, their Lord.

God Condemns Israel's Idolatry

My people, you are foolish
because of too much pleasure
    and too much wine.
12 You expect wooden idols
and other objects of wood
    to give you advice.
Lusting for sex at pagan shrines
has made you unfaithful
    to me, your God.
13 You offer sacrifices
    on mountaintops and hills,
under oak trees, and wherever
    good shade is found.

Your own daughters
and daughters-in-law
    sell themselves for sex.
14 But I won't punish them.
    You men are to blame,
because you go to prostitutes
and offer sacrifices with them
    at pagan shrines.
Your own foolishness
    will lead to your ruin.
15 Israel, you are unfaithful,
    but don't lead Judah to sin.
Stop worshiping at Gilgal
    or at sinful Bethel.[u]
And quit making promises
in my name—the name
    of the living Lord.
16 You are nothing more
    than a stubborn cow—
so stubborn that I, the Lord,
cannot feed you like lambs
    in an open pasture.

17 You people of Israel[v]
are charmed by[w] idols.
    Leave those people alone!
18 You get drunk, then sleep
    with prostitutes;
you would rather be vulgar
    than lead a decent life.[x]
19 And so you will be swept away[y]
in a whirlwind
    for sacrificing to idols.

Israel and Judah Will Be Judged

The Lord said:

Listen, you priests!
    Pay attention, Israel![z]
Listen, you members
    of the royal family.
Justice was your duty.
But[aa] at Mizpah and Mount Tabor
    you trapped the people.
At the place of worship
you were a treacherous pit,[ab]
    and I will punish you.

Israel, I know all about you,
and because of your unfaithfulness,
    I find you unacceptable.
Your evil deeds are the reason
you won't return to me,
    your Lord God.
And your constant craving for sex
    keeps you from knowing me.

Israel, your pride
    testifies to your guilt;
it makes you stumble,
    and Judah stumbles too.
You offer sheep and cattle
    as sacrifices to me,
but I have turned away
    and refuse to be found.
You have been unfaithful
    to me, your Lord;
you have had children
    by prostitutes.[ac]
So at the New Moon Festival,
you and your crops
    will be destroyed.[ad]

The Lord Warns Israel and Judah

Give a warning on the trumpet!
Let it be heard in Gibeah,
    Ramah, and sinful Bethel.[ae]
Benjamin, watch out![af]
I, the Lord, will punish
    and wipe out Israel.
This is my solemn promise
    to every tribe of Israel.
10 Judah's leaders are like crooks
    who move boundary markers;
that's why I will flood them
    with my anger.

11 Israel was brutally crushed.
They got what they deserved
    for worshiping useless idols.[ag]
12 Now I, the Lord,
will fill Israel with maggots
    and make Judah rot.
13 When Israel and Judah saw
    their sickness and wounds,
Israel asked help from Assyria
    and its mighty king.[ah]

But the king cannot cure them
    or heal their wounds.
14 So I'll become a fierce lion
    attacking Israel and Judah.
I'll snatch and carry off
what I want,
    and no one can stop me.
15 Then I'll return to my temple
until they confess their guilt
    and worship me,
until they are desperate
    and beg for my help.

The Lord's People Speak

Let's return to the Lord.
    He has torn us to shreds,
but he will bandage our wounds
    and make us well.
In two or three days
    he will heal us
and restore our strength
    that we may live with him.
Let's do our best
    to know the Lord.
His coming is as certain
    as the morning sun;
he will refresh us like rain
renewing the earth
    in the springtime.

The Lord Speaks to Israel and Judah

People of Israel and Judah,
    what can I do with you?
Your love for me disappears
more quickly than mist
    or dew at sunrise.
That's why I slaughtered you
with the words
    of my prophets.
That's why my judgments blazed
    like the dawning sun.[ai]
(F) I'd rather for you to be faithful
and to know me
    than to offer sacrifices.

At a place named Adam,
you[aj] betrayed me
    by breaking our agreement.
Everyone in Gilead is evil;
your hands are stained
    with the blood of victims.[ak]
You priests are like a gang
    of robbers in ambush.[al]
On the road to Shechem[am]
you murder and commit
    other horrible crimes.
10 I have seen a terrible thing
    in Israel—
you are unfaithful
    and unfit to worship me.
11 People of Judah,
    your time is coming too.

The Lord Wants To Help Israel

I, the Lord, would like to make
my nation prosper again

    and to heal its wounds.
But then I see the crimes
    in Israel[an] and Samaria.
Everyone is deceitful;
    robbers roam the streets.
No one realizes
that I have seen their sins
    surround them like a flood.

The king and his officials
take great pleasure
    in their sin and deceit.
Everyone burns with desire—
they are like coals in an oven,
    ready to burst into flames.
On the day their king
    was crowned,
his officials got him drunk,
and he joined
    in their foolishness.[ao]

Their anger is a fire
that smolders all night,
    then flares up at dawn.
They are flames
    destroying their leaders.
And their kings are powerless;
    none of them trust me.

The people of Israel[ap]
    have mixed with foreigners;
they are a thin piece of bread
    scorched on one side.
They don't seem to realize
    how weak and feeble they are;
their hair has turned gray,
    while foreigners rule.
10 I am the Lord, their God,
    but in all of their troubles
their pride keeps them
    from returning to me.

No Help from Foreign Nations

The Lord said:

11 Israel[aq] is a senseless bird,
fluttering back and forth
    between Egypt and Assyria.
12 But I will catch them in a net
    as hunters trap birds;
I threatened to punish them,
    and indeed I will.[ar]
13 Trouble and destruction
will be their reward
    for rejecting me.
I would have rescued them,
    but they told me lies.

14 They don't really pray to me;
    they just howl in their beds.
They have rejected me for Baal
    and slashed themselves,[as]
in the hope that Baal
    will bless their crops.
15 I taught them what they know,
    and I made them strong.
Now they plot against me
16     and refuse to obey.[at]
They are more useless
    than a crooked arrow.
Their leaders will die in war
    for saying foolish things.
Egyptians will laugh at them.

Israel Rejects the Lord

The Lord said:

Sound a warning!
Israel, you broke our agreement
    and ignored my teaching.
Now an eagle[au] is swooping down
    to attack my land.
Israel, you say, “We claim you,
    the Lord, as our God.”
But your enemies
will chase you for rejecting
    our good agreement.[av]

You chose kings and leaders
    without consulting me;
you made silver and gold idols
    that led to your downfall.
City of Samaria, I'm angry
because of your idol
    in the shape of a calf.
When will you ever
    be innocent again?
Someone from Israel built
that idol for you,
    but only I am God.
And so it will be smashed
    to pieces.[aw]

If you scatter wind
    instead of wheat,
you will harvest a whirlwind
    and have no wheat.
Even if you harvest grain,
    enemies will steal it all.

Israel, you are ruined,
and now the nations
    consider you worthless.
You are like a wild donkey
    that goes its own way.
You've run off to Assyria
    and hired them as allies.
10 You can bargain with nations,
    but I'll catch you anyway.
Soon you will suffer abuse
    by kings and rulers.

11 Israel, you have built
many altars where you offer
    sacrifices for sin.
But these altars have become
    places for sin.
12 My instructions for sacrifices
were written in detail,
    but you ignored them.
13 You sacrifice your best animals
    and eat the sacrificial meals,[ax]
but I, the Lord,
    refuse your offerings.
I will remember your sins
    and punish you.
Then you will return to Egypt.[ay]

14 Israel, I created you,
    but you forgot me.
You and Judah built palaces
    and many strong cities.[az]
Now I will send fire to destroy
    your towns and fortresses.

Israel Will Be Punished

Israel, don't celebrate
or make noisy shouts[ba]
    like other nations.
You have been unfaithful
    to your God.
Wherever grain is threshed,
    you behave like prostitutes
because you enjoy
    the money you receive.[bb]
But you will run short
    of grain and wine,
and you will have to leave
    the land of the Lord.
Some of you will go to Egypt;
others will go to Assyria
    and eat unclean food.

You won't be able to offer
sacrifices of wine
    to the Lord.
None of your sacrifices
    will please him—
they will be unclean
    like food offered to the dead.
Your food will only be used
    to satisfy your hunger;
none of it will be brought
    to the Lord's temple.
You will no longer be able
to celebrate the festival
    of the Lord.[bc]
Even if you escape alive,
you will end up in Egypt
    and be buried in Memphis.[bd]
Your silver treasures
    will be lost among weeds;[be]
thorns will sprout in your tents.

(G) Israel, the time has come.
You will get what you deserve,
    and you will know it.
“Prophets are fools,” you say.
“And God's messengers
    are crazy.”
Your terrible guilt
    has filled you with hatred.

Israel, the Lord sent me
    to look after you.[bf]
But you trap his prophets
and flood his temple
    with your hatred.
(H) You are brutal and corrupt,
    as were the men of Gibeah.[bg]
But God remembers your sin,
    and you will be punished.

Sin's Terrible Results

10 (I) Israel, when I, the Lord,
    found you long ago
it was like finding
grapes in a barren desert
    or tender young figs.
Then you worshiped Baal Peor,
    that disgusting idol,
and you became as disgusting
    as the idol you loved.

11 And so, Israel, your glory
    will fly away like birds—
your women will no longer
    be able to give birth.
12 Even if you do have children,
I will take them all
    and leave you to mourn.
I will turn away,
and you will sink down
    in deep trouble.
13 Israel, when I first met you,
I thought of you as palm trees
    growing in fertile ground.[bh]
Now you lead your people out,
    only to be slaughtered.

Hosea's Advice

14 Our Lord, do just one thing
    for your people—
make their women unable
to have children
    or to nurse their babies.

The Lord's Judgment on Israel

15 Israel, I first began
to hate you because
    you did evil at Gilgal.[bi]
Now I will chase you
    out of my house.
No longer will I love you;
    your leaders betrayed me.
16 Israel, you are a vine
with dried-up roots
    and fruitless branches.
Even if you had more children
and loved them dearly,
    I would slaughter them all.

Hosea Warns Israel

17 Israel, you disobeyed my God.
Now he will force you to roam
    from nation to nation.

10 You were a healthy vine
    covered with grapes.
But the more grapes you grew,
    the more altars you built;
the better off you became,
the better shrines you set up
    for pagan gods.
You are deceitful and disloyal.
So you will pay
    for your sins,
because the Lord will destroy
    your altars and images.

“We don't have a king,”
    you will say.
“We don't fear the Lord.
    And what good are kings?”
Israel, you break treaties
    and don't keep promises;
you turn justice
    into poisonous weeds
where healthy plants should grow.[bj]

All who live in Samaria tremble
with concern for the idols[bk]
    at sinful Bethel.[bl]
The idol there was the pride
    of the priests,
but it has been put to shame;
    now everyone will cry.
It will be taken to Assyria
    and given to the great king.
Then Israel will be disgraced
    for worshiping that idol.

Like a twig in a stream,
the king of Samaria
    will be swept away.
(J) The altars at sinful Bethel
will be destroyed
    for causing Israel to sin;
they will be grown over
    with thorns and thistles.
Then everyone will beg
the mountains and hills
    to cover and protect them.

The Lord Promises To Punish Israel

(K) Israel, you have never
stopped sinning[bm]
    since that time at Gibeah.[bn]
That's why you
    will be attacked at Gibeah.[bo]
10 Your sins have doubled,
    and you are rebellious.
Now I have decided
to send nations to attack
    and put you in chains.

11 Once you were obedient
like a calf
    that loved to thresh grain.
But I will put a harness
    on your beautiful neck;
you and Judah must plow
    and cultivate the ground.
12 (L) Plow your fields,
scatter seeds of justice,
    and harvest faithfulness.
Worship me, the Lord,
and I will send my saving power
    down like rain.
13 You have planted evil,
harvested injustice, and eaten
    the fruit of your lies.
You trusted your own strength
    and your powerful forces.
14 So war will break out,
and your fortresses
    will be destroyed.
Your enemies will do to you
what Shalman[bp] did to the people
    of Beth-Arbel—
mothers and their children
will be beaten to death
    against rocks.
15 Bethel, this will be your fate
    because of your evil.
Israel, at dawn your king
    will be killed.

God's Love for His People

11 (M) When Israel was a child,
I loved him, and I called
    my son out of Egypt.
But as the saying goes,
“The more they were called,
    the more they rebelled.”[bq]
They never stopped offering
incense and sacrifices
    to the idols of Baal.

I took Israel by the arm
    and taught them to walk.
But they would not admit
that I was the one
    who had healed them.
I led them with kindness
and with love,
    not with ropes.
I held them close to me;[br]
    I bent down to feed them.

But they rejected me,
and so must return to Egypt;
    now Assyria will rule them.
War will visit their cities,
    and their plans will fail.[bs]
My people are determined
    to reject me for a god
they think is stronger,
    but he can't help.[bt]

(N) Israel, I can't let you go.
    I can't give you up.
How could I possibly destroy you
as I did the towns of Admah
    and Zeboiim?[bu]
I just can't do it.
My feelings for you
    are much too strong.
Israel, I won't lose my temper
    and destroy you again.
I am the Holy God—
not merely some human,
    and I won't stay angry.

10 I, the Lord, will roar like a lion,
and my children will return,
    trembling from the west.
11 They will come back,
fluttering like birds from Egypt
    or like doves from Assyria.
Then I will bring them
back to their homes.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

Israel and Judah Compared

12 Israel is deceitful to me,
    their loyal and holy God;
they surround me with lies,
and Judah worships
    other gods.[bv]

12 All day long Israel chases
    wind from the desert;
deceit and violence
    are found everywhere.
Treaties are made with Assyria;
    olive oil is taken to Egypt.

Israel and Judah Condemned

The Lord also brings charges
against the people of Judah,
    the descendants of Jacob.
He will punish them
    for what they have done.
(O)(P) Even before Jacob was born,
    he cheated his brother,[bw]
and when he grew up,
    he fought against God.[bx]

(Q) At Bethel, Jacob wrestled
    with an angel and won;
then with tears in his eyes,
he asked for a blessing,
    and God spoke to us[by] there.
God's name is the Lord,
    the Lord God All-Powerful.
So return to your God.
Patiently trust him,
    and show love and justice.

Israel, you enjoy cheating
and taking advantage
    of others.
You say to yourself, “I'm rich!
I earned it all on my own,
    without committing a sin.”[bz]

The Lord Is Still the God of Israel

(R) Israel, I, the Lord,
am still your God,
    just as I have been
since the time
    you were in Egypt.
Now I will force you
to live in tents once again,
    as you did in the desert.[ca]
10 I spoke to the prophets—
    often I spoke in visions.
And so, I will send my prophets
    with messages of doom.
11 Gilead is terribly sinful
    and will end up ruined.
Bulls are sacrificed in Gilgal
    on altars made of stones,
but those stones will be scattered
    in every field.
12 (S) Jacob[cb] escaped to Syria[cc]
where he tended sheep
    to earn himself a wife.
13 (T) I sent the prophet Moses
to lead Israel from Egypt
    and to keep them safe.
14 Israel, I will make you pay
for your violent crimes
    and for insulting me.

Israel Is Doomed

The Lord said:

13 When your leaders[cd] spoke,
everyone in Israel trembled
    and showed great respect.
But you sinned by worshiping Baal,
    and you were destroyed.
Now you continue to sin
    by designing and making
idols of silver
    in the shape of calves.
You are told to sacrifice
to these idols[ce]
    yes, even to kiss them.
And so, all of you will vanish
like the mist or the dew
    of early morning,
or husks of grain in the wind
    or smoke from a chimney.

I, the Lord, have been your God
since the time
    you were in Egypt.
I am the only God you know,
    the only one who can save.
(U) I took care of you
    in a thirsty desert.[cf]
I fed you till you were satisfied,
then you became proud
    and forgot about me.
Now I will attack like a lion,
    ambush you like a leopard,
and rip you apart like a bear
    robbed of her cubs.
I will gnaw on your bones,
as though I were a lion
    or some other wild animal.
Israel, you are done for.
    Don't expect help from me.[cg]
10 (V) You wanted a king and rulers.
Where is your king now?
    What cities have rulers?
11 (W) In my anger, I gave you a king;
    in my fury, I took him away.

Israel's Terrible Fate

The Lord said:

12 Israel, your terrible sins
are written down
    and stored away.
13 You are like a senseless child
who refuses to be born
    at the proper time.
14 (X) Should I, the Lord, rescue you
    from death and the grave?
No! I call death and the grave
to strike you like a plague.
    I refuse to show mercy.

15 No matter if you prosper
    more than the other tribes,[ch]
I, the Lord, will wipe you out,
just as a scorching desert wind
    dries up streams of water.
I will take away
    your precious treasures.
16 Samaria[ci] will be punished
    for turning against me.
It will be destroyed in war—
children will be beaten
    against rocks,
and pregnant women
    will be ripped open.

Turn Back to the Lord

14 Israel, return! Come back
to the Lord, your God.
    Sin has made you fall.
Return to the Lord and say,
    “Please forgive our sins.
Accept our good sacrifices
    of praise instead of bulls.[cj]
Assyria can't save us,
    and chariots can't help.
So we will no longer worship
    the idols we have made.
Our Lord, you show mercy
    to orphans.”

The Lord Promises To Forgive

Israel, you have rejected me,
    but my anger is gone;
I will heal you and love you
    without limit.
I will be like the dew—
then you will blossom like lilies
    and have roots like a tree.[ck]
Your branches will spread
with the beauty
    of an olive tree
and with the aroma
    of Lebanon Forest.
You will rest in my shade,
    and your grain will grow.
You will blossom
    like a vineyard
and be famous as the wine
    from Lebanon.

Israel, give up your idols!
I will answer your prayers
    and take care of you.[cl]
I am that glorious tree,
    the source of your fruit.[cm]

If you are wise, you will know
    and understand what I mean.
I am the Lord, and I lead you
    along the right path.
If you obey me,
    we will walk together,
but if you are wicked,
    you will stumble.

Footnotes

  1. 1.1 Jehoash: The Hebrew text has “Joash,” another spelling of the name.
  2. 1.1 kings of Judah … king of Israel: Uzziah (781–740 b.c.), Jotham (740-736), Ahaz (736–716), Hezekiah (716–687), and Jeroboam II (783–743).
  3. 1.2 unfaithful wife: In some Canaanite religions of Old Testament times, young women were expected to have sex with the worshipers of their god before marriage. Such women were called “temple prostitutes.” Many of the Israelite women did this same thing, and Hosea is told to marry one of them to show that the nation has turned from the Lord to worship idols.
  4. 1.4 Jezreel: In Hebrew “Jezreel” means “God scatters (seed).” Here the name is used as a threat (meaning the Lord will punish Israel by scattering its people), while in verse 11 it is used as a promise (meaning the Lord will bless Israel by giving their nation many people, just as a big harvest comes when many seeds are scattered in a field).
  5. 1.4 murders … Valley: Jehu murdered the wife and relatives of King Ahab (see 2 Kings 9.15—10.14).
  6. 1.6 Lo-Ruhamah: In Hebrew “Lo-Ruhamah” means “No Mercy.”
  7. 1.9 Lo-Ammi: In Hebrew “Lo-Ammi” means “Not My People.”
  8. 1.11 Jezreel: See the note at 1.4.
  9. 2.1 My People … Shown Mercy: In Hebrew “My People” is “Ammi” and “Shown Mercy” is “Ruhamah” (see Lo-Ruhamah in 1.6 and Lo-Ammi in 1.9).
  10. 2.2 prostitution … unfaithful: See the note at 1.2.
  11. 2.8 Baal: A Canaanite god of fertility.
  12. 2.10 I'll strip … lovers: Or “I'll show her lovers how disgusting she is.”
  13. 2.12 fig trees … payment: Hosea uses an unusual word for “fig tree,” which is spelled something like the word for “payment.”
  14. 2.15 Trouble Valley: Or “Achor Valley.” The exact location of the valley is unknown, but in Hebrew “Achor” sounds like “Achan,” who brought trouble on Israel by disobeying the Lord (see Joshua 7.24-26).
  15. 2.16 husband … master: In Hebrew the word “master” is the same as the name of the god Baal. But the Lord promises that his people will have a deep personal relationship with him (like a devoted wife and husband) rather than merely a legal tie (like a wife and her “master”).
  16. 2.19 bride price: It was the custom for the husband to pay his wife's parents a bride price. Instead of money, the Lord will give much better benefits to Israel.
  17. 2.23 Lo-Ruhamah: See the note at 1.6.
  18. 2.23 Lo-Ammi: See the note at 1.9.
  19. 3.1 unfaithful woman: This may refer to Gomer, the woman Hosea married (see 1.3), or it may refer to another woman.
  20. 4.4 priests: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4. Hosea may have had in mind only one priest, possibly the chief priest.
  21. 4.15 sinful Bethel: The Hebrew text has “Beth-Aven,” which means “house of sin” or “house of nothing,” referring to “Bethel,” which means “house of God.”
  22. 4.17 Israel: The Hebrew text has “Ephraim,” the leading tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel, which sometimes stands for the whole kingdom.
  23. 4.17 charmed by: Or “joined to.”
  24. 4.18 life: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18.
  25. 4.19 And so … swept away: Or “And so you will be ashamed.”
  26. 5.1 Israel: Probably meaning the tribal leaders of Israel.
  27. 5.1 Justice … duty. But: Or “You are doomed, because.”
  28. 5.2 At … pit: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  29. 5.7 prostitutes: See 4.14, and the note at 1.2.
  30. 5.7 So … destroyed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  31. 5.8 sinful Bethel: See the note at 4.15. Gibeah is 5 kilometers north of Jerusalem, Ramah is 8 kilometers north, and Bethel is 17.5 kilometers north. The attack comes from the south, and all the land of Benjamin (belonging to Israel) is in danger.
  32. 5.8 watch out: Or “lead the way.”
  33. 5.11 for … idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  34. 5.13 and … king: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  35. 6.5 That's why my … sun: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  36. 6.7 At … you: Or “Like Adam, you” or “Each one of you.”
  37. 6.8 your hands … victims: This may refer to child sacrifice.
  38. 6.9 You … ambush: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  39. 6.9 Shechem: This was one of the towns where people could run for safety, if they had accidentally killed someone (see Joshua 20.1-9).
  40. 7.1 Israel: See the note at 4.17. Samaria was the capital city of Israel.
  41. 7.5 foolishness: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.
  42. 7.8 Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” (see the note at 4.17).
  43. 7.11 Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” (see the note at 4.17).
  44. 7.12 I threatened … will: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  45. 7.14 slashed themselves: One ancient translation and some Hebrew manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts “gather together.” Slashing themselves was one way of worshiping Baal (see 1 Kings 18.28).
  46. 7.16 and … obey: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  47. 8.1 an eagle: Or “a vulture.”
  48. 8.3 our good agreement: Or “me, the Good One” (referring to God).
  49. 8.6 smashed to pieces: Or “destroyed by fire.”
  50. 8.13 sacrifice … sacrificial meals: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. Two kinds of sacrifices are referred to: Those in which the whole animal is burned on the altar (“whole burnt offerings” in traditional translations) and those in which part is eaten by the worshipers (“fellowship offerings” in traditional translations).
  51. 8.13 return to Egypt: Either as slaves or to find help against Assyria.
  52. 8.14 built palaces … cities: They did this because they no longer trusted the Lord to protect them. “Palaces” may also mean “temples.”
  53. 9.1 or … shouts: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  54. 9.1 Wherever … receive: Grain was threshed on hills or other places where the wind could blow away the husks. People also met at these places to worship Baal, the god they thought had given them the grain harvest.
  55. 9.5 festival of the Lord: Probably the Festival of Shelters.
  56. 9.6 Memphis: An Egyptian city with a famous cemetery.
  57. 9.6 Your silver … weeds: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  58. 9.8 Israel … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  59. 9.9 the men of Gibeah: They raped and murdered a woman (see Judges 19).
  60. 9.13 Israel, when … ground: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  61. 9.15 Gilgal: See 4.15.
  62. 10.4 you turn … grow: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  63. 10.5 idols: The Hebrew text has “calves,” referring to the idols made in the shape of calves.
  64. 10.5 sinful Bethel: See the note at 4.15.
  65. 10.9 never stopped sinning: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  66. 10.9 Gibeah: See the note at 9.9.
  67. 10.9 That's why … Gibeah: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  68. 10.14 Shalman: Perhaps a Moabite king, also known as Salamanu.
  69. 11.2 But … rebelled: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  70. 11.4 I held … to me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  71. 11.6 fail: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 6.
  72. 11.7 help: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 7.
  73. 11.8 Admah and Zeboiim: When the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he also destroyed these two towns (see Deuteronomy 29.23).
  74. 11.12 and Judah worships other gods: Or “but Judah remains faithful.”
  75. 12.3 Jacob … cheated … brother: In Hebrew “Jacob” sounds like “cheat” and also like “heel.” Jacob grabbed his twin brother Esau by the heel at the time of their birth (see Genesis 25.26). Later he cheated him out of his rights and blessings as the first-born son (see Genesis 25.29-34; 27.1-40).
  76. 12.3 fought against God: See Genesis 32.22-32.
  77. 12.4 us: Hebrew; two ancient translations “him.”
  78. 12.8 without … sin: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  79. 12.9 as … desert: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. This probably refers to the 40 years of wandering through the desert after leaving Egypt, though it could refer to the “tents” (or “shelters”) in which the Israelites lived during the Festival of Shelters (see 9.5,6).
  80. 12.12 Jacob: His name was later changed to Israel (see Genesis 32.28), and he became the ancestor of the nation by that name.
  81. 12.12 Syria: The Hebrew text has “Aram,” probably referring to northern Syria in the region of Haran.
  82. 13.1 your leaders: The Hebrew text has “Ephraim,” here meaning Mount Ephraim, where the royal palace of Samaria (capital of the northern kingdom of Israel) was located.
  83. 13.2 You are told … idols: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  84. 13.5 thirsty desert: The 40 years that Israel wandered through the desert, after leaving Egypt.
  85. 13.9 Don't … me: Or “You are against me, the one who helps you.”
  86. 13.15 more … tribes: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  87. 13.16 Samaria: The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel.
  88. 14.2 Accept … bulls: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  89. 14.5 like a tree: The Hebrew text has “like Lebanon,” probably referring to the famous cedar trees on Mount Lebanon.
  90. 14.8 Israel … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  91. 14.8 I am … fruit: This is the only place in the Old Testament where the Lord is compared to a tree. Hosea reminds the people that it is the Lord who is the source of life, rather than the Canaanite gods and goddesses that are worshiped under trees at the local shrines.

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