Focused Passage

Hosea 3:1-5

Redeeming Love and Israel's Waiting Return

The LORD commands Hosea to love an adulterous woman as a sign of divine love for idolatrous Israel, Hosea redeems her and places her under a season of restrained restoration, and the chapter interprets the act as Israel's coming deprivation followed by return to the LORD and to David their king.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.”

2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.

3 Then I said to her, “You must live with me for many days; you must not be promiscuous or belong to another, and I will do the same for you.”

4 For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol.

5 Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Cross-references

Zechariah 2:6 BSB references James 4:4 Classic cross-references Isaiah 54:4 Classic cross-references Hosea 1:2 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 3:12 Classic cross-references Isaiah 45:22 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 6:20 OliveGrove study links Luke 1:32-33 OliveGrove study links Revelation 5:9 OliveGrove study links

Original words

Then the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֨אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to me אֵלַ֗י H413 Preposition | first person common singular Go לֵ֣ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular show love אֱ‍ֽהַב־ H157 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular to your wife אִשָּׁ֔ה H802 Noun - feminine singular again ע֚וֹד H5750 Adverb though she is loved אֲהֻ֥בַת H157 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular construct by another רֵ֖עַ H7453 Noun - masculine singular and is an adulteress וּמְנָאָ֑פֶת H5003 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular Love her כְּאַהֲבַ֤ת H160 Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct as the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular [loves] אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the Israelites בְּנֵ֣י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular though they וְהֵ֗ם H1992 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural turn פֹּנִים֙ H6437 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition other אֲחֵרִ֔ים H312 Adjective - masculine plural gods אֱלֹהִ֣ים H430 Noun - masculine plural and love to offer וְאֹהֲבֵ֖י H157 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct raisin cakes [to idols] אֲשִׁישֵׁ֥י H809 Noun - feminine plural construct . . . עֲנָבִֽים׃ H6025 Noun - masculine plural

BSB notes

Or Go show love to a woman who is loved by another
Literally and love raisin cakes

Verse 2

Cross-references

Genesis 34:12 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 45:11 Classic cross-references Genesis 29:18 Classic cross-references Leviticus 27:16 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 6:20 OliveGrove study links Luke 1:32-33 OliveGrove study links Revelation 5:9 OliveGrove study links

Original words

So I bought her וָאֶכְּרֶ֣הָ H3739 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular - לִּ֔י Preposition | first person common singular for fifteen [shekels] בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה H2568 Preposition-b, Article | Number - masculine singular . . . עָשָׂ֖ר H6240 Number - masculine singular of silver כָּ֑סֶף H3701 Noun - masculine singular and a homer וְחֹ֥מֶר H2563 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct and a lethech וְלֵ֥תֶךְ H3963 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct . . . שְׂעֹרִֽים׃ H8184 Noun - feminine plural of barley שְׂעֹרִ֖ים H8184 Noun - feminine plural

BSB notes

15 shekels is approximately 6 ounces or 171 grams of silver.
Or a homer and a half of barley; that is, a total of approximately 9.36 bushels or 330 liters (probably about 436 pounds or 198 kilograms of barley); LXX a homer of barley and a wineskin full of wine

Verse 3

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 21:13 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 7:4 Classic cross-references Daniel 8:26 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 2:20 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 23:4 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 6:20 OliveGrove study links Luke 1:32-33 OliveGrove study links Revelation 5:9 OliveGrove study links

Original words

Then I said וָאֹמַ֣ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular to her אֵלֶ֗יהָ H413 Preposition | third person feminine singular You must live תֵּ֣שְׁבִי H3427 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular with me לִ֔י Preposition | first person common singular for many רַבִּים֙ H7227 Adjective - masculine plural days יָמִ֤ים H3117 Noun - masculine plural you must not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be promiscuous תִזְנִ֔י H2181 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular . . . וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle or belong to תִֽהְיִ֖י H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular another לְאִ֑ישׁ H376 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular and וְגַם־ H1571 Conjunction I אֲנִ֖י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular will do the same for you אֵלָֽיִךְ׃ H413 Preposition | second person feminine singular

Verse 4

Cross-references

Genesis 31:19 Classic cross-references Isaiah 11:11 Classic cross-references Judges 17:5 Classic cross-references Daniel 12:1 Classic cross-references Lamentations 2:9 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 6:20 OliveGrove study links Luke 1:32-33 OliveGrove study links Revelation 5:9 OliveGrove study links

Original words

For כִּ֣י׀ H3588 Conjunction the Israelites בְּנֵ֣י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular must live יֵֽשְׁבוּ֙ H3427 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural many רַבִּ֗ים H7227 Adjective - masculine plural days יָמִ֣ים H3117 Noun - masculine plural without אֵ֥ין H369 Adverb king מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ H4428 Noun - masculine singular or prince שָׂ֔ר H8269 Noun - masculine singular without וְאֵ֣ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb sacrifice זֶ֖בַח H2077 Noun - masculine singular or וְאֵ֣ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb sacred pillar מַצֵּבָ֑ה H4676 Noun - feminine singular . . . וְאֵ֥ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb and without וְאֵ֥ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb ephod אֵפ֖וֹד H646 Noun - masculine singular or idol וּתְרָפִֽים׃ H8655 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural

Verse 5

Cross-references

Jeremiah 29:11 Classic cross-references Romans 11:26 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 30:9 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 50:4 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 34:23 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 6:20 OliveGrove study links Luke 1:32-33 OliveGrove study links Revelation 5:9 OliveGrove study links

Original words

Afterward אַחַ֗ר H310 Adverb the people בְּנֵ֣י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular will return יָשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural and seek וּבִקְשׁוּ֙ H1245 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular their God אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural - וְאֵ֖ת H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and David דָּוִ֣ד H1732 Noun - proper - masculine singular their king מַלְכָּ֑ם H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural They will come trembling וּפָחֲד֧וּ H6342 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the LORD יְהוָ֛ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular and to וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition His goodness טוּב֖וֹ H2898 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular in the last בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית H319 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct days הַיָּמִֽים׃פ H3117 Article | Noun - masculine plural

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