Hosea 3:1
in Hosea 3Then 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 offer raisin cakes to idols.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah said unto me, Go again, love a woman beloved of her friend, and an adulteress, even as Jehovah loveth the children of Israel, though they turn unto other gods, and love cakes of raisins.
KJV
Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
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This verse in Hosea 3
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAnd the Lord said to me: Go still, love the beloved woman to a friend and an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the children of Israel, and they respect (look at) foreign gods, and they love "wine presses of grapes." (Vulgate "they look at") LXX: "And the Lord said to me: Go still and love the woman loving evil and an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the children of Israel, and they look (respect) to foreign gods, and they love baked goods with wine."
This site's exposition
show love to your wife again
The command repeats the sign of chapter 1, and now its meaning comes with it: "Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites". The woman is "your wife", loved again after her adultery. The raisin cakes, ashishah in Hebrew, were food of festival and fertility worship.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
But I shall first run over the words, and then return to the subject Jehovah said to me, Go yet and love a woman. There is no doubt but that God describes here the favor he promises to the Israelites in a type or vision: for they are too gross in their notions, who think that the Prophet married a woman who had been a harlot.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then said the Lord unto me,....
But the worshippers of other gods drank wine in bowls; nay, no less than flagons of wine would content them. (2.) That their badness had not stopped the current of his favours to them. This is a wonder of mercy indeed, that she is thus beloved of her friend, though an adulteress; such is the love of the Lord towards the children of Israel.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Go yet, love a woman, beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress - This woman is the same Gomer, whom the prophet had before been bidden to take, and whom, (it appears from this verse) had forsaken him, and was living in adultery with another man. The “friend” is the husband himself, the prophet.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Hosea is told, not as in Ho 1:2, "take a wife," but "love" her, that is, renew thy conjugal kindness to her. who look to other gods--that is, have done so heretofore, but henceforth (from the return from Babylon) shall do so no more (Ho 3:4). flagons of wine--rather, pressed cakes of dried grapes, such as were offered to idols (Jer 7:18) [MAURER].
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Go ye, love a woman - This is a different command from that mentioned in the first chapter. That denoted the infidelity of the kingdom of Israel, and God’s divorce of them. He gave them up to their enemies, and caused them to be carried into captivity. The woman mentioned here represents one who was a lawful wife joining herself to a paramour; then divorced by her husband; afterwards repenting, and desirous to be joined to her spouse; ceasing from her adulterous commerce, but not yet reconciled to him. This was the state and disposition of the Jews under the Babylonish captivity. Though separated from their own idols, they continued separated from their God. He is still represented as having affectionate feelings towards them; awaiting their full repentance and contrition, in order to renew the marriage covenant. These things are pointed out by the symbolical actions of the prophet. Beloved of her friend - Or, a lover of evil; or, loving another: for the Hebrew words אהבת רע mean one who loves evil or a friend: because רע signifies a friend, or evil, according as it is pointed. The former seems to be its best sense here; רע rea is a friend; רע ra is evil. According to the love of the Lord - This woman, who had proved false to her husband, was still beloved by him, though he could not acknowledge her; as the Israelites were beloved by the Lord, while they were looking after other gods. The flagons of wine were probably such as were used for libations, or drunk in idol feasts. Others think that the words should be translated cakes of dried grapes, sweet cakes, consecrated wafers.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
beloved by her companion Cherished by her husband and beloved to him, who [nonetheless] commits adultery under his domain, [paralleling thereby] the love of the Holy One, Blessed Is He, for the nation of Israel who [nonetheless] stray from under His domain towards other gods.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֵלַ֗י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| ע֚וֹד | od | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| לֵ֣ךְ | lekh | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֱֽהַב־ | ʾehav- | love | H157 → | 211 times |
| אִשָּׁ֔ה | ʾishah | a woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| אֲהֻ֥בַת | ʾahuvat | [who] is loved of | H157 → | 211 times |
| רֵ֖עַ | rea' | a companion | H7453 → | |
| וּמְנָאָ֑פֶת | umenaafet | and [who] commits adultery | H5003 → | 31 times |
| כְּאַהֲבַ֤ת | keahavat | as loves | H160 → | 38 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְהֵ֗ם | vehem | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| פֹּנִים֙ | ponim | [are] turning | H6437 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֣ים | ʾelohim | gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲחֵרִ֔ים | ʾacherim | other | H312 → | |
| וְאֹהֲבֵ֖י | veohavei | and [are] loving | H157 → | 211 times |
| אֲשִׁישֵׁ֥י | ʾashishei | <of> cakes of | H809 → | |
| עֲנָבִֽים׃ | ʾanavim | grapes | H6025 → |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֵלַ֗יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
ע֚וֹדagain
odH5750 →490 times
לֵ֣ךְgo
lekhH1980 →1546 times
אֱֽהַב־love
ʾehav-H157 →211 times
אִשָּׁ֔הa woman
ʾishahH802 →781 times
אֲהֻ֥בַת[who] is loved of
ʾahuvatH157 →211 times
רֵ֖עַa companion
rea'H7453 →
וּמְנָאָ֑פֶתand [who] commits adultery
umenaafetH5003 →31 times
כְּאַהֲבַ֤תas loves
keahavatH160 →38 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְהֵ֗םand they
vehemH1992 →553 times
פֹּנִים֙[are] turning
ponimH6437 →
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֱלֹהִ֣יםgods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲחֵרִ֔יםother
ʾacherimH312 →
וְאֹהֲבֵ֖יand [are] loving
veohaveiH157 →211 times
אֲשִׁישֵׁ֥י<of> cakes of
ʾashisheiH809 →
עֲנָבִֽים׃grapes
ʾanavimH6025 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 45:22Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
it leads to
- John 6:40
For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
- Micah 7:7
But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
- Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand…
- Numbers 21:8–9
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.”
- Zechariah 12:10
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They…
- John 6:40
Through
Jeremiah 31:20Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares…
it leads to
- Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely…
- Micah 7:18–19
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
- Lamentations 3:31–32
For the Lord will not cast us off forever.
- Isaiah 55:7
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Love35 verses
On this page
Studies4
About Hosea
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Hosea 3:1; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.