Hosea 1:2-9
Expanded Bible
Hosea’s Wife and Children
2 When the Lord began speaking through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, and ·marry [L take for yourself] an ·unfaithful woman [or prostitute; L woman/wife of prostitution/harlotries] and have ·unfaithful children [L children of prostitution/harlotries], because ·the people in this country [L this land] have ·been completely unfaithful to [practiced prostitution/harlotry against] the Lord [C they have been spiritually unfaithful; C Gomer may have been a prostitute or promiscuous woman before the marriage, or only afterward].” 3 So Hosea ·married [L went and took] Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to Hosea’s son.
4 The Lord said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel [C Hebrew: “God sows”], because soon I will punish the ·family [L house] of Jehu for the ·people they killed at [L blood of] Jezreel [C Jehu slaughtered the family of king Ahab; 2 Kin. 9:7—10:28]. In ·the future [L that day] I will put an end to the kingdom of [L the house of] Israel 5 and break the ·power of Israel’s army [L bow of Israel] in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6 Gomer ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to a daughter. The Lord said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah [C Hebrew: “no pity/mercy” or “not loved”], because I will not ·pity [have mercy on; show love to] Israel anymore, nor will I forgive them. 7 But I will show ·pity [mercy; love] to the people of Judah. I will save them, but not by using bows or swords, horses or horsemen, or ·weapons of war [or battle; war]. I, the Lord their God, will save them.”
8 After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son. 9 The Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi [C “not my people”], because you are not my people, and I am not your God.
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Hosea 1:2-9
Amplified Bible
2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, take for yourself a [a]wife of prostitution and have children of [her] prostitution; for the land commits great acts of prostitution by [b]not following 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, “Name him Jezreel; for yet in a little while I will avenge the blood [that was shed in the Valley] of Jezreel and inflict the punishment for it on the house of [c]Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the [d]house of Israel.(A) 5 On that day I will break the bow [of the military power] of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6 Then Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah (not shown mercy), for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them. 7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah and will rescue them by the Lord their God, and will [e]not rescue them by bow, sword, war, horses, or horsemen.”(B)
8 Now when Gomer had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi (not my people), for you are not My people and I am not your God.”
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- Hosea 1:2 Some scholars interpret this to mean that Gomer was chaste at the time of the marriage, but later became an adulteress. As such, she symbolizes the future unfaithfulness of Israel.
- Hosea 1:2 Lit forsaking.
- Hosea 1:4 Jehu murdered Ahab’s sons in order to seize the throne of Israel.
- Hosea 1:4 I.e. Israel, the Northern Kingdom, which included ten of the original tribes of Israel. Samaria was the capital city.
- Hosea 1:7 Isaiah also made this prophecy (Is 31:8, 9) and both he and Hosea lived to see its fulfillment (Is 37:36). See also 2 Kin 19:35-37.
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