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16 Therefore,[a] I will allure her now;
    I will lead her into the wilderness(A)
    and speak persuasively to her.
17 Then I will give her the vineyards she had,
    and the valley of Achor[b] as a door of hope.(B)
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
    as on the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:16 Therefore: this word in Hebrew normally introduces an oracle of doom; here, surprisingly, it leads to hope. Allure: as though seducing a virgin (Ex 22:15–16). Ordinarily this word connotes deception (Jgs 14:15; 16:5; 1 Kgs 22:20–22).
  2. 2:17 Valley of Achor: lit., valley of trouble (Jos 7:26). Here this valley becomes a valley of hope, a new entry into the promised land.

21 I will betroth you to me forever:
    I will betroth you to me with[a] justice and with judgment,
    with loyalty and with compassion;
22 I will betroth you to me with fidelity,
    and you shall know the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:21–22 Betroth…with: the betrothal was the legal moment before cohabitation when the dowry was paid to the father of the bride. In this remarriage the Lord gives the bride price to Israel herself “forever.” Justice…judgment: refer to equity and fairness of conduct. The next two terms, “loyalty” (hesed), the steadfast love between the covenant partners, and “compassion,” maternal love (cf. 1:6; 2:3, 25) are characteristic of Hosea. You shall know: not an abstract but a practical knowledge which means acknowledgment of God’s will and obedience to his law (4:1; 5:4; 6:3, 6).