HOSEA—NOTE ON 1:1–3:5 Biographical: Hosea’s Family. The unfaithfulness of Hosea’s wife, Gomer, and her eventual restoration to him, are a parable for the Lord’s relationship to Israel.
Hosea comes from the same verb as “Joshua” and “Jesus,” meaning “to save" or "to deliver.” The message of the Bible is one of salvation for people of all different ethnicities and backgrounds all around the globe.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 1:1 The name Hosea comes from the same verb as “Joshua” and “Jesus,” meaning “to save or deliver.”
HOSEA—NOTE ON 1:2 take to yourself a wife of whoredom. The word translated “whoredom” throughout the book describes various kinds of sexual misconduct. In Hosea it generally refers to a married woman being unfaithful to her husband, which is why it provides a picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord, her husband (compare 2:5). The tragedy of Hosea is the tragedy of a marriage that began well but went bad. And so it was with the Lord and Israel.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 1:3–9 Hosea’s wife bears children, and God gives them prophetic names. The text suggests that Hosea was in fact the father of Gomer’s first child (bore him, v. 3).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 1:4 Jeroboam II (v. 1) was the fourth king of the dynasty begun by Jehu in 841 B.C. The house of Jehu is probably parallel to house of Israel. This would mean that the blood of Jezreel refers to the events of 1 Kings 21: Ahab permitted the murder of Naboth, a man loyal to the Lord, in order to take his vineyard in Jezreel. Thus, this verse introduces the ongoing confrontation between Baal and the God of Israel in the rest of the book.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 1:6 The name of Gomer’s second child, No Mercy, probably means that Hosea denies that he is the father. Hosea does not have the affection that a father would have for his own children.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 1:8–9 The birth and naming of another child by Gomer reinforces what was seen with No Mercy’s birth. Not My People means he is not Hosea’s son. for you are not my people, and I am not your God. The name symbolizes a breaking of the marital bond that God had made with Israel at Sinai (Ex. 6:7; Lev. 26:12).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 1:10 God intends to restore his people, based on the promises of the Abrahamic covenant: the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea (Gen. 22:17; 32:12). Israel’s salvation must be gained just as Abraham’s was: salvation by grace through faith and not by works of the law (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:1–3).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 1:11 the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together. The hostility between Judah (the southern kingdom) and Israel (the northern kingdom) had a long history, beginning in 1 Kings 12:16–24.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:1–13 Hosea uses the legal process of an offended husband against his wife as a picture of God’s plans for dealing with Israel’s rebellion.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:1 Hosea hopes the Israelites will respond to the promise contained in this verse. The verse begins with a command (Say to your brothers), as does the following verse. Both serve as a motivation for Israel to return to her God. Israel can look forward to receiving a new name: no longer will they be “No Mercy” and “Not My People.”
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:2 Perhaps the declaration that she is not my wife, and I am not her husband should be read as a threat, rather than an actual divorce. Otherwise, Hosea would have no right to issue the warnings and threats that follow. The marriage between God and Israel has not ended. The covenant made with Israel contains a way for Israel to be restored. She only needs to put away her whoring from her face, and her adultery from between her breasts.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:4–5 they are children of whoredom. Here is a clear rejection of fatherhood. The Lord, like Hosea, is as a husband wronged and injured by infidelity.
Public humiliation was a standard punishment for adultery in the ancient world (2:3). Rather than follow that custom, however, Hosea sought to reclaim his wife. This is a picture of the Lord, who seeks to reclaim his people even when they forsake him.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:6 Therefore. This is the first of three “therefores” in this chapter (see vv. 9, 14). It is spoken in response to the mother’s uncontained lust. The eighth-century prophets (including Hosea) truly believed that Israel’s sins could be forgiven and the nation could be restored.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:8 she did not know. Israel’s failure to “know” the Lord is a key idea in the book (vv. 8; 4:1, 6; 5:4; 6:3; 8:2; 13:4, 5). that it was I who gave. Israel’s prosperity was a gift from the Lord, not from Baal.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:14–23 Hosea describes God’s plan to restore his “marriage” with Israel.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:14 With this third therefore (compare vv. 6, 9), it becomes clear that the reason Israel is punished is to bring her to repentance. allure . . . speak tenderly. The Lord will woo his estranged wife away from her adulterous lovers with the language of courtship (Ruth 2:13; Isa. 40:2).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:15 The Valley of Achor, where Achan was cursed (Josh. 7:25–26), will become a place for hope.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:16–17 you will call me “My Husband,” and no longer will you call me “My Baal.” The Hebrew word for “Baal” and one of the words for “husband” are virtually the same. Israel treated Baal (their false god) as if he were God (their covenant husband). In the future, they will know their true God.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:19 I will betroth you to me. The marriage agreement is established by paying a bride price to the bride’s father (2 Sam. 3:14). The bride price that the Lord will pay for Israel is righteousness, justice, steadfast love, and mercy. Only the Lord can offer such things (Ex. 34:6–7).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 2:21–23 And in that day, that is, when the marriage is again consummated, Israel’s former difficulties will be reversed: grain, wine, and oil will be replenished (compare vv. 5, 8–9). No Mercy will receive mercy (compare 1:6; 2:4), and Not My People will again be God’s people (compare 1:9).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 3:1–5 Hosea returns to his marriage, which is still an image for God and Israel. Israel’s hope, like Judah’s, lies with the house of David.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 3:1 Though the name of this woman is not stated, she is Gomer, Hosea’s wife. It is Israel, the adulteress, that the Lord pursues, not another people. Hosea is to retrieve his adulterous wife so that Israel will clearly know that the Lord still loves her, his spiritually unfaithful wife.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 3:2 Bought her probably means that Hosea redeemed Gomer from slavery, though the exact custom is unknown.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 3:3–4 You must dwell as mine has the force of a command. The separation of Gomer/Israel will lead to her purification, rededication, and renewal. This separation will mean giving up those things that led to Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness: king and prince, who failed in keeping Israel faithful to the Lord (see 1:4; 8:4); sacrifice, which they offered to the Baals (see 11:2; 13:1–2); the cult pillar (see 10:2), popular in Canaanite religion; the ephod, which was improperly used as a tool for magical ceremonies; and household gods, idols prohibited from Israel’s religion (Judg. 17:5; 2 Kings 23:24; Zech. 10:2). The Lord’s removing these things, far from being incompatible with his love, is a major aspect of it.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 3:5 To call David their king is significant for the northern kingdom, which has been rebelling against the house of David for two centuries. They must return in order to be full participants in God’s covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:8–16). It is from the house of David that the ultimate king for God’s people will come, as indicated by the term the latter days (see Isa. 2:2). God has a glorious future in store for his people.
Hosea ministered to the northern kingdom of Israel during the latter half of the eighth century B.C., the most difficult time the nation had ever faced. Israel had forsaken the Lord and was worshiping Baal instead. Hosea understood that this was why the Lord intended to judge the nation. God commanded Hosea to marry, but warned him that his wife would be unfaithful to him. Hosea married Gomer, who indeed became unfaithful to him. When Gomer left Hosea, God instructed him to reclaim her. This would be a sign to the people that, though their sins were shameful, the Lord still loved Israel, his spiritually unfaithful wife. Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, her unfaithfulness, and their eventual restoration were thus a parable of the Lord’s relationship to Israel. (Hosea 3:1–5)
HOSEA—NOTE ON 4:1–14:9 Accusations, Warnings, and Promises for Israel. In the rest of the book, Hosea details the aspects of Israel’s life that show her unfaithfulness to the Lord, urges her to repent, and reveals God’s commitment to his people, despite their unfaithfulness.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 4:1–19 The Lord continues to prosecute his case against unfaithful Israel.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 4:1–2 The Lord’s charges against Israel are presented in the vocabulary of a lawsuit (a controversy), a setting used by other eighth-century biblical prophets (compare Isa. 3:13–15; Mic. 6:2). The charges are offenses against God’s law, particularly violations of the Ten Commandments. Faithfulness and steadfast love are attributes of God in Ex. 34:6. Genuine knowledge of God in the hearts of his people will produce a character like his.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 4:5 Your mother is a reference to Israel (2:4–5). Hosea’s symbols of Israel include a mother, children, and a bride.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 4:6 The people are the focal point in this chapter (see vv. 1, 12, 15). God refers to them as “my people” throughout (vv. 8, 12). The priests were responsible for teaching the people God’s laws (see Lev. 10:11; Mal. 2:6–7), but they had failed miserably. As a result, the people lacked knowledge of God’s laws and his ways.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 4:10–11 they shall play the whore. By worshiping Baal.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 4:12–13 These verses describe breaking God’s laws by following Canaanite religious practices. inquire of a piece of wood. They would ask for guidance from an idol carved out of wood. led them astray. Like sheep following a wicked shepherd. Therefore your daughters play the whore. There is a connection between following a false religion (which is spiritual adultery, vv. 12–13a) and the immoral conduct (physical adultery) of the next generation (“Therefore,” v. 13b; compare v. 6). The parents turned away from God, and as a consequence he allowed their daughters and other young women (your brides) to stray into sexual immorality.
The piece of wood mentioned in 4:12 refers to the wooden idols worshiped by Canaanites. God’s people had sunk so low that they would even “inquire of a piece of wood” rather than seek guidance from the Lord.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 4:14 I will not punish your daughters. Perhaps spoken in sarcasm, as if to say, how can anyone blame them when the whole people is unfaithful? sacrifice with cult prostitutes. An unfaithful spouse is grouped alongside those who participate in sexual activity at pagan places of worship.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 4:15 Judah is warned not to follow Israel’s example, though eventually Judah did. Several shrines that might entice Judah are named.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 5:1–14 Israel’s rulers have led the way into unfaithfulness.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 5:1 Hear this, O priests . . . O house of Israel . . . O house of the king. Both royal and religious leaders are addressed. Mizpah in Gilead and Tabor, a mountain in the Valley of Jezreel, marked high points in Israel’s past. Mizpah was the home of Jephthah (Judg. 10:17; 11:33), and Tabor was the scene of Barak’s victory (Judg. 4:14). These revered sites became a net spread upon Tabor. The image of a net, a device used for catching birds, depicts the Israelites as the prey of priests and royalty.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 5:10 like those who move the landmark. To move a neighbor’s boundary marker is forbidden (Deut. 19:14; 27:17). Land-grabbing violates God’s intention that all the people are to enjoy the land he gave them, and it creates a wealthy, power-abusing class. my wrath like water. The word for “wrath” suggests the image of overflowing fury (compare Isa. 14:6).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound. Using physical infirmities to describe spiritual corruption is common in the OT prophets. Notice how frequently Hosea links Israel/Ephraim and Judah: 1:11; 4:15; 5:12–14; 6:4; 8:14; 10:11; 11:12.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 5:15–6:3 The Lord will “return” to his place, expecting the people to “return” to him.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 6:2 After two days he will revive us. Even after the punishment described in v. 1, the Lord can heal his people. on the third day he will raise us up. Hosea is not writing specifically about Jesus here, but this picture of Israel’s death and resurrection sets the pattern for what eventually will be accomplished in and through Christ (compare Luke 24:46).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 6:4–7:3 Israel’s sins are worse than simply violating the law: they repudiate the gracious covenant that is the foundation of their life and hope.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 6:5 my judgment goes forth as the light. God’s light exposes Israel’s idolatry.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 6:6 Rather than burnt offerings, God desires real participation in the covenant by his people, here expressed as steadfast love and knowledge of God (see note on Amos 4:4–5).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 6:7 But like Adam they transgressed the covenant. “Covenant” appears four other times in Hosea (2:18; 8:1; 10:4; 12:1). Twice it refers to breaking a covenant (6:7; 8:1). Israel is like Adam, who disobeyed God (Gen. 2:16–17; 3:17).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 7:2–3 The actions described in ch. 7 illustrate that Israel shows no sorrow for their sin. By their evil they make the king glad describes acts that please royalty, perhaps by assassinating potential rivals.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 7:4–16 Hosea compares Israel to an oven (vv. 4–7), a half-baked cake (vv. 8–10), a silly dove (vv. 11–12), and a treacherous bow (vv. 13–16), thus describing their passion for evil, their foolishness, and their uselessness.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 7:4–7 These verses compare adulterers with an oven. In v. 4, the heated oven represents a quiet passion that does not go out even though the baker ceases to stir the fire. In v. 6, the oven is a restrained passion that unexpectedly and violently erupts; it blazes like a flaming fire. In v. 7, the oven represents a consuming passion that will devour . . . rulers and all their kings. This may refer to the assassinations of four of the last six Israelite kings.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 7:8 mixes himself with the peoples. Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness has made it no different from the pagan nations. a cake not turned. That is, half-baked, not fit for eating.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 7:14–15 gash themselves. Probably to call on Baal (see 1 Kings 18:28).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 7:16 Egypt here represents all foreign powers but refers specifically to Israel’s time of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 1–12). Like other historical references in Hosea, the name mourns the reversal of Israel’s fortunes.
To describe the Israelites as a treacherous bow (7:16) means that they were undependable and even dangerous to those who relied on them. If a bow was improperly stored when not in use, the dry Mediterranean heat would make it brittle, causing it to snap and injure its user.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 8:1–14 The people of Israel may claim to know and love the Lord, but their deeds prove otherwise.
Worship God alone! Worship of the calf idol (8:6) violated the First and Second Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before me,” and “You shall not make . . . a carved image . . .” (Ex. 20:3–6). Believers are to worship the Creator God, rather than created things.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 8:1 The trumpet is a bugle used to alert the community to danger and summon it to religious festivals. The vulture is a symbol of an aggressor, possibly the Assyrians. House of the LORD probably refers here to the Lord’s land (compare 9:4, 15).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 8:2 Chapter 8 is a response to Israel’s cry. It is untrue for the people of Israel to say they know God (see 2:8; 5:4; 11:3). What follows are accusations that expose Israel’s idolatry, corrupt politics, and false worship.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 8:4 kings . . . princes. The leaders are not the Lord’s choice, and these rulers are not godly. I knew it not. The people had never asked God for guidance before choosing these leaders.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 8:5–6 I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. These verses respond to v. 3, “Israel has spurned the good.” As the calf-idol in Aaron’s day was pulverized, so this idol shall be broken to pieces (compare also 2 Kings 23:15).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 9:1–9 God will punish Israel by sending her people away from the land, to a place where they will not be able to make offerings to the Lord.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 9:3 The failure of crops is not the only outcome of Ephraim’s spiritual adultery; exile from the land is another consequence.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 9:6 they are going away from destruction. They think they are safe, but Egypt shall gather them. Other disasters are described in the rest of the verse.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 9:9 As in the days of Gibeah refers to the events in Judges 19–21, where God brings judgment on Gibeah and the tribe of Benjamin (Judg. 20:35) for their cruel violence (Judg. 19:22–26; compare Hos. 10:9).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 9:10–11:11 Hosea uses four more comparisons to describe Israel: grapes in the wilderness (9:10–17), a luxuriant vine (10:1–10), a trained calf (10:11–15), and a toddler (11:1–11), all of which stress God’s past care for them, their reckless ingratitude, and the unavoidable consequences.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 9:10 Like grapes in the wilderness. . . . Like the first fruit on the fig tree. The unexpected discovery of grapes in the desert or the first figs of the season is delightful. I saw your fathers. Another reference to the nation’s early history. But like Hosea’s marriage, that cherished relationship lasted for only a short time. they came to Baal-peor (see Num. 25:3; compare Ps. 106:28).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 9:14 A miscarrying womb would be the opposite of the fruitfulness the people sought in Baal worship.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 9:17 wanderers among the nations. They will be exiles.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 10:1–2 For the image of Israel as a vine, see Ps. 80:8–16; Jer. 2:21; Ezek. 15:1–8; 17:1–10. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built. That is, altars to Baal: the more Israel prospered, the more they sinned. It was just as Moses had warned (Deut. 8:11–14).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 10:9 the days of Gibeah. See note on 9:9. Israel is in much more trouble now than when the Benjaminites were punished at Gibeah.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 10:10 When I please, I will discipline them. Israel’s discipline and downfall comes from the Lord. To do this, God uses the nations that shall be gathered against them (see Isa. 10:5–6).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 10:11–13 Ephraim was a trained calf is another reference to Israel’s beginnings. Israel once loved to thresh in his field (see Deut. 25:4). But now the Israelites have plowed iniquity . . . reaped injustice. Therefore, the Lord must harness Ephraim so that she will sow the seeds of righteousness and plow and reap a crop of steadfast love (compare Hos. 8:7). Ignoring the prophet’s appeals will result in a military disaster.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son (see Ex. 4:22–23). Matthew 2:15 quotes this verse to show that Jesus is the “Son” of God, the heir of David who embodies Israel’s relationship to God (compare 2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 89:26–27). Hosea portrays the Lord not only as a husband but also as a father (compare Luke 15:11–32).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 11:2–4 The Lord never stopped loving Israel. Throughout their history, he taught Ephraim (that is, Israel) to walk, and he healed them, as a father does with his child. led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love. Many commentators think that in v. 4 the image changes to that of a kind farmer with his animals. He removes the yoke and leads the animal, not with harsh ropes (as in 10:11), but with light “cords” and “bands” to guide the animals to their food. Then the Lord, like a gentle farmer, even bent down and fed them. These kind acts provide the basis for a relationship of care, guidance, and obedience. Tragically, the Lord’s love was rejected: The more they were called, the more they went away.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 11:5–7 They shall not return . . . but Assyria. An alliance with Egypt will not save them from Assyria.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 11:8 How can I give you up? The Lord expresses his unfailing love (compare Isa. 49:15; Jer. 31:20). The Lord is filled with compassion, unlike the lifeless Baals. His affection is stronger than Israel’s ingratitude. He cannot bring himself to reject his people, even though they refuse him.
Admah and Zeboiim were destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18–19; see Deut. 29:23). Though God’s rebellious people often deserve the same fate, his compassion restrains him from destroying them (Hos. 11:8).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 11:10–11 His children shall come trembling . . . I will return them to their homes describes the return of a remnant of God’s people from exile.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 11:12–12:1 Ephraim has surrounded me with lies . . . but Judah still walks with God (11:12). Both Judah and the northern tribes (Ephraim) suffered lapses in fidelity to the Lord, but Judah, unlike Ephraim, had some good kings (in particular, Hezekiah). One of the highest points in Judah’s history was the victory over the Assyrians when Hezekiah was king (see 2 Kings 18–19, which was 20 years after the northern kingdom fell).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 12:2–14 Hosea recounts incidents from Israel’s past in order to display the Lord’s enduring kindness and Israel’s stubborn ingratitude.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 12:3–4 He strove with the angel and prevailed at Peniel (Gen. 32:24–31). There the angel touched Jacob’s hip socket and put it out of joint. That divine wounding made Jacob into a new man, Israel.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 12:5–8 Hosea again reminds Israel of their spiritual heritage. memorial name. See Ex. 3:15. God’s choosing of Israel is the reason Israel can now return and show love and justice to one another. But Israel’s deeds and words (Hos. 12:7–8) reveal they refuse to hold fast and wait continually for their God (v. 6).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 13:1–8 The man-made gods that Israel worships are nothing compared to their actual God, who is living, active, and true to his word.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 13:2 who offer human sacrifice. Child sacrifice was part of Baal worship (Isa. 57:5). kiss calves. Kissing is a way of showing submission (1 Kings 19:18). Calf worship was a problem throughout the history of Israel (see Exodus 32; 1 Kings 12).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 13:4–5 But I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt. This is a solemn statement that recalls Ex. 20:2. The passing work of the craftsmen who make idols (Hos. 13:2) is contrasted with the God who sustained Israel in the land of drought by his devoted care.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 13:7–8 lion . . . leopard . . . bear. Images of judgment (see 5:14; Amos 3:12).
The leopards found in Israel (13:7) were probably Arabian leopards, which weighed only 50 to 60 pounds (23 to 27 kg). They were solitary hunters, eating mostly rabbits, lizards, and occasionally gazelles. Today, there are probably only a few dozen leopards inhabiting the desert regions of Israel.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 13:9–16 Ephraim, by its stubborn refusal to return to the Lord, rejects the only hope that God offers. Three figures of judgment are pronounced in these verses: the incompetent king (vv. 10–11), the unborn child (vv. 13–14), and the withering wind of God (v. 15).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 13:12–13 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is kept in store probably suggests that Ephraim holds on to its sins and will not ask the Lord to forgive them. he does not present himself. Ephraim, in its refusal to repent and be healed, is likened to a baby who refuses to be born—which would be most unwise, since it would be fatal.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 13:14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? In the OT, “Sheol” is a proper name and can be a metaphor for the grave (e.g., 1 Kings 2:6; Ps. 141:7). It can also represent the wicked person’s grim destination after death (see Ps. 49:14–15). The parallel wording with Ps. 49:15 suggests that Hosea sees Ephraim’s “death” as leading to Sheol in the second sense of separation from God. Thus God asks himself whether he should rescue Ephraim from such consequences. O Death, where are your plagues? If the Lord is their strong deliverer, then not even death will be able to terrify them or harm them. In 1 Cor. 15:55 Paul cites part of Hos. 13:14. He views the general resurrection as God’s triumph over bodily death and eternal judgment for the faithful. Sadly, in Hosea’s time Israel rejects the only power that can save her. Thus compassion is hidden from God’s eyes, and Israel faces destruction (vv. 15–16).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 14:1–9 Hosea finishes his book with a series of moving appeals to the wayward northern kingdom to return to the Lord and find healing and covenant renewal.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 14:2–3 Take with you words means to know ahead of time what you will say. Hosea then gives the words of confession the people should use before the Lord (vv. 2b–3). These verses include covenant terms that express God’s grace and the people’s gratitude. Take away all iniquity recalls Ex. 34:7 (“forgiving”; compare Ps. 32:5). Pay with bulls the vows of our lips probably describes peace offerings (see Ex. 24:5; Num. 7:88), in which the grateful worshiper enjoys a meal in God’s presence. This is what Israel can expect if they return to the LORD.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 14:4 Astounding promises follow the calls to repentance to encourage Israel to return. The Lord will heal their apostasy. As noted in 5:13–14, the prophets often depict sin as a sickness and renewal as healing.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 14:5 Dew was an important source of water for Israel.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 14:6 his shoots shall spread out. An expanding kingdom is like the growth of a great tree: Israel’s original calling was to spread its influence through the whole world.
HOSEA—NOTE ON 14:7 they shall flourish like the grain . . . like the vine . . . like the wine. Israel again becomes a choice vine, which was her purpose from the beginning (compare 10:1). The landscape described here is an Eden-like paradise, illustrating covenant renewal (compare 2:14–23).
HOSEA—NOTE ON 14:9 The Lord is justified in punishing Israel for ingratitude and covenant breaking. Yet there is a final appeal for the wise, who understand (compare 4:14). Most of the book has addressed Ephraim as a corporate body, but these terms focus on the response of individual Israelites. There are some in Israel who really understand the grace that God offers in his covenant.