Hosea 2

King James Version

Full text for Hosea Chapter 2

1¶ Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

2Plead with your mother, plead: for she [is] not my wife, neither [am] I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

3Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

4And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they [be] the children of whoredoms.

5For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give [me] my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

6¶ Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

7And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find [them]: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then [was it] better with me than now.

8For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, [which] they prepared for Baal.

9Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax [given] to cover her nakedness.

10And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.

11I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.

12And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These [are] my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.

13And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

14¶ Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

15And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

16And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, [that] thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.

17For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

18And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and [with] the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

19And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

20I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

21And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;

22And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.

23And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to [them which were] not my people, Thou [art] my people; and they shall say, [Thou art] my God.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Hosea 2 portrays God's judgment and subsequent restoration of Israel, depicted as an unfaithful wife. God threatens to strip her bare and remove her blessings because she attributed them to false gods. However, He also promises to allure her into the wilderness, speak comfort, and restore her, betrothing her anew in righteousness and mercy. Ultimately, He will re-establish His covenant, transforming her from "not my people" to "my people."

Medium Summary

In Hosea 2, the LORD addresses Israel as an unfaithful wife, commanding her children to plead with her to abandon her idolatry, or face severe consequences like desolation and the loss of divine mercy. She is accused of pursuing "lovers" (false gods) for provisions, unaware that the LORD Himself provided her corn, wine, oil, silver, and gold. As a result, God declares He will hedge up her way, remove her blessings, and expose her lewdness, causing her mirth and feasts to cease. Yet, a profound shift occurs as the LORD promises to allure her into the wilderness, speak comforting words, and restore her vineyards, transforming the valley of Achor into a door of hope. He will betroth her to Himself forever in righteousness, judgment, lovingkindness, and faithfulness, establishing a new covenant of peace and declaring those who were "not my people" to be His own.

Long Summary

Hosea 2 begins with a divine command for Israel's children to confront their mother, representing the nation, to cease her spiritual adultery and idolatry. The LORD declares He is no longer her husband due to her pursuit of "lovers" (Baalim and other false gods), to whom she falsely attributed her provisions. He threatens severe judgment, including stripping her naked, making her desolate like a wilderness, and withholding mercy from her children, who are born of her unfaithfulness. The LORD vows to obstruct her path, making it impossible for her to find her lovers, causing her to realize that her former state with Him was better. He reveals that He was the true provider of her corn, wine, oil, silver, and gold, which she shamefully used for Baal worship. Consequently, God promises to reclaim these blessings, expose her lewdness before her lovers, and bring an end to her festive celebrations and perceived prosperity. He will destroy her vines and fig trees, which she believed were rewards from her idols, and visit upon her the consequences of her idolatrous past. However, the chapter dramatically shifts to a message of profound restoration. The LORD declares He will allure Israel into the wilderness, speaking tenderly to her heart. He promises to restore her vineyards and transform the "valley of Achor" into a "door of hope," enabling her to sing as in the days of her youth. In that day, she will call Him "Ishi" (my husband) instead of "Baali," as the names of Baalim will be removed from her memory. A new covenant will be established, bringing peace with all creation and an end to war. The LORD will betroth Israel to Himself eternally in righteousness, justice, lovingkindness, mercies, and faithfulness, ensuring she will truly know Him. This restoration will bring fertility to the land, and God will extend mercy to those who had not received it, affirming His covenant relationship with Israel and her acknowledgment of Him as their God.

Core Concepts

  • Spiritual AdulteryIsrael's unfaithfulness to the LORD by worshipping false gods, particularly Baal, is consistently depicted as a wife's whoredom and adultery against her husband.
  • Divine JudgmentGod's response to Israel's idolatry, involving the removal of blessings, exposure of her shame, and desolation, intended to bring her to repentance.
  • False Attribution of BlessingsIsrael's error in crediting her prosperity (corn, wine, oil, silver, gold) to her "lovers" (Baal) instead of acknowledging the LORD as the true provider.
  • The Wilderness as RestorationA symbolic return to a state of dependence and intimacy with God, where He will speak comfortably to Israel and initiate her renewal.
  • New Betrothal and CovenantGod's promise to re-establish His relationship with Israel, betrothing her forever in righteousness, mercy, and faithfulness, and making a covenant of peace with all creation.
  • Transformation of NamesThe shift from Israel calling God "Baali" (my master/Baal) to "Ishi" (my husband), signifying a restored, intimate relationship free from idolatrous associations.
  • "Not My People" to "My People"The ultimate restoration where God declares mercy upon those who had not obtained it, affirming His covenant relationship with Israel and her acknowledgment of Him as God.