1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take to you a wife of prostitutions and children of prostitutions: for the land has committed great prostitution, departing from the LORD.

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bore him a son.

4 And the LORD said to him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel.

6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And God said to him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.

9 Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for you are not my people, and I will not be your God.

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, there it shall be said to them, You are the sons of the living God.

11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

Hosea. Hebrew. Hoshe’a’ = Salvation.

Beeri. Jewish tradition identifies Be’eri with Be’erah, of Reuben ( 1Ch 5:6). Christian tradition makes Hosea of Issachar. Both names are symbolical, like the other names in this hook. This clause not "evidently inserted by a later hand", as alleged.

Uzziah. See note on p. 1208.

Jeroboam: i.e. Jeroboam II, the last king hut one of the house of Jehu. See note on 2Ki 10:30; 2Ki 14:23-29. This carries us hack to the first fourteen years of Uzziah’s long reign. See notes on p. 1208, for the significance of Jeroboam’s name here.

The beginning, &c. This may be understood not merely of Hosea’sprophecies, but as referring to the fact that Hosea was the first (canonically) of fifteen prophets included in the Hebrew canon. See App-77.

by = in, as in Num 12:6, Num 12:8. Hab 2:1. Zec 1:9, i.e. through.

a wife of whoredoms: i.e. a woman of the northern kingdom, and therefore regarded as an idolatress.

whoredoms = idolatries. The one term is used for the other by Figure of speech Metonymy (of the Subject), App-6, because both were characterized by unfaithfulness; the former to a husband, and the latter to Jehovah, Who sustained that relation to Israel ( Jer 31:32). Compare 2Ki 9:22. 2Ch 21:13. Jer 3:2. Eze 16:17-35; Eze 20:30; Eze 23:3, Eze 23:7, Eze 23:43. Nah 3:4. See Hos 4:2, Hos 4:12; Hos 5:3, Hos 5:4; Hos 6:10; Hos 7:4, &c.

and = and [beget].

children = offspring. Hebrew. yalad. The mother is symbolical of the kingdom, and the offspring of the people.

for the land, &c. Note this reason ( Hos 1:4-9) above): which explains what is meant by, and gives the interpretation of, "whoredoms". Reference to Pentateuch ( Exo 34:16. Lev 17:7; Lev 20:5. Num 15:39. Deu 31:16). App-92.

land. Hebrew. ’eretz = earth. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Whole), App-6, for the land of Israel. Rendered "land" in Hos 4:1. Compare Joe 1:2, &c.

departing, &c. Compare Hos 4:10; Hos 7:8; Hos 8:11, Hos 8:14; Hos 10:1; Hos 12:14; Hos 13:9.

from = from after.

Gomer = completion (i.e. the filling up the measure of idolatry).

Diblaim = a double cake of figs, symbolical of sensual pleasure.

Jezreel. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia (App-6) between Israel ( Hos 1:1) and Jezreel (Hebrew. Yisra’el and Yizr! eel). The name is prophetic of coming judgment (see Hos 1:5) and future mercy. Jezreel is a Homonym, having two meanings: (1) may GOD scatter ( Jer 31:10); and (2) may GOD sow ( Zec 10:9). These bind up the two prophetic announcements. Jezreel, the fruitful field, had been defiled with blood ( 2Ki 9:16, 2Ki 9:25, 2Ki 9:33; 2Ki 10:11, 2Ki 10:14), and Israel shall be scattered, and sown among the nations; but, when God’s counsels are ripe, Israel shall be resown in their own land (See Hos 2:22, Hos 2:23).

a little while. See the fulfillment in Hos 10:14.

will avenge = shall have visited.

blood = blood-guiltiness.

Jezreel. Here, it is used of the valley where the blood was shed.

the house of Jehu. Jehu had carried out the judgment of God on the house of Ahab, because it accorded with his own will; but he was guilty of murder, because it was not executed purely according to the will of God. He would have disobeyed if it had not served his own interest. This is seen from the fact that he practiced Jeroboam’s idolatries, for which Ahab had been judged.

cause to cease, &c. This was fulfilled in 611 B.C. (App-50.) See 2Ki 18:11.

at that day: i.e. the day of 2Ki 18:11.

bow. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of the Adjunct), App-6, for the armies of Israel.

God. Supply "Jehovah" from the preceding verses.

Lo-ruhamah = not compassionated. Rendered "not beloved" in Rom 9:25, and "not having obtained mercy" in 1Pe 2:10. These latter are the Holy Spirit’s Divine interpretation of His own prophecy.

take them away. Supply the Ellipsis, "take away [the kingdom which belongs] to them".

them. Hebrew. lahem = to them.

Judah. Hos 1:7 is not an "interpolation", but is a definite and distinctive contrast with the prophecy concerning Israel.

by the LORD their God = by (Jehovah their Elohim: i.e. the Messiah, or the angel of Jehovah. See 2Ki 19:35. But it looks forward to the future fulfillment, which will exhaust the prophecy in the destruction of Antichrist ( Isa 11:4. 2Th 2:8, &c).

Lo-ammi = Not My people.

I will not be your God = I am not "I am" to you.

your = to you. Hebrew. lakem.

In the Hebrew text, Hos 2commences here.

the number, &c. Reference to Pentateuch ( Gen 22:17; Gen 32:12).

children = sons. Not fulfilled in any other People, now, but will yet be, in the future, of Israel.

as the sand, &c. Figure of speech Paroemia. App-6. See note on Hos 13:16.

cannot be measured, &c. Reference to Pentateuch ( Num 23:10).

it shall come to pass, &c. Hos 1:10 is not "in glaring contradiction" to Hos 1:9, but it marks the contrast between the latter (and yet future state), and the past. See the Structure, p. 1209.

ye are not My People = No People of Mine are ye. Hebrew. Lo-’ammi ’attem. Quoted in Rom 9:25, not of the Gentiles, but as an illustration of what may be true in their case as it will he in Israel’s. In 1Pe 2:10 the address is to the Diaspora: i.e. the "scattered strangers" of Israel, who are now afar off". Compare Dan 9:7. Act 2:32.

the living GOD. Always used in contrast with false gods, which have no life. Compare 1Th 1:9, &c.

be gathered together = be gathered out. See Isa 11:12, Isa 11:13. Jer 3:18. Eze 37:16-24.

one head. Zerubbabel was only a typical anticipation, for under him only Judah returned. This refers to a future reunion ( Jer 23:5, Jer 23:6. Eze 34:23).

one. Hebrew. ’echad. See note on Deu 6:4.

the land. Supply the Ellipsis: "the land [of their dispersion ]. "

Jezreel. Here used in the sense: "GOD will sow". See note on Hos 1:4; and Compare Hos 2:23. Referring to the day of Israel’s restoration as being "life from the dead" ( Rom 11:15). Compare Jer 24:6; Jer 31:28; Jer 32:41. Amo 9:15.