Hosea 1

Chapter context

What is happening in Hosea 1?

covenant loveidolatryjudgmentmercy

Hosea 1 belongs to the opening movement of the book, especially the section often described as symbolic marriage and children. Hosea uses marriage, broken love, judgment, and healing to expose idolatry and proclaim God’s astonishing steadfast mercy. Read this chapter with the wider themes of covenant love, idolatry, and judgment in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ The word of the LORD that came unto 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 unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. ³ So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. ⁴ And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon 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 bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. ⁷ But I will have mercy upon 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 bare a son. ⁹ Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye 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 unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye 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.

Study helps

Glossary

Beeri Person v. 1: Illustrious, or the well-man. (1. ) The father of Judith, one of the wives of Esau ( Gen. 26:34 ), the same as Adah ( Gen. 36:2 ). (2. ) The father of the prophet Hosea (1:1).
Hezekiah Person v. 1: Whom Jehovah has strengthened. (1. ) Son of Ahaz ( 2 Kings 18:1 ; 2 Chr. 29:1 ), whom he succeeded on the throne of the kingdom of Judah. He reigned twenty-nine years (B. C. 726-697).
Hosea Person v. 1-2: Salvation, the son of Beeri, and author of the book of prophecies bearing his name. He belonged to the kingdom of Israel.
Jeroboam Person v. 1: Increase of the people. (1. ) The son of Nebat ( 1 Kings 11:26-39 ), “an Ephrathite,” the first king of the ten tribes, over whom he reigned twenty-two years (B. C. 976-945).
Joash Person v. 1: Whom Jehovah bestowed. (1. ) A contracted form of Jehoash, the father of Gideon ( Judg. 6:11 , 29; 8:13, 29, 32). (2. ) One of the Benjamite archers who joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:3 ).
Diblaim Person v. 3: Doubled cakes, the mother of Gomer, who was Hosea’s wife ( Hos. 1:3 ).
Jehu Person v. 4: Jehovah is he. (1. ) The son of Obed, and father of Azariah ( 1 Chr. 2:38 ). (2. ) One of the Benjamite slingers that joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:3 ).
Jezreel Place v. 4, 11: God scatters. (1. ) A town of Issachar ( Josh. 19:18 ), where the kings of Israel often resided ( 1 Kings 18:45 ; 21:1 ; 2 Kings 9:30 ). Modern identification: Tel Yizre’el.
Bow Tribe v. 5, 7: The bow was in use in early times both in war and in the chase ( Gen. 21:20 ; 27:3 ; 48:22 ). The tribe of Benjamin were famous for the use of the bow ( 1 Chr. 8:40 ; 12:2 ; 2 Chr. 14:8 ; 17:17 ); so also were the Elamites.
Valley of Jezreel Place v. 5: Biblical valley. Modern identification: Jezreel Valley.