Hosea 14:4

‘I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from him.'

YHWH's response will then be that He will heal their backsliding and love them freely, because in view of their full ‘return', His anger will be turned away from them. There will be full reconciliation. Their ‘backsliding' has been briefly defined in Hosea 14:2 which described what they have returned to Him from, and what is contained in those verses has been described in more detail throughout the prophecy. It had resulted in their total disregard for Him in the normal course of life. But now all that will be changed as a result of their new response to Him. Note the need for their backsliding to be ‘healed'. Only God could enable them to be truly restored from their backsliding, (compare Jeremiah 31:31; Ezekiel 36:25). It would require a new heart and a new spirit. Alternately the thought may be that they will be healed from the consequences of their backsliding.

As a result He will ‘love them freely', that is He will love them willingly and plentifully, with no restraint, with the responsive and overwhelming love of the lover. The result of this love is then expanded on. It is recounted in three descriptions of the blessing that they will receive, each of which is in three parts, and is expressed in the context of Lebanon, a familiar theme in the Song of Solomon (see Song of Solomon 3:9; Song of Solomon 4:8; Song of Solomon 4:11; Song of Solomon 4:15; Song of Solomon 5:15; Song of Solomon 7:4). The mountains of Lebanon were mountains that experienced almost continual dew and were always fresh and fruitbearing. Thus being ‘as Lebanon' was looked on as having achieved the ultimate in fruitfulness and blessing. They will put down strong roots like those in Lebanon, they will give off delightful scents like those in Lebanon, and their taste will be like that of the vines of Lebanon.