‘And YHWH said to me, “Go again, love a woman beloved of her friend, and an adulteress, even as YHWH loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.” There is no reason for thinking that this wife was Gomer, who may well by this time have been dead. Rather H... [ Continue Reading ]
HOSEA IS CALLED ON TO TAKE ANOTHER WOMAN AS WIFE WHO WAS AN ADULTERESS, BUT WAS NOT TO HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH HER. THIS WAS AS A SIGN THAT ISRAEL TOO WAS TO LOSE HER RELATIONSHIP WITH YHWH, ALTHOUGH IN THE LATTER DAYS THAT POSITION WOULD BE REVERSED (HOSEA 3:1). There are no grounds for thinking... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley,' This may signify the bridal price. Or it may indicate that she was a bondslave and therefore had to be redeemed. Hosea's treatment of her would suggest the latter. No father would have given his... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And I said to her, “You shall abide for me many days; you will not play the harlot, and you will not be any man's wife, so will I also be toward you.” Then Hosea informed her of the terms of the marriage. She would have to dwell with him and wait many days before he would come in to her. And in th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For the children of Israel will abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim,' Israel's desolate state would be indicated by the fact that she would be bereft of all outward symbols of her previous religious activity, and... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Afterward will the children of Israel return, and seek YHWH their God, and David their king, and will come with fear to YHWH and to his goodness in the latter days.' However, there will come a time when Israel do return (in repentance; compare Deuteronomy 4:30) and seek YHWH their God and David th... [ Continue Reading ]