Berean Standard Bible
Hosea 2:7
7She will pursue her lovers but not catch them; she will seek them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will return to my first husband, for then I was better off than now.’
Hosea 2:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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.
- New International Version (NIV)She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, 'I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)She will chase her lovers, But not overtake them; Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, For then it was better for me than now.’
Context of Hosea 2:7
5For their mother has played the harlot and has conceived them in disgrace. For she thought, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me bread and water, wool and linen, oil and drink.’ 6Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her path with thorns; I will enclose her with a wall, so she cannot find her way. She will pursue her lovers but not catch them; she will seek them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will return to my first husband, for then I was better off than now.’ 8For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold— which they crafted for Baal. 9Therefore I will take back My grain in its time and My new wine in its season; I will take away My wool and linen, which were given to cover her nakedness.
Read all of Hosea 2Hosea 2:7 word by word
וְרִדְּפָ֤ה אֶת־מְאַהֲבֶ֙יהָ֙ וְלֹֽא־תַשִּׂ֣יג אֹתָ֔ם וּבִקְשָׁ֖תַם וְלֹ֣א תִמְצָ֑א וְאָמְרָ֗ה אֵלְכָ֤ה וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ אֶל־אִישִׁ֣י הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לִ֛י אָ֖ז מֵעָֽתָּה׃Read the interlinear
- She will pursueרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- her loversאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
- but notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- catchנָשַׂגnâώag · to overtakeH5381
- she will seek themבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- find themמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- Then she will sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Then she will sayהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
- I will returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- toאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- my firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
- husbandאִישׁ'îysh · man: husbandH376
- forכִּיkîy · forH3588
- thenאָז'âz · thenH227
- I was better offטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- than nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
Cross-references for Hosea 2:7
- Hosea 5:13When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.
- 2 Chronicles 28:20Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him.
- Isaiah 30:2They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.
- Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.
- Jeremiah 2:28But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.
- Jeremiah 30:12For this is what the LORD says: “Your injury is incurable; your wound is grievous.
- Ezekiel 20:32When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.
- Ezekiel 23:22Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will incite your lovers against you, those from whom you turned away in disgust. And I will bring them against you from every side—
- Hosea 5:15Then I will return to My place until they admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
- Hosea 6:1Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds.
- Hosea 14:1Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity.
- Psalms 116:7Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
- Jeremiah 3:22“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.
- Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.
- Jeremiah 50:4“In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the LORD their God.
- Lamentations 3:40Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
Commentaries on Hosea 2:7
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-13Verses 6-13 God threatens what he would do with this treacherous, idolatrous people. They did not turn, therefore all this came upon them; and it is written for admonition to us. If lesser difficulties be got over, God will raise greater. The most resolute in sinful pursuits, are commonly most crossed in them. The way of God and duty is often hedged about with thorns, but we have reason to think it is a sinful way that is hedged up with thorns. Crosses…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-7Therefore: The initial Hebrew word of Hosea 2:6 (also of 2:9 and 2:14) introduces God’s judgment on Israel. Because of her idolatry, the Lord would limit Israel’s access to the Canaanite fertility gods. Like an aggressive prostitute, she will chase her lovers, but she will not find them. In the end, Israel will realize it is better to return to her rightful husband.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-76-7. thorns ... wall--(Job 19:8; La 3:7, 9). The hindrances which the captivity interposed between Israel and her idols. As she attributes all her temporal blessings to idols, I will reduce her to straits in which, when she in vain has sought help from false gods, she will at last seek Me as her only God and Husband, as at the first (Is 54:5; Jr 3:14; Eze 16:8). then--before Israel's apostasy, under Jeroboam. The way of duty is hedged about with thorns…Read the comment
Topics related to Hosea 2:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hosea 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Berean Standard Bible — © Berean Bible — CC0 / Public Domain
Commentaries