English Standard Version
Hosea 3:1
1And the Lord said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins."
Hosea 3:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”
Context of Hosea 3:1
And the Lord said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins." 2So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. 3And I said to her, "You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you."
Read all of Hosea 3Hosea 3:1 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י ע֚וֹד לֵ֣ךְ אֱֽהַב־אִשָּׁ֔ה אֲהֻ֥בַת רֵ֖עַ וּמְנָאָ֑פֶת כְּאַהֲבַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהֵ֗ם פֹּנִים֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וְאֹהֲבֵ֖י אֲשִׁישֵׁ֥י עֲנָבִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- unto me, Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- yet, loveאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
- a womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- friendרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
- yet an adulteressנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
- according to the loveאַהֲבָה'ahăbâh · loveH160
- toward the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- who lookפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
- to otherאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
- godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- flagonsאֲשִׁישָׁה'ăshîyshâh · raisin bunH809
- of wineעֵנָב‛ênâb · grapeH6025
Cross-references for Hosea 3:1
- Hosea 1:2When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord."
- Jeremiah 3:1"If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the Lord.
- Matthew 26:50Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you came to do." Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
- Hosea 11:8How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.
- Deuteronomy 7:6"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
- Judges 10:16So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.
- 2 Kings 13:23But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.
- Nehemiah 9:18Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great blasphemies,
- Psalms 106:43Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.
- Jeremiah 31:20Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the Lord.
- Micah 7:18Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
- Zechariah 1:16Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.
- Luke 1:54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
- Psalms 123:2Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.
- Isaiah 17:7In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 45:22"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
Commentaries on Hosea 3:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Go ye, love a woman - This is a different command from that mentioned in the first chapter. That denoted the infidelity of the kingdom of Israel, and God's divorce of them. He gave them up to their enemies, and caused them to be carried into captivity. The woman mentioned here represents one who was a lawful wife joining herself to a paramour; then divorced by her husband; afterwards repenting, and desirous to be joined to her spouse; ceasing from her…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Go yet, love a woman, beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress - This woman is the same Gomer, whom the prophet had before been bidden to take, and whom, (it appears from this verse) had forsaken him, and was living in adultery with another man. The “friend” is the husband himself, the prophet. The word “friend” expresses, that the husband of Gomer treated her, not harshly, but mildly and tenderly so that her faithlessness was the more aggravated sin…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The prophet enters into a new contract, representing the gracious manner in which God will again restore Israel under a new covenant. Verses 1-3 The dislike of men to true religion is because they love objects and forms, which allow them to indulge, instead of mortifying their lusts. How wonderful that a holy God should have good-will to those whose carnal mind is enmity against Him! Here is represented God's gracious dealings with the fallen race of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Go show love to your wife again, though she: The Lord commanded Hosea to love his wife again, even though she had strayed. This act served as a testimony that the Lord promised to restore wayward Israel. to offer raisin cakes to idols: The worship of Asherah, a Canaanite fertility goddess, often included offerings of raisin cakes.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-5The prophet is to take back his wife, though unfaithful, as foretold in Ho 1:2. He purchases her from her paramour, stipulating she should wait for a long period before she should be restored to her conjugal rights. So Israel is to live for a long period without her ancient rites of religion, and yet be free from idolatry; then at last she shall acknowledge Messiah, and know Jehovah's goodness restored to her. 1. Go yet--"Go again," referring to Ho 1:2…Read the comment
Topics related to Hosea 3:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hosea 3
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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