Hosea 2:7

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 committed prostitution; She who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’ 6Therefore, behold, I will obstruct her way with thorns, And I will build a stone wall against her so that she cannot find her paths. And she will pursue her lovers, but she will not reach them; And she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband, Because it was better for me then than now!’ 8“Yet she does not know that it was I myself who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, And lavished on her silver and gold, Which they used for Baal. 9Therefore, I will take back My grain at harvest time And My new wine in its season. I will also take away My wool and My flax That I gave to cover her nakedness.

Hosea 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

• pursueרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• her loversאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
• but she will not reachנָשַׂגnâώag · to overtakeH5381
• And she will seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• them, but will not findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• Then she will sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I will goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• backשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
• husbandאִישׁ'îysh · man: husbandH376
• Becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• for me thenאָז'âz · thenH227
• thanמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258

Cross-references for Hosea 2:7

• Hosea 5:13When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah his sore, Ephraim then went to Assyria And sent word to King Jareb. But he is unable to heal you, Or to cure you of your sore.
• 2 Chronicles 28:20So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him.
• Isaiah 30:2Who proceed down to Egypt Without consulting Me, To take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh, And to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
• Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!
• Jeremiah 2:28But where are your gods Which you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you In the time of your trouble! For as many as the number of your cities Are your gods, Judah.
• Jeremiah 30:12“For this is what the Lord says: ‘Your broken limb is irreparable, And your wound is incurable.
• Ezekiel 20:32And whatever comes into your mind certainly will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, serving wood and stone.’
• Ezekiel 23:22“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold I am going to incite your lovers against you, from whom you turned away in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side:
• Hosea 5:15I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their distress they will search for Me.
• Hosea 6:1“Come, let’s return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
• Hosea 14:1Return, Israel, to the Lord your God, For you have stumbled because of your wrongdoing.
• Psalms 116:7Return to your rest, my soul, For the Lord has dealt generously with you.
• Jeremiah 3:22“Return, you faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You; For You are the Lord our God.
• Jeremiah 31:18I have certainly heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was corrected, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the Lord my God.
• Jeremiah 50:4“In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord, “the sons of Israel will come, they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God whom they will seek.
• Lamentations 3:40Let’s examine and search out our ways, And let’s return 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

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Repentance

In the dictionaries

• Hedge
• Thorn
• Hosea
• Lover
• Song of Songs
• Zechariah, Book of

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