New International Version
Hosea 2:7
7She 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.’
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.
- 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.’
- New Living Translation (NLT)When she runs after her lovers, she won’t be able to catch them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, ‘I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now.’
Context of Hosea 2:7
5Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace. She said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.’ 6Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. 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.’ 8She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold— which they used for Baal. 9“Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens, and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my wool and my linen, intended to cover her naked body.
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And she shall followרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
- after her loversאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
- but she shall not overtakeנָשַׂגnâώag · to overtakeH5381
- them; and she shall seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- them, but shall not findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- then shall she sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I will goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- and returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- to my firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
- husbandאִישׁ'îysh · man: husbandH376
- betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- with me than nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
Cross-references for Hosea 2:7
- Hosea 5:13“When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores.
- 2 Chronicles 28:20Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came to him, but he gave him trouble instead of help.
- Isaiah 30:2who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.
- Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.
- Jeremiah 2:28Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns.
- Jeremiah 30:12“This is what the Lord says: “ ‘Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing.
- Ezekiel 20:32“ ‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen.
- Ezekiel 23:22“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side—
- Hosea 5:15Then I will return to my lair until they have borne their guilt and seek my face— in their misery they will earnestly seek me.”
- Hosea 6:1“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.
- Hosea 14:1Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!
- Psalms 116:7Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.
- Jeremiah 3:22“Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” “Yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God.
- Jeremiah 31:18“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the Lord my God.
- Jeremiah 50:4“In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God.
- Lamentations 3:40Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us 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
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
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