New International Version
Hosea 3:1
1The 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.”
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- 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
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.” 2So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. 3Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward 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 began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”
- Jeremiah 3:1“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers— would you now return to me?” declares the Lord.
- Matthew 26:50Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
- Hosea 11:8“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.
- Deuteronomy 7:6For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
- Judges 10:16Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.
- 2 Kings 13:23But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.
- Nehemiah 9:18even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.
- Psalms 106:43Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin.
- Jeremiah 31:20Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the Lord.
- Micah 7:18Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
- Zechariah 1:16“Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty.
- Luke 1:54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
- Psalms 123:2As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.
- Isaiah 17:7In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 45:22“Turn to me and be saved, all you 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
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