Revised Literal Translation
Hosea 2:7
7And 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.
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 hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. 6Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. 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. 8For she did not know that I gave her grain, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. 9Therefore will I return, and take away my grain in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax 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
- 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 5:13When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
- 2 Chronicles 28:20And Tilgath–pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
- Isaiah 30:2That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
- Isaiah 31:1Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Yhwh!
- Jeremiah 2:28But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.
- Jeremiah 30:12For thus saith Yhwh, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.
- Ezekiel 20:32And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
- Ezekiel 23:22Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord Yhwh; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side;
- Hosea 5:15I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.
- Hosea 6:1Come, and let us return unto Yhwh: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
- Hosea 14:1O Israel, return unto Yhwh thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
- Psalms 116:7Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for Yhwh hath dealt bountifully with thee.
- Jeremiah 3:22Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art Yhwh our God.
- Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Yhwh my God.
- Jeremiah 50:4In those days, and in that time, saith Yhwh, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek Yhwh their God.
- Lamentations 3:40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yhwh.
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries