Hosea 2:2-13

2 "Plead with your mother. Accuse her, because she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to stop acting like a prostitute, to stop behaving like an unfaithful wife.
3 If she refuses, I will strip her naked and leave her bare like the day she was born. I will make her dry like a desert, like a land without water, and I will kill her with thirst.
4 I will not take pity on her children, because they are the children of a prostitute.
5 Their mother has acted like a prostitute; the one who became pregnant with them has acted disgracefully. She said, 'I will chase after my lovers, who give me my food and water, wool and flax, wine and olive oil.'
6 So I will block her road with thornbushes; I will build a wall around her so she cannot find her way.
7 She will run after her lovers, but she won't catch them. She will look for them, but she won't find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my first husband, because life was better then for me than it is now.'
8 But she does not know that I was the one who gave her grain, new wine, and oil. I gave her much silver and gold, but she used it for Baal.
9 "So I will come back and take away my grain at harvest time and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my wool and linen that covered her nakedness.
10 So I will show her nakedness to her lovers, and no one will save her from me.
11 I will put an end to all her celebrations: her yearly festivals, her New Moon festivals, and her Sabbaths. I will stop all of her special feasts.
12 I will destroy her vines and fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers. I will turn them into a forest, and wild animals will eat them.
13 I will punish her for all the times she burned incense to the Baals. She put on her rings and jewelry and went chasing after her lovers, but she forgot me!" says the Lord.

Hosea 2:2-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HOSEA 2

This chapter is an explanation of the former, proceeding upon the same argument in more express words. The godly Israelites are here called upon to lay before the body of the people their idolatry, ingratitude, obstinacy, and ignorance of the God of their mercies; and to exhort them to repentance, lest they should be stripped of all their good things, and be brought into great distress and difficulties; all their joy and comfort cease, and be exposed to shame and contempt, Ho 2:1-13, yet, notwithstanding, many gracious promises are made unto them, of their having the alluring and comfortable word of the Gospel; of a door of hope; of salvation being opened to them; of faith in the Lord, and affection to him as their husband; of the removal of all idolatry from them; of safety from all enemies; of their open espousal to Christ; of his hearing of their prayers, and giving them plenty of all good things; and of their multiplication, conversion, and covenant relation to God, Ho 2:14-23.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.