Hosea 3:3

3 et dixi ad eam dies multos expectabis me non fornicaberis et non eris viro sed et ego expectabo te

Hosea 3:3 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 3:3

And I said unto her
Having bought or hired her; this was the covenant or agreement he made with her, thou shall abide for me many days;
dwell alone in some solitary and separate place, and have no conversation with any, especially with men; live like a widow that has lost her husband, and so wait for a long time till the prophet should think fit to take her to his house and bed: thou shall not play the harlot, and thou shall not be for another man;
neither prostitute herself, as she had done to her lovers; nor marry another, but keep herself chaste and single: so will I also be for thee;
wait for thee, and not take another wife; or will be thy husband, after having made proper trial and full proof of thy conduct and behaviour: the Targum paraphrases it thus;

``say, O prophet, to her, O congregation of Israel, your sins are the cause that you are carried captive many days; ye shall give yourselves to my worship and not err, nor serve idols, and even I will have mercy on you.''

The whole is explained in the following words:

Hosea 3:3 In-Context

1 et dixit Dominus ad me adhuc vade dilige mulierem dilectam amico et adulteram sicut diligit Dominus filios Israhel et ipsi respectant ad deos alienos et diligunt vinacea uvarum

2 et fodi eam mihi quindecim argenteis et choro hordei et dimidio choro hordei

3 et dixi ad eam dies multos expectabis me non fornicaberis et non eris viro sed et ego expectabo te

4 quia dies multos sedebunt filii Israhel sine rege et sine principe et sine sacrificio et sine altari et sine ephod et sine therafin

5 et post haec revertentur filii Israhel et quaerent Dominum Deum suum et David regem suum et pavebunt ad Dominum et ad bonum eius in novissimo dierum