Hosea 14

¹⁴ We may think that verses 1–2 apply only to ancient Israel. But many modern societies today fit this description all too well.

¹⁵ Beth Aven, which means “house of wickedness,” is Hosea’s sarcastic name for Bethel (house of God), where Israel’s first king had established calf worship two centuries earlier (see 1 Kings 12:2830).

¹⁶ Ephraim was the most prominent tribe of the northern kingdom; its name became a synonym for Israel.

swept away by the whirlwind, the Asbring them shame instead of the blessings syrians. The Israelites’ false sacrifices will they had hoped for (verse 19).

¹⁷ For further discussion on the subjects of repentance and of hardening of the heart, see Exodus 4:21; Jeremiah 13:23 and comments; Word List: Repentance.

¹⁸ The tribal area of Benjamin, together with Judah, made up the southern kingdom in Hosea’s time; Gibeah and Ramah were important Benjamite towns close to the border of Ephraim (verse 8).

¹⁹ In verse 6, the Hebrew word for mercy also means “faithful love.” Such love comes from the heart; it is not superficial or temporary. It is the motivation for all true religious practices; without this love, this mercy, our religion is empty and meaningless (see Mark 12:28–34). So important is this issue, that Jesus twice quoted from Hosea 6:6 (see Matthew 9:13; 12:7).

²⁰ In verse 8, Gilead is the region east of the Jordan River where two and a half of Israel’s tribes settled. There may have been a city of Gilead as well. In verses 8–10, the historical references behind Hosea’s words are not known with certainty.

²¹ Samaria can also stand for all of Ephraim (the northern kingdom), not just the capital.

²² For the meaning of redeem, see Exodus 6:6–8; 13:11–16; Ruth 2:19–20 and comments; Word List:Redemption.

²³ Many people say they acknowledge God, but they do not truly know Him. God, in large part, is known through the Bible. It’s easy to say, “I acknowledge God,” but it has no meaning if we do not also obey His word.

²⁴ Memphis was the capital of northern Egypt; here it also represents bondage and burial in Assyria.

²⁵ Samaria was the capital of Israel (the northern kingdom), but here and elsewhere in Hosea it represents the whole northern kingdom.

²⁶ Jesus quoted part of verse 8 in Luke 23:30.

²⁷ Matthew quoted the words, out of Egypt I called my son (verse 1), and applied them to Jesus (see Matthew 2:13–15). Just as God preserved Jacob’s family (the Israelites) from famine by sending them to Egypt (Genesis Chapters 42–46), so God preserved Jesus from King Herod’s sword by sending Him to Egypt. Then, just as God brought Israel out of Egypt to fulfill His purposes, so He brought His Son Jesus out of Egypt to fulfill a still greater purpose: to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29; 3:16).

²⁸ Admah and Zeboiim were two cities that were totally destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah (see Genesis 19:24–25; Deuteronomy 29:23).

²⁹ The great promise of restoration in verses 9–11 was partly fulfilled when the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon. But in these verses, a greater and still future restoration of Israel is in view, a restoration that will take place in the Messianic age. For further discussion about prophecies that concern both the near and distant future, see Isaiah 35:1–4 and comment.

³⁰ In Hosea’s time, Bethel was the most important worship center in the northern kingdom; that is where the infamous calf–idol was set up (1 Kings 12:28–29; Hosea 10:5).

³¹ While the Lord’s statement in verse 14 refers primarily to Israel’s national restoration at the end of history, the words can also refer to the resurrection of individuals from the dead. Paul used the words in this sense when he quoted from verse 14 in 1 Corinthians 15:55. It is Christ who has “ransomed” and “redeemed” us from the grave, from death; He has paid the price to free us from the penalty of sin (see Mark 10:45). For further discussion of what it means to redeem someone, see Exodus 13:1116; Ruth 2:19–20 and comments; Word List: Redemption.