Hosea 14:4

4 “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

Hosea 14:4 in Other Translations

4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

4 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.

4 The LORD says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever.

4 "I will heal their waywardness. I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out.

4 I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for My anger will have turned from him.

Hosea 14:4 Meaning and Commentary

Hosea 14:4

I will heal their backslidings
This and what follows is the Lord's answer to the above prayer; and this clause particularly is an answer to that petition, "take away all iniquity", ( Hosea 14:2 ) ; sins are diseases, natural and hereditary, nauseous and loathsome, mortal, and incurable but by the grace of God, and blood of Christ; backslidings are relapses, which are dangerous things; Christ is the only Physician, who heals all the diseases of sin, and these relapses also; he will do it, he has promised it, and never turns away any that apply to him for it; and which he does by a fresh application of his blood, whereby he takes away sin, heals the conscience wounded with it, and restores peace and comfort; which is a great encouragement to take words, and return unto him; see ( Hosea 6:1 ) ( Jeremiah 3:22 ) ( Isaiah 57:17 Isaiah 57:18 ) ; I will love them freely;
this is in answer to that petition, "receive us, graciously"; or "receive good", or rather "give good", ( Hosea 14:2 ) ; not that the love of God or Christ begins when sinners repent and turn to him, or he applies his pardoning grace, since his love is from everlasting; but that in so doing he manifests his love, and will continue in it, nor shall anything separate from it: and this love, as it is freely set upon the objects of it, without any merits of theirs, or any motives in them, but flows from the free sovereign will and pleasure of God in Christ; so it is as freely manifested, and continues upon the same bottom, and is displayed in a most liberal and profuse donation of blessings of grace to them: this love is free in its original, and is liberal and bountiful in the effects of it; and makes the objects of it a free, willing, and bountiful people too: for mine anger is turned away from him:
from Israel, which, under former dispensations of Providence, seemed to be towards him, at least when under his frowns, resentment, and displeasure, as is the case of that people at this day; but when they shall return to the Lord, and he shall manifest and apply his pardoning grace to them, his anger will appear no more, and they shall be in a very happy and comfortable condition, as Israel or the church declares, ( Isaiah 12:1 ) ; which refers to the same times as these words do; see ( Romans 11:26 Romans 11:27 ) ; and compare ( Psalms 85:2 Psalms 85:3 ) ; where a manifestation of pardoning grace is called the Lord's turning himself from the fierceness of his anger; and especially this suits with Gospel times, satisfaction being made for sin by the sacrifice of Christ.

Hosea 14:4 In-Context

2 Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

3 Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.”

4 “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots;

6 his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.

Cross References

• 1. S Isaiah 30:26; S Hosea 6:1
• 2. S Jeremiah 2:19
• 3. S Isaiah 55:1; Jeremiah 31:20; Zephaniah 3:17
• 4. S Job 13:16