Hosea 2:18-23

18 I will make a covenant for them on that day, with the animals of the field, with the birds of the heaven, and [with] the creeping things of the ground; [the] bow, [the] sword, and [the] war I will abolish from the land, and I will let them lie down in safety.
19 And I will take you as my wife forever; I will take you as a wife for myself in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
20 {I will take you as my wife} in faithfulness, and you will know Yahweh.
21 On that day I will answer, {declares Yahweh}, I will answer the heavens, and they will answer the earth.
22 And the earth will answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they will answer Jezreel.
23 I will sow her for myself in the land; I will have pity on Lo-ruhama; I will say to Lo-ammi, "You are my people," and he himself will say, "[you are] my God."

Hosea 2:18-23 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.

Footnotes 8

  • [a]. Hebrew "animal"
  • [b]. Hebrew "bird"
  • [c]. Hebrew "creeping thing"
  • [d]. Literally "I will take you as a wife to me"
  • [e]. Literally "a declaration of Yahweh
  • [f]. Jezreel means "God sows"
  • [g]. Lo-ruhama means "Not pitied"
  • [h]. Lo-ammi means "Not my people"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.