Hosea 2:6-13

6 "Therefore, behold, I will ¹hedge up her way with ²thorns, And I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her ³paths.

7 "She will ⁴pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; And she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say, '⁵I will go back to my ⁶first husband, For it was ⁷better for me then than now!'

8 "For she does ⁸not know that it was ⁹I who gave her the grain, the new wine and the oil, And lavished on her silver and gold, Which they used for Baal.

9 "Therefore, I will ¹⁰take back My grain at harvest time And My new wine in its season. I will also take away My wool and My flax Given to cover her nakedness.

10 "And then I will ¹¹uncover her lewdness In the sight of her lovers, And no one will rescue her out of My hand.

11 "I will also ¹²put an end to all her gaiety, Her ¹³feasts, her ¹⁴new moons, her sabbaths And all her festal assemblies.

12 "I will ¹⁵destroy her vines and fig trees, Of which she said, 'These are my wages Which my lovers have given me.' And I will ¹⁶make them a forest, And the ¹⁷beasts of the field will devour them.

13 "I will punish her for the ¹⁸days of the Baals When she used to ¹⁹offer sacrifices to them And ²⁰adorn herself with her earrings and jewelry, And follow * her lovers, so that she ²¹forgot Me," declares the LORD.

Hosea 2:6-13 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.

Cross References

• 1. Job 19:8; Lamentations 3:7, 9
• 2. Hosea 9:6; Hosea 10:8
• 3. Jeremiah 18:15
• 4. Hosea 5:13
• 5. Luke 15:17, 18
• 6. Jeremiah 2:2; Jeremiah 3:1; Ezekiel 16:8; Ezekiel 23:4
• 7. Jeremiah 14:22; Hosea 13:6
• 8. Isaiah 1:3
• 9. Ezekiel 16:19
• 10. Hosea 8:7; Hosea 9:2
• 11. Ezekiel 16:37
• 12. Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 16:9
• 13. Hosea 3:4; Amos 5:21; Amos 8:10
• 14. Isaiah 1:13, 14
• 15. Jeremiah 5:17; Jeremiah 8:13
• 16. Isaiah 5:5; Isaiah 7:23
• 17. Hosea 13:8
• 18. Hosea 4:13; Hosea 11:2
• 19. Jeremiah 7:9
• 20. Ezekiel 16:12, 17; Ezekiel 23:40
• 21. Hosea 4:6; Hosea 8:14; Hosea 13:6

Footnotes

• [a] So with some ancient versions; Heb "your"
• [b] Lit "her wall so that"
• [c] Or "made into the"
• [d] Lit "its time"
• [e] Or "burn incense"
• [f] Or "nose rings"