Hosea 2:18-23

18 "In that day I will also make a covenant for them With the ¹beasts of the field, The birds of the sky And the creeping things of the ground. And I will ²abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land, And will make them ³lie down in safety.

19 "I will ⁴betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in ⁵righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion,

20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will ⁶know the LORD.

21 "It will come about in that day that ⁷I will respond," declares the LORD. "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,

22 And the ⁸earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine and to the oil, And they will respond to Jezreel.

23 "I will ⁹sow her for Myself in the land. ¹⁰I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And ¹¹I will say to those who were ¹²not My people, 'You are My people!' And they 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.

Cross References

• 1. Job 5:23; Isaiah 11:6-9; Ezekiel 34:25
• 2. Isaiah 2:4; Ezekiel 39:1-10
• 3. Leviticus 26:5; Jeremiah 23:6; Ezekiel 34:25
• 4. Isaiah 62:4, 5
• 5. Isaiah 1:27; Isaiah 54:6-8
• 6. Jeremiah 31:33, 34; Hosea 6:6; Hosea 13:4
• 7. Isaiah 55:10; Zechariah 8:12; Malachi 3:10, 11
• 8. Jeremiah 31:12; Joel 2:19
• 9. Jeremiah 31:27
• 10. Hosea 1:6
• 11. Romans 9:25; 1 Peter 2:10
• 12. Hosea 1:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "break"
• [b]. I.e. God sows
• [c]. Heb "Lo-ruhamah"
• [d]. Heb "Lo-ammi"
• [e]. Lit "he"