Hosea 2:11-21

11 I will put an end to all her festivities - her annual and monthly festivals and her Sabbath celebrations - all her religious meetings.

12 I will destroy her grapevines and her fig trees, which she said her lovers gave her for serving them. I will turn her vineyards and orchards into a wilderness; wild animals will destroy them.

13 I will punish her for the times that she forgot me, when she burned incense to Baal and put on her jewelry to go chasing after her lovers. The Lord has spoken.

14 So I am going to take her into the desert again; there I will win her back with words of love.

15 I will give back to her the vineyards she had and make Trouble Valley a door of hope. She will respond to me there as she did when she was young, when she came from Egypt. ¹

16 Then once again she will call me her husband - she will no longer call me her Baal.

17 I will never let her speak the name of Baal again.

18 At that time I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and birds, so that they will not harm my people. I will also remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, and will let my people live in peace and safety.

19 Israel, I will make you my wife; I will be true and faithful; I will show you constant love and mercy and make you mine forever.

20 I will keep my promise and make you mine, and you will acknowledge me as Lord.

21 At that time I will answer the prayers of my people Israel. I will make rain fall on the earth, and the earth will produce grain and grapes and olives.

Hosea 2:11-21 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. 2.15Joshua 7.24-26.

Footnotes

• [a]. baal: [This title of the Canaanite god means "Lord"; another meaning of the word is "husband."]
• [b]. israel: [The Hebrew text here refers to Israel as Jezreel (see 1.4, 11).]