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Hosea Chapter 1 (JPS)

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Hosea Chapter 1 (JPS)

1 THE WORD of HaShem that came unto Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2 When HaShem spoke at first with Hosea, HaShem said unto Hosea: 'Go, take unto thee a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry; for the land doth commit great harlotry, departing from HaShem.'

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bore him a son.

4 And HaShem said unto him: 'Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.'

6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And He said unto him: 'Call her name Lo-ruhamah; for I will no more have compassion upon the house of Israel, that I should in any wise pardon them.

7 But I will have compassion upon the house of Judah, and will save them by HaShem their G-d, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by horsemen.'

8 Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.

9 And He said: 'Call his name Lo-ammi; for ye are not My people, and I will not be yours.'

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does God tell Hosea to marry Gomer?
God instructs Hosea to "take unto thee a wife of whoredoms" because "the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD" (v.2) - Hosea's marriage becomes a living picture of Israel's unfaithfulness. See the Hosea overview for how this theme runs through the book.
What do the names of Hosea's children mean?
Jezreel signals coming judgment on the house of Jehu for bloodshed there (v.4), Loruhamah means God will "no more have mercy upon the house of Israel" (v.6), and Loammi declares "ye are not my people" (v.9).
Does chapter 1 end only with judgment?
No - verse 10 promises a reversal: despite being called "not my people," Israel will one day be called "the sons of the living God," a phrase echoed in 2 Corinthians 6:18.

Today's Verse

but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:

Daniel 2:28 | ASV

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