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Hosea Chapter 3 (WBT)

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1 Then said the LORD to me, Go yet, love a woman beloved by her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD towards the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.

2 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley:

3 And I said to her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.

4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hosea do in chapter 3?

Following God's instruction, Hosea buys back a woman described as an adulteress "for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley" (v.1-2), symbolizing God's costly love for unfaithful Israel.

What condition does Hosea set for her in verse 3?

He tells her, "Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee" - a period of restraint before restoration.

What does the chapter predict for Israel's future?

Verses 4-5 say Israel will go "many days" without king, prince, sacrifice, or idols, and afterward will "return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king" - a turning point similar to the return described in Jeremiah 50:4-5.

Today's Verse

But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

1-kings 12:17 | ASV

Verse Of The Day

The purchase pictures Israel living many days without king or sacrifice before finally seeking 'the LORD their God, and David their king,' a theme Hosea 4 returns to from a different angle. That same later-day seeking appears in Jeremiah 50:4-5.