Bible Commentaries
Hosea 2

Verse 1

Hos 2:1. There were always some individuals in the Jewish nation who were righteous, and they are the ye of this verse. The exhortation means for ye (as Individuals who were the righteous) to speak to their brethren and sisters, which means the nation as a whole and which formed the group spoken of in terms of family relationship.

Verse 2

Hos 2:2. These righteous individuals were to plead with their mother (the nation as a whole). She is not my wife is a prediction in the form of a warning, referring to the captivity that was to come upon Israel, which would be like a man putting his wife away because of her unfaithfulness. Israel (as a whole) was totally corrupted with idolatry, which is compared to adultery in the Bible. These righteous individuals were to plead with the leaders of the nation, exhorting them to abolish Idolatry.

Verse 3

Hos 2:3. A wronged husband would be disposed to treat an unfaithful wife in the manner described here. Its application refers to the national rejection by the Lord of Israel, and her shameful exposure by the Assyrians.

Verse 4

Hos 2:4. Her children means the members of the nation. Even the individuals who were righteous had to suffer nationally with the unfaithful ones in that all had to be exiled together. This is the sense in which it is predicted that the Lord would not have mercy upon her children.

Verse 5

Hos 2:5. The complaint the Lord has against his people is because of their unfaithfulness in connection with the false gods. And as the comparison is made with spiritual adultery, the language is in the form of that pertaining to fleshly harlotry. A literal harlot might profess to have turned away from her corrupt associations, and become the companion of a good man. This wife had done that very thing when she became the partner in life with Hosea. If this woman actually returned to her former life of looseness, it would be a specific illustration of what Israel as a nation did. In that case, the treatment of Hosea towards her would be like that of God towards Israel. Or, if she is only supposed t.o do that, it is still intended for the same lesson. I will not attempt to decide which theory is correct (both having been advanced by commentators L for either serves the same purpose of portraying the record of Israel’s conduct toward God! And in the following verses and chapters, I shall make my comments on the basis of spiritual adultery, because we know that such was the actual condition of affairs for centuries. However, that will not need to shut out all references to fleshly unfaithfulness when the occasion arises for the purpose of illustration.

Verse 6

Hos 2:6-8. An unfaithful wife may use provisions given her by her husband, to contribute to the uses of her Entity paramours (Ezekiel 16: 3134). Thus Israel bestowed her spiritual instructions and provisions upon the heathen around her.

Verse 9

Hos 2:9. But even a lenient and patient husband will finally turn and put his unfaithful wife to shame and take from her the good things he had bestowed upon her. Likewise. God gave his people up to exile and thus deprived them of the good things they enjoyed while in their own land and were a nation under the Lord.

Verse 10

Hos 2:10. If a woman deserts the men who have been paying her for her gratification of their lust, they may look upon her as a traitor and will have only a feeling of contempt for her. Hence we may understand the thought in this verse of exposing this woman's impure body to the loathing eyes of her former partners. This figurative prediction was fulfilled when the people of Israel were sent into a heathen land and there compelled to continue in the spiritual adultery.

Verse 11

Hos 2:11. The mental or emotional feature of this prediction was especially fulfilled upon Judah, as described in Psalms 137. But it was all true of the Jews generally while in the land of their exile. God would not permit them to attempt carrying out His services while there; and He even caused them to continue in their practices of idolatry while in that heathen country (Deu 4:28; Deuteronomy 2 S: 36, 64).

Verse 12

Hos 2:12. This destruction was to be literal and to be accomplished by the very people with whom Israel had committed spiritual adultery. The land of Palestine was to be left deserted, untilled and unkept, and the beasts were to be allowed to overrun the whole country.

Verse 13

Hos 2:13. Baalim is the plural form of Baal, the invisible god of many of the Idolaters in ancient times, and Israel took up with that abominable practice. Visit upon her the days of Baalim means to punish her for the days she spent in serving the idols of Baal. The louers were the people of the idolatrous nations with whom Israel associated in her false worship.

Verse 14

Hos 2:14. From this verse and through verse 20 is a prophecy of the return from captivity. That great event is compared to a wronged husband receiving bach his wayward wife after he bad abandoned her for a while to the company of her guilty partners in sin. God is more compassionate than an earthly husband and hence predicted that His unfaithful wife would be given a chance to return to Him.

Verse 15

Hos 2:15. Give her her vineyards. The husband drove his unfaithful wife from the possession that had been given her in the beginning of their marriage, but they were to be kept for her if and when she reformed and showed a desire to come back to her first love. Achor is used figuratively, and the events connected with it are compared with the experiences of Israel in the times being predicted hy Hosea. The. word means "trouble,*’ and it was given to the place and circumstance when Achan sinned at Jericho and brought so much "trouble” upon the congregation. But the nest encounter they had with the enemy proved successful. Likewise, Israel in the days predicted by Hosea was destined to get into trouble because of sins. However, the release from captivity was to be as joyful as the exile was troublous. That will be similar to the success at A1 following the trouble about the valley of Achor. Day . . . Egypt Is another event used for the same purpose of illustration. Israel had much trouble in that land, but the deliverance from the bondage brought much joy.

Verse 16

Hos 2:16. Strong says that Baali is from BAALIS, an Ammonlle king, and Ishl Is from TTSH, which he defines, “A man as an individual or a male person." Since the whole figurative setup along here la based on the marriage relationship, we can understand why the first of the words is preferable. A wayward wife who is eager for an agreeable home life would prize a man (husband) above all other relationships. Hence the term Is used to indicate the joy to be experienced by Israel when she is again taken into the bosom of her loving and faithful Husband.

Verse 17

Hos 2:17. The one great thing to be accomplished by the captivity was the cure of idolatry. This verse predicts that accomplishment, for it does not merely state that Israel wili cease the practice of that abomination, but the very terms of the institution shall no more be remembered by the.ir name. This Indicates a complete purge of the whole system. The historical quotation that shows the fulfillment of this prediction may be seen in comments on Isa 3:25, volume 3 of this COMMENTARY.

Verse 18

Hos 2:18. During the absence of the Jews from their country, the beasts were given free range over the land and they ravaged It at will. But after the return to it of its proper inhabitants, God was going to protect the country from such damaging conditions. That is what Is meant by a covenant for them, (for Israel) with the beasts of the field. Break the bow and, the sword, means they will not have to go to war in order to reclaim the land after the captivity.

Verse 19

Hos 2:19. Betroth thee unto me for ever is a phrase that belongs to tbe marriage relation, and that is tbe comparison that has been used all along concerning God and his people. For ever indicates that, the marriage will never be broken again, and that has specific reference to the truth that the Jewish nation was never again to be sent away bodily into exile as it was in this ease.

Verse 20

Hos 2:20. Betroth . . . in faithfulness means that God will always be a constant and faithful husband to His people.

Verse 21

Hos 2:21. See the comments on Dan 12:1 on the significance of the pronoun "that,” and learn how indefinite it is as to exact dates. In the present instance it refers to the day when the Gentiles were to bear the Gospei and accept it, thus presenting to God a group Of people from a new source I will hear, heavens shall hear. This unusual language indicates the unity of interest and general cooperation of all forces in the final dispensation that God will give to the world for spiritual salvation.

Verse 22

Hos 2:22. The same idea of cooperation is continued in this verse. The mention of corn and, wine is for figurative purposes. It is true that such temporal blessings were predicted for ancient Israel after they returned from captivity, but the fact is used as a type of the spiritual prosperity that was to come through the Gospel.

Verse 23

Hos 2:23. This is again a prediction of the call of the Gentiles, for they had never been called a people of the Lord before the Gospel period. They had the provision of the Patriarchal Dispensation for their spiritual salvation, but that was a family religion and did not constitute them a "people” in the Bense of that term in the Bible.