Hosea 1

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).[6] Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including 4Q79 (4QXII^d; 75–50 BCE) with extant verses 6–11 (verses 1:6-9, 2:1-5 in Hebrew Bible);[7][8][9][10] and 4Q82 (4QXII^g; 25 BCE) with extant verses 10–11 (verses 2:1-2 in Hebrew Bible).[8][9][11][12]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^Q; 6th century).[13][lower-alpha 1]

The word of the Lord 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.[15]

• "Hosea": means "salvation" or "deliverance"; also "savior" or "deliverer".[16] Adding the prefix "Yah" ("Jah"), implying the name of "Yahweh", the name becomes "Joshua".[16] The original form of the name is closely related to "Hosanna" (hoshia na) or "save now" (cf. Psalm 118:25).[16]

The ministry of Hosea was mainly in the second half of the 8th century BCE, from the reign of Jeroboam (c. 787-747 BCE;[17] the last year of Jeroboam coincides with the 15th of Uzziah) to the reign of Hoshea (c. 731-722 BCE),[17] which may coincide with the first of Hezekiah, covering about 69 years,[lower-alpha 2] or even probably to ninety as in the Jewish literature, so he began to prophesy at the age of 24 or 25 years, an age fit to marry, as appears by the prophecy.[18] In all probability he could have lived to see the Israel carried captive by Tiglath-Pileser III, or the entire destruction of the ten tribes by Shalmaneser, which he prophesied. Jeroboam king of Israel is mentioned last, though prior to these kings of Judah; because Hosea's prophecy is chiefly against Israel, and began in his reign, when they were in a flourishing condition.[18] It appears that Isaiah, Amos, and Micah, were contemporary with him (cf. Isaiah 1:1), as well as Lycurgus the lawgiver of the Lacedemonians, and Hesiod the Greek poet.[18] In his time, Rome began to be built.[18]

• "In the days of Uzziah": Hosea, although a prophet of Israel, marks his prophecy by the names of the kings of Judah, because the kingdom of Judah was the kingdom of the theocracy, the line of David to which the promises of God were made.[19] As Elisha, to whose office he succeeded, turned away from Jehoram 2 Kings 3:13–14, saying, "get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother," and owned Jehoshaphat king of Judah only, Hosea expresses that the kingdom of Judah alone was legitimate. He adds the name of Jeroboam, partly as the last king of Israel whom, by virtue of His promise to Jehu, God helped; partly to show that God never left Israel unwarned.[19] Jeroboam I was warned first by the prophet 1 Kings 13, who by his own untimely death, as well as in his prophecy, was a witness to the strictness of God's judgments, and then by Ahijah 1 Kings 14; Baasha by Jehu, son of Hanani 1 Kings 16; Ahab, by Elijah and Micaiah son of Imla; Ahaziah by Elijah 2 Kings 1; Jehoram by Elisha who exercised his office until the days of Joash (2 Kings 13:14).[19]
• "Jeroboam": this is Jeroboam II, who died in the fifteenth year of Uzziah's forty-one years' reign. From his time forth all Israel's kings worshipped false gods: Zachariah (2 Kings 15:9), Menahem (2 Kings 15:18), Pekahiah (2 Kings 15:24), Pekah (2 Kings 15:28), Hoshea (2 Kings 17:2). As Israel was most flourishing externally under Jeroboam II, who recovered the possessions seized on by Syria, Hosea's prophecy of its downfall at that time was the more striking as it could not have been foreseen by mere human sagacity. Jonah the prophet had promised success to Jeroboam II from God, not for the king's merit, but from God's mercy to Israel; so the coast of Israel was restored by Jeroboam II from the entering of Hamath to the sea of the plain (2 Kings 14:23–27).[3]

The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea.

And the Lord said to Hosea,

Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms:

for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.[21]

• "A wife of whoredoms": this description of Hosea's wife is considered proleptic, describing her future behavior.[20]

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim;

which conceived, and bare him a son.[22]

• "Gomer the daughter of Diblaim": The fact that both names don't have apparent symbolic significance gives a support that these people exist in history and the account of Hosea's marriage is not just allegorical or visionary.[20]

And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel;

for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu,

and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.[23]

• "Jezreel": the name of Hosea's first child, the only one explicitly stated to be his child (cf. verses 3, 6, 8), is based on the city of Jezreel, where Jehu killed all living members of Omri's dynasty (2 Kings 9:1–37; 10:1–11) in c. 842 BCE, which is located in the modern city Zer'in.[20]

And she conceived again, and bare a daughter.

And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah:

for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel;

but I will utterly take them away.[24]

• "Lo-ruhamah": the name of the second child, a daughter, means 'not pitied'.[20]

Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.[25]

Then said God, Call his name Loammi:

for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.[26]

• "Loammi" ("Lo-ammi"): the name of the third child (the second son), means 'not my people'.[20]

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea,

which cannot be measured nor numbered;

and it shall come to pass,

that in the place where it was said unto them,

Ye are not my people,

there it shall be said unto them,

Ye are the sons of the living God.[28]

• "Cannot be measured nor numbered": The promise of numerous progeny echoes the promises given to the patriarchs (Genesis 22:17; 32:12).[20]
• "Ye are not my people": translated from the Hebrew: lo-ammi, is to be reversed as "ye are the sons of the living God" (Hebrew: בני אל חי bə-nê ’êl-ḥāy;[29] cf. Hosea 2:23).[27]

Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together,

and appoint themselves one head,

and they shall come up out of the land:

for great shall be the day of Jezreel.[30]

Because Yahweh is one, then His people must also be one (see also Hosea 3:4; cf. Hosea 3:3, 8:4, 13:10–11), so the schism of north (Kingdom of Israel) and south (Kingdom of Judah) shall be healed (cf. Isaiah 11:13, Ezekiel 37:22).[27]

• Hosea 1 Hebrew with Parallel English
• Hosea 1 Hebrew with Rashi's Commentary

• Hosea 1 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate