King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Return, Isra'el, to ADONAI your God, for your guilt has made you stumble.
Berean Standard Bible:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled by your iniquity.
American Standard Version:
O Israel, return unto Jehovah thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
O Israel{H3478}, return{H7725} unto the LORD{H3068} thy God{H430}; for thou hast fallen{H3782} by thine iniquity{H5771}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Hosea 6:1
- ¶ Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
Joel 2:12
- ¶ Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joel 2:13
- And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Hosea 12:6
- Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
2 Chronicles 30:6
- So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
2 Chronicles 30:9
- For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children [shall find] compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God [is] gracious and merciful, and will not turn away [his] face from you, if ye return unto him.
Zechariah 1:3
- Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Hosea 14:1
1. **Thematic Summary**:
Hosea 14:1 is a poignant call to repentance, encapsulating the prophetic message of Hosea to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The verse implores the people to turn back to the Lord, acknowledging that their current state of decline and impending judgment is a direct consequence of their own transgressions. It reflects the themes of divine justice and mercy, emphasizing that despite their fall, there is a path to redemption through repentance and a renewal of their covenant relationship with God.
2. **Historical Context**:
The Book of Hosea is set in the latter half of the 8th century BCE, during a time of great political instability and moral decline in Israel. The kingdom had turned away from the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel, and had embraced the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations. This was a period marked by social injustice, political intrigue, and religious syncretism. Hosea, a prophet called by God to deliver His message, uses his own tumultuous marital life as a metaphor for the unfaithful relationship between Israel and God. The call to repentance in Hosea 14:1 is particularly urgent as it comes towards the end of the book, serving as a final plea for the nation to return to the Lord before it's too late. This plea is made against the backdrop of the looming Assyrian threat, which would eventually lead to the fall of Samaria and the exile of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BCE.
3. **Textual Analysis**:
The verse begins with a direct address to Israel, personifying the nation as if it were an individual. The imperative "return unto the LORD thy God" is a strong and clear directive, indicating not just a physical return but a spiritual and moral about-face. The acknowledgment of their iniquity ("for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity") is a recognition of the cause-and-effect relationship between their sinful actions and the calamities befalling them. The language suggests that the people's downfall is not irreversible; there is an implied hope that if they sincerely seek God's favor, they can be restored. This hope is contingent on the people's willingness to change their ways and to seek reconciliation with their divine suzerain.
In summary, Hosea 14:1 is a powerful call to national repentance, steeped in the historical reality of Israel's impending doom. It underscores the consequences of forsaking God and the possibility of restoration through a return to covenantal fidelity. This verse serves as a timeless reminder of the importance of spiritual integrity and the transformative power of repentance.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3478
There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel. - Strong's Number: H7725
There are 952 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׁוּב
Transliteration: shûwb
Pronunciation: shoob
Description: a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H430
There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. - Strong's Number: H3782
There are 59 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּשַׁל
Transliteration: kâshal
Pronunciation: kaw-shal'
Description: a primitive root; to totter or waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter, stumble, faint or fall; bereave (from the margin), cast down, be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall (down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown, (cause to) stumble, [idiom] utterly, be weak. - Strong's Number: H5771
There are 213 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָוֺן
Transliteration: ʻâvôn
Pronunciation: aw-vone'
Description: or עָווֹן; (2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 51:5 (אֲבַד)), from עָוָה; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil; fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.