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Commentary on Hosea 3 verses 1–5
Some think that this chapter refers to Judah, the two tribes, as the adulteress the prophet married (Hos 1:3) represented the ten tribes; for this was not to be divorced, as the ten tribes were, but to be left desolate for a long time, and then to return, as the two tribes did. But these are called the children of Israel, which was the ten tribes, and therefore it is more probable that of them this parable, as well as that before, is to be understood. Go, and repeat it, says God to the prophet; Go yet again. Note, For the conviction and reduction of sinners it is necessary that precept be upon precept, and line upon line. If they will not believe one sign, try another, Exo 4:8, Exo 4:9. Now,
I. In this parable we may observe,
1.God's goodness and Israel's badness strangely serving for a foil to each other, Hos 3:1. Israel is as a woman beloved of her friend, either of him that has married her or of him that only courts her, and yet an adulteress; such is the case between God and Israel. We say of those whose affection is mutual that there is no love lost between them; but here we find a great deal of the love even of God himself lost and thrown away upon an unworthy ungrateful people. The God of Israel retains a very great love for the children of Israel, and yet they are an evil and adulterous generation. Be astonished, O heavens! at this, and wonder, O earth! (1.) That God's goodness has not put an end to their badness; the Lord loves them, has a kindness for them, and is continually showing kindness to them; they know it, they cannot but own it, that he has been as a friend and Father to them; and yet they look to other gods, gods that they can see, and to the love of which they are drawn by the eye; they look to them with an eye of adoration (they offer up all their services to them) and with an eye of dependence (they expect all their comforts from them); if they were restrained from bowing the knee to idols, yet they gave them an amorous glance, and had eyes full of that spiritual adultery. And they loved flagons of wine; they joined with idolaters because they lived merrily and drank hard; they had a kindness for other gods for the sake of the plenty of good wine with which they had been sometimes treated in their temples. Idolatry and sensuality commonly go together; those that make a god of their belly, as drunkards do, will easily be brought to make a god of any thing else. God's priests were to drink no wine when they went in to minister, and his Nazarites none at all. But the worshippers of other gods drank wine in bowls; nay, no less than flagons of wine would content them. (2.) That their badness had not stopped the current of his favours to them. This is a wonder of mercy indeed, that she is thus beloved of her friend, though an adulteress; such is the love of the Lord towards the children of Israel. "Go," says God, "love such a woman; see if thou canst find in thy heart to do it. No, thou canst not, the breast of no man would admit such a love; yet such is my love to the children of Israel; it is love to the loveless, to the unlovely, to those that have a thousand times forfeited it." Note, In God's goodwill to poor sinners his thoughts and ways are infinitely above ours, and his love is more condescending and compassionate than ours is, or can be; in this, as much as any thing, he is God, and not man, Hos 11:9.
2.The method found for the bringing of a God so very good and a people so very bad together again; this is the thing aimed at, and what God aims at he will accomplish. To our great surprise, we find a breach thus wide as the sea effectually healed; miracles cease not so long as divine mercy does not cease. Observe here, (1.) The course God takes to humble them and make them know themselves (Hos 3:2): I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer and a half of barley, that is, I courted her to be reconciled, to leave her ill courses, and return to her first husband, as Hos 2:14. I allured her, and spoke comfortably to her; as the Levite who went after his concubine that had played the harlot from him, and had run away with another man, spoke friendly to her, Jdg 19:3. But here the present which the prophet brought her for the purchasing of her favour is observed to be a very small one; but it was all that was intended for her separate maintenance, and in it she is reduced to a short allowance, and, to punish her for her pride, is made to look very mean. When Samson went to be reconciled to his wife that had disobliged him he visited her with a kid (Jdg 15:1), which was a genteel entertainment. But the prophet here visited his wife with fifteen pieces of silver, a small sum, which yet she must be content to live upon a great while, so long as till her husband thought fit to restore her to her first estate. She shall also have a homer and a half of barley, for bread-corn, and that is all she must expect till she be sufficiently humbled, and, by a competent time of trial, satisfactory proof given that she is indeed reformed. Let her be made sensible that it is not for her own merit that her husband makes court to her; it is but a lame price that he values her at. The price of a servant was thirty shekels, Exo 21:32. This was but half so much; yet let her know that it is more than she is worth. God had given Egypt for Israel's ransom once, so precious were they then in his sight, and so honourable, Isa 43:3, Isa 43:4. But now that they have gone a whoring from him he will give but fifteen pieces of silver for them, so much have they lost in their value by their iniquity. Note, Those whom God designs honour and comfort for he first makes sensible of their own worthlessness, and brings them to acknowledge, with the prodigal, I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Time was when Israel was fed with the finest of the wheat, but they grew wanton, and loved flagons of wine, and therefore, in order to the humbling and reducing of them, they must be brought in the land of their captivity to eat barley-bread, and be thankful they can get it, and to eat that too by weight and measure, whereas they did not use to be stinted. Note, Poverty and disgrace sometimes prove a happy means of making great sinners true penitents. (2.) The new terms upon which God is willing to come with them (Hos 3:3): Thou shalt abide for me many days, and shalt not be for another, so will I be for thee. He might justly have given them a bill of divorce, and have resolved to have no more to do with them; but he is willing to show them kindness, and that the matter should be compromised; he deals not with them in strict justice, according to the rigour of the law, but according to the multitude of his mercies; and it represents God's gracious dealings with the apostate race of mankind, that had gone a whoring from him; he bought them indeed with an inestimable price, not for their honour, but for the honour of his own justice; and now this is the proposal he makes to them, the covenant of grace he is willing to enter into with them - they must be to him a people, and he will be to them a God, the same with the proposal here made to Israel. [1.] They must take to themselves the shame of their apostasy from him, must submit to, and accept of, the punishment of their iniquity: Thou shalt abide for me many days in solitude and silence, as a widow that is desolate and in sorrow; they must lay aside their ornaments, and wait with patience and submission to know what God will do with them, and whether he will please to admit such unworthy wretches into his favour again, as they did Exo 33:4, Exo 33:5. Their father, their husband, has spit in their face (as God said concerning Miriam), has put them under the marks of his displeasure, and therefore, like her, they must be ashamed seven days, and be shut out of the camp (Num 12:14), till their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, Lev 26:41. Let them sit alone and keep silence, waiting for the salvation of the Lord, and in the mean time let them bear the yoke, Lam 3:26-28. Let them not expect that God should speedily return in mercy to them,; no, let them want it, let them wait for it many days, during all the days of their captivity, and reckon it a miracle of mercy, and well worth waiting for, it if come at last. Note, Those whom God designs mercy for he will first bring to abase themselves and to put a high value upon his favours. [2.] They must never return to folly again; that is the condition upon which God will speak peace to his people and to his saints (Psa 85:8), and no other. "Thou shalt not play the harlot, shalt not worship idols in the land of thy captivity, while thou art there set apart for the uncleanness." Note, It is not enough to take shame to ourselves for the sins we have committed, and to justify God in correcting us for them, but we must resolve, in the strength of God's grace, that we will not offend any more, that we will not again go a whoring from God, after the world and the flesh. Blessed be God, though it is the law of the covenant, it is not the condition of it that we shall never in any thing do amiss: "But thou shalt not play the harlot; thou shalt not serve other gods, shalt not be for another man." In the land of their captivity they would be courted to worship the idols of the country; that would be a trial for them, a long trial, many days: "But if thou keep thy ground, and hold fast thy integrity, if, when all this comes upon thee, thou dost not stretch out thy hand to a strange god, thou wilt be qualified for the returns of God's favour." Note, It is a certain sign that our afflictions are means of much good to us, and earnests of more, when we are kept by the grace of God from being overcome by the temptations of an afflicted state. [3.] Upon these terms their Maker will again be their husband: So will I also be for thee. This is the covenant between God and returning sinners, that, if they will be for him to serve him, he will be for them to save them. Let them renounce and abjure all rivals with God for the throne in the heart, and devote themselves entirely to him and him only, and he will be to them a God all-sufficient. If we be faithful and constant to God in a way of duty, and will never leave nor forsake him, he will be so to us in a way of mercy, and will never leave nor forsake us. And a fairer proposal could not be made.
II. In the last two verses we have the interpretation of the parable and the application of it to Israel.
1.They must long sit like a widow, stripped of all their joys and honours, Lam 4:1, Lam 4:2. They shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince; and a nation in this condition may well be called a widow. They want the blessing, (1.) Of civil government: They shall abide without a king, and without a prince, of their own. There were kings and princes over them to oppress them and rule them with rigour, but they had no king nor prince to protect them, to fight their battles for them, to administer justice to them, and to take care of their common safety and welfare. Note, Magistracy is a very great blessing to a people, and it is a sad and sore judgment to want it. (2.) Of public worship: They shall abide without a sacrifice, and without an image (or a statue, or pillar; the word is used concerning the pillars Jacob erected, Gen 28:18; Gen 31:45; Gen 35:20), and without an ephod and teraphim. The teraphim being here closely joined to the ephod, some thing the urim and thummim were meant by it in the breast-plate of the high priest. The meaning is that in their captivity they should not only have no face of a nation upon them, but no face of a church; they should not have (as a learned expositor speaks) liberty of any public profession or exercise of religion, either true or false, according to their choice. They shall have no sacrifice or altar (so the Septuagint), and therefore no sacrifice because no altar. They shall have no ephod, nor teraphim, no legal priesthood, no means of knowing God's mind, no oracle to consult in doubtful cases, but shall be all in the dark. Note, The case of those is very melancholy that are deprived of all opportunities to worship God in public. This was the case of the Jews in their captivity; and it is so far the case of the scattered Jews at this day that, though they have their synagogues, they have no temple-service. Desolate indeed is their condition that are shut out from communion with God, that have no opportunity of directing their addresses to God by sacrifice and altar, and of receiving instruction from him by ephod and teraphim.
2.They shall at length be received again as a wife (Hos 3:5): Afterwards, in process of time, when they have gone through this discipline, they shall return, that is, they shall repent of their idolatries and forsake them, they shall apply themselves to God and adhere to him, and herein they shall be accepted of him. Two things are here promised as instances of their return, and steps towards their acceptance with God in their return: - (1.) The enquiries they shall make after God: They shall seek the Lord their God, and David their king. Note, Those that would find God, and find favour with him, must seek him, must ask after him, covet acquaintance with him, desire to be reconciled to him, set their love on him, and labour in this that they may be accepted of him. Their seeking him implies that they had lost him, that they were lamenting their loss, and that they were solicitous to retrieve what they had lost. They shall seek him as their God; for should not a people seek unto their God? And they shall seek David their King, who can be no other than the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the root and offspring of David, whom David himself called Lord (Psa 110:1), and to whom God gave the throne of his father David, Luk 1:32. The Chaldee reads it, They shall seek the service of the Lord their God, and shall obey Messiah, the Son of David their king. Compare this with Jer 30:9; Eze 34:23; Eze 37:25. Note, Those that would seek the Lord so as to find him must apply to Jesus Christ, and must seek to him as their King, and become his willing people, and take an oath of fealty and allegiance to him. (2.) The reverence they shall have of God: They shall fear the Lord and his goodness. Some by his goodness here understand the temple, towards which they shall look, in worshipping God. The Jews say, There were three things which Israel cast off in the days of Rehoboam - the kingdom of heaven, the family of David, and the house of the sanctuary; and it will never be well with them till they return, and seek them all three, which is here promised. They shall seek the kingdom of heaven in the Lord their God, the royal family in David their King, and the temple in the goodness of the Lord. Others by his goodness understand Christ, the same with David their King. But it is rather to be taken for that attribute of God which he showed as his glory, and by which he proclaimed his name. Note, It is not only the Lord and his greatness that we are to fear, but the Lord and his goodness, not only his majesty, but his mercy. They shall flee for fear to the Lord and his goodness (so some take it), shall flee to it as their city of refuge. We must fear God's goodness, that is, we must admire it, and stand amazed at it, must adore it, and worship as Moses did at the proclaiming of this name, Exo 34:6. We must be afraid of offending his goodness, of making any ungrateful returns for it, and so forfeiting it. There is forgiveness with God, that he may be feared, Psa 130:4. We must rejoice with trembling in the goodness of God, must not be high-minded, but fear. Now this promise had its accomplishment when by the gospel of Christ great multitudes both of Jews and Gentiles were brought home to God, and incorporated in the New Testament church, served God in Christ, with a filial fear of divine grace, and were accepted of God as his Israel. And some think it is to be yet further accomplished in the conversion of those Jews to the faith of Christ who shall remain in unbelief, when they shall seek their Messiah as David their King, and by him all Israel shall be saved, when the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in. Time was when they sought him to put him to death, saying, We have no king but Caesar; but the day is coming when they shall seek him to appoint him their head, and to lay their necks under his yoke. He that has here promised that they shall do it will enable them to do it, and bring about this great work in his own way and time, in the latter days of the last times, the times of the Messiah: but, alas! who shall live when God does this? How far we are to expect a general conversion of that nation I cannot say; but I am sure we ought to pray that the Jews may be converted.
"You shall wait for many days for me: you shall not fornicate, and you shall not be a man's wife; but I will also wait for you." LXX: "You shall sit for many days with me, and you shall not fornicate, nor be with another man, and I to you." This means, you will not shamefully prostitute yourself to other lovers, nor will you join me, the man whom you are hired by, in legitimate marriage. And so that you do not think that an injustice has been done to you because I said "you will wait for me," I will repay in kind by saying "and I will wait for you." On the fifteenth day of the month of Nisan, the firstborn of the Egyptians were struck, and the people of Israel were led out of Egypt and hired into the service of God (Exodus XII). Finally, for the firstborn of Israel who did not feel the common plague, receive five shekels of silver (Num. III), which are offered as a gift to the temple. Most of our people refer "fifteen" to the week of the Law, and "eight" to the Gospel, that is, the Sabbath and the day of resurrection, which exercises spiritual circumcision. But how can they explain the Testament if the adulterous woman, who feeds on barley and is another man's, receives both as a reward? On the forty-fifth day, the people reached Mount Sinai and immediately on the next day separated themselves from sexual relations for three days in order to prepare to receive God's law. After three days, on the fiftieth day, Moses ascended the mountain and received the Ten Commandments. The Jewish people, who were once brought for fifteen pieces of silver and forty-five bushels of barley, now await the coming of the Lord and his man. And that which he says: "Thou shalt not commit fornication, and thou shalt not be a man," shows that at the time being she does not serve idols, nor yet has God; but rather be stripped for both lovers and a man. And because she has no man, she does not eat human food, wheat and pulse, but barley of irrational animals, ruminating the vileness of the letter that kills, and not having the enlivening spirit. Whence, in the law, a woman who is accused of adultery by her husband, in the drink of accusation, that is, "conviction," when charged with sin, takes barley meal (Num. 5) , for she is like the horses and mules, which have no understanding (Ps. 32) , and are sustained with the food of horses and mules. For half a bushel of barley, the Septuagint translated 'a skin of wine,' which is not in the Hebrew at all. And we can say that in 'a skin of wine,' that is, a measure full and completely intoxicated adulteress, is afflicted with full punishments. Hence, Jeremiah offers the cup of wine to the peoples and Jerusalem as well (Jer. 15). A man also sits, or rather waits for the repentance of the adulteress, so that when the fullness of the Gentiles has entered and the last of Israel will believe, so that the head, which had been the tail, will be turned into a head and the tail into a head (Deut. 28), then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
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SUMMARY
Hosea 3:3 captures the divine command to the prophet Hosea regarding his unfaithful wife, Gomer, after he has redeemed her from a state of degradation. This verse lays out the terms of her restoration: a period of isolation and fidelity, during which she is to abstain from prostitution and association with other men. This deeply symbolic act serves as a profound parable for God's enduring covenant love for Israel, His wayward bride, who had repeatedly turned to spiritual idolatry. It illustrates God's patient discipline and His ultimate desire for Israel's exclusive devotion and restoration, promising His reciprocal faithfulness upon their genuine return.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: The book of Hosea is structured around the prophet's tumultuous marriage to Gomer, which serves as a living parable for God's covenant relationship with Israel. Chapters 1 and 2 establish Gomer's initial unfaithfulness and God's pronouncements of judgment and eventual restoration for Israel, often using marital imagery. Chapter 3 specifically opens with God's command to Hosea to "go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods" (Hosea 3:1). Following this divine instruction, Hosea redeems Gomer, likely from slavery or prostitution, by paying a significant price (Hosea 3:2). Hosea 3:3 then details the specific conditions for Gomer's return to the household, emphasizing a period of exclusive devotion. This immediate context sets the stage for the prophetic application in Hosea 3:4-5, where the "many days" of Gomer's isolation directly symbolize Israel's future period without king, prince, sacrifice, or idols, signifying a necessary time of purification and spiritual barrenness before their ultimate return to the Lord.
Historical & Cultural Context: Hosea prophesied in the Northern Kingdom (Israel) during the 8th century BCE, a tumultuous period marked by political instability, assassinations, and rapid succession of kings. Spiritually, it was an era of widespread apostasy and syncretism, where the worship of Yahweh was heavily mixed with the worship of Baal and other Canaanite fertility deities. This often involved cultic prostitution, making the metaphor of Gomer's harlotry particularly potent and culturally relevant to Hosea's audience. The covenant between God and Israel was frequently depicted as a marriage, with Israel as the bride and Yahweh as the faithful husband. Therefore, Israel's idolatry was not merely a breach of law but a profound act of spiritual adultery, a betrayal of their sacred marital vows. The concept of a husband redeeming his wife, even one who had been unfaithful, would have been understood within the patriarchal social structures of the time, highlighting the husband's authority and the wife's dependence, while also underscoring the extraordinary nature of Hosea's (and God's) persistent love.
Key Themes: Hosea 3:3 significantly contributes to several overarching themes within the book. Foremost is the theme of Covenant Faithfulness and Restoration, illustrating God's unwavering commitment to His covenant with Israel despite their repeated spiritual adultery. Hosea's command to Gomer for exclusive devotion mirrors God's demand for Israel to cease their idolatry and return to Him alone, promising His reciprocal faithfulness upon their genuine repentance. Secondly, the phrase "many days" highlights Divine Patience and Discipline. This period of separation and purification is not punitive abandonment but a loving discipline intended to lead to true repentance, much like the wilderness wanderings for ancient Israel. It underscores God's long-suffering nature, giving His people ample time to turn back to Him. Finally, the verse speaks to the theme of Repentance and Reconciliation. The instruction implies a call to genuine repentance—a complete turning away from spiritual promiscuity and embracing exclusive devotion to the Lord. God's promise to "also be for thee" hinges on this transformation, demonstrating that true reconciliation requires a sincere change of heart and behavior, leading to a restored relationship, as seen in the call to "return to the Lord your God" in Hosea 14:1.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The profound theological message of Hosea 3:3 is powerfully conveyed through several key literary devices. The most prominent is Allegory, where Hosea's personal marital experience serves as an extended narrative to illustrate God's relationship with Israel. Gomer's unfaithfulness, Hosea's redemptive act, and the subsequent terms for her restoration directly parallel Israel's spiritual idolatry, God's persistent pursuit of His people, and His conditions for their reconciliation. This makes the divine message tangible and emotionally resonant. Closely related is Metaphor, particularly the pervasive use of "harlotry" and "adultery" to describe Israel's idolatry. While literally referring to sexual infidelity, these terms powerfully convey the depth of Israel's betrayal of their covenant vows to Yahweh, who is depicted as their divine Husband. This metaphor emphasizes the personal offense and broken trust inherent in their turning to other gods. Furthermore, Symbolism is evident in the phrase "many days." This period symbolizes a necessary time of divine discipline, purification, and waiting for Israel. It represents a season where Israel would be stripped of their false securities and learn to rely solely on God, leading to genuine repentance and a renewed, exclusive relationship.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Hosea 3:3 profoundly reveals God's nature as both a righteous judge and a loving, persistent covenant partner. It underscores His unwavering commitment to His people, even in their deepest rebellion. The "many days" of isolation and purification for Gomer symbolize God's patient yet firm discipline of Israel, designed not for destruction but for restoration. This divine discipline is a testament to His fatherly love, aiming to bring about genuine repentance and exclusive devotion. The conditional "so will I also be for thee" highlights the reciprocal nature of the covenant: God's full blessings and presence are contingent upon Israel's faithfulness, yet His pursuit of them remains steadfast. This passage foreshadows the ultimate reconciliation God desires with humanity, a reconciliation made possible through a new covenant of the heart where God's law is written on their hearts, leading to true and lasting fidelity.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hosea 3:3 offers profound insights for contemporary believers, reminding us of God's relentless love and His call to exclusive devotion. In a world filled with distractions and competing allegiances—whether material possessions, worldly ambitions, or even spiritual substitutes—this verse challenges us to examine where our true loyalties lie. Just as Gomer was commanded to abide solely for Hosea, we are called to abide solely for Christ, forsaking all forms of spiritual "harlotry" that compromise our relationship with God. The concept of "many days" also speaks to seasons of spiritual dryness or discipline in our lives. These periods, though challenging, are often God's gracious means of drawing us closer, stripping away idols, and cultivating deeper dependence on Him. Our response to such seasons should be one of patient endurance, repentance, and renewed commitment, trusting that God's ultimate desire is our restoration and intimate fellowship with Him. This passage powerfully calls us to a life of undivided devotion, recognizing that our God is a jealous God who desires our whole heart, not just a part of it.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "many days" signify for Israel in the context of Hosea 3:3?
Answer: The phrase "many days" in Hosea 3:3 signifies a prolonged period of divine discipline and purification for the nation of Israel. This was a time when they would be without their traditional structures—no king, no prince, no sacrifice, no pillar, no ephod, no household gods, as explicitly stated in Hosea 3:4. This period was intended to strip them of their false securities and idolatrous practices, forcing them to confront their spiritual emptiness and ultimately leading them back to a singular dependence on Yahweh. It was a necessary, painful, but ultimately redemptive process designed to bring about genuine repentance and a renewed, exclusive relationship with God, culminating in their return to the Lord and David their king in the latter days (Hosea 3:5).
How does Gomer's unfaithfulness relate to Israel's spiritual condition?
Answer: Gomer's repeated unfaithfulness and descent into prostitution serve as a vivid and painful metaphor for Israel's spiritual idolatry and covenant infidelity. Just as Gomer broke her marital vows to Hosea, Israel continually broke their covenant vows to Yahweh by worshipping other gods (like Baal) and forming unholy alliances with foreign nations, rather than trusting in God alone. This spiritual "harlotry" was seen as an act of profound betrayal against their divine Husband, Yahweh, who had chosen them and entered into a sacred covenant with them at Mount Sinai. The parallel emphasizes the deeply personal and relational nature of Israel's sin against God, portraying it not just as a transgression of law but as a breaking of a sacred, intimate bond, as seen throughout Ezekiel 16.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hosea 3:3, with its portrayal of a faithful husband redeeming and setting terms for his unfaithful wife, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Just as Hosea pursued Gomer, God, in Christ, pursued humanity, His unfaithful bride, who had prostituted herself through sin and rebellion. We, like Gomer, were "sold under sin" (Romans 7:14) and spiritually alienated from God. Yet, Christ, the ultimate Bridegroom, did not merely set terms from afar but "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity" (Titus 2:14). He paid the ultimate price, His own life, to buy us back from the slavery of sin and death, demonstrating a love far greater than Hosea's. The "many days" of waiting and purification for Israel prefigure the New Covenant era, where believers are called to a period of spiritual transformation and sanctification, "abstaining from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). In Christ, the demand for exclusive devotion is fulfilled not through legalistic adherence but through a transformed heart, empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are now "betrothed to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2), and He promises, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5), echoing Hosea's "so will I also be for thee," but with an eternal, unwavering faithfulness made perfect in His atoning work.