1 Hosea’s Wife and Children The word of the Lthat came to 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.
2 When the Lfirst spoke through Hosea, the Lsaid to him, “Go, take for yourself aSome scholars interpret this to mean that Gomer was chaste at the time of the marriage, but later became an adulteress. As such, she symbolizes the future unfaithfulness of Israel.wife of prostitution and have children of [her] prostitution; for the land commits great acts of prostitution byLit forsaking.not following the L.”
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 And the Lsaid to him, “Name him Jezreel; for yet in a little while I will avenge the blood [that was shed in the Valley] of Jezreelandinflict the punishment for it on the house ofJehu murdered Ahab’s sons in order to seize the throne of Israel.Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of theI.e. Israel, the Northern Kingdom, which included ten of the original tribes of Israel. Samaria was the capital city.house of Israel.
5 On that day I will break the bow [of the military power] of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6 Then Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lsaid to Hosea, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah (not shown mercy), for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them.
7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah and will rescue them by the Ltheir God, and willIsaiah also made this prophecy (Is 31:8, 9) and both he and Hosea lived to see its fulfillment (Is 37:36). See also 2 Kin 19:35-37.not rescue them by bow, sword, war, horses, or horsemen.”
8 Now when Gomer had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son.
9 And the Lsaid, “Name him Lo-Ammi (not my people), for you are not My people and I am not your God.”
10 Yet the number of theIn general, sons (children) of Israel or Israel or Israelites refers to all the people (males and females) of the various tribes descended from the twelve sons (Gen 35:23-26) of Jacob (later renamed Israel by God). In verses about things such as warfare or circumcision, sons of Israel or Israel or Israelites usually refers only to the males. Tribes of ancient people were identified by the name of their founding ancestor. Therefore, this same general rule applies to individual tribal groups, e.g., sons of Reuben, Reuben, Reubenites, and so throughout.sons of IsraelShall be like the sand of the sea,Which cannot be measured or numbered;And in the placeWhere it is said to them,“You are not My people,”It will be said to them,“You arethe sons of the living God.”
11 Then the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together,And they will appoint for themselves one leader,And they will go up from the land,For greatandglorious will be the day ofThe spiritually reborn Israel, the people whom the Lord has chosen and blessed.Jezreel.