Hosea 3:1
Then the LORD said to me, "Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and offer raisin cakes to idols."
Then the LORD said to me
This phrase indicates divine communication, emphasizing the prophetic nature of Hosea's mission. The Hebrew root for "LORD" is "YHWH," the sacred name of God, underscoring His authority and covenant relationship with Israel. The phrase sets the stage for a direct command from God, highlighting the importance of obedience and the role of prophets as God's messengers.

Go, show love to your wife again
The command "Go" signifies action and obedience, urging Hosea to take initiative. "Show love" translates from the Hebrew word "ahav," which encompasses deep affection and commitment. This directive is not just about emotional affection but a covenantal love that mirrors God's steadfast love for His people. The word "again" implies restoration and forgiveness, reflecting God's willingness to restore Israel despite their unfaithfulness.

though she is loved by another and is an adulteress
This phrase acknowledges Gomer's unfaithfulness, paralleling Israel's spiritual adultery. The Hebrew term for "adulteress" is "na'aph," indicating a breach of covenant. This highlights the gravity of Israel's idolatry and the pain it causes God, yet it also sets the stage for redemption. The acknowledgment of her current state underscores the depth of Hosea's—and God's—love, which persists despite betrayal.

Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites
Here, the comparison between Hosea's love for Gomer and God's love for Israel is explicit. The Hebrew word for "love" is again "ahav," emphasizing a love that is unconditional and covenantal. This phrase serves as a powerful reminder of God's unwavering commitment to His people, despite their repeated infidelities. It calls believers to reflect on the nature of divine love and its implications for human relationships.

though they turn to other gods
This phrase highlights Israel's idolatry, a recurring theme in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for "turn" is "panah," suggesting a deliberate choice to abandon God. This turning away is not just a physical act but a spiritual betrayal, akin to adultery. It serves as a warning against the dangers of idolatry and the importance of remaining faithful to God.

and love the sacred raisin cakes
The "sacred raisin cakes" were offerings associated with pagan worship, possibly linked to fertility rites. This phrase illustrates the tangible ways in which Israel's idolatry manifested. The Hebrew word for "love" here is again "ahav," indicating a misplaced affection for things that lead them away from God. This serves as a metaphor for the allure of sin and the need for spiritual discernment.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Hosea
A prophet of God, called to deliver God's message to the Israelites. His life and marriage serve as a symbolic representation of God's relationship with Israel.

2. Gomer
Hosea's wife, who is described as an adulteress. Her unfaithfulness symbolizes Israel's unfaithfulness to God.

3. The LORD (Yahweh)
The God of Israel, who commands Hosea to love Gomer as a demonstration of His own steadfast love for Israel.

4. Israelites
The people of Israel, who are depicted as unfaithful to God by turning to other gods.

5. Sacred Raisin Cakes
These were offerings associated with idol worship, symbolizing Israel's infidelity to God.
Teaching Points
Unconditional Love
Hosea's love for Gomer, despite her unfaithfulness, mirrors God's unconditional love for His people. We are called to love others, even when it is difficult.

Symbol of Redemption
Hosea's actions symbolize God's willingness to redeem and restore those who have strayed. This encourages us to seek reconciliation and forgiveness in our relationships.

Faithfulness in Adversity
Hosea's obedience to God's command, despite personal pain, teaches us the importance of faithfulness to God's will, even in challenging circumstances.

Idolatry and Distraction
The reference to "sacred raisin cakes" highlights how easily we can be distracted by worldly pleasures and idols, drawing us away from our devotion to God.

Reflecting God's Love
As believers, we are called to reflect God's love in our interactions, demonstrating grace and mercy to those around us.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Hosea's relationship with Gomer reflect God's relationship with Israel, and what does this teach us about God's character?

2. In what ways can we demonstrate unconditional love to those who have wronged us, following Hosea's example?

3. What are some modern-day "sacred raisin cakes" or distractions that can lead us away from our relationship with God?

4. How can Hosea's obedience to God's difficult command inspire us to remain faithful in our own challenging situations?

5. How does the theme of redemption in Hosea 3:1 connect with the New Testament message of Christ's love for the church?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Hosea 1:2
This verse introduces the symbolic nature of Hosea's marriage to Gomer, setting the stage for the themes of unfaithfulness and redemption.

Jeremiah 3:20
This passage also uses the metaphor of marital unfaithfulness to describe Israel's relationship with God.

Ephesians 5:25
This New Testament verse calls husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church, echoing the sacrificial love Hosea is called to show.
God's Forgiving LoveT. G. Selby.Hosea 3:1
Idolatry and Self-IndulgenceRobert Tuck, B. A.Hosea 3:1
Love in ChastisementHosea 3:1
The Love of GodDean Farrar, D. D.Hosea 3:1
The Love of the Lord Toward the Children of IsraelJ.R. Thomson Hosea 3:1
Hosea Detains Gomer in SeclusionC. Jerdan Hosea 3:1-5
Love to the AdulteressJ. Orr Hosea 3:1-5
People
David, Hosea, Israelites
Places
Jezreel
Topics
Adulteress, Beloved, Cakes, Flagons, Friend, Gods, Grape-cakes, Husband, Israelites, Love, Loved, Lover, Lovers, Loves, Loveth, Paramour, Raisin, Raisin-cakes, Raisins, Sacred, Sons, Though, Towards, Turn, Turning, Wife, Wine, Yet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Hosea 3:1

     1085   God, love of
     4404   food
     4458   grape
     5277   criminals
     5709   marriage, purpose
     5717   monogamy
     6189   immorality, examples
     8299   love, in relationships

Hosea 3:1-2

     4363   silver
     5242   buying and selling

Hosea 3:1-3

     5702   husband
     5712   marriage, God and his people
     6242   adultery

Hosea 3:1-5

     7775   prophets, lives

Library
Whether Devils have Faith
Whether Devils Have Faith We proceed to the second article thus: 1. It seems that devils do not have faith. For Augustine says that "faith depends on the will of those who believe" {De Praed. Sanct. 5). Now the will whereby one wills to believe in God is good. But there is no deliberate good will in devils. Hence it seems that devils do not have faith. 2. Again, faith is a gift of grace, according to Eph. 2:8: "For by grace ye are saved through faith . . . it is the gift of God." Now the gloss on
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

The Millennium in Relation to Israel.
"And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land" (Gen. 15:17, 18). Here the two great periods of Israel's history was made known to Abram in figure. The vision of the smoking furnace and the burning lamp intimated that the history of Abraham's descendants was to be a checkered one. It was a prophecy in
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Night of Miracles on the Lake of Gennesaret
THE last question of the Baptist, spoken in public, had been: Art Thou the Coming One, or look we for another?' It had, in part, been answered, as the murmur had passed through the ranks: This One is truly the Prophet, the Coming One!' So, then, they had no longer to wait, nor to look for another! And this Prophet' was Israel's long expected Messiah. What this would imply to the people, in the intensity and longing of the great hope which, for centuries, nay, far beyond the time of Ezra, had swayed
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Shaking of the Heavens and the Earth
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Yet this once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land: and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. G od shook the earth when He proclaimed His law to Israel from Sinai. The description, though very simple, presents to our thoughts a scene unspeakably majestic, grand and awful. The mountain was in flames at the top, and
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

The Progress of the Gospel
Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world. T he heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1) . The grandeur of the arch over our heads, the number and lustre of the stars, the beauty of the light, the splendour of the sun, the regular succession of day and night, and of the seasons of the year, are such proofs of infinite wisdom and power, that the Scripture attributes to them a voice, a universal language, intelligible to all mankind, accommodated to every capacity.
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

In the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Cæsar and under the Pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas - a Voice in the Wilderness
THERE is something grand, even awful, in the almost absolute silence which lies upon the thirty years between the Birth and the first Messianic Manifestation of Jesus. In a narrative like that of the Gospels, this must have been designed; and, if so, affords presumptive evidence of the authenticity of what follows, and is intended to teach, that what had preceded concerned only the inner History of Jesus, and the preparation of the Christ. At last that solemn silence was broken by an appearance,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Redemption for Man Lost to be Sought in Christ.
1. The knowledge of God the Creator of no avail without faith in Christ the Redeemer. First reason. Second reason strengthened by the testimony of an Apostle. Conclusion. This doctrine entertained by the children of God in all ages from the beginning of the world. Error of throwing open heaven to the heathen, who know nothing of Christ. The pretexts for this refuted by passages of Scripture. 2. God never was propitious to the ancient Israelites without Christ the Mediator. First reason founded on
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Hosea
The book of Hosea divides naturally into two parts: i.-iii. and iv.-xiv., the former relatively clear and connected, the latter unusually disjointed and obscure. The difference is so unmistakable that i.-iii. have usually been assigned to the period before the death of Jeroboam II, and iv.-xiv. to the anarchic period which succeeded. Certainly Hosea's prophetic career began before the end of Jeroboam's reign, as he predicts the fall of the reigning dynasty, i. 4, which practically ended with Jeroboam's
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Hosea 3:1 NIV
Hosea 3:1 NLT
Hosea 3:1 ESV
Hosea 3:1 NASB
Hosea 3:1 KJV

Hosea 3:1 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Hosea 2:23
Top of Page
Top of Page