Hosea’s Wife and Children

1The word of the LORD that 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.

2When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, take for yourself a [a]wife of prostitution and have children of [her] prostitution; for the land commits great acts of prostitution by [b]not following the LORD.” 3So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4And the LORD said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for yet in a little while I will avenge the blood [that was shed in the Valley] of Jezreel and inflict the punishment for it on the house of [c]Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the [d]house of Israel. 5On that day I will break the bow [of the military power] of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

6Then Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said 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. 7But I will have mercy on the house of Judah and will rescue them by the LORD their God, and will [e]not rescue them by bow, sword, war, horses, or horsemen.”

8Now when Gomer had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-Ammi (not my people), for you are not My people and I am not your God.”

10Yet the number of the [f]sons of Israel

Shall be like the sand of the sea,

Which cannot be measured or numbered;

And in the place

Where it is said to them,

“You are not My people,”

It will be said to them,

“You are the sons of the living God.”

11Then 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 great and glorious will be the day of [g]Jezreel.

[a] 2 Some 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.
[b] 2 Lit forsaking.
[c] 4 Jehu murdered Ahab’s sons in order to seize the throne of Israel.
[d] 4 I.e. Israel, the Northern Kingdom, which included ten of the original tribes of Israel. Samaria was the capital city.
[e] 7 Isaiah 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.
[f] 10 In 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.
[g] 11 The spiritually reborn Israel, the people whom the Lord has chosen and blessed.