Hosea 14:7 Study Bible: They will return and dwell in his shade. They will live and be abundantly satisfied with grain, and blossom like the vine. Their fragrance will be like the wine of Lebanon.

◄ Hosea 14:7 ►

They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Study Bible

They will return
This phrase signifies a restoration and a turning back to God. In the Hebrew context, the word "return" (שׁוּב, shuv) is often used to describe repentance or a change of heart. It implies a movement from a state of disobedience to one of obedience and faithfulness. Historically, this reflects Israel's cyclical pattern of falling away from God and then returning to Him, a theme prevalent throughout the Old Testament. The promise of return is a hopeful assurance of God's enduring mercy and willingness to restore His people.

and dwell
The Hebrew word for "dwell" (יָשַׁב, yashav) conveys a sense of settling or abiding. It suggests not just a temporary stay but a permanent, peaceful habitation. This is significant in the context of Israel, as it points to a future where the people will live securely in their land, under God's protection and blessing. The idea of dwelling also evokes the covenant relationship between God and His people, where He promises to be with them and they with Him.

beneath His shade
The imagery of shade in the Bible often symbolizes protection and refuge. In the harsh climate of the Middle East, shade is a precious commodity, offering relief and safety from the sun's intensity. Spiritually, this phrase indicates God's protective presence over His people. It echoes the sentiment found in Psalm 91:1, where those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High find rest in His shadow. This protection is a result of the restored relationship between God and His people.

They will blossom
The word "blossom" (פָּרַח, parach) is a vivid image of growth and renewal. It suggests a transformation from barrenness to fruitfulness, a common metaphor in the Bible for spiritual revival and prosperity. This blossoming is not just physical but also spiritual, indicating a flourishing of faith and righteousness among the people. It reflects the blessings that come from living in accordance with God's will.

like the vine
The vine is a powerful symbol in Scripture, often representing Israel itself (as seen in Isaiah 5 and Psalm 80). It signifies fruitfulness, abundance, and the joy of a life connected to God. Jesus later uses the vine imagery in John 15 to describe the relationship between Himself and His followers, emphasizing the importance of remaining in Him to bear fruit. Here, the vine symbolizes the restored vitality and productivity of God's people.

His renown
The term "renown" (זֵכֶר, zeker) refers to reputation or fame. In this context, it speaks to the renewed honor and glory of Israel as a nation under God's favor. Historically, Israel's renown was tied to its unique relationship with God and its role as a light to the nations. This phrase suggests a return to that esteemed position, where the people are once again known for their faithfulness and the blessings they receive from God.

will be like the wine of Lebanon
Lebanon was renowned in the ancient world for its quality wine, symbolizing excellence and desirability. The comparison to the "wine of Lebanon" suggests that Israel's restoration will be marked by a richness and quality that is both attractive and esteemed. This imagery conveys the idea of a life that is full, satisfying, and pleasing to God, much like the finest wine. It underscores the transformation and blessing that come from returning to God and living under His care.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Hosea
A prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, whose ministry focused on calling Israel back to faithfulness to God amidst their idolatry and moral decline.

2. Israel
The Northern Kingdom, often depicted as unfaithful to God, yet the subject of God's redemptive promises.

3. Lebanon
A region known for its fertile land and quality produce, symbolizing abundance and prosperity in biblical imagery.

Teaching Points

Restoration and Return
God's promise of restoration is central. Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God offers a return to His protective presence.

Growth and Fruitfulness
Spiritual growth is likened to grain and vine, emphasizing the importance of abiding in God to bear fruit.

Renown and Witness
The renown of God's people, like the wine of Lebanon, suggests that a restored relationship with God leads to a powerful witness to the world.

Shade as Protection
Dwelling in God's shade implies a life lived under His protection and guidance, offering peace and security.

Symbolism of Wine
Wine symbolizes joy and celebration, pointing to the joy found in a restored relationship with God.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the imagery of "dwelling in His shade" challenge or encourage your current understanding of God's protection?

2. In what ways can you cultivate spiritual growth in your life, akin to the grain and vine mentioned in Hosea 14:7?

3. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's restoration. How did it impact your witness to others?

4. How can the promise of God's renown being like the wine of Lebanon inspire you to live out your faith more boldly?

5. Consider the connections between Hosea 14:7 and John 15. How does abiding in Christ influence your ability to bear fruit?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Psalm 91
The imagery of dwelling in God's shade is reminiscent of the protection and refuge described in this Psalm.

John 15
The metaphor of growing and blossoming like a vine connects to Jesus' teaching about abiding in Him as the true vine.

Isaiah 27
The promise of Israel blossoming and filling the world with fruit echoes the restoration themes found in Isaiah.

Sermons

Repentance, or Reformation	D. Thomas	Hosea 14:1-7
God's Response to the Penitent	J. Orr	Hosea 14:4-8
A Fertilized Church	I. K. Jackson.	Hosea 14:5-7
Abiding Beauty of the Godly Life	E. Aubrey.	Hosea 14:5-7
As the Dew		Hosea 14:5-7
Christ is as the Dew	Philip Henry.	Hosea 14:5-7
Dew to Israel	E. B. Pusey, D. D.	Hosea 14:5-7
Dew unto Israel	Original Secession Magazine	Hosea 14:5-7
Dew Upon Israel	Joseph Halsey.	Hosea 14:5-7
Divine Influence	John Dunlop.	Hosea 14:5-7
Divine Refreshings	Preacher's Assistant.	Hosea 14:5-7
Divine Relationship and Human Responsiveness	W. H. Tetley.	Hosea 14:5-7
Five Good Marks	J. M. Gibbon.	Hosea 14:5-7
Fragrant Influence	A. A Ramsey.	Hosea 14:5-7
God Does Everything Beautifully		Hosea 14:5-7
God Promises to Restore Fruitfulness to Ephraim	Moses Margoliouth, B. A.	Hosea 14:5-7
God's Mission and Expectation	J. W. Bray.	Hosea 14:5-7
God's Silent Blessings	H. C. M'Cook, D. D.	Hosea 14:5-7
Grace Reviving Israel	Anon.	Hosea 14:5-7
Improvement in Religion the Fruit of a Divine Influence	S. Stenner, D. D.	Hosea 14:5-7
Like the Olive and Lebanon		Hosea 14:5-7
Lily, Cedar, Olive	Anon.	Hosea 14:5-7
National Prosperity	J.R. Thomson	Hosea 14:5-7
On Divine Influence	John Hunt.	Hosea 14:5-7
Sacred Similitudes	A. Roberts, M. A.	Hosea 14:5-7
Soul Revival	E. Aubrey.	Hosea 14:5-7
Spiritual Beauty	E. Aubrey.	Hosea 14:5-7
Spiritual Blessings for the True Israel of God	R. H. Whitworth.	Hosea 14:5-7
Spiritual Fragrance	E. Aubrey.	Hosea 14:5-7
Spiritual Growth	Wesleyan Magazine	Hosea 14:5-7
Spiritual Growth by Dependence and Pruning	E. Aubrey.	Hosea 14:5-7
Spiritual Progress	E. Aubrey.	Hosea 14:5-7
Spiritual Prosperity		Hosea 14:5-7
Spiritual Restoration	E. Aubrey.	Hosea 14:5-7
Spiritual Strength	E. Aubrey.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Believer's Growth in Grace	Richard Burgess, D. D.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Blessings of the Church of Christ to Others	Samuel Eyles Pierce.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Dew	A. Raleigh, D. D.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Dew and its Energies	G. J. Proctor.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Dew and the Plants	A. Maclaren, D. D.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Dew of God's Grace, and its Results	Clergyman's Magazine	Hosea 14:5-7
The Dew of Israel and the Lily of God	F. W. Krummacher.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Dew of the Holy Spirit	Joseph Jowett, M. A.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Dew unto Israel	J. Robinson Gregory.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Divine Dew and its Result	R. Finlayson, B. A.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Grace of God Like the Dew	James Kidd, D. D.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Holy Spirit as the Dew	Canon Morse.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Lord as the Dew	D. Davies.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Measure of Blessing in Spiritual Influence Determined by Human Disposition	E. Aubrey.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Metaphor of the Dew	Samuel Eyles Pierce.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Progressive Christian	G Brooks.	Hosea 14:5-7
The Uses of the Olive	A. Maclaren, D. D.	Hosea 14:5-7
What God Will be to His People	W. H. Ridley, M. A.	Hosea 14:5-7
Return to God: its Ultimate Results	C. Jerdan	Hosea 14:5-8

People

Ashur, Hosea

Places

Assyria, Lebanon, Samaria

Topics

Beneath, Blossom, Corn, Dwell, Dwellers, Fame, Flourish, Flowers, Fragrance, Garden, Grain, Grow, Lebanon, Memorial, Raise, Renown, Rest, Return, Revive, Scent, Shade, Shadow, Sit, Thereof, Vine, Wine

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Hosea 14:7

     4456   grain
     4534   vine
     4846   shadow
     5857   fame

Hosea 14:1-8

4824 famine, spiritual

Hosea 14:4-7

4446 flowers

Hosea 14:4-8

7233 Israel, northern kingdom

Hosea 14:5-7

4428 corn

Library

December 4. "From Me is Thy Fruit Found" (Hos. xiv. 8).
"From me is thy fruit found" (Hos. xiv. 8). Nothing keeps us from advancement more than ruts and drifts, and wheel-tracks into which our chariots roll and then move on in the narrow line with unchanging monotony, currents in life's stream on which we are borne in the old direction until the law of habit almost makes advance impossible. The true remedy for this is to commence at nothing; taking Christ afresh to be the Alpha and Omega for a deeper, higher, Divine experience, waiting even for His conception …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

A Colloquy Between a Penitent and God
'A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God. Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God.'---JER. iii. 21, 22. We have here a brief dramatic dialogue. First is heard a voice from the bare heights, the sobs and cries of penitence, produced by the prophet's earnest remonstrance. The penitent …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Israel Returning
'O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 2. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. 3. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. 4. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Dew and the Plants
'I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. 6. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree ...'--Hosea xiv. 5, 6. Like his brethren, Hosea was a poet as well as a prophet. His little prophecy is full of similes and illustrations drawn from natural objects; scarcely any of them from cities or from the ways of men; almost all of them from Nature, as seen in the open country, which he evidently loved, and where he had looked …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Fresh Supplies of Power.
"As the Dew." There is another very important bit needed to complete the circle of truth we are going over together in these quiet talks. Namely, the daily life after the act of surrender and all that comes with that act. The steady pull day by day. After the eagle-flight up into highest air, and the hundred yards dash, or even the mile run, comes the steady, steady walking mile after mile. The real test of life is here. And the highest victories are here, too. I recall the remark made by a friend …
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power

Where to Find Fruit
According to Master Trapp, some read this passage, "In me is thy fruit ready." Certain it is that at all times, whenever we approach to God, we shall find in him a ready supply for every lack. The best of trees have fruit on them only at appointed seasons. Who is so unreasonable as to look for fruit upon the peach or the plum at this season of the year? No drooping boughs beckon us to partake of their ripening crops, for Winter's cold still nips the buds. But our God hath fruit at all times: the …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 10: 1864

The Joyous Return
"When God's right arm is bared for war, And thunders clothe his cloudy car." e'en then he stays his uplifted hand, reins in the steeds of vengeance, and holds communion with grace; "for his mercy endureth for ever," and "judgment is his strange work." To use another figure: the whole book of Hosea is like a great trial wherein witnesses have appeared against the accused, and the arguments and excuses of the guilty have been answered and baffled. All has been heard for them, and much, very much against …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

The Great Change
"Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found."--Hosea 14:8. THIS PASSAGE IS in very vivid contrast to what Ephraim had previously said, as it is recorded in the early part of Hosea's prophecy. If you turn to the second chapter, and the fifth verse, you will find this same Ephraim saying, "I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink." …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 42: 1896

Grace Abounding
Since the word "freely" is the very key-note of the text, we must observe its common meaning among men. We use the word "freely" for that which is given without money and without price. It is opposed to all idea of bargaining, to all acceptance of an equivalent, or that which might be construed into an equivalent. A man is said to give freely when he bestows his charity on applicants simply on the ground of their poverty, hoping for nothing again. A man distributes freely when, without asking any …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 9: 1863

6Th Day. Restoring Grace.
"He is Faithful that Promised." "I will heal their backsliding."--HOSEA xiv. 4. Restoring Grace. Wandering again! And has He not left me to perish? Stumbling and straying on the dark mountains, away from the Shepherd's eye and the Shepherd's fold, shall He not leave the erring wanderer to the fruit of his own ways, and his truant heart to go hopelessly onward in its career of guilty estrangement? "My thoughts," says God, "are not as your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." Man would say, "Go, …
John Ross Macduff—The Faithful Promiser

Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
(From the Gospel for the day; and from Hosea xiv. 1, 2.) Of the great wonders which God has wrought, and still works for us Christian men; wherefore it is just and reasonable that we should turn unto Him and follow Him, and whereby we may discern between true and false conversion. Matt. viii. 23.--"Jesus went into a ship, and His disciples followed Him." And Hosea xiv. 1, 2.--"O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; take with you words, and turn to the Lord." WE read in the Gospel for this day that …
Susannah Winkworth—The History and Life of the Reverend Doctor John Tauler

Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It

The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
1. The Hebrews reckon but three books as poetical, namely: Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, which are distinguished from the rest by a stricter rhythm--the rhythm not of feet, but of clauses (see below, No. 3)--and a peculiar system of accentuation. It is obvious to every reader that the poetry of the Old Testament, in the usual sense of the word, is not restricted to these three books. But they are called poetical in a special and technical sense. In any natural classification of the books of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

A Prayer when one Begins to be Sick.
O most righteous Judge, yet in Jesus Christ my gracious Father! I, wretched sinner, do here return unto thee, though driven with pain and sickness, like the prodigal child with want and hunger. I acknowledge that this sickness and pain comes not by blind chance or fortune, but by thy divine providence and special appointment. It is the stroke of thy heavy hand, which my sins have justly deserved; and the things that I feared are now fallen upon me (Job iii. 25.) Yet do I well perceive that in wrath …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Growth in Grace
'But grow in grace.' 2 Pet 3:38. True grace is progressive, of a spreading and growing nature. It is with grace as with light; first, there is the crepusculum, or daybreak; then it shines brighter to the full meridian. A good Christian is like the crocodile. Quamdiu vivet crescit; he has never done growing. The saints are not only compared to stars for their light, but to trees for their growth. Isa 61:1, and Hos 14:4. A good Christian is not like Hezekiah's sun that went backwards, nor Joshua's …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Covenant of Grace
Q-20: DID GOD LEAVE ALL MANKIND TO PERISH 1N THE ESTATE OF SIN AND MISERY? A: No! He entered into a covenant of grace to deliver the elect out of that state, and to bring them into a state of grace by a Redeemer. 'I will make an everlasting covenant with you.' Isa 55:5. Man being by his fall plunged into a labyrinth of misery, and having no way left to recover himself, God was pleased to enter into a new covenant with him, and to restore him to life by a Redeemer. The great proposition I shall go …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Prayer.
CHARACTERISTICS OF PRAYER. WHAT is prayer? A sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Spirit, for such things as God hath promised. The best prayers have often more groans than words. Alas, how few there be in the world whose heart and mouth in prayer shall go together. Dost thou, when thou askest for the Spirit, or faith, or love to God, to holiness, to saints, to the word, and the like, ask for them with love to them, …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan

"He is the Rock, his Work is Perfect, for all his Ways are Judgment, a God of Truth, and Without Iniquity, Just and Right is He.
Deut. xxxii. 4, 5.--"He is the Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are judgment, a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children," &c. There are none can behold their own vileness as it is, but in the sight of God's glorious holiness. Sin is darkness, and neither sees itself, nor any thing else, therefore must his light shine to discover this darkness. If we abide within ourselves, and men like ourselves, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Religion Pleasant to the Religious.
"O taste and see how gracious the Lord is; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."--Psalm xxxiv. 8. You see by these words what love Almighty God has towards us, and what claims He has upon our love. He is the Most High, and All-Holy. He inhabiteth eternity: we are but worms compared with Him. He would not be less happy though He had never created us; He would not be less happy though we were all blotted out again from creation. But He is the God of love; He brought us all into existence, …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

The Beginning of Justification. In what Sense Progressive.
1. Men either idolatrous, profane, hypocritical, or regenerate. 1. Idolaters void of righteousness, full of unrighteousness, and hence in the sight of God altogether wretched and undone. 2. Still a great difference in the characters of men. This difference manifested. 1. In the gifts of God. 2. In the distinction between honorable and base. 3. In the blessings of he present life. 3. All human virtue, how praiseworthy soever it may appear, is corrupted. 1. By impurity of heart. 2. By the absence of …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Tests of Love to God
LET us test ourselves impartially whether we are in the number of those that love God. For the deciding of this, as our love will be best seen by the fruits of it, I shall lay down fourteen signs, or fruits, of love to God, and it concerns us to search carefully whether any of these fruits grow in our garden. 1. The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is in love, his thoughts are ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

They Shall be Called the Children of God
They shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9 In these words the glorious privilege of the saints is set down. Those who have made their peace with God and labour to make peace among brethren, this is the great honour conferred upon them, They shall be called the children of God'. They shall be (called)', that is, they shall be so reputed and esteemed of God. God never miscalls anything. He does not call them children which are no children. Thou shalt be called the prophet of the Highest' …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Best Things Work for Good to the Godly
WE shall consider, first, what things work for good to the godly; and here we shall show that both the best things and the worst things work for their good. We begin with the best things. 1. God's attributes work for good to the godly. (1). God's power works for good. It is a glorious power (Col. i. 11), and it is engaged for the good of the elect. God's power works for good, in supporting us in trouble. "Underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. xxxiii. 27). What upheld Daniel in the lion's den? …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

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